Our Everton jury have returned to have their say on the Premier League draw with West Ham United
Everton and West Ham United played out a goalless draw at London Stadium on Saturday. The Blues had Jordan Pickford to thank for the point after he produced a stunning save to deny Danny Ings in stoppage time.
The draw in the capital means Sean Dyche’s side have now only lost one of their last seven games. But they still find themselves three points above the Premier League relegation zone.
But despite Everton currently being in the middle of the November international break, our Blues jury has returned to have their say on all things that are going on at Goodison Park.
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Paul McParlan – Glass half full?
Statistics can be used in so many ways and are open to multiple interpretations, depending on your perspective. The goalless snore-fest at West Ham United last Saturday meant that Everton have now only lost one of their last seven games, a record far superior to that of the current champions, Manchester City.
Even that renowned football intellectual, Micah Richards, thinks we are on the right track. A cause for celebration surely?
However, an alternative view is that we have now only won one of our last five games, scoring a paltry three goals, at a time when some of those teams below us have started winning matches and finding the net. And the standard of football produced has been totally uninspiring. A cause for concern surely?
Whichever view you subscribe to may depend on your hopes for this season. If this campaign is simply about staying in the Premier League then Everton are heading in the right direction, with a resilient defence, a cohesive game plan, and a manager who knows how to grind out results.
On the other hand, if you expect Everton to be pushing for a mid-table finish at the very least, playing attractive winning football and scoring goals, then you may be frustrated. We go into the international break, lying in 16th place and three points above the drop zone. Most fans expected us to be doing far better at this stage.
In fairness, Sean Dyche appears to have addressed our early season defensive frailties, and the return of Jarrad Branthwaite has certainly helped. Nevertheless, the lack of firepower upfront continues to be a problem.
Dyche has shown that he is the type of manager who is happy to take a point when a game is heading for a draw rather than gambling and going for the win. The match at the London Stadium was a classic example of this. Rarely does he introduce match-changing substitutes to try and grab the three points.
To be fair, that strategy has worked well at times, but surely another season of crunching out results to ensure survival is not enough. Don’t we deserve more as fans?
If Armando Broja is finally fit, then he may provide another attacking option. Then again, as Jake O’Brien has found to his cost, if the manager decides that you are not ready for the Premier League, then expect to spend a long time on the bench. Youssef Chermiti can also vouch for that from his experience last season.
So, was it a point gained on our travels at West Ham United or two points dropped? Do we feel confident that we can string a run of results together against some very tough opponents when the Premier League resumes? Or are we heading for some crushing defeats?
I guess that depends on whether you are a ‘glass half full’ or a ‘glass half empty’ type of Evertonian. Can someone top up my pint, please?
Daniel Smith – The numbers ultimately don’t lie
Saturday’s draw once again leaves us Evertonians with more questions than answers. A draw, in truth, did nothing for either us or West Ham United.
But, make no mistake, it was a game that was there for the taking. Given how nervous West Ham looked in the opening stages, you can’t help but think if the Blues would have scored, then Julen Lopetegui’s side would have fallen apart.
Instead, we never really looked like taking the game to the Hammers and finished both halves on the back foot. We also have the excellence of Jordan Pickford to thank for ensuring we returned to Merseyside with a point.
The pressure, however, will continue to mount on Sean Dyche once we return to action after the international break. The games against Brentford and Wolves feel huge.
Failure to get six points in those two games, and questions will deservedly be asked of Dyche. As things stand, I am worried.
The numbers ultimately don’t lie. We are a side that is struggling to score goals, and I have no idea what the patterns of play are to ensure we are creating chances.
This is something Dyche needs to change and change fast. This isn’t Burnley, and the sooner he realises that, the better.
