Everton-Reading: Toffees Struggle in Choppy Match

Is it a sign of a good team when they play badly and still manage to win?

Many times over past seasons the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal have won games while playing simply dreadful football.

Is being able to ‘win ugly’ a sign of future success?

Everton were awful in this game, especially in the first half. Their only saving grace was they were playing against a team that had lost six in a row. Understandably, Reading sat back and tried to grind out some sort of result.

A big problem for Everton has been their recent lack of goals (strange interpretations of the off-side rule aside). In games against Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers, Everton could have walked away with valuable wins instead of frustrating draws.

I would have never thought it when Everton signed him, but we have greatly missed Yakubu. Everton have struggled through the last five games, as three of their players have been away at the African Cup of Nations. With both Nigeria and South Africa now out of the competition, Everton supporters had hoped to see a much stronger squad. But with Steven Pienaar injured and Yakubu late arriving back from his magical mystery tour, only Joseph Yobo was available.

Manager David Moyes took a tough line with Yakubu, not selecting him for this game and fining him two weeks wages because of his late return to the club. I agree with the strong management, but wonder if the same punishments would have been used if Everton had been playing against stronger opposition?

Reading started brightly in this game. Awarded with a free kick in the first minute, Stephen Hunt almost made a dream start. Keeper Tim Howard had difficulty holding on to Hunt’s low, curling shot. Unfortunately the game soon reflected the true class of the teams' play.

Poor passing was only overshadowed by poor tackling. Referee Mark Halsey seemed to blow for a free kick every time a player fell to the turf. Yet, he showed unusual restraint in not booking anyone. Even Lee Carsley was let off with just a free kick after trying to remove Hunt’s knee cap with his studs.

Toward the end of the half, the Everton team realized they were meant to be playing football. Mikel Arteta found Leon Osman on the right of the Reading penalty area. After some good foot work, his cross found Tim Cahill 12 yards out and unmarked.

Maybe it was his eagerness to score that caused him to snatch at the shot. Maybe it was fatigue from flying around the world to play in Australia midweek, and then returning for this game. More worryingly for Everton, maybe it was a reflection of the fact Cahill has not looked like he's been at the races for some time. Whatever the reason, Cahill’s shot was high, wide, and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Sunday League game.

Without a doubt, this was the worst half of football I had seen in many years. It is actually beyond my writing abilities to describe how bad this was. Yes, Reading were going to sit back and defend—they had to. A point at Goodison would have been a huge result for them. While Hunt and James Harper had played well, Kevin Doyle had done nothing and Dave Kitson won’t be a Premiership footballer much longer if he continues to play like he did here.

But Reading are a team fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table. Everton are meant to be challenging for the Champions League.

Andrew Johnson has been living off scraps because his teammates are only launching the ball to him, instead of allowing him to use his pace.

Osman, stuck out on the left, wasn’t too bad—but he was limited in what he could do. Arteta and Cahill have been less than average for weeks.

Is this because they are being targeted as Everton’s biggest threat, or just a complete lack of form?

I am sorry to say, but Manuel Fernandes has been an empty shirt. I was glad when he was brought back to Everton on loan, but I’m still waiting to see the player that got me excited last season. It was a relief to see him subbed for James Vaughan at the start of the second half.

The second half started in much the same way as the first. Wayward shots by Carsley and Hunt got everyone on their feet, but soon the play settled down into mediocrity.

One bright spark in the game was the display by Phil Jagielka. The utility player had been in and out of the team, in a number of positions, since his summer move from Sheffield United. But with Yobo away on international duty and the transfer of veteran defender Alan Stubbs, Jagielka was thrown in at center half.

He would be the first to admit that he had looked lost in a those first couple of games. But he has grown into the position. It was his tackling and shot blocking that kept Everton in the game. But it was his unforeseen aerial threat that would write the headlines.

With half an hour left to play, Everton won a corner—and for once Arteta managed to beat the first man when crossing the ball in. Although the ball was half-cleared by the Reading defense, Osman managed to play it back into the penalty area. With the Reading goal keeper, Marcus Hahnemann, unwilling to come off his line and the Reading defense pushing out to try and catch Everton offside, it was Jagielka who rose unchallenged to head the ball home.

1-0, Everton.

The goal threatened to bring the game to life. Soon after helping to put Everton into the lead, Osman saw his curling cross come back off the bar. While Arteta showed a glimpse of what he can do when he cut in from the right, skipped past his marker and unleashed a shot. Unfortunately, the shot was blocked by Kalifa Cisse.

With Reading pushing forward in search of an equalizer, Everton should have been exploiting the gaps left in the Reading defense, but they didn’t.

Vaughan had Everton’s last real chance at goal, when he teed himself up for a spectacular over head volley. Hahnemann just managed to tip it around the post.

But it was left to Man of the Match, Jagielka, to have the last say.

With only a few minutes left in the game, Jimmy Kebe found himself bearing down on the Everton goal. Just as he let go with a powerful shot, Jagielka threw himself into the ball's path and deflected it away for a corner.

It’s a good job points are awarded for results and not performances, because this game was extremely poor. With all the resent talk about taking the EPL abroad, you have to ask if this is the kind of match you want the rest of the world to see? I know if I had paid to see this abroad, I’d be asking for my money back.

Reading might be in a relegation dogfight, but Everton should have easily won this game. It’s worrying that they didn’t. They allowed Reading to pull the match down to their level of play, instead of imposing themselves on to the weaker team.

Everton now have a break from domestic football, as their next two matches are against SK Brann of Norway in the UEFA Cup. If Everton take the Norwegians lightly, and don’t show some fight then we could see them exiting another cup competition.