A ball smashed high into the air
For Dominic to chase
Gets it under, runs like a hare
Richarli…too much pace…
Ok, so I’ll drop the poetry. This is basically a post to show each one of DCL’s first 12 involvements in the game on Friday night.
This first clip above looks like a pretty solid start to me. Dom turns nothing into something, making the bouncing ball awkward for the defender, turning him back towards his own goal, gets in front and drives deep into opposition territory nice and quickly. But he just can’t make the return pass from Richarlison.
Second sniff of the ball? A looping up and under from Bernard. Makes it awkward enough for the Villa defence so that Tom Heaton clatters his own centre-half Tyrone Mings:
Third attempt at a touch? I think it’s Morgan Schneiderlin smashing the ball away. Our Dom, far, far away from another blue shirt jumps manfully about 8 feet into the air to try and get it under. The ball itself isn’t having any of it and drops to the opposition.
On to clip 4 where strike partner Gylfi Sigurdsson drops deeper than the team’s two deep lying central midfielders in order to lay it off to Lucas Digne. The Frenchman spots Dom alone among the claret shirts in the opposition half. So he launches it down the touchline for the eager youngster to chase. Eventually its played back to Digne who’s now got a bit of time on the half way line to do something useful with it having gained the yardage:
So what of DCL’s 5th involvement? A ball chipped into him is nicely laid off to Sigurdsson. Go Blues!
The next time Dom gets onto the ball, he’s dropped into the channel to help link Digne and Bernard. He keeps the ball moving nice and swiftly again.
Lucky number 7 for Dom? Not so much. He flicks on Seamus Coleman’s throw in but the ball hits Richarlison on the arm. These days, that’s a free kick to the opposition:
The following clip (8) is my favourite as it shows a typical Everton attempt to build up play from the back. Our very own Bearded Genius, Andre Gomes decides to vacate the middle of the park for a little holiday to left back. But Yerry Mina’s already arrived. Enjoy Schneiderlin sticking to his marker like a limpet in order not to show for the ball (Coach: “Mate he’s opening up passing lanes.”) See the sweeping views of the hole in midfield that our Dom has to drop into to keep the ball moving forward. His job is to now sprint 30 yards the other way to get back towards the opposition box. I personally can’t believe he hasn’t scored yet.
No 9, Doctor’s Orders: “Take each pass from out of the air umpteen times gamely”. My Dad turns next to me on the couch and says: “I know you like this lad, but I don’t know.” I haven’t sat with my Dad for years to watch a game but we finally live near to each other again for the first time in donkey’s. So instead of throttling him I simply ask pater what on earth the lad is going to do with any of this ‘service’. He doesn’t say anything.
Onto game involvement 10. I have creatively entitled it: “Following Dr’s Orders Again”:
Leg Eleven. Following Dr’s Ord…*shot by sniper*
Finally we hit involvement twelve. Dominic bizarrely comes short to receive from Schneiderlin, cutting off a possible ball into feet from Richarlison. Morgan curls a delightful ball into the path of the onrushing Seamus Coleman.
Ironically, Dom’s first bad move of the match means his run back into the box is unintentionally yet delightfully timed to coincide with Coleman’s dink back into the middle. His eyes light up as he steams in to smash it straight at the keeper and defenders on the line. Oh, Dominic…
About 15 minutes later, Sigurdsson took his one and only shot of the match from inside his own half.
New boy Moise Kean came on for 30 minutes in the second half. He didn’t register a shot at goal.
This team does not have an issue up front. It has an issue in building from midfield. And on the training ground.
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