Goodison News View: Everton have big problem with one underperforming player
The 3-2 victory for Everton over Watford on Saturday was one of the most entertaining games involving the Toffees for quite some time now.
It really was an extraordinary game at Vicarage Road, punctuated by goals from highly unlikely sources in Everton’s case: Yerry Mina and Theo Walcott.
It was a day when inconsistent performers turned up in big moments, highlighted by that brace from the Colombian.
However, there was one player in a blue shirt who produced a depressingly familiar performance against the Hornets.
Yes, Fabian Delph. The England international played like someone who wasn’t fit to wear the Everton shirt, producing one of the worst individual displays the club’s seen for some time.
That sounds incredibly harsh, but he really was poor. Plus, he got sent off which left his teammates battling with a numerical disadvantage – which makes their eventual victory all the more impressive.
This isn’t what we were all expecting when the Blues signed Delph from champions Manchester City. He was supposed to bring a winning mentality and raise the game of this Toffees team.
It was Delph’s sloppy backpass that let Watford in for their second goal, while he didn’t cover himself in glory with his work in possession either.
At 30 years of age he’s supposed to be a senior player who brings the best out of his teammates, but so often in Everton colours he’s dragged those around him down with him.
The former City man really has become a liability, and that’s something Carlo Ancelotti needs to look at very carefully. In some ways it’s a blessing that he’s now suspended.
In other Everton news, Toffees legend Kevin Ratcliffe has heaped praise on one man for the victory over Watford.