Armando Broja flops for Everton v Nottingham Forest as Calvert-Lewin claim made
Armando Broja fell far below Everton supporters’ expectations with his performance in the 2-0 loss against Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old started his first match for the Blues on Sunday (29 December) and fell flat on his face at Goodison Park as the opposition stole all the plaudits.
However, Liverpool Echo reporter Chris Beesley shared in his column on Monday (30 December) that the Albanian’s underwhelming full-debut represents a broader problem for Sean Dyche – as Broja, who displaced Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the starting lineup, endured the same problems as his Everton teammate.
Armando Broja disappoints for Everton v Nottingham Forest
For all intents and purposes, Everton signing Broja on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea was smart business.
The Blues were desperate for another focal point for the attack, with question marks lingering over Calvert-Lewin and Beto.
Broja was mooted to be Dyche’s hidden weapon prior to the loss against Nottingham Forest and although those claims were justified given the Toffees’ dire goalscoring form, it could not have been further from the truth.
He recorded three shots against the opposition at Goodison Park, all off-target, resulting in a zero per cent shot accuracy ratio for his efforts, and he only managed to collect the ball in Forest’s penalty area four times [Fotmob].
It was certainly an afternoon to forget for Broja – he matched his efforts in front of goal by completing zero per cent of his dribbles, and he ended his display with 76 per cent pass accuracy. Meanwhile, he registered only one pass into the final third from a measly 17 attempts.
Despite being on the pitch for 75 minutes, he could not find a way to insert himself into the play and, at times, found himself watching on as his teammates attempted to claw back the deficit.
Furthermore, for a striker standing at 6ft 2in, his physical presence was non-existent, and while this can be attributed to his lengthy spell on the sidelines, losing 87 per cent of ground duels contested is just not good enough.
However, Broja is not completely up-to-speed at Goodison Park and patience will be required before judging whether he can lead the line for a Premier League side.
But the numbers from his first start do not make for good reading for the Everton faithful, and despite Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net a shocking two times in 17 outings, should he listen to the advice to seek pastures new to revitalise his career, it’s hard to envision the Blues scoring many goals this season.
In other Everton news, Jordan Pickford has been gifted the ultimate reward at the Blues.
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