UNSWORTH DREAMS RUINED AS EVERTON THROW IN THE TOWEL
Flops crash out of Europe to end their caretaker’s job bid
THERE is a song that has been sung by Evertonians for years, one with lyrics that sound more like a battle cry. The fans tell the players how they ‘will fight, fight, fight with all our might for the boys in the Royal Blue jersey’. That line must be remembered when you consider how Everton surrendered their place in Europe and, effectively, destroyed David Unsworth’s hopes of becoming manager.
Briefly, last night it seemed as if Everton would restore some calm to this most turbulent season. For an hour, the game plan Unsworth had concocted had worked but then, as has been the case so often in these last three ruinous months, the world fell in.
In the space of 21 minutes, Everton were dismantled. There was no fight, fight, fight as the goals poured in — they were just weak, weak, weak.
‘Whatever team I am coaching, I always say you all come together for five to 10 minutes and don’t concede again,’ said Unsworth, who looked shattered. ‘We can’t just cave in like that. You can’t defend like that and hope to win a game. It was so disappointing.’
Here was a night as dispiriting as any they have endured this season, one exacerbated by a horrible injury to Cuco Martina. The full back was carried off unconscious on a stretcher after falling awkwardly when challenging for a high ball in the first half. He was later discharged from hospital.
‘He was concussed and complaining of pains in his neck,’ said Unsworth. ‘Hopefully he will be with us soon.’
The objective here was to restore some confidence and avoid defeat at all costs. ‘ I want to win,’ Unsworth had insisted beforehand, but the pragmatic team he selected showed what he was really thinking.
It may have been odd to see Gylfi Sigurdsson, a £45million No 10, playing as central striker but this was not an evening for personal ambitions to get i n the way. Unsworth needed everyone working in harmony. And for the first 45 minutes they did exactly that.
Lyon wanted to stretch the game and use the pace of their flying attackers Memphis Depay, Nabil Fekir, Bertrand Traore and Maxwel Cornet but Everton rarely let them pass. When they did, Lyon found Jordan Pickford in a mood where he refused to be beaten. He stopped Traore’s glancing header in the 24th minute and the goalkeeper followed it up by beating away Depay’s f r ee - kick and Traore’s drive before half-time.
Everton almost found an immediate way through at the start of the second half, but Idrissa Gana Gueye’s shot was cleared off the line by Mouctar Diakhaby after Ademola Lookman had teed up the midfielder.
A goal at that point would have i nvigorated Everton and they believed they could find a way through, pressing forward more and more. Sigurdsson came close but his sweeping l eft- f ooted attempt curled too far wide after substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin created the space.
Yet, within a minute, Everton were behind. A long ball up field caused panic, allowing Traore to steal in and waltz around Pickford to drive a dagger into Everton’s fragile state.
Unsworth spun on his heels in frustration — they didn’t deserve to be losing — but old bad habits quickly resurfaced and 1-0 swiftly became 2-0. Another long ball and more panic in the defence preceded a super finish from substitute Houssem Aouar.
By now Everton had collapsed and when Schneiderlin was dismissed for two bookings, you feared the worst. So it proved when Depay added the third in the 88th minute. They now face Watford in a game they dare not lose.
‘I’ve left the players in no uncertain terms it is a huge game for them as well,’ said Unsworth. ‘We have to find a way to win.’ LYON (4-2-3-1): Lopes 6; Rafael 6, Marcelo 7, Diakhaby 7, Mendy 6; Tousart 7, Ndombele 7 (Ferri 77); Cornet 7, FEKIR 8 (Aouar 62, 7), Depay 7.5; Traore 8 (Mariano 70, 6). Subs not used: Gorgelin, Morel, Marcal, Tete. Scorers: Traore 67, Aouar 76, Depay 88. Booked: Rafael, Aouar. Manager: Bruno Genesio 7. EVERTON (4-3-3): Pickford 7; Kenny 5, Holgate 5, Williams 5, Martina 6 (Besic 43, 5); Baningime 6, Gueye 5 (Calvert-Lewin 61, 6), Schneiderlin 4; Lennon 5 (Vlasic 71, 5), Sigurdsson 5.5, Lookman 6. Subs not used: Robles, Mirallas, Klaassen, Feeney. Booked: Martina, Schneiderlin. Sent off: Schneiderlin. Manager: David Unsworth 6. Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Isr) 6. Att: 37,000.
DARYL MURPHY has emerged as an injury concern for the Republic of Ireland ahead of the World Cup play-offs against Denmark. The veteran striker has a hamstring injury and on Tuesday night he missed a second Championship game in four days as Nottingham Forest lost 3-1 at Reading. Forest manager Mark Warburton has described Murphy’s injury as ‘minor’. However, at 34, the 29-times capped striker has crammed in a jaw-dropping seven games, completed six of them and also played 78 minutes in the other match, between September 23 and October 21. The itinerary included two World Cup qualifiers and Irish manager Martin O’Neill will be wary of asking Murphy to do too much for the play-offs against Denmark. It helps that Shane Long, David McGoldrick, Sean Maguire and Scott Hogan are all available for selection, while O’Neill hasn’t given up on having Jon Walters at some point over the two legs. Meanwhile, Bray Wanderers are still actively searching for a new investor to come on board for next season.
Sportsmail understands that chairman Gerry Mulvey