PBP: Howard & Donovan: Everton vs Bolton [R]

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad Gameday' started by AutoPenalti, Jan 4, 2012.

  1. AmeriMex

    AmeriMex Member

    Apr 8, 2007
    Orange County, Calif
    Bains missed an equalizer off the bottom of the bar as he beat the K on that last freekick. But it was not Everton's night.
    Losing 3 players, two of which were defenders and one of which was your first substitute is tough on any team...but especially a team trying to find a way to put the ball in the net.
    I was not impressed with Strakaslaski? whatever his name was, I think I would have prefered Saha up front with Landon running off of him, or the 0 for 2011 Tim Cahill even.
     
  2. Woodrow

    Woodrow Member+

    Dec 7, 2001
    Brick City
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Look. You can't anoint Donovan the Everton savior when he just looked okay and his best play was hotly debated on this very forum. Give him time to settle in, but in a game where he didn't score, or create a goal, he'd have to play a lot better than this to be MOTM.
     
  3. LiverAndPineapple

    May 7, 2008
    This is great for Bolton. They needed this. Once Stuart comes back, I think they'll have enough to stay up.
     
  4. SoCalYid

    SoCalYid Member+

    Jun 11, 2011
    BigSoccer :)
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cahill will be labeled the greatest defender in the Premiership tomorrow, and definitely worth £125k per week. Engage the English hype machine.
     
  5. Barcasox

    Barcasox Member

    Mar 26, 2008
    Club:
    Athletic Club Bilbao
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    he was close to being motm, but if you can't see his dangerous runs and sharpness were well above anything his teammates could match, and only judge players through stats, soccer aint your sport
     
  6. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Final assessment: while LD seemed to have the best composure and the best ideas off-the-ball, running into open spaces and going behind the defenders without putting himself in offside, it's obvious the team is not used to him, so they couldn't really use his runs or his dribbling.

    Defensively, LD was out of step with the rest, not finding himself where he could have been most useful. Also, at times he seemed nervous and unsure about what to do, no doubt a product of a lack of synch with the rest.

    All in all, any attacking player in Everton looks subpar now (Saha, Stracqualursi, Cahill, even LD) because the spine of the team is not doing its job. Without Pienaar and Arteta, this team is a shadow of what it was before.

    The exception was Osman, who has a solid partnership with Baines. As LD gets better acquainted with Hibbert, things will also improve on his side.
     
  7. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    He's going to have a score of 93 in FIFA 2013. :D
     
  8. Woodrow

    Woodrow Member+

    Dec 7, 2001
    Brick City
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    In a game where his team loses, it's going to take more than the little things to make that case. He had some good moments, had a reasonable case for a penalty, and faded in the second half when his team really needed him. Taking into account it was his first game, you can excuse his tiring, but it certainly rules him out of MOTM.
     
  9. irish56

    irish56 Member+

    Oct 30, 2006
    indy
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would put the BL up there in excitement as well. Five years ago or so, Wolfsburg finished just one spot ahead of the relegation zone. Two years later that club won the BL title. Hanover the season before last finished in the last safe spot, last year 4th. Parity in that league is great.
     
  10. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Yeah, good first half, poor second half for Donovan.

    Howard kept Everton in ths game and was easily MOTM.
     
  11. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Yeah, a strong, deep league.

    PBS really needs to bring back Soccer Made in Germany. :)
     
  12. Statman

    Statman Member+

    May 25, 2006
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry to see Everton lose with Howard and LD, but I am actually glad that Bolton won.

    I don't want to see them relegated because I want Stu Holden playing in the EPL. Hurry back Stu!
     
  13. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    True, the Bundesliga has been fun for the last five years, specially. You have about six clubs playing very good football, and the days of Bayern ruling the place are over.

    The Toffee Talk forum is divided about MOTM: Howard, Osman or The Wind.

    I'd vote for Osman, personally. Timmy did some awesome work, but I don't like that he punches balls out when he could grab them, and his distribution is not exactly the best. And, truth be told, that goal was a ton of luck. That's why he didn't even want to be congratulated. I bet he was feeling sad for his colleague on the other side.

    PS: Bolton is such a traditional side in the EPL that I also don't want to see them going down. It's sad enough to see Charlton, Leeds, the Hammers and now Birmingham crawling around the lower levels.
     
  14. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    I wonder if he wasn't celebrating because he remembers the same thing happening to him years back in a reserves game for Man United.
     
  15. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's about what I saw. Tough match for Everton with 3 injuries to 3 important players. The wind didn't make for pretty soccer.
     
  16. SoCalYid

    SoCalYid Member+

    Jun 11, 2011
    BigSoccer :)
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bolton, meh I guess. I grew up in England and I long for the teams of my youth like Leeds, Forest, Charlton, Wimbledon, Sheff Wed, Coventry. There are a few teams that I think the Premiership is more exciting when they're up. I like Martinez as a manager but I think all of those teams would add more quality to the league then Wigan.
     
  17. Woodrow

    Woodrow Member+

    Dec 7, 2001
    Brick City
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Agreed. Under better circumstances, Donovan puts in a 60-75 minute shift, gets replaced by Cahill, and Everton guts out a draw. Tough game all around.
     
  18. ChrisSSBB

    ChrisSSBB Member+

    Jun 22, 2005
    DE
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Goalies grab balls when they are sure and punch when they are not. I'm sure the wind was a factor in his decisions. I agree that Howard probably thought that the goal didn't deserve celebration due to luck along with empathy for the goalie.
     
  19. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    I know I'm dating myself, but man, I remember those times when Forest ruled Europe!

    Great team, with a long, glorious past. Maybe some sheik can buy them and turn them into a powerhouse once again.

    But enough reminiscing. Back to my dear Landon. I'm not too happy about him stuck in Everton this time around. Unless they also get someone to reinforce the central midfield.

    The rumor around is that they may get Dani Parejo from Valencia. Since I don't see Pienaar going back, I think it'd be a good thing for them. Parejo is a player in Arteta's mold: with the typical Spanish flair and vision, the ball distributor/rythm imposing guy they need to impulse the attack.

    LD would work a lot better with a guy like him in the middle.
     
  20. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Howard had no realistic chance of catching that ball over the leap of 6'3 David Ngog. He did well to punch it wide.

    Sometimes BigSoccer just isn't very realistic.
     
  21. Fanatical Monk

    Fanatical Monk Member+

    Jun 14, 2011
    Fantasyland
    So True. Leeds is probably a top 5 side in England historically. Forest, Southampton, WHam etc. all make EPL a richer place. I just don't think Wigan and Bolton add much to the mix from an atmosphere standpoint.
     
  22. Cannons

    Cannons Member+

    May 16, 2005
    Some call it not showing up to play
     
  23. Erlking

    Erlking Member

    Aug 7, 2007
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Grats to Tim for eclipsing EJ's Prem scoring mark.
     
  24. bct81

    bct81 Member+

    multiple (DC United, Dortmund, Arsenal, Leeds....)
    United States
    Mar 17, 2007
    moving around the US every few years ....
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    That is pretty cruel and I will give you some positive rep for it. :D
     

Share This Page