Everton FC Make it an Easy Away Day

Spurs could have been up 5-0 by the end of the first half had the forward line shown the merciless attacking prowess that Everton's neighbours Liverpool were subjected to as Liverpool were demolished 5-0 by Manchester City today.  Liverpool however had an excuse that their key player Sade Mane was red-carded.  Everton had no such excuse other than it is clear that the new players they have acquired need time to gel into their system.

Not only was this game a gift for Spurs, the first goal was a gift for Harry Kane.  Kane fresh from another August start without a goal, kicked off his new season goal haul with a cross that floated above the Everton keeper and straight into the back of the net.  If Everton felt unlucky at that point it would be a mute point because the actual luck they had was not ending this game with a deficit of 7 or 8 goals.  The loss for Everton does not make for a good reading in terms of league position, as they now hover just above the relegation zone, in a worse position than Newcastle United.

They will eventually get the team chemistry right and have the players to be a Top 7 Club, but just like the Tottenham team assembled after the sale of Gareth Bale, and later the Liverpool team that was a similar rush of player buys, Everton are facing the same situation both of those respective teams did in getting many new faces and expecting them to fit into a coherent team.  That is one thing Spurs now do have with Pochettino - his system is highly effective, and two runners-up league spots is testimony to that.

Yet Pochettino yet again showed his weird substitution decisions with bringing in players that are not ones that would lock up the shop.  The net result was a frantic last 10 minutes where the substitutions gave Everton the hope to compete - it was not that Everton were getting better, but the last two substitutions made the Spurs team weaker.  A more sensible strategy would have been to give Serge Aurier his debut and bring on newly acquired Fernando Llorent rather than Heung-Min Son.  Llorent would have enjoyed taking on a soft Everton defense.  Maybe Pochettino is saving him for the Champions League fixture in midweek.

Spurs did keep a clean sheet but had to work much harder than needed.  Dele Alli was no where near his best today, but Christian Erikson was imperious and brilliant, so it was surprising to see him come off and Alli remain on the pitch.  Pochettino is giving Mousa Sissoko the benefit of the doubt and at least today Everton made him look much better, but Sissoko should have done much more under these circumstances.  Dembele was a sensible substitution because he does give the back line more protection but the other two substitutions made Dembele's work much more challenging than it should have been.

Even with a 3-0 scoreline, it was a disappointing win because Spurs players were content to take pot shots rather than engage clinical team play (which they can do to great effect if they try), and they did for Harry Kane's second goal with neat passing movement for the third goal.  Everton could only engage the high press once the substitutions were made and they did look effective once Baines was allowed to maraud forward, but just like Spurs they lack clinical finishing - and could have at least got one goal back, and for their manager Ronald Koeman, the regret will be not getting a replacement striker to fill in for the departed Romelu Lukaku.

At the end of the day, while Everton did manage to have more possession by about 2%, their possession was powder puff and no real threat to Spurs.  Spurs have no won both of their away games without conceding a goal.  This away day form is critical because Wembley remains a hoodoo for Tottenham and next up is Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.  Hopefully the substitutions were about saving energy for Kane and Erikson for the Dortmund game.  As for the next league fixture, if Spurs cannot beat Swansea at Wembley, then they should be concerned about playing their home games at Wembley this season.  At least their away form remains excellent and offsets the current Wembley woes.