How Gomes shook off his Barca blues
LIFE became so troubling at Barcelona that Andre Gomes would occasionally refuse to leave the house. He did not want to walk the Catalan streets for shame over his deteriorating performances.
That is unlikely to be a problem on Merseyside, with manager Marco Silva adamant Everton can offer the midfielder a home. His time in the Premier League is far removed from being jeered at the Nou Camp after replacing Andres Iniesta in a game last season.
He was superb on Saturday against Cardiff, playing a part in the move that led to Gylfi Sigurdsson tapping home the only goal of the game. It was only his fifth appearance but the loan, running until June, is a new beginning for a 25- year- old rebuilding his confidence.
Everton want to make the move permanent.
‘I think we have time to do that,’ Silva said. ‘ In the right moment we have to do something to (sign) a player like Andre.’
Snapping up someone of Gomes’s quality will not come cheap. Barcelona paid an initial £29million to sign him from valencia two years ago in a deal that included add- ons should he win the Ballon d’Or.
‘ It is better ( for us) that Barcelona forget a little bit about Andre!’ Silva added.
‘I had very good conversations with him before we signed him. When he came in he was injured. The whole club helped him to settle faster, to feel an important person in our dressing room, even when he was injured and not playing.’
Everton finally have a central midfielder capable of putting his foot on the ball and moving it quickly.
On Sunday they face Liverpool in search of a first win at Anfield since 1999. ‘I understand it is a really important game to the city and the people,’ Silva said. ‘What I can tell you is fear is not a word in our dressing room.’
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 7; Coleman 6.5, Keane 7, Mina 7, Digne 6.5; Gueye 7, GOMES 8.5; Walcott 6.5 (Lookman 73min, 7), Sigurdsson 8 (Zouma 90), Bernard 7 (Tosun 77); Richarlison 6. Subs not used: Baines, Stekelenburg, Davies, Calvert-Lewin. Scorer: Sigurdsson 59. Booked: None. Manager: Marco Silva 7. CARDIFF CITY (4-1-4-1): Etheridge 7; Manga 6.5, Morrison 7, Bamba 6.5, Cunningham 6; Ralls 6; Camarasa 6.5 (Ward 85), Gunnarsson 6, Arter 6.5 (Hoilett 74, 6), Harris 5 (Murphy 67, 6); Paterson 7. Subs not used: Smithies, Peltier, Bennett, Reid. Booked: Etheridge, Camarasa, Harris. Manager: Neil Warnock 6. Referee: Paul Tierney 7. Attendance: 39,139.