Source: Liverpool_Echo
Barry Horne: No draws for concern with battling Blues - Everton FC latest
THE result was disappointing, but I was at the Birmingham game and thought Everton were absolutely fantastic.[LNB]We started quickly, moved the ball as well as I've seen us move it for a long, long time and Baines, Pienaar and Osman gave us a reminder of what we have latterly become used to under David Moyes.[LNB]That we could play so well despite an extraordinary list of injuries continues to say a lot about the resolve within the squad.[LNB]The only thing lacking on Sunday was the second goal which would have put the game to bed.[LNB]Whilst I thought Stuart Attwell had a great game in the middle, he was clearly let down by his assistant incorrectly flagging Louis Saha offside when Everton were terrorising the Birmingham defence.[LNB]I thought Attwell was patient with the players and was in no rush to get his cards out - which was fort- unate for Marouane Fellaini - and his only two mistakes cancelled each other out.[LNB]I felt Diniyar Bilyaletdinov could possibly have been pulled up for control- ling the ball with his upper arm prior to his goal, while Stephen Carr was fortunate to escape when he punched a cross off the head off Saha.[LNB]So a very disappointing result, but a very heartening and promising display.[LNB]It's no secret how much I rate Osman and his return was pivotal, but Leighton Baines, too, is becoming a class act. And as for Steven Pienaar, what an enormous relief it was when I discovered he wasn't going to the African Nations Cup.
