Sue Smith has lambasted Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko for a defensive gaffe in the first half of Saturday’s game against Luton Town, which aired live on Sky Sports Soccer.
The Toffees, who are trying to make it three wins in a row, trailed Rob Edwards’ side 2-1 at halftime on Saturday (30 September), having struggled to duplicate their performances against Aston Villa and Brentford.
The Hatters took a merited first-half lead with to goals from Tom Lockyear and Carlton Morris, while Sean Dyche’s side were unable to cope with falling behind, with former Lioness Smith doubting the Toffees’ confidence in the first half.
“Everton started really well and since Luton have scored, you can just tell it is a confidence thing,” she stated on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (30 September, 15:31). Their passing has suddenly gone awry, and they are just not marking their players.
“Mykolenko does not look behind him. He’s just facing the ball, not opening up his body, and Carlton Morris nips in at the far post for a fantastic finish. Everton’s performance was dismal.”
Confidence
Everton appeared to be on the mend following a terrible start to the season, but against Luton in the first half, they appeared to have reverted to their sloppy style of play that has caused them so many issues this season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late strike gave the Toffees a lifeline in the first half, but when they fell behind, Dyche’s approach appeared shellshocked, as if they didn’t know how to get back into the game.
When a team has had as difficult a time as Everton has recently, confidence is always low within the group, but if the Toffees want to climb the table, they must find a method to deal with falling behind in games.
Hopefully, Calvert-Lewin’s goal will inspire a much improved second half performance and Dyche’s team can complete the turnaround, not only for themselves but also for the Goodison Park audience, who haven’t had much to cheer about recently.
In unrelated Everton news, the club’s takeover could be jeopardized after a 777 Partners club was faced with a transfer ban.
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