philontour

Norwich 2-2 Everton - A great point for us with a severely understrength team vs. what I presume was a full-strength team minus Gibson As soon as the team-sheets were announced with Bassong and Hooper not passing fitness tests, Fer banned and Snodgrass a surprise injury things were looking bleak. It's the equivalent to you losing Baines, Fellaini, Distin and Kone. Hughton has always favoured a slightly negative but defensively organised approach and with the key players missing it was going to be a long afternoon with RVW isolated upfront for us. Overall thought you dominated the match, as the stats show, but rarely threatened to actually get through the two rows of 4 we had and make a clear-cut chance. Barkley ran the show with Redmond looking dangerous for us in glimpses on the break. No idea why Whittaker thought he was Lionel's brother today but after an initial lucky break he finished a chance that could've easily been missed despite being an open net. Nothing we could do about the reply from Barkley, great shift of the feet and a rocket into the corner, Ruddy no chance. The second goal was disappointing from a defending point of view with Redmond not tracking Coleman but he'll learn from that and the goal followed a patient passing move from your point of view. Couldn't really see how we we're going to score again until Lionel's brother pops up with a superbly well-executed outside of the foot-volley cross which RVW does what you expect a quality striker to do, put away the chance when it comes. Not a bad start to the season then with both teams up and running although I'm sure the travelling support went home more disappointed than the home section. Enjoy Martinez's easy-on-the-eye football but always with the element of risk at the back and hopefully we'll give you a better game with a full-strength side at Goodison later in the season.