Analyzing Everton's goal - How it went completely berserk

[hjperdeath 2,226]

First off, Cech threw the ball towards Eto’o to start off a counter-attack. However it was quite a poor throw, and Everton were able to capitalize and recover despite Ramires trying to get the ball back. The three players encircled had a direct effect on the goal Chelsea conceded right before half time.



With 3 players indulged in recovering the ball from the flanks, there were two Everton players who were quite free. Eto’o at this point was nowhere near them, and the responsibility of pressurizing them fell on Schurrle’s shoulder. Everton were clever while going forward by letting Chelsea’s high pressing fall on the wrong players and 2-3 midfielders were smart enough to take advantage of it.



Everton cut the ball back, and here is when the disaster becomes worse. Mikel is forced into pressurizing the ball because if he doesn’t, the ball is played out somewhere else with more attacking intent. Luiz, however, breaks away and tries to press at the ball as well. This was the main reason behind Everton’s goal. Luiz is ball watching, something you don’t expect from world-class defenders. What Luiz should have done is held his ground and let Schurrle who is coming in as well, to press when the ball is passed into the middle and towards Barkley.

With Luiz’s movement, the defensive line was messed up. 2 defenders were now marking 2 instead of 3 marking 2. The numerical advantage was reduced. If we were to have 3 throughout the period, the ball could have been cleared off well right when Jelavic headed the ball back into the middle and at Naismith. Also note how JT is far off from Naismith, as even he couldn’t have predicted Luiz to have just walked away from his responsibilities to press at the ball needlessly.



Another thing to note is how Barkley had brilliant vision to play it towards the flanks where Osman is making a run, despite being pressurized by almost three to four players. Jelavic has his hand up as Terry closes in on Coleman who’s made the run inside, and Ivanovic marks Naismith.

This is where the effect of Luiz’s ball watching can be clearly seen. Everton take good advantage of Chelsea’s high pressing thanks to Coleman making the decisive run which turned the numerical advantage to their favor . From 3 on 2, to 2 on 3 in a matter of seconds for Chelsea’s defensive line.



Cole did a pretty poor job of blocking off Osman. Even though Ramires was a lot more closer to the Everton midfielder, it was never really his job to do it. Luiz has realised his mistake and is slowly making his way back towards the defensive line that was once well structured, but the damage has already been done. Ivanovic has to rush back in time to stop Jelavic from getting in contact with the ball.



Jelavic pulls it back as Luiz continues retreating. Terry is forced to mark two players, but realizes that the main danger is Naismith. He is forced to press on him, but can’t make it in time.

Technically speaking, even if Terry was to clear the ball away, Coleman could have put the ball in the net. Not only were Everton able to create a direct scoring chance, they also had a plan B.

This gives a much clearer view on the problem. The fact is that Luiz should never have moved, cause Schurrle was always going to be the one pressing on Barkley. Luiz could have stayed and maintained the structure, instead his adrenaline forced him into pressing and Chelsea paid the price.

Apart from the goal, we can have a look at Mikel, who put in a MOTM performance. He looks like one of the only few players who will fit into Mourinho’s system with ease. The defenders have to press with a definite structure, the full-backs have to learn when to initiate counter-attacks and when not to, the midfielders including one player from the pivot needs to understand that they have to track back and press efficiently while conserving enough energy to attack as well and the striker needs to be able to drop deep and link up well. The defensive midfielder however has to press, break up plays, defend area rather than man mark (zonal marking) and also help in maintaining possession.

Mikel seems to easily fit in while others have to train to fit into their roles, and this is why he ended up as one of our best players on the pitch. The problem is that he has to deliver consistent performances, and only time will tell if he can. Ramires and Mikel had good communication between them, and that was well evident.

Looking at few passing graphs -

66/71 passes completed, He had a pass completion rate of 92.95% . The failed ones where mostly long balls. He basically was the person in the middle who players went to when they wanted to be relieved under pressure. He is the kind of player that will thrive when facing a side put up by Martinez.

To summarize, there isn’t much we have to be worried about. We created chances, were able to link up well but only need to work on a few mistakes and pray that luck is on our side. The Luiz conundrum, however, is something that can’t be resolved easily.

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[hjperdeath 2,226]

A side note, I'm down with flu, so I couldn't really think properly. I could have written a much longer one but couldn't get my mind to work properly.

Thanks to Steve for the match links, was able to download it quickly.

[bushman 2,043]

For someone having a flu, I must say an admirable job has been done here.

However, I still think Cech had he jumped for the ball, it could have been prevented from Jelavic to Naismith.

[Special Juan 27,090]

There were a number of mistakes in the lead up to the goal as highlighted above, but I cannot think more the life of me what Luiz was fucking doing.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

For someone having a flu, I must say an admirable job has been done here.

However, I still think Cech had he jumped for the ball, it could have been prevented from Jelavic to Naismith.

thanks man.

yeah, he did seem to stutter a bit, could have done much better in a situation like that.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

There were a number of mistakes in the lead up to the goal as highlighted above, but I cannot think more the life of me what Luiz was fucking doing.

True, but hopefully he learns from it. Otherwise the loss of 3 points goes in vain.

[Special Juan 27,090]

Cech can only be blamed for the bad throw not the attempt to keep it out, too point blank to do anything with.

[bushman 2,043]

thanks man.

yeah, he did seem to stutter a bit, could have done much better in a situation like that.

One of the finest analyses I have seen here. A great job.

We all know, several mistakes led to Everton´s goal. I just thought Cech looked chaotic, there.

[English Freak 456]

So much analysis over one goal.

Hopefully the players can find that killer instinct sooner rather than later...

[hjperdeath 2,226]

So much analysis over one goal.

Hopefully the players can find that killer instinct sooner rather than later...

It's pointing out where it went wrong so that people won't unfairly blame the wrong person .

If we could finish our chances, we would have won, so yeah agree with the second line.

[Jase 43,479]

Said this in the post-Everton match thread and maybe it's a hindsight comment but Cech could or should have calmed things down and not take any risks with less than a minute to go before HT even though a counter attacking chance was on. Going 0-0 at HT is certainly better than suddenly going 1-0 down. Instead, we saw a whole bunch of comical errors with one mistake compounding after the other.

[Jase 43,479]

So much analysis over one goal.

Hopefully the players can find that killer instinct sooner rather than later...

It's pointing out where it went wrong so that people won't unfairly blame the wrong person .

Adding to that, players and managers (and the staffs) normally analyze what went wrong in matches to ensure that it doesn't happen again in the future anyway. Nothing wrong in any way about this analysis. And there wouldn't be this much analysis if we had not mess things up hopelessly..

[bushman 2,043]

Certainly, we all are upset by the loss. Personally, I am more upset about the way Chelsea messed up. To not score even one goal against Everton, upsets me the most though. Oh well, hopefully it won´t happen again.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Don't like how the analysis is making Luiz the biggest culprit. Completely disagree with the "ball watching" comment on Luiz.

THIS is why Luiz left his position - because there was a gaping gap that Everton could've exploited and none of our midfielders seemed to be aware of such - so if Mikel or Ramires had simply filled that gap, Luiz doesn't go up to try and fill it. He wasn't ball watching, but was actually trying to fill a huge gap our midfielders left. Yeah, it proved to be a mistake, but the mistake was followed by a series of mistakes Cech, Mikel and Ramires initiated, which Luiz tried to fix.

It was a mistake from many players, and Luiz wasn't the biggest culprit at all in my opinion - yeah he was a bit rash but it was just a bad defending overall, a lot of people were out of position and made mistakes. It wasn't his adrenaline, it wasn't him ball watching - he was rather unsuccessfully trying to fill a huge gap that no one in the team seemed to have picked up.

So there, I've solved your Luiz conundrum.

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Don't like how the analysis is making Luiz the biggest culprit. Completely disagree with the "ball watching" comment on Luiz.

THIS is why Luiz left his position - because there was a gaping gap that Everton could've exploited and none of our midfielders seemed to be aware of such - so if Mikel or Ramires had simply filled that gap, Luiz doesn't go up to try and fill it. He wasn't ball watching, but was actually trying to fill a huge gap our midfielders left. Yeah, it proved to be a mistake, but the mistake was followed by a series of mistakes Cech, Mikel and Ramires initiated, which Luiz tried to fix.

It was a mistake from many players, and Luiz wasn't the biggest culprit at all in my opinion - yeah he was a bit rash but it was just a bad defending overall, a lot of people were out of position and made mistakes.

So there, I've solved your Luiz conundrum.

Don't think so. JT backed off right then. The camera angle makes it look like there is no one, if the ball is played in anywhere in that area, and Everton go on to score, the mistake falls on Schurrle. He has the pace and ability to get there in time. Luiz should never have left off from his position , in doing so the defensive line was embarrassingly open. The picture is taken at 45:20I, Luiz makes the run at 45:22 when Ramires and Mikel have already come back to cover that area. I'm not blaming it all on him. There were loads of mistakes, but he probably made the biggest one. You can add Cole to that.

I think you misunderstood the Luiz conundrum. It wasn't in any way an insult, just saying that he was too pumped up and went for the ball. I would disagree with the fact that he wasn't ballwatching. His duty is to hold his line well and he failed to do so by going after the ball and not looking at the fact that Coleman could easily make the run and turn things around. There wasn't any need to cover that area.

[bushman 2,043]

I do not want to agree or disagree on Luiz.

One thing I know, he might be playing well with the ball, but he wanders out too much & for his defensive partners, it is a nightmare.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Not sure how you can analyse this goal without once using the word 'transition'.

The point at which teams transition from defence to attack is when they are often most vulnerable, and ultimately it was the combination of Cech's throw, Eto'o's lack of fitness to reign the ball in and a terrible touch from Ramires (something that he isn't unfamiliar with) that led to Everton regaining possession whilst we were moving upfield.

That meant players were out of position, and David Luiz had a massive rush of blood to the head. That emotion, that passion, that intensity that people laud when talking about him as captain material is what led to him leaving his position and rushing the player in possession. You can have one fuck-up with the ball and maybe recover from it, but it requires every other player to remain calm and do their job.

David Luiz didn't. He just had one of those games where he had some really brainless moments and for the first time ever I thought we missed Gary Cahill in defence.

[English Freak 456]

Adding to that, players and managers (and the staffs) normally analyze what went wrong in matches to ensure that it doesn't happen again in the future anyway. Nothing wrong in any way about this analysis. And there wouldn't be this much analysis if we had not mess things up hopelessly..

I never said there was anything wrong with the analysis.

What i meant was that...at the end of the day, the analysis from the Everton game is simple: we failed to score.

Anyway, i'm not too worried about defensive errors, they can be ironed out....but the lack of a clinical finisher is very concerning.