So, now that it's halftime (and I missed ~20 minutes of the first half), what are the feelings about LD's play? Seemed to me like he didn't see the ball terribly often, but he made his touches count. Based only on what I saw, I'm a little surprised it's still even.
He's been okay but not great, like the rest of Everton's midfield. He's missed that last bit of precision but has still forced Wigan to account for him defensively. He's worked hard tracking back and has made good runs. Wigan, on the other hand, has had the better chances and have failed to put them on frame. They're countering well and should probably have at least one goal by now.
btw - an example of just how freakin good LD is. He gets the ball outside of the corner of the box, on the right. Not one, but two Wigan defenders come up to bracket him - and don't press him because they don't him blowing by them. Well, LD takes a second, and splits BOTH defenders with a perfect pass to an open player who gets into the box...and eventually LD makes a run into that space created by said player, and almost ends up with a goal as I think Cahill's cross was just behind him. It's not much, but that he makes those plays so simple is why he's so good
Ref is a joke. Saha taken down in the box, no call. Senderos slammed into on a header in the box at the end. No call. Donovan brought down and other player rakes his hands with his cleats as he swipes for the ball after the call. Only a talking to. That was some dirty sh**.
He really does look like a top EPL winger now. He put it right on Cahill and Fellini's heads several times from corners. He had a low cross from the right that almost find Saha in the box (akin to his cross to Altidore in Nashville).
Wigan has been more physical ... but Everton moves the ball better in the attack ... Howard has been excellent I worry a little about Senderos .... and of course Neville is going to try to send long balls over the top no matter what happens ... at one point he realized what he was going to do and paused and sent LD a nice ball on the ground ... Everton has had better free kick chances and of course the missed PK ... should be interesting to see how Moyes adjusts the second half .... there is no doubt LD is not playing tentative this game - he is meshing very well with Everton and he looks like he has the green light to attack more ....
I'd wait a bit to see if either Osman or Pienaar step up. If not, one of them comes off for Bily. Either that or magically wave a wand towards Arteta, make him healthy, and stick him in for Osman - who's basically been a ghost.
ref makes Pendergast look like a genius. Wonder if he was trained in the Serie A and Juventus a few years back ....
Donovan has been very efficient and clever in this game. I think he's played very well although that hasn't really amounted to goal chances. Saha has had 3 small opening that he has done very well to threaten with, but Wigan have had by far the cleaner runs at goal. For the first time since Landon has been there, Moyes is trying to vary their look on the wings by having Pienaar and Donovan switch sides for spells. Donovan was probably playing on the left for 10 minutes or so in the first half in 3 separate semi-permanent switches. I kind of liked that setup because Piennar had a better understanding of how to get Neville to give up the ball and Baines is more of an attacking fullback that Donovan would be used to combining with. Also, like in the Sunderland match, Donovan is being allowed to be more adventurous coming inside. Not surprisingly because he did score one and almost two popping up on the left on horizontal runs in from the right. I guess he's got the team's confidence that he can track back and defend from those spots.
that was a beautiful little play ... there was also another cross a little bit after that where it was in the perfect spot for Cahill ... who just could not control it .... and his corners to Fellaini are very very precise .... multiple examples of the prowess of technical skills ....
I have noticed that Landon is the best counter-attack player in the midfield. He adds that dimension, and it will take Everton's mids a little while to get used to him in that regard. He'll give a quick one-touch pass and then release for a give and go...streaking up the field. When Everton's mids get familiar with that, they'll release Donovan and he's dangerous in that position.
I would rather have the magic wand applied to the ref so he could pull his head out of his own rectum.