Pep’s pursuit of Euro glory and a fit-again DCL can be lifeline for Toffees
A COUPLE of weeks ago I thought Everton were down.
So to be writing in this column that I can see them going into a game against Manchester City with (an admittedly slim) chance of getting a result, speaks volumes for their remarkable performance at Brighton.
I’ve no idea where it came from, but that was a totally different team to the one I’ve watched struggle to deliver any sort of identity or personality in recent weeks. All season, in fact.
We’ll talk about why things have changed later, but there is a point to my reasoning on why Everton can get something – anything – out of the Goodison visit of my former club. It’s called European glory.
City have to make changes. They can afford to make 11 changes if Pep Guardiola seriously believes that will help against Real Madrid this week.
Winning the Champions League is what he is all about now. It’s frankly baffling that Pep (right) hasn’t won it since 2011, and has only been to the final once in the past 12 years… especially when you consider the clubs he’s managed.
And it’s not just him personally. Sheikh Mansour and the rulers of the UAE didn’t pump billions into City to watch the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea win Europe’s greatest club trophy ahead of them. They didn’t spend multi-millions on Erling Haaland to simply win the Premier League.
They scored 284 league goals in the previous three seasons without him, and won’t score any more than usual this time around, so he was bought to win the Champions League, absolutely no question.
And now is the time, because City will beat Madrid at the Etihad unless Pep has one of his meltdowns. So basically, no mistakes this time. Rest Haaland today, if he’s been bought to win the European trophy.
Rest Kevin De Bruyne, and anyone else who is vital against Real. But more importantly, learn from the mistakes of last season, and that ridiculous semi-final against the same opponents.
If I have a pet hate with Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp – who is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches of his or any other generation – it is an infuriating inability to occasionally see games out.
They get a lead and keep doing the same thing, even when the balance of the game has changed. You saw that against Madrid earlier this season, when they were in a winning position in the first leg, but kept piling forward.
It’s the same with City. In the semi last term, they had the match won, but then carried on with the same tactics.
That gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side a door back into the game that should not have been left open. I think City will have too much for Real on Wednesday, they can get a lead at home – we saw that in the first leg when they totally dominated the first 50 minutes or so. This time, close the door, see it out.
No complacency, no fancy tactics, do what you’re good at, and then shut the game down completely. City have the best defenders in the Premier League, so use them at the right time, in the right way.
They can risk dropping a couple of points at Everton. They’ll still win the league.
As for Sean Dyche’s side? For the first time this season, really, they have a focal point, and someone to hold the ball and bring others into the game around him, with the return to fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. It makes such a difference. I can’t tell you how massive it is to have someone up there who can stop the ball coming back immediately to put pressure on a defence, especially in a relegation scrap.
You saw it against Brighton. Everton could sit deep, soak up pressure and then hit on the counter, knowing the likes of Dwight McNeil had the time to get up there as Calvert-Lewin would buy the team time, and take the pressure off.
It’s going to be different against even a much-changed City. They’ll have to defend even better, battle even harder. But with a striker actually holding the ball up, they look a different team.