A bridge too far for Everton

Posted by Darrell Currie on 23/10/2009

It was a hurdle Everton's depleted team just couldn't clear – a night in Lisbon against a Benfica side who are starting to turn heads all over Europe.

The Portuguese outfit simply had too much for the Toffees, a mix of flair and ruthless finishing was the devastating combination that had David Moyes scratching his head on the sidelines – rarely have this Everton side left their manager so perplexed.

If Moyes had been able to field his best eleven then of course his side would have coped far better with the flowing attacks of Benfica, but sadly his inexperienced make-shift defence had no answer to the trickery of Angel Di Maria and Pablo Aimar in the Estadio da Luz.

Seamus Coleman will probably never forget his promotion to the first team; the Irish under-21 defender was drafted in at left-back in place of Leighton Baines (who withdrew late on after struggling with a calf injury). Coleman and Dan Gosling (at right-back) were exposed several times, but in fairness, not by any ordinary wing-play – the movement of Di Maria, the Argentinian international, would have caused far more experienced defenders a lot of problems.

Di Maria was the man Moyes mentioned by name after the game, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of Europe's top teams don't sign him up in the coming months. I spoke to some Benfica fans after the game, and they told me the 21-year-old is a different player this season – he's gained valuable playing time with the Argentina senior team under Diego Maradona, and he's much better for it. The winger is still very young, and I'm sure he'll continue to improve.

Everton on the other hand now face a gruelling few weeks, still without so many of their first team regulars, they'll have to re-group quickly. Next up it's Bolton away, then before they even have time to warm-down properly it's off to White Hart Lane for a game in the Carling Cup. Now that's a competition Everton would love to progress in, but the scheduling of the game just two days after the trip to the Reebok stadium, means Moyes will have to play many reserves – that's hardly fair given that the Scotsman is already having to borrow extensively from his youth-team. It's going to be a real test of character that's for sure.

Some good news on the injury front is the continued progress of Phil Jagielka. He and Phil Neville travelled out to Portugal with the young Everton squad, and Jagielka actually took part in the training session the night before the match at the Stadium of Light. Granted it was a light work-out for the England international, but I watched on as he moved around freely, taking shots at goal, even turning and twisting on the firm playing surface. That's a great sign, and his comeback in the coming weeks will spark Everton I'm sure.

Just think how much stronger the side will be when Jagielka, Arteta, Pienaar, Baines, Osman, Yobo, and Neville (and there are others) return. That's a formidable seven. Only then will we see the "real" Everton.

After the match when I spoke to David Moyes I asked him if he was looking forward to putting things right against Benfica at Goodison Park in a couple of weeks, and he said that unfortunately even then he won't be able to field his true side.

I know the Scotsman was not having a pop at those players he was forced to use in Portugal – rather he simply meant that Europe had not seen what his men really are capable of. I sensed his desire to put things right, and make amends for the thousands of travelling fans who represented the club so well abroad. Even at 3-0 down they were still singing the manager's name – they (like Moyes) know better days are ahead.

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Posted by ayo on 24/10/2009

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