Captain Ross
A few eyebrows were certainly
raised when the team sheets were delivered on Tuesday night and Ross
Barkley was named as Everton captain for the first time.
There were more experienced
players in the team that could have taken the role but Ronald Koeman
chose the born-and-bred scouser to lead out his boyhood club.
It could prove to be an
inspired piece of management. Koeman has already spoken of his desire to
get the best out of Barkley this season and ensure the England
midfielder fulfils his enormous potential.
To do that Barkley needs to
improve his decision-making and take more responsibility on the field –
handing him the captain’s armband was the ideal opportunity to do so.
It wasn’t a vintage display
from Ross, but these sorts of games rarely produce world-class
performances. He did though provide the game’s key moment; bending a
25-yard free-kick beyond Artur Krysiak to double’s Everton’s advantage
in the second half.
It also allowed Barkley to
reveal a touching tribute to former scout Sid Benson, the man who first
discovered Barkley’s burgeoning talents as a schoolboy, who sadly passed
away last week.
Speaking after the game Barkley
spoke of his immense pride at leading the team out and also gave
another touching tribute to Benson, suggesting he is maturing both as a
man as well as a player.
Lukaku’s drought continues
It was a huge boost for
Evertonians everywhere when Romelu Lukaku decided to stay at the club
this summer (or perhaps more accurately – no one would pay Everton’s
asking price, but whatever). So with his future now settled it is time
the Belgian re-focused on his football.
Lukaku struggled with a heel
injury in pre-season but made his presence felt as a substitute against
West Brom on Saturday. Things didn’t go quite to plan though on his
first start of the season against Yeovil. The 23-year-old missed a
number of chances against the League Two side, looking nowhere near the
player we saw for the majority of last campaign.
This latest blank means it’s
now 12 games without a goal for Lukaku, stretching back to his
gargantuan display against Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final in March.
A lack of match fitness is
fairly flimsy excuse but he perhaps deserves the benefit of the doubt
for now. What’s clear though is there is plenty of work ahead of Lukaku
if he is to rediscover his magic touch.
Does Kone have a future at Everton?
The big Ivorian has become
almost a joke figure amongst the fan base, not helped by his association
with former manager Roberto Martinez. But his enthusiasm for the game
and warm nature also proves infectious.
Both his goals were fine
strikes, even when taking into account the standard of the opposition.
While the reaction of Kone’s teammates when celebrating his goals shows
how highly he is regarded in the dressing room.
He is never going to dislodge
Romelu Lukaku from the first-choice striking berth and the rumoured
arrival of Lucas Perez would likely push him further down the pecking
order.
His limitations are there for
all to see and a woeful cameo against Tottenham on the opening day will
no doubt have been noted by Koeman.
More performances like Tuesday
though and Kone may well persuade his manager that there’s still a
place for the former Wigan man in his squad.
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