James Tarkowski immense as big-money signing wastes chance to shine – Everton player ratings vs Nottingham Forest
Everton produced a superb away performance to beat Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the City Ground.
An understrength Everton took the lead in excellent fashion after 19 minutes when the former Forest player James Garner.
Man United target Garner smashed a reverse finish across John Victor into the far corner after a neat through-ball into the box from Dwight McNeil.
Although the Everton centre-backs were clearing everything that came their way the pressure towards an equaliser gradually mounted, with the visitors sinking deeper and deeper until Thierno Barry doubled the led on the break.
Barry scored his first for Everton in the 3-0 win over Forest earlier this month and added his second against the same opponents as he combined with Garner on the breakaway, and fired home after being played clean through in the 79th minute to make the points safe.
James Tarkowski the immovable object for David Moyes
Garner certainly would have made Forest rue no longer having him in their ranks with a wonderful goal and assist in the two stand-out single moments on the day.
But the overall pattern of the game was more geared towards keeping things tight at the back and Everton did that so impressively it provided the platform from which to snatch the win in attack.
It probably won’t have been lost on Toffees supporters that Dyche’s men seemed to be short of ideas other than swinging balls into dangerous areas in the Everton area for the best part of an hour.
But it was a measure of how impressive James Tarkowski was marshalling the back line that Jordan Pickford hardly seemed under pressure for the majority of the night.
Time and time again the Everton captain was on the end of crosses instead of an attacker, or first to a through-ball to blast it away.
Ably supported by Jake O’Brien for most of the night the defensive solidity would have delighted both managers while in charge of the Toffees, and Tarkowski was the clear leading light in that regard.
Tyler Dibling fails to take his chance
After so many matches through December, and with the squad stretched by injury and absences for the Africa Cup of Nations there were a number of lesser-spotted Toffees players in the starting XI.
Nathan Patterson made an extremely rare Everton appearance, while Merlin Rohl, Tim Ireogbunam and Tyler Dibling also started.
None exactly made it impossible to drop them once the regulars are all available again but Dibling’s lack of impact has to go down as the most disappointing.
It would be unfair to suggest the youngster was appalling on the night, but given the context of Dibling’s big-money (£40million) move from Southampton and the fact he has really yet to get off the ground on Merseyside this was a huge opportunity to impress.
But playing ahead of Patterson he neglected his defensive duties on multiple occasions to allow the extra attacker to threaten at the back post in the first half, and failed to provide a decent outlet when given the chance in attack.
One instance saw Everton break with numbers on the hour and, while played slightly too wide, Dibling simply threw himself to the ground near the corner under virtually no contact, only to see the referee and nearby assistant ignore him and Forest head back on the attack.
He clearly still has time to come good but it was another missed opportunity for the former Saints star.
Everton player ratings vs Nottingham Forest
Jordan Pickford – 7
Nathan Patterson (off for Grealish ’72) – 6
James Tarkowski – 9 – Man of the Match
Jake O’Brien – 7
Vitalii Mykolenko – 6
Tim Iroegbunam – 6
James Garner – 8
Tyler Dibling – 4
Merlin Rohl – 5
Dwight McNeil – 7
Thierno Barry (off for Beto ’85) – 7
Substitutions
Jack Grealish (on for Patterson ’72) – 5
Beto (on for Barry ’85) – 5
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