Midfield out-thought and outfought

By Chris Kirwan
April 20 2003

The Everton midfield has been characterised by hard work this season, yet in one of the most important clashes of the campaign they were comprehensively outclassed, and most worryingly, outfought.

The midfield started solidly enough, however Gerrard, Murphy and Hamann gradually got hold of the game. Gary Naysmith was the pick of the midfield, but the rest were well below par. The Blues were also hit hard by the absence of Pembridge’s set piece expertise.

Gravesen was his usual frustrating self. He was extremely wasteful on the ball, lacked the discipline to protect his defence, and failed to do the basics. Moyes’ patience soon ran out, with the more dependable Gemmill replacing the Dane. We are constantly told by the foreign press about Gravesen’s qualities, and he certainly seems a good player when in the red of Denmark, but his erratic performances make Linderoth a far better player for Everton.

The quality of the midfield’s performances this season have dipped and troughed spectacularly. At times they can create through their direct nature, at times they can be solid and simply lay the foundations for Rooney and Radzinski to create the openings, but yesterday they did neither. Countless times it was left to the back four to make the crucial challenges.

Moyes will be tempted to introduce Gemmill, Li Tie, Alexandersson, or perhaps even Osman for the trip to Stamford Bridge. But while plenty of players underperformed it isn’t in Moyes’ style to make sweeping changes. The question is about who Moyes will be looking to introduce in the close season; the midfield will undoubtedly be the area that receives the most attention. The Blues desperately need somebody to pick up the ball and probe the opposition defence, looking to pick out the runs of the attackers. The smart money seems to be on a bid for Jason Koumas, who excelled in the game at the Hawthorns.

But for the time being all eyes are on tomorrow’s game with Chelsea. The faint hopes of Champions League football are now invisible, and the Blues are looking to ensure that Blackburn do not steal 6th position. Moyes may be tempted to rest Rooney, who played like a 17 year old should against Liverpool. He was superbly marshalled by Traore, and was unable to provide the spark that all Evertonians were longing for. Moyes may be forced into pairing Campbell and Ferguson together, as Radzinski is reported to only have a slim chance of being fit.

While Saturday was naturally a huge disappointment, but as Moyes said before yesterdays game: “There's going to be bigger games than this in the future because we are going to continue to progress. From our point of view, this is only the start, it's what I see for years ahead.”

Now the Blues must concentrate on finishing the job, and ensuring that an excellent season is rewarded with European football.