Danny Murphy hails ‘super’ Everton duo as he points out ‘favourite clip’ in loss vs Newcastle
Danny Murphy was amazed by the roles that Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish were forced into playing against Newcastle.
Everton were beaten 4-1 by Newcastle on Saturday, which has hampered the Toffees’ quest for Premier League success this season.
David Moyes will have been in disbelief to see his side 3-0 down at the break, as the second half was all about damage limitation for the Blues.
Thierno Barry had his first goal ruled out, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a second in as many games, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Murphy has now praised Everton’s “super” duo of Ndiaye and Grealish, noting that even they were kept at bay because of one Newcastle pairing.
Danny Murphy says Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye just defended for Everton
Grealish has been superb since arriving on loan for Manchester City in the summer, and Moyes will be keen to tie the winger down permanently if the opportunity arises.
Ndiaye, on the other hand, has also been a shining light for the Toffees at times, with the forward Everton‘s leading goalscorer this campaign.
Newcastle’s Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall impressed Murphy, who said the pair managed to keep what he considers Everton’s star men quiet.
- Hall grabbed an assist for Newcastle
- Livramento had 84 touches against Everton
- Ndiaye and Grealish made 15 defensive contributions between them
While speaking on Match of the Day, Murphy alluded to Livramento and Hall’s performances as the reason why Everton’s main men defended most of the match.
Murphy said: “You’ve got Grealish and Ndiaye, who are super players playing well, who spent most of the time defending for Everton because of these two.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy then picked out his “favourite clip”, which highlighted exactly what he was talking about.
Grealish and Ndiaye were constantly tracking back vs Newcastle
When analysing the game, Murphy used one clip, as seen in the image below, that pinpointed how Newcastle’s full-backs played a massive role in suppressing Grealish and Ndaiye.
Murphy said: “Again, look at the pair of them this time [Ndaiye and Grealish]. This is probably my favourite clip.
“When Livramento picks it up here, there’s his other full back in front of him, two highest players up the pitch.”
The situation was far from ideal, and Moyes showed few tactical changes to help Everton.
The Toffees have struggled for goals all season, and the Everton pairing are crucial at the top end of the field.
Moyes must learn from this, as Everton don’t have a chance of winning games without their influence.
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