Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs Huddersfield: Premier League Matchday 15It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2017-12-03T17:00:02+00:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/164897632017-12-03T17:00:02+00:002017-12-03T17:00:02+00:00Everton vs Huddersfield Town: Tactical Analysis
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<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Big Sam’s first match in charge brought a coherent plan, and three points with it.</p> <p id="6pl7GP">For most of the season, I’ve insisted that <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> needs to actively make three tactical decisions in order to find success. Those were:</p>
<ol>
<li id="eZT9fo">Play two true wingers</li>
<li id="E75J2W">Use Gylfi Sigurdsson as a central attacking midfielder between those wingers</li>
<li id="L0bDW1">Utilize a true No. 6 (deep-lying, distributing midfielder) to manage transition from defense to attack.</li>
</ol>
<p id="fHDE9a">And yet here we are, with the Toffees looking at six points from the last two matches, despite having done none of those three things. </p>
<p id="fl76zb">What happened?</p>
<p id="ovnHli">To take a closer look, I’m going to focus on Saturday’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town">Huddersfield Town</a> match and basically ignore that Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over <a href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a> ever happened. Reasons for this include: </p>
<ul>
<li id="RQpCXn">David Unsworth is no longer managing Everton</li>
<li id="H6m4GW">West Ham is utterly atrocious</li>
<li id="x5DLSk">
<span>Wayne Rooney</span> was playing about four different positions in that match, and that’s not a recipe for long-term, sustainable success.</li>
</ul>
<p id="jSiCZW">Let’s take a closer look at what went right against Huddersfield then, starting with Sam Allardyce’s first Everton lineup.</p>
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<p id="pimQhN">“But wait!” I hear you say, “Big Sam used the same lineup as Unsworth did against West Ham!”</p>
<p id="B7aYbc">And, dear reader, you’d be right about that to a substantial extent. Allardyce trotted out the same 11 players in the same basic positions as Unsworth did on Wednesday — but Allardyce had a clear plan for those players, whereas Unsworth’s plan was to let Wayne Rooney run around a lot and hope for the best.</p>
<p id="7RgZ3v">Allow me to double back to the three points I opened with — because although Sam didn’t directly meet any of the criteria, his setup absolutely address the underlying issues related to all three points. Those were:</p>
<ol>
<li id="EpQbeU">Play two true wingers</li>
<li id="59pUus">Use Gylfi Sigurdsson as a central attacking midfielder between those wingers</li>
<li id="fqpJxw">Utilize a true No. 6 (deep-lying, distributing midfielder) to manage transition from defense to attack.</li>
</ol>
<p id="poH26W">Let’s take a look at numbers one and two in tandem, because in Everton’s tactical system against Huddersfield, these were inexorably linked. My rationale for wanting Everton to utilize two true wingers is relatively simple — a player with pace and ability on the ball on either wing keeps the opposing defense spread, allowing space for Sigurdsson to operate in the center of the pitch.</p>
<p id="qv168E">With Sigurdsson out wide, things obviously cannot happen that cleanly, but there was a definite plan in place to let the Icelander use his strengths to the fullest.</p>
<p id="3EosxS">Everton attacked pretty exclusively down the right side, utilizing its one true winger, <span>Aaron Lennon</span>, and it’s best available attacking full-back, Jonjoe Kenny. Tom Davies, as the right-sided central midfielder, also looked to contribute to the attack on the right wing. </p>
<p id="MF3I0Q"><strong>52% of Everton’s possession in the Huddersfield defensive third came in the right channel</strong>, with the remainder of the possession split evenly between the left and central channels — so make no mistake, this was a very intentional development.</p>
<p id="5VgyQf">With that in mind, take a look at how the Everton lineup often looked in practice, especially in the attack.</p>
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<p id="p7qOGv">Lennon, Kenny, and Davies looked to overload Huddersfield on the right, drawing defenders in, whipping crosses in to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, or pulling the ball back to Sigurdsson or Rooney in the center of midfield.</p>
<p id="6dtK69">Note that because possession was so focused on the right side, Sigurdsson was able to pull into the central channel at will, rather than being forced to pull wide left to create width for his teammates. </p>
<p id="SAqPs2">Take a look at his heatmap and passing map from this match (courtesy of <a href="http://EvertonFC.com">EvertonFC.com</a>).</p>
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<p id="wXMEsa">Yes, things are a little tilted to the left, particularly in the defensive third. But for the most part, his actions and placement are much closer to those of a No. 10 than a winger.</p>
<p id="j5Yr1U">In no instance was this tactical plan more clear than on Gylfi’s goal.</p>
<p id="ITZ2Ap">The play starts when Aaron Lennon receives a pass from Idrissa Gueye down the right wing.</p>
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<p id="7ljaSB">The two Everton players on top of each other are Calvert-Lewin and Davies, with Sigurdsson acting as the trailer — look at how he’s already on the right half of the field.</p>
<p id="kWWAhn">Because Lennon represents a legitimate on-ball threat, Huddersfield is forced to leave two defenders out wide to handle him (and neither does a particularly good job, at that).</p>
<p id="qk0v5a">Once Lennon beats the first man, there’s too much movement in the box for Huddersfield to handle.</p>
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<p id="CZCxbZ">Davies occupies one of the central defenders, creating space for Lennon to play the ball into Calvert-Lewin. Sigurdsson, making a run from a deeper space on the right into the box on the left, isn’t properly tracked by the Huddersfield midfield or defense.</p>
<p id="zaOiJO">Gylfi is at his most comfortable in the middle, and he understands how to find and utilize space. He needs only a moment of uncertainty from the opposing defense to get himself open, and the gorgeous layoff from DCL puts him through on goal. One confident finish later, Everton is up 1-0.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3ZZEkB">
<p id="UiKwC0">So, Allardyce didn’t use two true wingers, or use Sigurdsson as a central creative midfielder — but he allowed the play of his one true winger (and others) to create an opportunity for Sigurdsson to often play as a No. 10. It isn’t necessarily perfect, nor the long-term answer, especially when Yannick Bolasie returns from injury.</p>
<p id="pWQukn">But, it made sense, his players seemed clear on how to execute, and it put his best players in positions to do what they do best.</p>
<p id="lVhAl3">With those points covered, let’s take a look at how Big Sam addressed my third key point, <strong>utilize a true No. 6 (deep-lying, distributing midfielder) to manage transition from defense to attack.</strong></p>
<p id="BIb7Dt">One of the biggest problems Everton has faced this season is an inability to move the ball forward once winning it in defensive positions. There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to this issue, some of which include:</p>
<ul>
<li id="IzzWuU">Refusal to use true wingers limits options to outlet to in transition</li>
<li id="hilmz9">
<span>Morgan Schneiderlin</span>’s poor form</li>
<li id="UxFCui">Managerial decision to hoof the ball long at every opportunity, rather than ever trying to keep possession.</li>
</ul>
<p id="f1RdWj">But, even without using a true No. 6, Everton managed to solidify its transition game through the use of several players in specifically defined roles. </p>
<aside id="hnqflo"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Allardyce will give chances to Everton players frozen out","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16728094/sam-allardyce-everton-davy-klaassen-sandro-ramirez-chances-fight-for-places"},{"title":"Everton vs Huddersfield: Premier League Matchday 15","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/1/16725722/everton-huddersfield-premier-league-sam-allardyce-first-game-david-wagner"}]}'></div></aside><p id="JIhAZy">That starts with Idrissa Gueye, who played as the deepest of the three midfielders. Now, just because he’s the deepest of the central midfielders does not make him a No. 6, at least not as I’m choosing to define it. </p>
<p id="BIBs9K">A true No. 6 is a player who will serve as the midfield hub, receiving the ball from defenders and other midfielders and finding the difficult forward pass to wingers or attackers in order to progress the game forward.</p>
<p id="mP4aHB">That just isn’t Gana’s game, though. He’s gotten much better in possession this season, but he’s still not the guy you want pinging balls forward to spring the attack. Take a look at his passmap from the match.</p>
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<p id="oh5UGq">There are some forward passes, both completed and failed, but his role is primarily to keep possession when Everton is on the ball, rather than to try to advance the play. That role fell more to Wayne Rooney, whose passmap is below.</p>
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<p id="x5Ut29">You can see that a fair number of those forward passes failed, but the intent behind his usage is pretty clear. Rooney dropped quite deep at times to find the ball and work it forward — something that I’m still not sure is a sustainable model for success.</p>
<p id="2TkuIJ">The third central midfielder was Tom Davies, whose role was a little more nebulous. Take a look at the youngster’s passmap.</p>
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<p id="ncO051">There’s very little from a possession-keeping or ball-advancing perspective here. Instead, he tended to drift forward down the right to create a third option for combining along with Lennon and Kenny. </p>
<p id="zcYNe3">He was ineffective for large spells of the match, but as I pointed out earlier, his run on the first goal helped to create space for DCL and Gylfi to operate.</p>
<p id="7m2t8F">Allardyce does have another option in terms of a central midfield trio. He could utilize Morgan Schneiderlin as the deepest of the three (and a true No. 6), with Gana and Rooney ahead of him. Gana could, more responsibly and intelligently, fill the role that Davies did in this match, while Rooney continues to do what Rooney does.</p>
<p id="HM1gDh">Big Sam did just that when he brought the Frenchman on for Davies in the 66th minute, and it helped to earn Everton a second goal. Gana, in a more advanced position, had the freedom to chase down a loose Huddersfield touch. He won the ball, which went to Rooney, who made a lovely pass through to Calvert-Lewin on the break.</p>
<aside id="iP1v1X"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Allardyce’s top January transfer targets revealed","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/3/16728122/sam-allardyce-top-january-transfer-targets-revealed-everton-nzonzi-deeney-evans-van-aanholt"},{"title":"Onwards and upwards now for Everton, says Allardyce","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/3/16728296/onwards-and-upwards-sam-allardyce-comments-everton-huddersfield-town-recap-review"}]}'></div></aside><p id="jGPJTB">That strategy does have its potential problems though. Has Schneiderlin turned a corner? Can he cover enough ground as a lone deep-lying midfielder? Can Gana be trusted to pick the right spots to press? Can Rooney provide enough defensively in front of a less athletic deep-lying midfielder?</p>
<p id="9xrkyl">I’m not sure what the answers to any of these questions are, but Allardyce will need to figure it out over the course of the next week.</p>
<p id="fLvhfv">In the interim though, Big Sam found a moderately successful setup that worked against an inferior opponent — something Everton has often struggled to do this season. </p>
<p id="6ZgwVV">He may have to get creative with <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> and the Merseyside Derby approaching next weekend, but for now, he’s made me relatively confident that he’s at least got some idea how to handle Everton Football Club.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/3/16729958/everton-huddersfield-town-tactical-analysis-sam-allardyce-tactics-aaron-lennon-gylfi-sigurdssonAdam.Braun2017-12-03T06:00:02+00:002017-12-03T06:00:02+00:00Onwards and upwards now for Everton, says Allardyce
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<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ITqV006LXueWpKWlLHVK9sx5GaU=/0x0:3941x2627/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57834993/884425758.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Manager’s comments after good win to start off Goodison tenure</p> <p id="eU9gxY"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> beat <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town">Huddersfield Town</a> 2-0 at Goodison Park to finally record their first consecutive wins of the 2017-18 season. New manager <span>Sam Allardyce</span> was happy to start off with a win, and went on to claim credit for his halftime team talk that sparked the Blues opener. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="w9v1Uu">“We changed the tactics at half-time by telling <span>Aaron Lennon</span> and Gylfi Sigurdsson to sit in the holes, not to chase their full-backs all the way back on top of our full-backs.. that gave them a bit more freedom when we won the ball back, because we could pop it into them and they were further up the pitch when they were receiving the ball.</p>
<p id="C2p4VJ">"That helped us get the first goal. It was a super bit of talent with the flick and the finish but I think if that situation happened in the first half, Gylfi would have been too far back to actually get it in the box. It was a very important goal at that particular time.</p>
<p id="NbuGGP">“It was a lovely little flick to get Gylfi in on goal and I am so pleased for Dominic Calvert-Lewin that he got his goal after his work on the front line. For a young centre-forward learning his trade in the Premier League, to get that goal for us at that particular time just killed Huddersfield off.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="fVcYSh">On his approach to the job so far - </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="puR4eA">“I know my responsibility to the football club and the fans and I know they want as attractive football as they can possibly get, but I also know they want to see people who dig in, work hard and roll up their sleeves for the cause. </p>
<p id="2WIyRs">“If I take a job I am fully, 100 per cent committed and I do not take jobs in any other circumstances. I have turned down many a job before this one but I felt this one to be right for me.</p>
<p id="08S04w">“It is a dream job for me and I will give it 100 per cent. And getting a win in my first game after the fantastic victory on Wednesday night is great. Let us hope it is onwards and upwards now.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="GVh37b">The quick six points Everton have picked up in the last few days has settled the nerves around the club - </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="1rvWiz">“That has taken the pressure off us all, I am glad to say.</p>
<p id="JdGwNy">“It just shows you, at this stage of the season, what back-to-back wins can bring to a team who have been struggling in their past few games.</p>
<p id="jZQ8Cu">“All of a sudden, you get this quick turnaround and it will give the confidence of the players a big boost, and that is very, very important. </p>
<p id="We4cNh">“They should feel good about themselves at the moment. They have had a bit of stick recently, so everybody at the stadium today appreciated the win, as they did on Wednesday and, hopefully, we can continue in the right frame of mind... and grow and grow and grow, as we have done in the past two games.”</p>
</blockquote>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/3/16728296/onwards-and-upwards-sam-allardyce-comments-everton-huddersfield-town-recap-reviewCalvin2017-12-02T20:15:02+00:002017-12-02T20:15:02+00:00RECAP: Everton beat Huddersfield 2-0 in Allardyce’s first game
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<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YfjuSZ7mL4K7DlWW0896Z1LELfg=/0x0:1782x1188/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57831725/884449860.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Big Sam guides Blues to second home win in a week</p> <p id="sdfm0c"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> claimed back-to-back wins and clean sheets with another massive result at home to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town">Huddersfield Town</a> today. The 2-0 win came with Gylfi Sigurdsson opening the scoring immediately after halftime and Dominic Calvert-Lewin putting the game to bed 15 minutes from time.</p>
<p id="CBRSHF">For Sam Allardyce ’s first game in charge, he decided to name an unchanged side as he looked to build momentum from Wednesdays morale boosting win over West Ham. I think all Evertonians were looking forward to seeing what impact he could have on tightening up our dangerously fragile defence. We were looking better at the back but it was going forward that was the issue in the first half as neither side really threatened to open the scoring. </p>
<p id="LO6l1g"><span>Tom Ince</span> delivered the only real scare of the half for the Blues as he played a dangerous low cross towards Belgian striker Laurent Depoitre however <span>Jordan Pickford</span> was quick to snuff out the danger and smother the ball. Everton’s best chance came from the unlikely source of Cuco Martina who fizzed one at Jonas Lossl’s goal but the Danish keeper managed to parry it clear. </p>
<p id="RCWn61">The only Huddersfield player with any real creative qualities was Aaron Mooy, as he looked for avenues from which to launch attacks all afternoon. Other than his vision and the pace of Ince the visitors offered little and it was obvious that if they wanted anything out of the game they would have to make the most of any set piece or defensive slip up.</p>
<aside id="mLTL3X"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"WATCH: Sigurdsson scores from a lovely backheel by Dominic Calvert-Lewin","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727680/watch-sigurdsson-scores-from-a-lovely-backheel-by-dominic-calvert"},{"title":"Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Huddersfield","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727652/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-everton-vs-huddersfield-ratings-vote"}]}'></div></aside><p id="Iwg6mw">After the slow burner that was the 1<sup>st</sup> period both sides needed a kick up the backside at the break and Everton obviously received one as they began the 2<sup>nd</sup> half with more intent and were quickly celebrating the opening goal. </p>
<p id="BeumbO"><span>Aaron Lennon</span> cut in from the right looking for options and found DCL on the edge of the box. The Young Lion brilliantly flicked the ball through for Sigurdsson who had smartly read the intentions of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and fired a first time effort into the bottom corner, wonderful goal. It was encouraging to see players taking risks and looking for the ball again after the last few months of one dimensional and predictable football and players hiding on the pitch. </p>
<p id="M6JFpX">The Blues were looking good up top with Sigurdsson finally seeming to have broken out of his shell as he knitted plays together with some lovely passes and touches. He combined well with the equally classy <span>Wayne Rooney</span> and it was clear to see if they had the right frontman they could form a formidable partnership. </p>
<aside id="fcrsue"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everton 2-0 Huddersfield Town: We’re Going Streaking","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727658/everton-2-0-huddersfield-town-final-score-result-goals-sam-allardyce-wayne-rooney-gylfi-sigurdsson"},{"title":"Allardyce will give chances to Everton players frozen out","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16728094/sam-allardyce-everton-davy-klaassen-sandro-ramirez-chances-fight-for-places"}]}'></div></aside><p id="6n4v33">With just over 15 minutes to go Rooney was involved as the Toffees made it two. Idrissa Gueye made a fabulous interception inside our own half which landed at Rooney’s feet, he advanced forward, surveyed the scene and sent a inch perfect ball through for DCL who took his time and dispatched a left footed effort past Lossl, via a deflection, to give the Blues some breathing space. A goal and an assist for the young striker as he continues to fight tirelessly up top for the Blues. Huddersfield had offered little all afternoon and they failed to mount any real fight back in the closing stages as Everton held on to give Big Sam the perfect start in the Goodison Park hot seat.</p>
<p id="jwPF8v">It was so relieving watching how comfortably we dealt with Huddersfield today. Just a few weeks back its a game where you could confidently have predicted a defeat pre-game however after the spirit-lifting result on Wednesday and a new manager for the players to impress, they have stepped up big time and finally start putting the effort in that is required. It’s hard to still not feel a bit angry with the playing staff as we knew all along the quality they possessed but it was there poor attitudes that were letting the fans down. Lets hope such abject performances are well behind us now as we move forward. </p>
<p id="Z5U8GG">Thursday’s dead rubber away in Cyprus will act as a minor annoyance to the new gaffer as his focus will now be fully on next Sunday’s Merseyside Derby, a positive result in that game coupled with today’s success and Big Sam will find his popularity rising meteorically.</p>
<p id="xBUQbu"> </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727992/recap-everton-2-0-huddersfield-sigurdsson-calvert-lewin-sam-allardyce-first-gameCalDumbell2017-12-02T19:29:24+00:002017-12-02T19:29:24+00:00Allardyce will give chances to Everton players frozen out
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<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hQMlxdavwyOTKzSAkRZWnszfqRE=/0x0:3053x2035/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57831433/884399204.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>This is good news for a few forgotten men</p> <p id="lpByD4">Two players in particular who came in during <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>’s summer spending spree have found themselves on the outside looking in during recent weeks. Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez have not had too many opportunities during the last days of Ronald Koeman’s tenure and during David Unsworth’s interim role. </p>
<p id="gxK8EB">While Sandro has shown up regularly on the matchday squad with a couple of appearances, the Dutchman has been on the far fringes of the squad and disappointed the one game he did play against Atalanta recently. </p>
<aside id="WoEEgD"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Huddersfield","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727652/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-everton-vs-huddersfield-ratings-vote"},{"title":"Everton 2-0 Huddersfield Town: We’re Going Streaking","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727658/everton-2-0-huddersfield-town-final-score-result-goals-sam-allardyce-wayne-rooney-gylfi-sigurdsson"}]}'></div></aside><p id="mezPZ0">After today’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town allowed the Blues to climb further up the table, new manager <span>Sam Allardyce</span> has said that no player will be forced out and he is willing to give everyone a chance with the hectic schedule coming up this month. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="eBZDq0">“The squad is a little thin at the moment with nine players injured.</p>
<p id="vXPPun">“When I've looked at this season's record of games, games played, players getting injured, it's no wonder it's struggled in all honesty.</p>
<p id="23FA0C">“The size of the fixtures early on and the amount of games having to be played in the Europa League and the League Cup and the Premier League and the injuries on top of that, it's been a real struggle.</p>
<p id="doiIZR">“The new players, the foreign players especially, haven't been able to settle in and show what they can really do yet.</p>
<p id="pXnX7R">“So hopefully we can get more out of them and they can be more determined to show more than they have done already because we will need them going into the Christmas and New Year period because it will be another hell of a battle with all the games we've got between now and the FA Cup on the first Saturday in January.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="jSg4WC">This will come as most welcome news to Klaassen and Sandro as they look to redeem themselves and the high hopes pinned on them when they joined the Toffees. </p>
<p id="XkJjFo"></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16728094/sam-allardyce-everton-davy-klaassen-sandro-ramirez-chances-fight-for-placesCalvin2017-12-02T16:53:43+00:002017-12-02T16:53:43+00:00Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Huddersfield
<figure>
<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HXMwEUlVHelr6-SahTQR35pcS9Q=/0x0:3788x2525/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57830323/884423308.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Grade the Everton players and manager on their performance today</p> <h1 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h1>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/"><strong>Everton</strong></a></h3>
<p id="HBo89P"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Williams, Martina; Gueye, Davies; Lennon, Rooney, Sigurdsson; Calvert-Lewin</p>
<p id="PXqu5C"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Keane, Baningime, Schneiderlin, Vlasic, Lookman, Niasse</p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town"><strong>Huddersfield Town</strong></a></h3>
<p id="curC6F"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Lossl, Smith, Malone, Kachunga, Mooy, Williams, Depoitre, Ince, Quaner, Zanka; Schindler.</p>
<p id="aJ9jgJ"><strong>Subs:</strong> Green, Hogg, Cranie, Lowe, Mounie, Hadergjonaj; Palmer.</p>
<h3 id="w0b01j">Final Verdict</h3>
<p id="XKjsx2"><span>Sam Allardyce</span> in his first game in charge named a completely unchanged lineup from Wednesday. The visitors controlled most of the possession in the first half as Everton were happy to sit back and hold their defensive shape. When attacking the Blues looked more fluent and threatened a few times. </p>
<p id="ggPtkR">Soon after the break, the Blues took the lead after a neat little move started by <span>Aaron Lennon</span>, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s nifty backheel finding Gylfi Sigurdsson to finish tidily at the far post. </p>
<p id="Ml5IAA">The Terriers were forced to push up after that goal, and it soon created the Toffees’ second. A through ball to DCL from sub Ademola Lookman found him some space on the left, and his deflected shot bounced over the keeper and in. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="BALGSw">
<p id="FCS5f7">Who was your Man of the Match? Vote on the player grades here on how they did. </p>
<p id="Qm0i1Q"><em>If this poll is not showing up on your screen, please </em><a href="https://goo.gl/forms/QQE5EpS1P1x9QVa02"><em>click here</em></a><em> to go and grade the players - we apologize for the inconvenience.</em></p>
<div id="AOBwwh"><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMOQtb6WEv1FbP0MX78-GTQBjm7W7IVv6HLYxMNz06Xpt-BQ/viewform?embedded=true" width="100%" height="800" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe></div>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727652/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-everton-vs-huddersfield-ratings-voteCalvin2017-12-02T16:53:12+00:002017-12-02T16:53:12+00:00Everton 2-0 Huddersfield Town: We’re Going Streaking
<figure>
<img alt="Everton v Huddersfield Town - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f-QiwQ3yQtXYgl9BApf7b10lAGI=/0x0:3810x2540/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57830319/884448546.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Two in a row, how about it? </p> <p id="kvS0yx">For the second time in a week, <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> Football Club put in a complete - and spirited - performance. Sure, it was just West Ham and then Huddersfield Town, but the Toffees suddenly look like a team again. The 2-0 win saw goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. <br><br>Don’t look now, but that’s also two consecutive clean sheets. Up the table we go.</p>
<ul>
<li id="iRGlyP">This was one of Tom Davies’ worst games in an Everton shirt. It could have been fatigue, but the teenager could hardly complete a simple pass, and slid into foolish tackle after foolish tackle. He was fortunate not to be booked twice. There’s an abundance of talent there, but it’s clear further development is needed. </li>
<li id="r1uLYi">By contrast, it was probably Cuco Martina’s best game in an Everton shirt. The Curacao native was calm and composed in defense, and got forward well. It’s amazing what happens when you put someone in front of him who has defensive willingness (Sigurdsson) instead of a traffic cone (Mirallas). </li>
<li id="CdVu3J">The Blues’ first goal was a thing of beauty. <span>Aaron Lennon</span> was a problem for Huddersfield all afternoon, and he skinned the Terriers’ left back on this play. Lennon found Calvert-Lewin, and Dom deftly back-heeled the ball into Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelander was free and clear, and produced a professional finish. </li>
<li id="B0oqCR">For now, Everton seem to have found something in this 4-1-4-1 formation. If there’s anything you can say about this squad, it’s that there is no lack of defensive and creative midfielders. Sigurdsson’s free role on the left, contrasted with with Aaron Lennon’s blazing pace on the right means that the team looks balanced for the first time in ages. </li>
<li id="6Et5oP">Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal for the Toffees’ second was nearly as good as the first. Idrissa Gueye made his trademark play of nicking the ball off a defender, which allowed Rooney to pick it up and play an excellent through ball into DCL. Easy as you like. </li>
<li id="Xu8S0F">Gylfi Sigurdsson looks to be an entirely different player these last two games. He’s trying creative ideas, and many of them are working. It’s almost as if - and bear with me here - he’s a good footballer. </li>
<li id="oK4OZx">Sam Allardyce’s substitutions today were spot on. <span>Morgan Schneiderlin</span> calmed down the midfield in place of a wild Tom Davies. Ademola Lookman for a tired Aaron Lennon stretched the Huddersfield back line, and Michael Keane helped cement the win when he replaced <span>Wayne Rooney</span> late. </li>
</ul>
<p id="z1Ej3b">Everton’s next match is in the Europa League, where you’d assume Big Sam will rotate heavily in advance of the derby on Sunday. </p>
<p id="B9kwjR">Hopefully the time between matches allows <span>Phil Jagielka</span> and <span>Leighton Baines</span> to get fit, but in the meantime, the Blues’ newfound fight at least makes the <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a> match interesting in a way it might not have been before.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16727658/everton-2-0-huddersfield-town-final-score-result-goals-sam-allardyce-wayne-rooney-gylfi-sigurdssonevertonchris2017-12-02T15:49:36+00:002017-12-02T15:49:36+00:00Everton vs Huddersfield Town: Gamethread
<figure>
<img alt="Huddersfield Town v Manchester United - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YhHswwR8ypZrcJr7fLIehnfr3Wo=/0x133:3000x2133/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57807805/864641768.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A win for the Toffees could send them into the top 10 in the Premier League</p> <p id="hapYQb">The Premier League season has spun on it’s head in the bottom half of the table. <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a>, fighting relegation, brought on <span>Sam Allardyce</span> as manager, but not before throttling West Ham 4-0 midweek to rocket up to 13th in the league. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/huddersfield-town">Huddersfield Town</a>, one of the feel good teams early on, was thumped 5-0 by <a href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> and have been tumbling down the table recently. Another loss could spell trouble for David Wagner’s men.</p>
<p id="W283ol">The last time these two clubs faced off was in the League Cup in August 2010. Everton won that match 5-1 with goals from <span>Marouane Fellaini</span>, <span>Jack Rodwell</span>, Jermain Beckford, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110252/louis-saha">Louis Saha</a> and Leon Osman. Huddersfield’s only score was a <span>John Heitinga</span> own goal. All time: Everton have won 24, lost 21 and drawn 14 matches against Huddersfield.</p>
<h1 id="tj4rzW">Match Details</h1>
<p id="Tn0k5V"><strong>Date and start time:</strong> Saturday, December 2nd at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m ET / 3 p.m. BST</p>
<p id="jLb1aE"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Goodison Park, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/england">England</a></p>
<p id="rPdssQ"><strong>Capacity: </strong>40,157</p>
<p id="jWmOa0"><strong>Weather: </strong>48°F/9°C, cloudy, 35% chance of rain, 12 mph winds</p>
<h1 id="NylbZy">How to Watch/Listen</h1>
<p id="ZqDVb5"><strong>TV:</strong> none - <em>United States</em><em>; </em>none <em>- </em> <em>United Kingdom</em></p>
<p id="mGBAfE"><strong>Radio: </strong>Everton Match Centre, TalkSport Radio World</p>
<p id="zQPBRS"><strong>Live stream: </strong>NBC Sports Gold, evertontv</p>
<p id="FsYgq9"><strong>Gamethread:</strong> Comments section below starting one hour before game time</p>
<p id="eB2O1I"><a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2502869/everton-vs-huddersfield-town/">Information from LiveSoccerTV.com</a></p>
<h1 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h1>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN"><strong>Everton</strong></h3>
<p id="HBo89P"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Williams, Martina; Gueye, Davies; Lennon, Rooney, Sigurdsson; Calvert-Lewin </p>
<p id="PXqu5C"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Keane, Baningime, Schneiderlin, Vlasic, Lookman, Niasse</p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5"><strong>Huddersfield Town</strong></h3>
<p id="curC6F"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Lossl, Smith, Malone, Kachunga, Mooy, Williams, Depoitre, Ince, Quaner, Zanka; Schindler. </p>
<p id="Tvt9dO"><strong>Subs:</strong> Green, Hogg, Cranie, Lowe, Mounie, Hadergjonaj; Palmer.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16721080/everton-huddersfield-town-start-time-lineups-tv-schedule-live-stream-how-to-watch-online_TyYoung2017-12-02T08:00:01+00:002017-12-02T08:00:01+00:00Sam Allardyce delivers withering jibe at Marco Silva over Everton job
<figure>
<img alt="Everton v West Ham United - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tyn12slz_dG0POFrLIqqRlYW2u0=/0x0:2028x1352/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57826189/881891784.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sam Allardyce | Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Whew, shots fired, already!!</p> <p id="qToMxd">Well, <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> fans knew all along that <span>Sam Allardyce</span> wasn’t going to be one to mince his words with the media, and he didn’t fail to deliver on his first official day on the job as the Toffees manager. </p>
<p id="BTdOlX">Speaking in the build-up to the game against Huddersfield Town, Allardyce was asked about the other candidates for the job he just accepted. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="J55xGR">“Let's put it this way. If you look at my track record, why wouldn't I be here irrespective of Marco Silva? I have every respect for Marco Silva and I am not criticising Marco Silva but Marco Silva's track record has got no comparison whatsoever with mine.</p>
<p id="JA4Xmb">“He got <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/hull-city">Hull City</a> relegated (last season). That is perception. We have not to live in perception at our level. We have to live in reality and the reality is that I was spoken to. I pulled out and then I came back in because they felt it was the right thing to do.</p>
<p id="9HKMMn">“I don't know what went on before with Marco Silva whether he was before me, after me or in between me. All I know is they (Moshiri and dealmaker Keith Harris) came for me and I said <em>‘yes’</em>. I said <em>‘yes’</em> when I was on holiday in Dubai.</p>
<p id="jazM08">“The club, I think, wanted to give David Unsworth the job, first and foremost, before me and Silva. That's how it is. I don't worry. You can't put all your eggs in one basket, do you know what I mean? You can't say <em>‘I'm going to go for one manager and that's it’</em>. You have to see what is out there.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="Ur4D7I">That’s quite a statement to make, and it only increases the pressure on Allardyce to outperform Silva and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/watford-fc">Watford FC</a> for the rest of the season. Let’s see how this bit of bombast turns out. </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/2/16726450/sam-allardyce-marco-silva-better-jibe-putdown-dig-everton-manager-job-watfordCalvin