A Richarlison goal edged Everton past a hopeless Huddersfield as Jan Siewert lost his first game as the Terrier’s new boss.
Jan Siewert promised fans ‘a new style’ of football coming into his time in Yorkshire, however today his side fell short again, after failing to score against a ten man Everton side. Siewert received a huge ovation when he was introduced to the home crowd, sending a sense of excited anticipation around the John Smith’s Stadium; a real buzz was evident before kick-off.
Everton scored almost immediately. Jonas Lossl kept out Richarlison’s first shot from close range but the Brazilian was quick enough to pounce on the rebound and steer in the loose ball. Near silence from the home fans after such a loud reception. Tom Davies deserves a lot of credit for the build-up, as he helped the ball to find the striker and created the chance.
Huddersfield dominated the game and created the better chances. Siewert will feel disappointed that his side missed the opportunity to gain points and draw closer to a remarkable recovery.
Richarlison: Everton’s Brazilian diamond
Richarlison has been a big topic so far this season, gathering interest from all over Europe as he continues to score in the Premier League. The Brazilian international made his debut in the Premier League last season for Watford – scoring five goals and registering eight assists.
Following his impressive debut season for the Hornets, he made his international debut on the 27th of August for Brazil and later signed for Everton for a fee of £40m. A figure which was highly controversial at the time, but definitely seems worthwhile now.
So far for the Toffees he has an impressive ten goals and two assists ahead of the second half of the season. In recent weeks Richarlison was subject to some scrutiny following some under-par performances, but at his young age he still has plenty to offer in the Premier League, winning the game for his side against Huddersfield.
Digne pays a calculated price
Digne has started 21 games for Everton so far this season and has made quite the impact from his position of left back. Today, boss Marko Silva decided to rest the French defender leaving him out of the starting XI. However, due to a Leighton Baines injury, Silva was forced to bring him on and disturb his original eleven.
In the 55th minute, Diakhaby was clean through on goal following an inch-perfect chipped ball from Billing. Dinge seemed to have clipped the back of Diakhaby’s ankles on the very edge of the box, deeming himself worthy of a red card by denying a clear goal scoring opportunity.
Dinge left the field to chorus of boos as the home crowd were seconds away from going level and possibly ending their winless run. A highly controversial example of gamesmanship by Lucas Dinge, but it proved vital in helping his side nick all three points.
Declining Everton
In their the last 10 Premier League matches, Everton have taken just eight points (W2 D2 L6); in that time, the only sides to win fewer points are Fulham (6) and opponents Huddersfield (1).
After such a good start to their campaign, the Toffees have hit a rough patch in their season, down into eight place below newly promoted Wolves and potentially Watford depending on tomorrow’s result.
However this evenings game could provide them with a springboard to bounce back and challenge for the top six. Next week they face Wolves, which could prove to be the deciding game as to who challenges for the Europa League spots.
Blunt Huddersfield attack
Once again the Terriers are subject to losing because of their inability to score goals. Defensively they did well, given Everton’s impressive attacking arsenal who pose a significant threat – conceding a single goal shows that Town have improved.
Huddersfield’s midfield was also strong, for most of the game Mooy and co, operated in midfield controlling the tempo and creating chances. But it all comes down to their shocking form in front of goal. Worryingly for Town, only Wimbledon (18) and Bradford (17) have lost more games in English league football this season than Huddersfield – a shocking statistic. Fulham similarly struggle defensively but make up for it by scoring plenty of goals; Town need to take a leaf from their book if they are to remain in the English top flight.
Jan Siewert: Town’s saviour?
Siewert has come from Germany, and was managing Borussia Dortmund’s second team in the German fourth division. The New Huddersfield Town coach has had some time to gain an understating of his squad: “I got to know the players very well [at last week’s training camp] in Portugal. The togetherness is there and great to see”.
Siewert hinted at his game plan as he intends to help Huddersfield steer clear of the bottom three, “It’s a process that will take time, but the players have really understood my idea of football so far. It’s great to see how open-minded they are to new things”.
Siewert clearly has a ‘mission impossible’ on his hands, and his arrival won’t be helped either by the two upcoming fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal – however hard these games seem on paper, a result could spark the start of a remarkable rescue mission in West Yorkshire.
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