Everton: Full Report Card for Every Position for November
Once again, it's been an inconsistent month for Everton.
Three wins, two draws and a defeat actually represent the most productive results of the season, but Roberto Martinez's side are yet to find any sustained fluency.
Wins against Lille and Wolfsburg in the Europa League were undoubtedly the best moments of November and raised expectations for the rest of the month.
In the Premier League, however, the performances that have punctuated those wins have been less impressive.
Defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and draws with Sunderland and Swansea City were all games the Toffees should have done better in, while the win over West Ham United wasn't exactly a convincing showing.
Here's a look back at every Everton player's contribution in November. This article considers only those who featured in this month's schedule, and each player is graded between A+ (exceptional) and E (awful), with 10 possible scores.
October's grades can be found here.
November's Stats
1 of 7
Games—6 (W3, D2, L1)
0-0 vs. Swansea City, Premier League
3-0 vs. Lille, Europa League
1-1 vs. Sunderland, Premier League
2-1 vs. West Ham United, Premier League
2-0 vs. Wolfsburg, Europa League
1-2 vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
Players Used—21 (last month: 22)
Most Appearances: Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka, Romelu Lukaku—6
Goals—9 (last month: 8)
Leon Osman—2, Romelu Lukaku—2, Kevin Mirallas—2. Phil Jagielka—1, Steven Naismith—1, Leighton Baines—1.
Assists—6 (last month: 7)
Aiden McGeady—2, Leighton Baines—1, Samuel Eto'o—1, Kevin Mirallas—1, Romelu Lukaku—1.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
Goalkeepers
2 of 7
Tim Howard
Appearances: 6
Conceded: 4
Grade: C (last month: B)
It's a difficult month to judge Tim Howard's overall contribution. He was very strong against Wolfsburg, saving seven shots on target, but was barely tested in some of the other matches.
His individual error against Spurs cost the Toffees a point, and his positioning for West Ham's equaliser was also rather suspect.
Despite three clean sheets in six games, it's been a slightly below-average month for a goalkeeper who showed such high standards last season and during the World Cup.
Full-Backs
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Seamus Coleman
Appearances: 4
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: B (last month: B+)
Seamus Coleman's form dipped marginally from the high level he's shown over most of the season.
He sat out both Europa League wins, selected only for the Premier League games, where he wasn't quite as influential going forward.
It was his run that won the penalty against Sunderland, but he struggled against West Ham, with the Toffees constantly looking for him in Leighton Baines' absence.
On a brighter note, his defending was almost flawless, with no right-sided goal conceded this month.
Leighton Baines
Appearances: 4
Goals/Assists: 1/1
Grade: B (last month: A+)
Unsurprisingly, Leighton Baines failed to replicate his remarkable creative numbers from October, but it was still a decent month for the left-back.
He dispatched the equalising penalty against Sunderland and added yet another assist against Lille.
At the back, though, he was less convincing, conceding the foul that led to Sunderland's goal and seeing Spurs score two goals from the left flank.
Tony Hibbert
Appearances: 3
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: A (last month: C+)
November was Tony Hibbert's best return of the season. He was typically steady and reliable instead of anything spectacular, and he barely contributed anything of note going forward.
In defence, however, he was rarely—if ever—beaten, and he even filled in at left-back against West Ham.
Only involved in Everton wins this month, and conceding just one goal in the process, the veteran can barely be faulted this month.
Luke Garbutt
Appearances: 1
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: B+ (last month: n/a)
Luke Garbutt made his second appearance of the season, starting in place of the injured Baines against Wolfsburg.
His passing was occasionally sloppy, but that's the only obvious criticism to make.
He was prominent in attack, almost providing an assist for Sylvain Distin, and he was never exposed by some tricky opponents.
Centre-Backs
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Phil Jagielka
Appearances: 6
Goals/Assists: 1/0
Grade: A (last month: B+)
Once again, Phil Jagielka led from the front this month, confirming his sluggish start to the season as simply a blip.
He commanded his back four through some testing scenarios, with key members missing both at full-back and in defensive midfield.
His performances against Wolfsburg and West Ham, in particular, were both excellent.
Jagielka also added a third goal of the season, against Lille, making this his joint-most prolific season in his eighth year at Everton.
Antolin Alcaraz
Appearances: 1
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C+ (last month: B+)
Not much can be said about Antolin Alcaraz this month.
Having seemingly secured the vacant centre-back berth ahead of Sylvain Distin, the Paraguay international duly injured himself and had to be substituted after 32 minutes against Swansea.
Sylvain Distin
Appearances: 5
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: B+ (last month: B)
Sylvain Distin finally found his way back into the first-team fold after injuries to Alcaraz and John Stones.
Performances against Lille and Wolfsburg were undoubtedly his best displays, as was his performance against West Ham, where the Toffees came under increasing pressure late on.
He was a little more subdued against Spurs, though, unable to get close to Harry Kane for the first goal and often beaten in tussles with Roberto Soldado.
Central Midfielders
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Gareth Barry
Appearances: 4
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C (last month: B+)
Gareth Barry has mostly picked up B's this season, but his poor showing against Spurs sends that consistency tumbling.
He was directly at fault for Tottenham's second goal, he regularly failed to track midfield runners and he struggled to keep the Toffees' tempo as high as usual.
Aside from that very poor showing, he was assured, if not as influential as in the past few months. His injury against Sunderland affected the team badly and highlighted how important his role is to the side.
James McCarthy
Appearances: 5
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: A (last month: B+)
Arguably Everton's best performer this month, James McCarthy was unbeaten in November, missing the Tottenham defeat through injury.
His workload increased in Barry's absence and his individual contributions against West Ham and Sunderland, in particular, were outstanding.
The midfielder was taken off early against Wolfsburg with an injury, and his presence was sorely missed against Spurs.
Leon Osman
Appearances: 2 (+3 sub)
Goals/Assists: 2/0
Grade: B+ (last month: C+)
November was Leon Osman's best month of the season. He filled in for Barry in central midfield against West Ham, and—though he struggled at times to track his runners—he was Everton's most creative threat on the ball.
He also capped that performance off with the winning goal in what was his 400th appearance for the Toffees.
Elsewhere, Osman scored against Lille, made another important contribution against Wolfsburg but would be disappointed with his late substitute appearances against Tottenham and Sunderland.
Muhamed Besic
Appearances: 2 (+3)
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C+ (last month: B)
Muhamed Besic filled in for Barry against Wolfsburg and McCarthy against Tottenham.
It's fair to say the Bosnia international was far more comfortable in Barry's role. His display in Germany, where he took the ball from the back and drove the Toffees forward, would merit an A.
Against Spurs, however, he was far more disappointing. Besic was guilty of losing his man on numerous occasions, and he struggled to find his side's creative players in the final third.
Darron Gibson
Appearances: 0 (+2)
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: D+ (last month: C)
Once again, Everton fans were only afforded fleeting glimpses of Darron Gibson this month.
He came on in the 67th minute against Lille and in the 13th minute against Sunderland, both times for Barry.
While his passing was generally accurate, if not as consistent as in past seasons, his lack of mobility remains a concern as he continues to regain full fitness.
Wide Midfielders/Attackers
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Aiden McGeady
Appearances: 4 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 0/2
Grade: C+ (last month: C)
Aiden McGeady's monthly return mimicked most of his previous reports this season: frustratingly hot and cold.
He supplied two assists against Lille and had decent games against Sunderland and Swansea, without ever being the consistent threat Everton required.
Against Wolfsburg, though, his return was much less memorable and included a horrible, potentially crucial, miss.
Ross Barkley
Appearances: 4 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C+ (last month: B+)
Ross Barkley's return hasn't been as momentous as he, his manager and Everton fans had perhaps imagined.
He has still produced several flashes of brilliance, but has struggled to provide a persistent threat.
After impressing on his return to the team in the No. 10 role against Aston Villa, Barkley's predominantly been used on the flanks, leaving Samuel Eto'o or Steven Naismith in central berths.
Going forward, Martinez should seriously consider returning Barkley to the No. 10 spot.
Steven Pienaar
Appearances: 0 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C+ (last month: C)
Steven Pienaar made a 22-minute cameo against Swansea, unable to provide the creativity needed to unlock the visitor's defence.
He has continued to struggle with injury, and Everton have missed his ability to intelligently pass, move and combine with others in the final third.
Christian Atsu
Appearances: (+3)
Goals/Assists: 0/0
Grade: C+ (last month: D)
It's been another month of substitute appearances for Christian Atsu, who hasn't started since being hauled off at half-time against Krasnodar, 11 matches ago.
This month, he played for 24 minutes against Lille and then made two late appearances against West Ham and Wolfsburg.
While his input was minimal, involvement in three wins at least promotes his grade from the the D's he received in September and October.
Kevin Mirallas
Appearances: 3
Goals/Assists: 2/1
Grade: A (last month: n/a)
Kevin Mirallas was another one of Everton's top performers in November.
After a quiet return against West Ham, he was excellent against Wolfsburg, scoring and laying off an assist in a hugely impressive win for the club.
He also registered a stunning strike against Spurs, though he struggled to impose himself much after the goal.
Strikers
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Steven Naismith
Appearances: 3 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 1/0
Grade: B (last month: B)
Steven Naismith remains key under Martinez, despite his early-season scoring form subsiding, somewhat.
His energy behind the striker is important on and off the ball, as is his clever movement and subtle touches.
His best game in November came against Lille, where he scored his fifth goal of the season, and he was also impressive against West Ham before leaving the field injured.
Samuel Eto'o
Appearances: 4 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 0/1
Grade: C+ (last month: A)
Samuel Eto'o did not replicate his excellence from October but was still a steady contributor this month.
He was quiet against Swansea and Spurs, but his performance against Wolfsburg was typically intelligent and vital to the win.
His precise cross set up Osman's winning goal against West Ham, and he will be disappointed to miss a great chance late in that game.
Romelu Lukaku
Appearances: 5 (+1)
Goals/Assists: 2/1
Grade: B+ (last month: B)
After several games of fluctuating influence, Romelu Lukaku's form has steadied, slightly.
He was very poor against Sunderland, but his all-round game has been much improved in every other match this month.
Against Lille, he was excellent, mainly due to a more consistent first touch and some much better link-up play.
His goals against Wolfsburg and West Ham also marked some much-improved consistency from the Toffees' record purchase.
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