City frozen out by indefatigable Everton

Forced to make changes, with Pienaar and Heitinga injured, David Moyes picked Coleman and Osman (his 200th Everton game) on the flanks and the big surprise — Victor Anichebe starting as the lone striker up-front. Saha thankfully did not start but was one of four strikers on the bench, with Yakubu, Beckford and Vaughan. For City, no sign of Lescott, Adebyor, or Santa Cruz... Jô on the bench.
If the first few minutes were anything to go by, this game would see Everton chasing shadows with City having almost all the possession. But when they did get possession, an attack down the right, then the left and great cross from Baines was headed on by Anichebe and picked up by Coleman on the byline, who chipped back a training pitch ball for Cahill to nod sweetly just inside the post with less than 4 mins gone.
On 10 mins, Silva was set up all in the clear on the Everton right by Yaya Toure and looked to belt it home but he missed the target completely. City started to press and won their first corner that Howard held comfortably. Cahill needed breif treatment for a head knock, Zabaleta coming off worse and going down the tunnel for a full head bandage job to cover four stiches.
Everton got their second goal in the 19th minute, and a thing of beauty it was. After a lngthy passing movement that started in the Everton penalty area, Anichebe got his first real involvement, interchanging down the left with Baines, then crossing intelligently low to Cahill's feet, while Baines ran in to pick up the gently played return ball that the left back then curled sweetly around Hart and inside the far post with his wrong foot. Lovely!!! Just the sweetest of movement, interpassing, set-up and finish — a really classic goal of the highest quality.
Kompany was yellow-carded for a poor block on Rodwell as he successfully prevented some good forward movement down the right. Everton were hoping to sit on the lead and settled into a good pattern of relatively calm control at the back but City had other ideaas, forcing mistakes that led to two wrongly called corners and a couple of serious half-chances.
Osman got himself on a laboured breakaway and looked to create a scoring chance on his own but was so weak in the end, it was pathetic, his half-shot clipping off the covering defender's ankle and lamely into Hart's hands. But it was becoming a rarity as Everton's possession led far too often to aimless hoofball clearances
A mad sequence of blocked shots and goalmouth panic on the half-hour was the direct result of such defensive caution, as shot after City shot was blocked away. Anichebe got away down the left and Milner had to foul him.
Fellaini, incredibly yellow-carded for a midfield challenge on Tevez that won the ball but his foot movement looked like too much like a stamp. Cahill then was dispossesd and fouled as he tackled back. A Kolarov free-kick was going to hit the post but Howard fingertipped it wide and from the corner Anichebe was the furthest forward — in the Everton D! — his clearance to no-one providing for another attack from City and more blocked shots and misses. Everton very much under the cosh... but so far holding out.
When Everton did break out and give themselves some respite, the annoyance and frustration among the City players was palpable as they struggled to deny Everton the run of the ball up to half-time. Coleman looked to break again but his pass to Rodwell was poor. Jagielka had to be alert when Yaya Toure looked to capitalise.
Mancini bought on Adam Johnson in place of James Milner for the restart. Fellaini again won a challenge with Balotelli, who went down like a wimp. Kolarov picked up and wellied an early clearnace that needed a very good save from Howard as City ramped up their attack. When Everton did go forward, too often it ended abruptly with mindless balls, one lofted by Cahill from the wing to the centre-circle.
Sitting back, standing off, defending deep... another Kolarov shot fizzing just wide. Osman was the next to bash Zabaletta as the tempo of the game was successfully being strangled by the cold calm Everton defence, epitomized by a great piece of defensive work by Distin. Anichebe chased a lost ball and crashed into Hart for an unavoidable yellow card. Everton's failing in possession, though remainded all too evident, with Rodwell trying to sell a dummy that was far too easily picked off.... and another spell of intense pressure / defending practice ensued.
Osman got called for a silly high foot on Ballatelli; from the kick, Kolarov drove pooly into the Everton wall and just as Anichebe was about to be subbed by Saha, he divided in again on Balottili — second yellow card, and red. Ridiculous. Everton down to 10 men for the last 30 mins. Okay... 4-4-1-0... backs to the wall!
City continued to press but much the same pattern as against 11 men with lots of blocks and long-distance prods. Distin was solid as a rock. City screams for handball against Jagielka when the ball clipped off his hip... And more rabid screams again when Silva smashed he ball into Neville's arm from 5 yards. Barry then came closest, skimming the top of the bar.
With 20 mins left, Balotelli looked to have got behind the Everton defence but slipped and missed. Then, all the blocking went wrong when Yaya Toure fired across goal and the ball clipped off Jagielka's shin and into the net for an own goal. A few more attacks and shots as Moyes lectured Bilyaletdinov before switching him in for Osman.
Johnson fired just over after Moyes bought Saha on for Coleman... a strange one, that. City looked to have equalized when a long ball by Toure released Balotelli who beat Howard but not the post and then fought with Howard who stopped a certain goal in the follow-up shot from Tevez going in.
Everton's third substitution was a surprise, Jagielka going off for Hibbert, presumably due to injury, with 10 desperate minutes of more bus-parking. Balotelli finally went off, and Everton played some rare football in City's half, as Jô came on. But it didn't last long as City came back, Hibbert blocking and Kolarov trying a scoring shot from an impossible angle.
A better move from City looked to have beaten the Everton defence but Hibbert got his hip in the way of a clip from Tevez that was goalbound. Que more rabid poenalty screams from the poor Mancs. A feirce long-range shot from Yaya Toure was incredibly touched around the post by Howard's fingertips. Another corner, Howard needing to produce a solid stop from Silva.
Jô looked dangerous but he was offside as the clock finally ticked to 90 mins, with Rodwell and Neville taking it down into the corner and Barry losing his rag over a throw-in call. Three throw-ins later and Neville finally gave it away with the board showing 4 mins of added time.
Another City attack, a clssic Tevez move inside, a blistering shot... and an absolutely fabulous save by Howard to keep the lead into the 93rd minute. Excellent work by Disiin, bringing he ball out of defence, cut down by Yaya Toure, yellow card. More fun and games in the last minute, Bily off on a run, Toure took him out: second yellow and red.
Final whistle, fabulous result. Well played, Blues.

Blues in Torres Swoop

Torres at Goodison, don't worry die hard Blues, there may a Torres playing at Goodison in January but it won't be the Lady boy (allegedly) from Analfied.

Moyesy has sent his scouts over to the sun in Spain to have Malaga's Xavi Torres checked out, and the reports coming back to us is that Moyesy is very interested indeed.
Torres is 24yrs old and is currently on loan at newly promoted Levante. The Boss sent his boys out to watch Xavi star in the recent 2-0 win against Atlectico Madrid.
He is a midfielder and started his career with Villareall before playing two matches for Barca.
It will cost though with transfer talk in the region of £5m. Oh well back to the drawing board, or a loan deal.

Everton told to find £38m for Almeria striker Pablo Piatti

However, the Spanish club's president Alfonso Garcia has indicated he won't sell in January amid a fight to save their La Liga status.


Double swoop: Moyes is also keen on goalkeeper Alves
Almeria sit one place above the relegation zone on goal difference, thanks to Piatti's double in a 3-1 win at Sevilla on Saturday.
The Argentina Under 20 international was plucked from Estudiantes for an undisclosed club record fee - thought to be above £6m - in June 2008.
Almeria's standing means they would find it hard to resist bids for their top scorer, but, with Palermo also keen, they are determined to hold on till at least the summer.
Atletico Madrid and Espanyol have also tracked the 5ft 4in forward, who can play centrally or on the wing and is affectionately known as 'El Duende' - The Imp.

Big Vic is for staying

Obviously, of course I want to stay at Everton. I have been here since I was a boy and I have grown up at the club. The whole situation over the weekend about my contract was a bit crazy to be honest. I don't know where it leaked from that I supposedly turned down an offer of £30,000 a week. That is not the case at all. I have not been offered anything like the figures that have been bandied about in the press... I want the fans to know I would never disrespect the club in any way or disrespect the fans... I understand that some of them will believe what they read in the papers, but I want to reassure them I would never disrespect the club or them in any way... I just want to leave all the negotiations with my advisers who deal with that side of things." — Victor Anichebe.

Vaughan returns from Crystal Palace

James Vaughan has returned to Everton after a three-month loan spell in the Championship with Crystal Palace, where he scored five goals, including a hat-trick in 14 appearances. Vaughan limped out of his last game and his spell at Selhurst Park also included a red card, but the overall impression he made was positive: manager George Burley said, "James Vaughan is going to be badly missed. We were trying to bring in a striker before the deadline last month but we weren't able to do that."

nil nil

Everton return to Goodison Park hopefully brimming with confidencec amd a burning intent to build on a promising second-half performance at Chelsea last Saturday. Mikel Arteta serves the second of his three-match suspension while there are fitness doubts over Pienaar, Heitinga and the Saha. This should mean Moyes will be forced to allow the Fellaini-Rodwell partnership to continue, with Yakubu or Beckford (but surely not both!) starting up front?

But no... Saha was declared fit, and astoundingly given a starting place. Pienaar was also declared fit so it's the same team that played so poorly in the first half at Chelsea. Cahill looked to have a great chance in the first minute but could not put his foot though it for a position well outside the 6-yard area. Cahill then won a free-kick that was well deliverd by Baines toward Fellaini and the Blues eventually got their first corner that was also delivered well and ended with Coleman firing over from distamce.

A great cross from Pienaar after good work from Baines was just fractionally ahead of Saha's strecthing header. Neville's first involvemnt was a poor challenge that gave away a dangerous free-kick and a booking in the 6th minute! N'Zogbia could not beat the Everton wall. Wigan won another corner that ended with Rodellega getting his head on a cross but putting it wide. Baines agian swung in a brilliant free-kick that was perfect onto Fellaini's head but he got it completly wrong and missed a clear chance to open the scoring.

Baines was controlling the Everton play, and Saha should have done better on a deep cross to the far post. Wigan looked to press and N'Zogbia got in a very dangerous ball from the byeline right across the Everton 6-yard box that was not converted. Everton were struggling by 20 mins to impose any kind of shape on the game, Cahill's niggles were not escaping the attention of referee Michael Oliver.

Cleverly was casuin Everton problems down the right and Pienaar's ankle-tap saw him earn the second yellow card from an overly fussy referee. Some shocking touches from the blues players, fellaini, Coleman, and Saha brought anxious jeers from the Everon crowd who were getting noticabley frustrated with what they were watching. When Everton did get some worthwhile possession, they overplayed it. A chance di come though, a header from Rodwell that was very unfortunatley intercepted on it's way into the net.

Some better pressure from Everton still lacked the final ball as intricate plays seemed destined to fail through close attantion from their Wigan counterparts. Pienaar and Baines though suffered a rare lack of understanding at crucial moments. Poor examples of Everton caught in possession with no idea what to do with the ball when in good advanced positions were particularly frustrating. Fellaine got a great ball across the face of goal but just a few feet too far ahead of the lunging Cahill. Thomas and Pienaar clashed breifly after going for the same ball

More stuterring Everton pressure around the Wigan area just before half-time should have lead to at least one shot on goal but didn't, summing up the frustration of another very unappealing half of football at Goodison Park..

Saha was allowed to continue after the break, Everton winning an early corner that came to nothing. Then a brilliant run from Coleman, but the ball in to Cahill was poor and Cahill was offside. Pienaar then had a good poke on a nice pass from Saha but it was saved by Al Hadzi. Everton then won more corners then Jagileka was in on a Baines ball but the keeper saved it. Pienaar and Cahill then repeated the move with the same result. Then more intricate play saw Saha flick the ball back into Cahill's path but the Aussie could n't get a clean shot and drove it wide.

10 minutes of sustained Everon pressure came to nothing and it was Wigan's turn to threaten. Then saha got his half-chnace with a great throughball that was perhaps too direct from Pienaar and whne he finally did shoot, it was straight at the keeper. Then a cross fronm Shah that Cahill headed brilliantly onto the post... Coleman scampering through but screweing up his shot/cross, quickly followed by a chance for Pienaar that he drove over.. chance after chance after chance... but still no score. The hour mark and Moyes, right on que in his incredible predicatbility, subbed Saha for Beckford..

Coleman again, and a great run but the cross was too high and away from everyone as Wigan were rocking on their heels. But the substitution of anything spoilt Everon's greatly improved rhythym and teh game looked to sink back into its scrappy first-half pattern. The troublesome Thomas was removed by Martinez in favour of McArthur, to save a second yellow.

Beckford then typified the Everton problem, winning a Jaigielka hoof in a good forward position but having only six Wigan players and no Everton players anywhere near him.

Pienaar walked off, with Victor Anichebe coming on to a chorus of boos, having refused a lucrative new Everrton contract, according to the Daily Mail. Another wonderful set-up, Baines clipping it in to Fellaini whose header was easily saved. A good forward movement and Beckford got behind teh Wigamn defence but was adjudged to have made his run a fraction too soon and his nice finish was called back for oofside.

Jagielka was called upon to prevent an almost certain goal from Diame as spaces opened up in teh Everrton defence. Rodiellga got a shot off that Howard saved comfortably as the minutes relentlessly ticked away and the game remained maddeningly scoreless. Anichebe woon a free-kick out wide that Baines swung in and agains Fellaini had a heading opportunity. Beckford then had another effort on target but it lacked any meaningful pace.

EAfter something of a lull , Everton got forward aagioan and Rodwell drove a shot from outside the area a foot wide of the post. Another forward play was spoilt by Anichebe's poor tocuh that should have played in Beckford but went straight out of play. Play was broken up for a while with some silly Wigan injury, and after it, Beckford finally beat the offside trap but could not control the ball. 5 mins left and dangerous corners from Wigan were very worrying, Cahill hacking t he ball uselessly upfield when more cultured play was called for.

By the end, Beckford was finally getting into the game, but his limited footballing qualiities were his main enemy, increasing the debate that he should be gibven more than 30 mins of game time to learn how to play more experinced Premier League defenders. Coleman got fouled wide right earning Figueroa a yellow card. But nothing came of the kick and Wigan made their most dangerous attack of the game, fouling Coleman in the build-up as Howard saved a certain goal on the 90.

Five minutes of added time, but Everton's powder-puff attacking prowess was prettty much spent, Beckford repeatedly offside, while Wigan sniffed the chance to grab a winner but N'Zogbia got himslef booked for dissent. That was finally it. Same old, same old... Seven painful games without a win since Moyes was proclaimed Manger of the Month...

Depending on your perspective, this was a valiant effort, foiled by a stalwart defensive performance from Wigam... or it was the usual pile of predictable frusrtrating rubbish from a throughly impotent Everton side that couldn't scoore in a brothel. I'm going with the latter, and anotherr painful example of the manager's increasing inability to get things right on the day with what he said himself are the best set of players he has had in his long long stint at Goodsion Park..