Everton and England notes
Celebrating Blue brilliance and wondering about England in the Qatar Cup
This is a notes column, something sportswriters like to use to get bits and pieces of information out there and quell the “You never write about us” gang which is quite prevalent when writing about high school sports, especially Texas High School Football.
So with a tip of my hat to my friends and former fellow press-box warriors, Greg, Eladio, Mike, Dave F and David H, miss you guys and the fun we had on the Friday nights when the lights shone brightest.
Speaking of brilliant, Everton women took it to Liverpool, winning 3-0 at Anfield.
It was a brave, attacking performance from the Blues in front of a 27,574 crowd at Everton’s original home, Anfield. Goals from Megan Finnegan, surely a name that deserves a song, Jess Park and Hanna Bennison. Park, who was the Player of the Match, also set up Bennison’s goal. If possible, Everton should make Park’s loan from Manchester City permanent.
And while the men didn’t play this week due to the internationals, Frank Lampard’s gang did find its into the news.
Nathan Patterson, who has been putting in some very good outings at right back, was injured while playing for Scotland. He’ll be out for six weeks and Seamus Coleman will come back into the side. Ben Godfrey is still out with a broken leg suffered in the season opener, which will probably cost him a chance to be in England’s Qatar Cup squad. Mason Holgate is still out, but should be back in October.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin got another week’s training in and with the arrival of Neil Maupay, he doesn’t have to be rushed back. However, his jumping and heading ability give Everton something else in attack. Will Lampard play DCL and Maupay together? It could benefit both, with Maupay running on to flicks and DCL taking advantage of the space, Maupay’s movement can create. It’s possible a third forward might be bought in.
Lampard and Kevin Thelwell have just about re-made the Everton engine room and while Allan wasn’t a flop, he didn’t seem to fit into Lampard’s plans, so he has moved to UAR club Al Wahda. Given the fact, he was behind Alex Iwobi, Amadou Onana, Idressa Gana Gueye, James Garner and Tom Davies. The writing was on the wall.
Let’s end up with England and their last match before the Qatar Cup. If anything can demonstrate that FIFA can be bought, it’s the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to the human-rights denying, authoritarian-state Qatar, because of the summer heat there, the World’s Biggest Sporting Event will be played in the Winter, but more on that later.
England showed a little bit of life for a change, drawing 3-3 with Germany at Wembley. But considering England was relegated from their UEFA Nations’ League Group and lost 4-0 to Hungary at Wembley.
One thing we did learn was that Jordan Pickford is England’s No. 1. Despite Geordies going on about Nick Pope, after all they see through brown ale and Steve Marriot told us it could “sure knock us down!” Pope has conceded four goals in his last two England starts. Including at least one, Pickford would have probably saved.
Perhaps Pope is worried about falling afoul of his club’s Saudi owners, after all beheadings are not unknown.
That’s it for now, I still plan on taking this behind a paywall, not all bits, just some. Maybe match day stories. Alright keep loving the Blues and as you know KAGS!