As I sat amongst the Cheltenham fans last night, wrapped in numerous layers of clothing to shield myself from the cold, I realised the last remnants of the summer have now well and truly come to pass. The flip side though? Football season is now in full swing.
Everton U21s took on Cheltenham in their second group game of the EFL Trophy last night, and unfortunately fell to a 2-1 defeat. David Henen forced an own goal early on to give the Toffees the early lead, but late goals from Billy Waters and a dubious penalty dispatched by Danny Wright gave the Robins the victory.
Despite the loss though, there were plenty of positives to take away in the form of how the young blues are beginning to develop and progress as young footballing talents. As such, I thought I’d briefly talk about each of the players who featured in the game.
Starting with Mateusz Hewelt between the sticks, the young Polish-born goalkeeper enjoyed an impressive showing in Gloucestershire. Hewelt wasn’t called into action all too many times, but when he was he displayed sharp instincts to deny his opposite, which included making one world-class save before the break.
In defence, the young blues looked comfortable and composed for much of the game. Jack Bainbridge and Antonee Robinson both looked assured at right back and left back respectively. Robinson was reminiscent of Leighton Baines at time, attacking down his flank with confidence and great ball playing ability. Bainbridge on the other hand wasn’t quite so fluid, yet put in a solid performance regardless.
At the heart of defence, Matty Foulds and Josef Varney were solid throughout, especially Varney who at only 18-years old put in a showing much more mature than his age suggests, leading the backline effectively.Liam Walsh was the pick of the bunch in midfield, confidently controlling the pace of the game and dictating play.
His partner in the centre of the park was Joe Williams (C) who initially looked shaky whilst playing in a sort of wing back-cum-midfielder position, but looked much more comfortable in the second half after a tactical switch. Beni Baningime had little impact on the game and was slightly disappointing given the glistening reputation he carries on his shoulders, but he was tidy in possession and did a serviceable job.
In the attacking third, Oumar Niasse led the line flanked by Callum Dyson and David Henen. Dyson worked tirelessly but enjoyed a turbulent night, although his raw talent is clear to see. Henen impressed with slaloming runs and skill, and worked exceptionally well to earn his side the opening goal. With Niasse, the less said the better, but he did play.
All three of David Unsworth’s substitutes were attacking options in Conor McAleny, Bassala Sambou and Delial Brewster. McAleny and Sambou looked sharp and determined in attack, but were unfortunate to not interlink as effectively as hoped. Sambou was exceptionally unfortunate to have given away a late penalty, of which replays actually suggest was a fantastic ball winning challenge. Brewster was a very late substitute, and so wasn’t on the field long enough to really influence the game.
The gulf in class between the best player in blue and the worst was huge, and the criminal transfer fee of the latter player makes the gap ever the more wider.
Liam Walsh was undoubtedly the best player, simply oozing class throughout the fixture. Walsh always seemed to find himself in plenty of space in midfielder, and was confident and composed with the ball at his feet. For the Huyton-born midfielder, all he was missing was the ability to spray long-distance passes in what would have been an Andrea Pirlo-esque performance.
As for the worst player on the field, it doesn’t take a lot of guess work. Oumar Niasse was woeful from the opening minute to the minute Unsworth hooked him off, just after the 60-minute mark. The Ghana international who cost the club £13.5 million looked awkward in possession, sluggish and lethargic on the ball, creating next to no chances. I moved into the Everton end for the second half, hoping to see a rare Niasse goal but that idea wasn’t really entertained at all, as Niasse looked uninterested, clumsy and had little to no impact on the game.
All in all though, a decent performance from David Unsworth’s men, who have every chance of qualifying for the next round as they take on Blackpool next month. As the young blues continue to develop, hopefully we’ll begin to see one or two break into the first-team setup in the not too distant future.
