Everton, eh? Nobody seems to shoot themselves more squarely in the foot than Roberto Martinez’s team these days, and this afternoon was further evidence that the Spaniard might find himself under some serious pressure soon. Their chances of a place in Europe seem non-existent and the defensive failures seem systemic. Further forward, they had probably the best player on show today in Deulofeu, who should have had more than the one assist to his name, but the likes of Lukaku and Barkley were flat-footed when it mattered and their best two late chances both fell to the substitute, Coleman. These are uncertain times at Goodison and they really need a place in the League Cup final (second leg at Man City on Wednesday; they’re 2-1 up) to get a few smiles, however faint, on faces again.
As for Swansea – they deserved that. Guidolin’s side didn’t create all that much but, particularly in the first half, were composed in all areas and earned the breaks they got. The back four were superb, Ashley Williams getting much the better of Lukaku, and their performance was exemplified by the tireless running of Wayne Routledge, often a lone outlet in the second half. That was the kind of shift Swansea players were known for putting in before things went awry. They are up to 15th after back-to-back wins and the future looks considerably brighter.
And as for this MBM – it’s over. Thanks for your company and your emails, and do now head over to Alan Smith’s coverage of Arsenal v Chelsea. See you soon. Bye!
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Full-time: Everton 1-2 Swansea
More boos. A huge three points for Swansea. A perplexing late miss from Coleman with the very, very last kick.
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90+5 min: Oh my word! A late, late chance as Stones heads on Baines’ corner and Coleman, totally unmarked at the far post and right in front of goal, spoons the ball over. What a miss! And that means....
90+5 min: Late Everton corner!
90+3 min: ...until Barkley misreads a Coleman run and his pass goes out for a goal kick. Swansea almost have a big, big win.
90+3 min: It’s a decent ball from Deulofeu, again, but cleared. Cork runs the ball up the line a little way but Everton come again...
90+2 min: Free-kick to Everton wide on the right...
90+1 min: Another Deulofeu cross, another Lukaku header ... but it’s over.
90+1 min: Naughton replaces Rangel now as Guidolin looks to wind down the clock. He’s wound it back a little with this second-half rearguard action. We have at least four minutes’ added time to play.
89 min: Was that Everton’s chance? Barkley strokes a lovely ball through for Coleman, who has made a clever run inside ... he glides past Williams and has a clear sight of goal! It doesn’t quite sit perfectly for him though and, with defenders coming across, he screws wide of the far post – but that was an opportunity. Eder replaces Ayew for Swansea, now.
87 min: Close-ish! Barkley shows good close control to reach the left byline and clip the ball back. It’s slightly behind Lukaku but the striker cranes his head well to nod down and to Fabianski’s left ... but the goalkeeper dives well to claim. He’s not had anywhere near enough shots to save – that was his second, and it still wasn’t especially taxing.
85 min: No sign of another change for Swansea, who have had roughly 2% possession in the last five minutes. Looks as if Guidolin will do this the Italian way.
84 min: Just no real way through for Everton at the moment. Those Deulofeu crosses have been the threat (Williams has just cleared another one) but there’s precious little else.
82 min: Free-kick for Everton midway inside the Swansea half and a good crossing position for Baines, but it’s well beyond everyone and completely wasted.
81 min: You wonder whether Swansea could do with Barrow or Montero, both of whom are on the bench, to do the kind of job Routledge was performing. They’re getting sucked deeper and deeper, as they have for much of the half, but there’s no real outlet for this last 10 minutes or so.
80 min: Cleverley digs out a cross from the right and, while he’s no Deulofeu, it’s not bad. Fabianski punches well again and, from a subsequent ball in from deep, yet again. He is a very good goalkeeper – one of the league’s best.
78 min: Lukaku has rarely had a chance to run in behind the defence but here’s half of one as Barry hits a long pass. The Belgian striker’s first touch checks his momentum though and the sight of open turf is gone.
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77 min: Routledge, who has worked very hard and been a crucial outlet in this second half, is replaced by Jordi Amat. Think it’s a back five from Swansea now.
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75 min: Sigurdsson is OK. Swansea really shouldn’t be, though, as Deulofeu curls in yet another superb cross – you really can’t fault these deliveries, they’re as good as it gets – and Lukaku, going in to convert from a few yards, completely misses the ball in front of goal! His timing was a shade too late.
74 min: Sigurdsson wants a free kick now, just outside the box, after a superb counter from Routledge. Nothing doing, though it looked like he had a case. The Icelander stays down.
73 min: Another Everton corner and, after Lukaku and Barkley both have a nibble, Williams clears for the umpteenth time.
72 min: Bigger penalty appeal there! Everton want a handball from Taylor, as Coleman’s cross clearly strikes his arm. He didn’t move it towards the ball ... but does that matter?
71 min: Corner to Everton, Britton conceding it as Baines looks to get onto a return from Pienaar. It’s deep from Baines and Lukaku and Barry jump up, Barry goes down ... there’s a shout for a penalty but I think he just got up too early. Another cross comes in and Fabianski punches clear really well.
68 min: Williams is across very well to stop Lukaku getting on the end of a deflected Deulofeu pass. Does feel as if Lukaku has been on his heels a little today, mind you.
67 min: Fit-again Seamus Coleman replaces Oviedo, which might do a lot for Everton’s attacking balance.
65 min: Kiss of death and all that, but it must be said that Swansea – and particularly their centre backs, with Williams looking close to his best, have defended very well so far. As I type that, Sigurdsson is booked for a late tackle.
64 min: Swansea calm things down a touch with some passes around the back, but then Taylor – shakier this half – is beaten by Oviedo and Deulofeu, who has open grass to run into, should perhaps do better than find a blind alley. At the other end, Cork snatches a shot to Howard from 25 yards.
62 min: Lukaku finds some space, opens up that left foot ... but can’t get enough whip on the ball and it drops wide. Everton’s tempo is on another level to that of the first period but it won’t be long til we approach “time running out” territory.
60 min: But Sigurdsson should do better there! He shoots straight at Howard from 20 yards with Ki, who was clear, screaming for the ball outside him on the left. At the other end, Williams times his tackle perfectly as Barkley shapes to shoot in the ‘D’.
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59 min: Everton win another corner. Deulofeu is becoming increasingly prominent. Williams clears the latest set-piece, but Swansea can’t really get anything like the possession they did in the first half, even if Routledge is an obvious threat on the counter.
57 min: Nice Everton build-up scuppered by Baines, who should cross but passes straight to a Swansea foot. Swansea not seeing a lot of the ball now ... and again Deulofeu gets past Taylor on the right now, fizzing another superb ball across goal. Barkley wasn’t near enough to it. The crowd are torn between appreciation of the buildup and frustration at the lack of presence in the box to convert the cross.
55 min: Close from Pienaar. Deulofeu whips in an absolutely undefendable ball from the right – it was just perfect – but it evades those in the six-yard box before Pienaar, coming in from an angle, volleys over.
52 min: Better tempo to Everton though, at least. Lukaku knocks the ball on for Barkley but the midfielder gives away a foul. Fabianski is booked for delaying the free kick.
50 min: Barkley makes one of those miss-of-the-season contenders, spooning Baines’ cross over the bar from virtually under it – but Baines was offside, so his blushes are spared.
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49 min: Big save from Howard! Ki comes forward and waits, waits, before timing his pass through to Routledge perfectly. It’s at a slight angle on the left inside the box but the winger should probably score, even on his wrong side. Howard stands up well though and makes what could be a vital save.
48 min: Swansea break well but this time Oviedo is back outside his own box, dispossessing Routledge.
47 min: Early corner for Everton, won by Oviedo. Williams clears Deulofeu’s flag kick.
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We all know first half was cack but knowing us we will probably win this with 10 men and Tim scoring winner Everton the hard way
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) January 24, 2016
That is actually Neville Southall.
Peeeeeeep! Back underway for the second half...
Everton kick off.
JR in Illinois on Stones: “They keep saying Stones has to be allowed to make mistakes so he can learn from them. Well it would be good if he showed he is learning, and the best way to show that would be to stop making crazy decisions. If he keeps going like this he’s just going to be a guy who does dumb stuff far too often”
Inbox overflowing at the moment. Here’s Gustav Bjorklund on that quirky-seeming second Swansea goal:
“For whatever reason, there is a metal pole square in the middle behind the net. Ball hit it perfectly and bounced out quickly as a result. There’s a microphone just behind the metal pole, which enhanced the effect.”
@NickAmes82 ...just to give you a general impression of the average Evertonians feelings on Tim Howard... https://t.co/uxhXvki8SA
— Lee Broderick (@leebroderick) January 24, 2016
I had not seen this before.
Second half coming right up. What needs to change, Evertonians?
Well, we did say Everton always give you a chance. They gave Swansea two here, the first after a ludicrous mess-up between Stones and Howard, and just haven’t got going at all despite undeservedly drawing level for a few minutes. They hit the post through Besic, who went off injured, and were unlucky to lose Mirallas to injury too. But they look panicky and uncertain, while the natives are decidedly restless. Swansea have looked competent, efficient and smart without having to be outstanding. Big half ahead in both clubs’ seasons, you suspect.
Half-time: Everton 1-2 Swansea
Boos at Goodison. They are not happy.
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45+2 min: So slack from Lukaku, who gives a simple 10-yard pass straight to Sigurdsson in midfield, and although nothing comes of it I think that really sums his team’s half up.
45+1 min: That good bit of defending apart, wonder if Oviedo’s inside-out position at right-back is helping Swansea. He’s not looked that comfortable positionally and most of the visitors’ best work has come down that side.
45 min: That Taylor-Ayew combination again, the former sending the latter away down the left, but Oviedo does well to thwart the break.
44 min: Williams intervenes as Deulofeu looks to latch onto a Lukaku pass. This time there were definitely no hands involved. Shortly afterwards we get the game’s first yellow card, after an unnecessary challenge on Cleverley by Rangel.
42 min: Everton struggle to clear their lines, with the wind getting up, but then Pienaar tries to spring Deulofeu clear with a clever first-time ball and it drifts agonisingly out of play.
@NickAmes82 can't wait to hear Martinez talk about "managing the game" later. We are a "phenomenal" Wigan.
— Adam McCulloch (@adammcculloch23) January 24, 2016
I hadn’t quite realised Everton supporters were so on edge, but it’s palpable both among the crowd and on social meejah.
40 min: Swansea have won far more of the second balls here. They build again, nice and patient, and Oviedo has to be sharp to cut out a diagonal Fernandez ball for the impressive Taylor.
37 min: Everton try to hit straight back and Lukaku, after cutting inside, fizzes one wide. Then Barkley tricks into the right side of the Swansea area and Taylor blocks his shot for a corner, which is cleared.
37 min: Everton are furious as Williams appears to prevent a Deulofeu break with his hand. Play continues and Taylor surges upfield, not for the first time, slipping a neat ball in for Ayew at an angle on the left. The forward shoots, it clips Stones and thuds ... well ... into the net, but the commentary team didn’t seem to have a clue what had happened there. The ball rebounded straight out of the goal and it looked for a moment as if it had actually gone wide and bounced back in. No matter! The penny dropped and Swansea lead again.
Goal! Everton 1-2 Swansea (Ayew 34)
That was ... odd.
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33 min: Half a chance for Routledge, who has a lash at the ball on the corner of the six-yard box after Everton can’t clear a free-kick. Baines blocks for a corner. That’s swung in and Howard collects to, again, rather *too* loud a cheer.
31 min: Baines and Pienaar, such an instinctive partnership down the years, can’t quite get a one-two right. In other news, I reckon Barry’s goal may be re-awarded to Jack Cork. Not sure the flick was going in before it glanced off the Swansea midfielder’s calf.
29 min: Taylor’s clearance goes no further than Deulofeu and the cross is well weighted for Lukaku, who challenges with Fernandez at the near post. The ball flies wide and a goal kick is given. The home crowd aren’t happy but replays show it’s the right call.
28 min: Another Everton change, now, in what has been a decidedly odd and Evertonesque half so far. Mirallas is the latest to succumb to injury and Steve Pienaar replaces him.
Goal! Everton 1-1 Swansea (Barry 25)
How they needed that! Baines crosses from the left and Ashley Williams completely misses his attempt to clear. It gives Deulofeu a chance at the back post and Taylor is across well to block his angled volley for a corner. The ball is sent on from the right and it’s Barry, of all people, who gets ahead of his marker at the near post to flick in the cutest of finishes across a statuesque Fabianski with the outside of his foot. Lovely finish!
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25 min: Swansea once more enjoy some possession and, after picking up a loose header from Stones, Ayew drives forward only to lash over from range. Everton look dithery and the atmosphere is very edgy indeed.
23 min: The Goodison faithful are sounding slightly tetchy at the moment. This has not started well and, apart from the early shot against the post from the departed Besic, Everton haven’t really put anything together going forward. One or two boos are audible as a passing move ends with Funes Mori passing back to Howard.
21 min: “John Stones and Tim Howard are probably Roberto Martinez’s worst enemies,” says Ezra Finkelstein. Harsh, but as I publish this Howard gets some ironic cheers from home fans for claiming a long ball, so he’s definitely not in their good books. Accidents do seem to be following Howard around but I’d attribute that sequence of errors far more to Stones.
19 min: Mirallas tries to get Everton back on terms with a free-kick from 30 yards, but it’s into the wall.
18 min: My goodness though, that was what the kids would call Peak Everton. Undercooked from Stones, when he didn’t really need to make the backpass, and completely late from Howard after Ayew had *just* got ahead of him close to the byline. They don’t help themselves, do they?
Goal! Everton 0-1 Swansea (Sigurdsson 17)
Superbly converted, high into the top right corner.
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Penalty to Swansea!
Oh dear. Stones sells Howard short with a backpass, Ayew nips in, the ‘keeper takes him down...
15 min: Mirallas moves the ball on to Deulofeu, who has space to shoot 25 yards out. It’s a little too delicate and Fabianski saves quite comfortably.
14 min: Besic picked up a recurrence of his hamstring injury, it seems. Baines and Barkley then both take blows from the feisty Britton, but they don’t go the same way as their team-mate.
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12 min: Cleverley’s first touch is a pass telegraphed to Cork. But Everton win the ball back and, for the first time really, enjoy some sustained possession.
11 min: Besic sits down in the centre circle, shaking his head, and play is stopped. He started so well here and it’d be a shame to se him go off ... but exit the pitch he does, applauding the crowd as he walks off. Tom Cleverley comes on. Besic didn’t really ask for much treatment there so it was clearly one where he knew immediately that it wasn’t worth trying to continue.
9 min: The danger, of course, is that Everton – as we’ve already seen – are so swift on the counter and we know how that can play out. They might just be luring Swansea on. But it’s been a bit loose from the home side so far, that Besic effort apart.
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8 min: Good work between Routledge and Ki down the Swansea left but the latter’s ball is poor. Swansea keep possession and they certainly don’t look a side lacking in belief so far.
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6 min: Ayew goes past Barry rather too easily and then makes for the box to get onto the end of a cross from Taylor, but Baines is there to intercept. Good, open start here.
4 min: Besic hits the post! Everton sweep upfield for the first time, Lukaku spraying the ball into Besic’s path just inside the Swans’ half. He eats up about 35 yards of turf before, just outside the area, cracking a low shot against the base of Fabianski’s left upright. Great effort.
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3 min: Still Swansea have the ball, and it’s a composed start from them. Stones stops a through ball destined for Ayew and then Routledge, eventually, runs the ball out for a goal kick.
1 min: Swansea keeping the ball quite pleasingly in these early moments.
Peeeeeeep! It begins.
Swansea, kicking from left to right, get us going.
The teams are coming out at Goodison! The Z Cars tune is tootling away. You ready? Not exactly been a weekend for defences so far, and suspect that might continue here...
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Guidolin speaks reasonable English. “We have a difficult match but I hope to see my team play well,” he offers. “My philosophy is to have a team that is confident, focused and has no fear. This is important for me.”
Martinez: “Swansea had a very good victory against Watford, I think they’re feeling positive and clearly the impact of a new manager is going to be very beneficial for them. We need to start the game with a good tempo.”
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@NickAmes82 - as a season ticket holder @ GP I have never seen EFC play more attractive football. I have also never felt as frustrated. (1)
— Matthew Workman (@Alle_les_bleu) January 24, 2016
@NickAmes82 - give a quality coach these players and who knows. Top 4 would be a real possibility. Sadly will never happen with Martinez (2)
— Matthew Workman (@Alle_les_bleu) January 24, 2016
Another interesting take. The “style versus success” chestnut is a hoary old one, isn’t it, but is that what we’re headed for here?
Swansea are one of those teams that you’d certainly expect to do some transfer business over the next few days. We’ll see Gylfi Sigurdsson or perhaps Andre Ayew in the false nine role today but that probably won’t drag you out of a scrap – they need some firepower and neither Gomis, who continued his offside schtick the moment he came on last week, nor Eder convince on that score. Expect Guidolin to bring in a striker – Jordan Rhodes’ agent seems to have been busy this week – and ... what else, Swans fans?
@NickAmes82 by Dixie's laces, Deulofeu & Mirallas in the same lineup at last! Hard to think of a more dangerous front four in the prem...
— Michael Felix Kazich (@MichaelFKazich) January 24, 2016
I completely agree. Which is why Everton’s position must be absolutely exasperating to their fans. Any takes on their situation will be published here, so do get scribbling if lunch isn’t quite ready yet.
More essential prep for you, this time courtesy of Paul Wilson’s interview with Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic.
“I do like tackling but in the last game against Chelsea I did not make a single tackle, not one,” he says. “So I can play without it. I think the fans like my strength first and then my technical ability because I used to play as a central defender. I have always worked on the defensive side but the manager here thinks I can do more than that. I have developed a lot with him and now maybe I am not just in the side for my tackling. I am pleased the fans like me because of my tackling. It is always good to have a relationship with the supporters. But I can do more, as you saw at Chelsea.”
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Some pre-match reading, now. First, an excellent piece from Marcus Christenson on what we can expect from Francesco Guidolin.
Swansea do not have the players of Götze’s or Sánchez’s talent but it is not impossible that Guidolin will try the 3-6-1 formation – or something similar – against Everton. He is a flexible manager, unafraid to change formation during the game. He never stops thinking about football and says that every match day is a test. “Match day is very tense. I think, and then re-think, about whether I’ve made the right decisions regarding the team and whether I have worked well in the week. It is like an exam. Then, at the end of the game, I immediately start to think about the next game, and which changes to make.”
The teams
Everton: Howard, Oviedo, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines, Barry, Besic, Deulofeu, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku. Subs: Robles, Kone, Lennon, Cleverley, Osman, Pienaar, Coleman.
Swansea: Fabianski, Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor, Cork, Britton, Ki, Sigurdsson, Routledge, Ayew. Subs: Amat, Emnes, Nordfeldt, Eder, Montero, Naughton, Barrow.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Bafetimbi Gomis is missing from the visitors’ squad – but apparently it’s due to the birth of his child. Angel Rangel is brought in to replace Kyle Naughton in Guidolin’s only change. Bryan Oviedo keeps his place for Everton.
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Afternoon
Always a tricky gig, this one. The undercard to the day’s main event, the game you’ll have half an eye on while undertaking some Sundayish activity or other before settling down to Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea (Koscielny 72; Costa 38). How to reel you in? How not to let you go?
Perhaps the word “Everton” will do. Has there been a more curious bottom-half (they are currently 12th) team in recent times? Much of their football is pretty much peerless in this season’s Premier League; much of it has subsequently been offset by defensive capitulations of the most slapstick order, exemplified by their 3-3 draws at Bournemouth and Chelsea (particularly the “will they ever learn?” late celebrations upon going 3-2 up in both) and the high-scoring home defeats to Leicester and Stoke. You’d have to go a long way to find a team that can put on a better show than Roberto Martinez’s side – the problem being that, with Champions League football surely the minimum that players like Romelu Lukaku and John Stones are cut out for, that’s just not going to be enough. If Everton are to salvage their league season, the wins have to start flowing right away.
So here’s to a cold, functional 2-0 home victory after all that? Perhaps not. Martinez’s old club, Swansea, are today’s visitors and a green shoot or two were in evidence during their scrappy 1-0 win over Watford on Monday night? This is Francesco Guidolin’s first match at the helm, of course, so we’ll see if his influence is quickly brought to bear. Swansea remain just outside the relegation zone after the failure of those below them to win yesterday, so you would think that Guidolin would be happy enough with a point at Goodison – which would take them above Norwich in 16th. But Goodison Park is rarely a place for the pragmatist at the moment; whatever happens, you expect Swansea to get chances this lunchtime.
It should be fun, then! Really! Stay with us for this 1.30pm kick-off, and send your thoughts/emails/admonishments in as per.
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