Agent Blue
Player Valuation: £10m
Love that Gramsci quote, I'm a pessimist because of my intellect and an optimist because of my will.
That was tough to take and while the will may not be broken, at times like these I try to rationalise through things.
The derby was always going to be that moment to see where Silva had taken us thus far.
This ended up being less about whether we could beat them and more about the Blues becoming the Blues again.
Everyone, even the RS, probably, wants to see proper battles again.
And I got the feeling that mutual competitive respect was being etched back into the contest last night,
Not since Cahill, Arteta and Pienaar stood on the pitch have we had it.
It just had that feel.
Even the tentative feelings that we might finally be emerging out of the long shadow cast by the 80s greats.
That's the optimism out of the way.
We might be starting to match the RS again but we're still miles away from contending for the title.
Had me doubts about Silva.
But those early matches were more about getting the players to play football again.
Giving them the freedom to go for it rather than training the weaknesses out of them and stifling them in the process.
Confidence and belief took precedence over results.
But that only works for so long.
Silva set about sorting the defence.
The axis of doom was replaced by the quality of Gomes, the intelligence and lung busting runs of Gylfi and a less desperate Gana
Walcott started to understand he had responsibilities
Coleman brought stability through his experience, intelligence and passion.
Keane started to believe in himself again as the chaos subsided.
And the set piece kinks were being ironed out.
But what took it to another level was the way the team worked as a unit to stop Chelsea (who haven't been the same team since).
The way the opposing play was broken down, the pressure, covering the angles, always another link to break down, and what a final link Pickford is.
Under immense pressure and test of character they were brilliant.
Again, the result was less relevant. It was a statement that this team can more be than a mid table win some lose some.
It said the we were going to be difficult to beat no matter the quality of the opposition...while continuing to be a threat.
It said we had range to our competitiveness and intent. Up until then there was still a huge doubt for me.
In terms of range, the Derby took it to another level again.
The defensive qualities and principles brought from the Chelsea game held up very well for the most part - but in a very different type of match.
Klopp's set up is designed to open the game up. And he's about as good as it gets in doing it.
While teams are forced to sit back against Pep, Klopp draws them out.
By using 4 players to press the build up he encouraged the Blues to play into the sometimes huge space set up behind the press.
Lose the ball in that space and your in all sorts of trouble.
If we had the axis of doom we would have been fodder.
As it was, with Gomes supported well by Gylfi, Bernard, Richarlison and Digne (Coleman more so in the 2nd half) and intelligent timing of balls by Pickford over the space, the team didn't succumb to the trap that often.
Very shrewdly Silva kept Gana quiet in the build up. Something Klopp was surely hoping to but wasn't able to exploit. Instead Gana stayed on the pressers.
For the most part the defensive unit continued on as it had done against Chelsea just in more difficult circumstances as the game was more open.
Again they did brilliant. Yes, the RS should have scored 1 or 2 but snuffing out the amount of chances and restricting them to what they did was job done.
No one lost it except for one bit of freakishness.
And for that we got our chances.
Instead of sitting or getting trapped Silva's men had found a way to take it to them.
And to the point where we've still got loads to improve.
Anxiety football has plagued Everton for a long time.
Whether its been passion over poise, a lack of quality forwards and midfielders, or an Everton that, defeatist mindset,
hesitation, anxiety, lack of composure and poor decision making have been embedded in the play.
Its characterised by only seeing a very limited range of play and poor reading of the game; when you finally get into a goal scoring chance, the anxiety has reached such a level that all logic and composure go out the window, blinkers on, hit and hope or give it to someone else and again and again and overplay it.
Silva's mission must now be to get the players to read and execute the play in the final 3rd much better.
Brands mission must be to make Silva's job easier by bringing in quality.
Besides the clearcut Mina and Gomes chances there was about 8 other plays we should have at least got on target.
At least one of them should have been a goal, and must be a goal if we are if we are to seriously consider anything higher than 6th place.
While Gomes and Gylfi are definitely of title contender standard (believe Lookman will make the grade too) there are definitely doubts about Walcott, Gana, Richarlison, and Bernard.
Suppose the question is whether Marco can work his magic on them and make end of season transfer hunting more straightforward
The following is clearly where we need improvement:
2.32 This one is a classic example of getting out of the trap only to make a balls of it.
Walcott's first touch is poor (Lookman would have had no problem with this) and runs into Sig, when a one touch pass to Gomes in loads of space was a must.
Silva surely worked at creating these types of opportunities
A touch of class by Gylfi to get the pass to Rico and they're away.
Rico's lack of anticipation and body mvt means lazily taking a touch to the right into two defenders wasting a massive opportunity to counter 3 against the 2CBs.
Rico has to improve his reading of the game - he gets the ball first and then works it out.
Aguero would never allow himself to go right there. He would have passed off to Walcott rather than do this. Rico seems lost in the centre.
2.41 Rico from wide up against Van Dijk - no awareness of options, angles.
Great ball from Gomes gives Rico options.
Van Dijk's positioning is perfect knowing the square ball played behind him is more dangerous than letting Rico shoot from a tight angle against Allison.
He shows Rico the way and backs himself and the GK.
Rico can't read this. Is it ego, a lack of faith in Walcott or just the blinkers coming on when balls at the feet.
A ball to Walcott in acres, then passed to Gylfi's toes and its 1v1 OR Gylfi is marked and Walcott has space to shoot - both from much better angles.
5.17 Poor combination play.
Gomes majestic again. Toys with Wijnaldum before a touch into space to get head up and pass.
Walcott sees Gomes' look and goes.
Clueless from Rico again. If Rico makes the run before Walcott he would have ended in the same space as Walcott, but Walcott would now be with Sig - 3v2
Gomes surely puts Rico through, rather than missing Walcott - another great opportunity wasted.
This should have been an easy read.
6.18 Classic Walcott
Sprints with the ball. 3 RS converging.
Rico and Sig in acres but takes a horrendous touch rather than passing to either.
With a relatively simple pass Rico would have been 1v1 with Allison.
6.43 Classic Walcott II
Walcott out wide in space getting to the byline
5 Blues vs 4 RS in the box.
Dribbles and shoots with only one outcome - straight into the arms of the keeper.
We just can't have a RW that waits for the moment to run in behind. He needs to be able to do more.
Either get round his man or cut back and lay off to Gomes.
The effort to get 5v4 in the box and waist it like that...
7.57 Lookman's indecision
Proper work done on the right from Lookman, Gylfi and Seamus sees Gylfi put another sweet ball through for Seamus on the overlap.
Walcott would have been all over the inside run into the box. Lookman hesitated and was too late to get the cut back from Coleman.
If he'd got to it and squared the ball, Bernard is all alone.
8.03 Wasteful Bernard
Not on the highlights but some of the best, sustained, composed build up play seen in a long while.
Lookman seems to give the team more confidence in this regard.
Lookman sends a nice pass to Bernard.
Digne on the overlap to set up Rico and Sig at the far post or Lookman holding centre nicely for a 1-2 with Digne get out of jail.
But Bernard goes for glory.
Ridiculous.
No confidence in the 5v5.
This said it all. Beautiful football until 'last phase anxiety' - hit and hope this time round.
Over to you Marco!
Good read that.
The "last phase anxiety" had been a problem for a while and Lukaku seemed to have been the only exception to it........most of the time. But since Brands and Silva have taken the reigns we are definitely moving in the right direction now and Sunday's game showed that, yes we could have been more clinical but the improvement from last season is night and day, and all this with only one transfer window.
We have Onyekuru to come in hopefully next season? and also next summers transfer window will surely improve the squad even more and see us being a bit more clinical.
