If Everton played AFC Wimbledon would the ball move out of the centre circle?

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The Mag

·5 October 2024

If Everton played AFC Wimbledon would the ball move out of the centre circle?

As I walked down to the pub on Tuesday night after the match, I was saying to my mates, I wonder how many years it will be before we see a team as negative as AFC Wimbledon?

They were shocking.

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Everybody behind the ball, a packed defence, refusing to come out of their shell.

It is their right to do that of course but it makes for a pretty depressing spectacle.

AFC Wimbledon only had one corner to Newcastle’s ten.

The Wombles only managed eight touches in the opposition penalty area compared to Newcastle’s forty one in theirs.

AFC Wimbledon only 22% possession on Tuesday night.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait years.

Not even months.

Actually, it wasn’t even weeks, or a week…

It turns out, I only needed four days to witness Newcastle United play a team as negative as AFC Wimbledon.

Honestly, they are absolutely woeful.

No wonder there was total silence from the Everton fans apart from when Anthony Gordon was involved.

Everton had not a single corner, compared to Newcastle’s ten.

The Toffees only managed twelve touches in the opposition penalty area compared to Newcastle’s forty two in theirs.

Everton only had 30% possession in the first half, 36% in the second half.

However, I think that ‘staggering’ 6% increase in ‘possession’ was only due to Jordan Pickford taking even longer on goal-kicks and free-kicks than he did before the break. The ball constantly just launched as far up the field as possible when he did finally kick it, Everton gaining yardage but instantly giving the ball away pretty much every time, almost as though they didn’t really want it…

The difference is of course that AFC Wimbledon were a fourth tier team playing away, whilst Everton were playing at home and are a Premier League team, allegedly.

After watching the ultra negativity and total lack of ambition from Everton, the only consolation is that surely they aren’t going to have many days like this one, where they somehow failed to lose. Relegation must surely have caught up with them at last this season. Here’s hoping.

Everton 0 Newcastle 0 – Saturday 5 October 5.30pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Everton:

Possession was Newcastle 67% Everton 33%

Total shots were Newcastle 14 Everton 8

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Everton 2

Corners were Newcastle 10 Everton 0

Touches in the box Newcastle 42 Everton 12

Newcastle United team v Everton:

Pope, Trippier (Livramento 71), Schar, Burn, Hall, Joelinton, Bruno, Tonali (Longstaff 71), Barnes (Almiron 62), Gordon, Jacob Murphy (Willock 69)