Good evening, Everton fans. Here are your evening headlines for Saturday, September 19.
Bilic: Rodriguez was waiting for Gibbs reaction
West Bromwich Albion boss Slaven Bilic says Everton star James Rodriguez knew what was coming when he went to ground after a push in the face from Kieran Gibbs, which saw the latter sent off.
Everton ran out 5-2 winners at Goodison Park, helped by the sending off of Gibbs just before half time.
Bilic was also dismissed to the stands after remonstrating with officials, and he claimed after the game that Gibbs’ red card could have been avoided.
“First of all, we only have ourselves to blame, we can't do this at any level of football,” he said .
“James Rodriguez clipped him and he stayed on his feet and he (Gibbs) then reacted based on that. He didn't give the referee any other option than to give him a red card.
“But if he been clever, savvy, and if he can go down when Rodriguez's clips him then, I don't think he reacts.
"It would most definitely be a yellow card for Rodriguez and definitely, definitely not a red for Gibbs.
“He didn't go down and reacted with his hand. If you do this, especially with a player who is waiting for that, then it is a straight red and we can't complain.”
Everton players rated after West Brom win
Rodriguez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were the standout performers in Everton’s emphatic victory over West Brom.
The latter scored a clinical hat-trick, while new signing Rodriguez impressed again, opening his account for the club and creating chances throughout.
There were also eye-catching performances from the likes of Allan and Lucas Digne as Carlo Ancelotti’s side continued their impressive start to the season.
Here we rated all the players on a dominant afternoon at Goodison Park.
Barry felt ‘unwanted’ at Everton in final season
Gareth Barry has revealed he didn’t feel “wanted” in his final season at Everton after four years at the club.
The midfielder left the Toffees for West Brom in 2017 having established himself as a popular figure at the club.
And Barry has admitted he intended to stay at Everton for longer than four years.
“It was quite strange, I've not really spoken about it,” Barry told the ECHO .
“I kept seeing my name linked with other teams and getting involved in player deals coming in and I felt that I wasn't wanted as much.
“Now Ronald has come out and said he was desperate to keep me, so I'm not sure if it was him or the hierarchy above him that were feeling my time was up.
“As I've done, at all of my clubs apart from Villa - but like at Man City when I joined Everton - once I felt I wasn't wanted, I was looking to go and play elsewhere. I wanted to continue playing first-team football.
"I wasn't desperate to leave the club, to be honest. And I've always backed myself and even that year I could see myself playing games.
"But I just felt, for some reason, the club didn't want me around as much and it was the right time to go. It was a tough move and I definitely wouldn't have minded a fifth year at Everton.”
