After the first derby loss on November 19, I wrote here that Everton was what they appeared to be- the best of the rest, not quite good enough to climb above that.
After that game, Everton went on an 8-3-1 tear, and I and many others got irrationally excited about the Toffees' upside.
Yesterday's game showed that Everton, although moving in the right direction, is what they appeared to be.
It was a terrible day for just about everyone in blue.
Yes, the injuries to Coleman, Funes Mori, McCarthy, and Schneiderlin meant a painfully thin squad. The absence of half the starting back four required either an unfamiliar formation or the use of third-stringers. Unwisely, Koeman chose both. The back three, which Everton had used to some good effect earlier in the season, was a disaster. Although the Liverpool goals were quality, Everton's defenders were rarely where they needed to be. Pennington, notwithstanding his gift goal off a corner where Liverpool's men in the six-yard box were all ball-watching, was terrible. A 22-year-old kid who hasn't played in the PL this year and who spent last year on loan in League One - to put him up against Coutinho and Mane at Anfield is asking an awful lot and he wasn't up to it. Williams was not good. The only serviceable shift was put in by old man Jagielka, who headed away a ball on the far post that should have been a fourth goal. Origi's goal was a nice strike but there wasn't a blue shirt in the frame near him.
Robles was wrong-footed on all three goals - not saying he could or should have stopped all three but he didn't have a chance on any.
Koeman's 3-4-3 produced nothing good. The midfield was sclerotic all day. Service forward was terrible.
Gueye, who has been among the leaders all year in all of Europe in tackles and clearances, did nothing special. Davies, after an excellent run of form, chased the ball around the park to no effect. Holgate was halfway decent out wide and had a great strike that but had to spend too much time tracking back to cover up Pennington.
After having been whipped into fighting form by Koeman over the past couple of months, Barkley forgot that he was an exceptional talent and potentially dominant player, and reverted into the petulant, unproductive douchebag he has so often been. He did little to help the effort and should have been sent off - I will not defend this asshole. Supposedly Chelsea were interested, but I think Ross showed us why the transfer rumors are not as robust as one would think and why he can't get off the bench for England - he's an idiot.
Lukaku - oof. If the team wanted to show him that they were ready to challenge for a spot in the CL they failed miserably. But if Lukaku wanted to showcase himself for bidders he also crashed and burned. Yes, service was miserable, but he did nothing to help himself or the team. Nothing, as in zero. Lovren and Matip bossed him around all day. Lukaku had a grand total of one touch in the box.
I forgot Calvert-Lewin was even playing, his name got called so infrequently.
The worst part was after this ass-kicking, Koeman, who has done well this year to instill a killer instinct, especially at Goodison, inexplicably lapsed into participation-trophy mode, saying that he was proud of his boys and that they played well. Huh?? What the fucking fuck?? Take the beating, write it up to the injuries if you must, but don't try to take some kind of moral victory out of this game. Everton looked like a different team from the one that took two and a half points per game since mid-November. There was petulance, but no fight. There was effort, but no pressure. There was challenge, but no desire to impose their will. Worst of all, the Toffees rolled over and showed their underbelly in the fucking derby. Sunderland or Hull would have made a better showing.
I agree with ninja- sell the big man, and Barkley too while you're at it; spread the cash around the park, especially at the back, and move on.