Everton XI 5-0 Fleetwood Town XI (Behind-closed-doors friendly)

[Toffe3m4n]

Thought I'd make a new thread about this since there isn't really anywhere else to carry on the conversation.

Apparently we turned out in another behind-closed-doors friendly against a Fleetwood Town XI today at Finch Farm. A lot of first-teamers appear to have been involved too..






There's also people on Twitter saying that we played a Blackburn Rovers IX earlier in the day too, likely with a different set of players.
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[EvertonAmerican]

Wow, that's pretty cool. But everyone already knows how boss Mirallas is, Conor Smith.

 

[AaronTheBlue]

Would like to know who the other scorers are.

 

[KevMirallas]

Kev is boss.

 

[NSNO_Phil_1878]

Super Kev is gonna ruin Arsenal

 

[Springhettios]

Not to be a downer but these things are only about fitness. Lukaku scored a few behind closed doors and looked way behind on his fitness last Saturday. Although he was forced into the line up. Hopefully we'll see Kevin back because he looked good when he subbed in.

 

[Jay_B]

The fact we are still playing friendlies suggests to me we got pre-season wrong. I understand players are still returning to full fitness but the extra EL games will help with that. It looks as if the club have realised there actually wasn't enough football last month.

 

[Jags..class]

The fact we are still playing friendlies suggests to me we got pre-season wrong. I understand players are still returning to full fitness but the extra EL games will help with that. It looks as if the club have realised there actually wasn't enogh football last month.

spot on. pre season was strange

 

[SpurtingLesbian]

The fact we are still playing friendlies suggests to me we got pre-season wrong. I understand players are still returning to full fitness but the extra EL games will help with that. It looks as if the club have realised there actually wasn't enough football last month.

not really, there are a bunch of players who joined us late in pre-season and players who were at the world cup who started late, they are behind the rest and need the extra game time to catch up.

 

[Jacko93]

not really, there are a bunch of players who joined us late in pre-season and players who were at the world cup who started late, they are behind the rest and need the extra game time to catch up.

I agree, We have kind of been forced into this situation, with the WC and the required 4 week rest that FIFA stipulate. One of people major issues/worries has been how they feel that we are behind on fitness, well at least the club feel the same and are doing something about it.

 

[bol-uk]

not really, there are a bunch of players who joined us late in pre-season and players who were at the world cup who started late, they are behind the rest and need the extra game time to catch up.

Still bad planning though.

The world and his dog knows we had players at the world cup and new players coming in, just like all prem teams. We seem to be miles behind in terms of fitness and identifying players we need.

If we don't sign another 2 players I genuinely feel last seasons efforts will be wasted.

 

[ijjysmith]

The fact we are still playing friendlies suggests to me we got pre-season wrong. I understand players are still returning to full fitness but the extra EL games will help with that. It looks as if the club have realised there actually wasn't enough football last month.

spot on. pre season was strange

Possibly not, but possibly.

We don't know that these games weren't planned all along.

 

[allen]

I've never heard of a friendly happening after the season has started like this.

Either Martinez is trying something new, or he thinks he ballsed preseason timings up.

 

[orly]

I've never heard of a friendly happening after the season has started like this.

Either Martinez is trying something new, or he thinks he ballsed preseason timings up.

What?!
Midseason friendlies happen really often, particularly in January. Plus it's against moderately competitive opposition who will have been asked to avoid maiming if possible.

How could he have factored in pre season for someone like atsu who has only just signed? Or long term injuries like Gibbo?

 

[Jxg]

not really, there are a bunch of players who joined us late in pre-season and players who were at the world cup who started late, they are behind the rest and need the extra game time to catch up.

Said it before and I'll say it again

Schurrle played in the World Cup final and started for Chelsea in some of their pre-season games. He also played their opening league fixture and did pretty well.

Lukaku and Mirallas barely played for Belgium and they went out in the quarter finals. Why do they need more rest than Schurrle? They didn't play at all in our pre-season. Mirallas didn't play against Leicester and Lukaku only played because we don't have another striker - he'd have been given the game off too if it was possible.