And with that, I’m off. It was, well, terrible from Everton, but also inspiring from Atalanta, a rebuilt team playing their first European fixture for a quarter of a century 150 miles from home. They will, on this evidence, be making another killing in the transfer market come January/July. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
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Koeman signs off, with a word on Everton’s opening fixtures. He really laid into himself there, but I dare say he’ll have had a angry words for others as well.
We knew. We knew from the beginning of July that the start of the season was really tough. OK, we need to accept it. That’s not the problem. The problem is what we showed in the first half.
More Koeman rage:
Of course we need to have a little bit more patience. But on the other side, everybody can do their maximum for a good result. But once again, it’s not the time and not the place to criticise the players. I need to criticise myself, because the team was not prepared for this tonight. We showed eight times clips of the play of Gomez, he’s right-footed from the left, and he still got a free shot. That’s the individual quality from one player. The whole team of Atalanta was much better prepared than us today, and once again, that’s the manager.
Ronald Koeman fumes on TV:
A lot went wrong. Except maybe after a difficult start maybe 10 minutes, that we had the ball a bit better. But OK, ball possession was poor, but the most painful was in the first half. They showed more aggression, they showed more passion. And that’s really painful, because in my opinion it starts with that and they you need qualities on the ball. I asked myself what I’m doing wrong, about the second half against Tottenham and the first half here. It’s not the way I like to see my team. The commitment, the passion, what they showed in the first half was much bigger than we showed.
Chelsea 2-0 Everton; Everton 0-3 Tottenham; Atalanta 3-0 Everton. That’s a grim run of results, and with a visit to Old Trafford to come on Sunday it doesn’t get any easier (actually it does: they then have successive home games against Sunderland in the League Cup, Bournemouth, Limassol and Burnley, followed by a visit to Brighton).
Astonishing stuff from a club competing in Europe for first time in 26 yrs, 120 miles from home, without half the players who got them there
— Paolo Bandini (@Paolo_Bandini) September 14, 2017
.@btsportfootball Feel sorry for the Everton fans who made the trip to Italy... That was an absolute embarrassment!!! 3-0 Atalanta ⚽️⚽️⚽️
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) September 14, 2017
Elsewhere in Group E: Lyon have blown a lead at Apollon Limassol, who scored an equaliser deep into stoppage time to make the final score 1-1. Read all about it here:
ΓΚΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΛΛΛΛ!!!! ΣΑΡΝΤΙΝΕΡΟ 90+
— APOLLON LIMASSOL FC (@APOLLONOFFICIAL) September 14, 2017
Final score: Atalanta 3-0 Everton
90+3 mins: It’s over. Everton weren’t just woefully inept today, they were lazy. Grumpy, sleepy and dopey – they were three of the seven dwarfs, and after this they have roughly the same international stature.
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90+2 mins: There will be three minutes or so of second-half stoppage time. Everton’s torture is almost over.
90+1 mins: Mirallas plays in Holgate, whose first touch is good and whose second, a left-foot shot, goes behind off Rafael Toloi. The referee gives a goal kick.
89 mins: Keane, 40 yards out, hits a rubbish and wildly ambitious shot miles over the bar.
88 mins: Atalanta break, Gomez feeds Cornelius, and he could have done a bit better than hit a low shot that Stekelenburg saves. Decent chance.
87 mins: Sandro gets the ball on the left, spins and then spears a rubbish and wildly ambitious shot straight to Berisha.
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85 mins: Kurtic’s low shot is blocked by Besic. “I’d just like to add that Glenn Strömberg also does a lot of TV punditry,” writes Ed Rostron, “and we once received a free copy of his Italian cookbook, which features lots of Swedish footballers who played in Italy choosing their favourite Italian meals. The bolognese recipe is excellent.” Here’s some more Strömberg-related reading:
84 mins: The match is being played at half pace, but that just means Atalanta are attacking in slow motion. Gomez lifts the ball into the box but it’s just too far ahead of Cornelius.
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82 mins: The last of the substitutions. Cristante goes off, and Jasmin Kurtic comes on.
81 mins: Everton have stopped doing a bit better, and Atalanta are once again dominating. Meanwhile, pick this out of the net.
😱 What a strike! 😱
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 14, 2017
AC Milan's Suso with an unbelievable hit against Austria Vienna! 💥 pic.twitter.com/fVFgrB4FM9
79 mins: Another substitution. Andreas Cornelius comes on and Andrea Petagna, who has been phenomenal, comes off.
78 mins: Gomez lifts the ball into the penalty area, where Petagna runs on to it and is in the process of swinging his left foot when Jagielka steals the ball away. “I’m not an Everton fan and am not English but Everton are even embarrassing me,” writes JR. “The hell is going on over there? Seventh place might be up for grabs this season.”
76 mins: Besic biffs a 40-yard shot high, and both teams make a substitution. Everton bring Mirallas on for Calvert-Lewin, and Atalanta bring Mattia Caldara on for Masiello.
75 mins: Everton have been doing a bit better of late, though mainly because Atalanta are suffering from threenilupitis. The visitors have had a bit more possession, but haven’t done a lot with it.
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74 mins: If you’re wondering what Glenn Stromberg, the big Swede standing next to Caniggia in the photo I used earlier, is up to these days, here’s the answer: he’s watching this game in a pub.
Capitano @Glenn_Stromberg nyter Atalanta-Everton. 3-0 til pause 😯 pic.twitter.com/CujSKL4CiK
— Simen Stamsø-Møller (@SimenAxel) September 14, 2017
Concentrati adesso altri 45. Vamos 👍💪⚽️👍💪⚽️👍💪⚽️ pic.twitter.com/D6pOMixUrV
— Glenn Strömberg (@Glenn_Stromberg) September 14, 2017
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70 mins: A break in play while Masiello is treated for a jarred knee.
66 mins: A double substitution for Everton, who take off Rooney and Schneiderlin and bring on Klaassen and Ramírez.
65 mins: If you’re hanging about waiting to watch the Arsenal game, prepare to hang about a bit longer – kick-off has been delayed by an hour to give them time to work out what to do about all the ticketless away fans who are outside and don’t want to be.
The kick-off of #AFCvCOL has been delayed by an hour in the interests of crowd safety
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) September 14, 2017
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63 mins: A disgruntled Sigurdsson, who has achieved nothing all night, executes a sulky late challenge from behind that brings an inevitable yellow card.
62 mins: Hateboer cuts in from the right, Baines falls over in astonishment, and the Dutchman’s shot with the outside of his right foot is blocked by Jagielka.
60 mins: Here’s a great picture of Rooney which pretty much sums up Everton’s night so far.
57 mins: Atalanta hit the bar! They attack down the right, the ball is passed to Petagna, and he holds it, waits, and then lays it into the path of Freuler, whose shot beats Stekelenburg for pace but is just too high!
56 mins: Everton win a free-kick on the right flank. Sigurdsson’s cross is headed clear, and when the ball is sent back into the area Berisha catches.
54 mins: Atalanta miss a chance to make hit four! Petagna screams down the right, gets to the edge of the area and touches to his left, where the ball rolls to Gomez, who blasts high.
53 mins: Gomez strikes a delicious 50-yard pass to Petagna, just outside Everton’s penalty area, but Besic closes him down and then steals the ball away.
52 mins: There’s some nice build-up play from Everton down the right, before Vlasic pulls the ball back to Rooney and his chipped cross floats to Berisha.
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49 mins: Everton haven’t completely turned the tide, though: Petagna cuts in from the right and tests Stekelenburg with a low left-footer towards the near post.
48 mins: Everton attack again, Vlasic carrying the ball down the middle of the pitch as team-mates run left and right in support. He tries a long-range left-foot shot that is so poorly struck it only barely reaches Berisha.
47 mins: As Atalanta struggle to clear the ball Freuler twinkletoes his way past two players on the touchline and then goes down under Holgate’s gentle challenge. Free kick.
46 mins: Shot! Everton have a shot! It’s Rooney with it, spinning into the area and blasting a low, hard effort that Berisha pushes clear.
46 mins: Everton get the second half started. Can they dig themselves out of this very big hole?
The players are back out. Remarkably, Everton appear to have made no substitutions.
Andrea Petagna looks excellent. He’s 22, but tall, strong, technically sound, controls the ball well and spots a pass. And Alejandro “Papu” Gomez, at 29, is not so youthful a prospect but is quite the mover. As you can see here (honestly, watch it. It’s really quite funny):
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Half time: Atalanta 3-0 Everton
45+1 mins: The referee doesn’t bother with stoppage time. Everton haven’t really started. Atalanta have been excellent; Everton embarrassing.
What a stunner! 😮
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) September 14, 2017
Atalanta captain Alejandro Gomez rifles in a screamer to double their lead over Everton 💥 pic.twitter.com/ZuYEEzWoiZ
GOAL! Atalanta 3-0 Everton (Cristante, 44 mins)
This is so easy! The ball is pumped into Everton’s half, where Petagna runs into an impossible amount of space, looks to his left and sees two team-mates also running into impossible amounts of space! He tries to slide the ball across the area to Gomez but Cristante intercepts, runs all alone into the penalty area, and prods past Stekelenburg!
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43 mins: Somewhere in the bowels of the stadium, inside the Everton dressing-room, there are some very frightened teacups.
GOAL! Atalanta 2-0 Everton (Gomez, 41 mins)
Atalanta get reward for their dominance, and it’s a beauty! Gomez has been excellent on the left wing; this time he cuts inside and, from a couple of yards outside the area, sends a shot dipping and curling into the far corner!
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39 mins: Atalanta, who should be more than a single goal to the good by now, have their sixth corner of the game. The referee spots a foul (though replays suggest it was an Everton player doing the fouling).
5 - Five of Everton's starting XI tonight weren't even born when Atalanta had scored their previous goal in Europe (Dec 1990). Behind.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 14, 2017
37 mins: Another save from Stekelenburg. It was a selfish shot from Gomez, towards the near post when really he should have crossed, giving the goalkeeper an easy save.
34 mins: Another chance! Petagna holds the ball up on the edge of his area and plays it through, Masiello runs onto it but Stekelenburg comes out fast, closes him down and makes the save.
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34 mins: And the day’s first booking, which goes to Timothy Castagne. Atalanta are massively dominant here.
33 mins: Oooh again! Gomez crosses from the left and it bounces through to Hateboer, beyond the far post, who volleys into the ground and back across goal, where several team-mates were queueing up, but Keane got a foot to the ball and they all missed it!
31 mins: Ooooh! Gomez gets to the byline but his pull-back is just too far in front of Masiello, and just too far behind Petagna!
29 mins: Rooney’s chip is very much his attacking highlight thus far – he’s spent most of the match tracking up and down the left flank, often working as an auxiliary left-back.
GOAL! Atalanta 1-0 Everton (Masiello, 27 mins)
The corner is played into a cluster of players at the near post, deflects I think off Sigurdsson’s shoulder and rolls to the one player at the far post. Masiello is barely a yard out when it comes to him, and can’t miss!
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26 mins: Chance! And a save! Gomez chips the ball into the area to Petagna, who brings the ball down. Jagielka gets in the way but the ball deflects to Masiello, whose first-time shot from close range hits the goalkeeper and goes wide!
24 mins: Another long spell of Atalanta possession. They are moving forward, but very slowly.
21 mins: Remo Freuler smacks a powerful shot from the edge of the area. That was really travelling, and Stekelenburg would surely have struggled to save it, so it’s just as well Keane threw himself in its way.
20 mins: This photograph of classic Atalanta players of yesteryear is absolutely phenomenal. Among the questions it raises: is Claudio Caniggia’s shirt very big or are his upper arms just very small?
Great to see Atalanta back in the big time: the club who had the most spectacular trio of designated Serie A foreign players back in the day pic.twitter.com/upYUfMbqWv
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) September 14, 2017
17 mins: Atalanta win a third corner, and after Rooney gets his head to it first, a fourth. That one drops in the six-yard box and causes a bit of panic before it’s booted clear. “I can’t believe I’ve just spent 2 minutes and 12 seconds watching a video of fans milling around out side the Mapei Stadium,” complains Andrew Kennedy. “I’m sitting in the Singapore Air lounge in San Francisco airport listening to people slurp Seafood Laksa. I was hoping the video would be a pleasant distraction. It didn’t work.” Yes, nothing happens. But there’s some very invigorating music.
14 mins: And another shot! This one, from Rooney, is different in almost every way to Sigurdsson’s: he’s running away from goal, from left to right, when he suddenly chips back towards the far post. It causes Berisha a few moments of intense concern before plopping onto the roof of the net.
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13 mins: A shot! Sigurdsson thumps a nasty dipping effort from just outside the area. It’s straight at Berisha but he’s got no chance of catching something that vicious. He pushes it to safety.
10 mins: This is better from Everton, keeping possession, gently probing first down one flank, and then the other. Nothing comes of it, mind.
8 mins: Everton attempt to attack, sending Calvert-Lewin down the right, but he gives the ball away.
7 mins: Atalanta aren’t really pressing now, but they have had the ball for the very great majority of the match so far.
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4 mins: Atalanta still press. Petagna controls with his hand, gets away with it, and has his shot deflected behind off Keane.
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2 mins: Atalanta press, and their ball into the box comes off Jagielka’s head, loops into the air and has to be tipped over the bar by Stekelenburg. “Having visited beautiful Bergamo to watch Atalanta dispatch the mighty Pescara in March I can confirm that Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia required renovation approximately 20 years ago,” writes Michael Kruse. “Great team. Wonderful supporters. Dilapidated stadium. As an aside, as a result of that match I adopted Atalanta as a second team and given the stripping that the team has undergone the past couple years I can only imagine how Southampton supporters feel on an annual basis.”
1 min: Peeeeep! Atalanta get us under way.
Coins tossed, hands shaken, kick-off moments away.
The Atalanta fans are extremely boisterous. We’ve got flares, smoke, and a lot of noise, and the game hasn’t even started yet.
The players are in the tunnel. Actually, it looks more like a foyer.
That’s a particularly random-looking stand. It looks like one of the stands you put on your properties in the various football-related versions of Monopoly.
.@btsportfootball Atalanta Ultras making a noise 120 miles from Bergamo 👏👏Atalanta v Everton live on BT now👀👊 pic.twitter.com/72y3jlHv0d
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) September 14, 2017
If you’ve ever wanted to know what the outside of the Mapei Stadium looks like while fans mill about listlessly before they’re let in, this nearly-live video is for you!
Important fact: The game is being played at the Mapei Stadium because Atalanta’s own ground, the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia about 150km away in Bergamo, which the club bought outright earlier this year, is being renovated.
That victory was Atalanta’s first of the domestic season – they had lost their first two league games, 1-0 to Roma and 3-1 to Napoli.
Atalanta make a relativaly understated four changes to the team that beat Sassuolo 2-1 on Sunday.
#AtalantaEverton il nostro XI: Berisha Toloi Palomino Masiello Hateboer Cristante de Roon Freuler Castagne Petagna Gomez #GoAtalantaGo
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) September 14, 2017
The teams!
These are the people who will be contesting today’s tie. Everton make no fewer than six changes, bringing in Maarten Stekelenburg, Mason Holgate, Phil Jagielka, Mo Besic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nikola Vlasic.
Atalanta: Berisha, Toloi, Palomino, Masiello, Hateboer, Cristante, Freuler, de Roon, Castagne, Petagna, Gomez. Subs: Gollini, Orsolini, Cornelius, Caldara, Kurtic, Haas, Bastoni.
Everton: Stekelenburg, Holgate, Jagielka, Keane, Baines, Besic, Schneiderlin, Rooney, Vlasic, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Pickford, Williams, Sandro, Mirallas, Martina, Gueye, Klaassen.
Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (Russia).
📋 | Tonight's #EFC team to face @Atalanta_BC...#EFCawayday #UEL pic.twitter.com/J6eCGEPNNk
— Everton (@Everton) September 14, 2017
Hello world!
So the eyes of the known universe turn to the winningly-titled Stadio Città del Tricolore. What a promising name! Fans of Italian-restaurant staple insalata tricolore would certainly want to flock to a city entirely dedicated to the triple pleasures of tomato, avocado and Mozzarella di Bufala, but tragically the name refers to the original and distinctly less tasty tricolore: the Italian flag, a clever red, white and green creation which was the idea of some Reggio Emilia-based bright spark back in 1797. Visitors to the city can also visit the Sala del Tricolore, a big room which is said to be where the very first tricolore was hung. Counterintuitively neither of the two major football teams who call the stadium home play in those colours: Reggiana wear red and white, and Sassuolo still use a version of the green and black kit gifted to them by visiting English side Lancaster Rovers back in the dimly-lit mists of time (read more here). Significantly less romantically, the stadium is often known these days as the Mapei Stadium, having sold its naming rights to the well-known producer of adhesives, thinsets and sealants for buildings.
This is Everton’s third visit to Italy. In 1963 they lost 1-0 to Internazionale; in 1975 they lost 1-0 to Milan; and in 2008 they lost 2-0 to Fiorentina. Their score of nil is very much the one constant here.
Anyway, welcome! I’ll be back very shortly with some team news.
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