It's been a while since I watched any of the 23's play but watched the last couple of games, and actually pretty impressed.
We now have a much younger team playing. Had a scan of other sides, not just derby, but your Liverpool's, your Uniteds and we are the youngest team, and quite a bit younger than the side Liverpool put out against United.
The team looks well organised defensively, with a good structure and actually quite good physcality to it. I noticed it in the derby our lads of equivalent age look bigger and stornger than Liverpools, and the same was true last night.
In general we produce very solid footballers. You can see why loads make careers at a lower level. If you are a league 1-conference manager you'd see Evertons lads and know they are the right size to compete in mens football, have good technique but also get into shape well. Whether that is the right strategy is certainly an open question, but it does seem apparent to me.
Anyway some of the names, and in some cases new names. Small looks confident and actually seems to have an eye for a goal which is a positive. I've spoken about him previously won't drone on. Onyango did very well to me. He is really starting to carry the ball with power and pace. When I first saw him he was a "neat and tidy" type player who didn't really utilise his size. He's starting to jow, and when he does at that level he's hard to handle.
It was nice to see Mackenzie Hunt playing. He has really grown a lot from when I first saw him as a 16 year old playing in the 18's. He's probably grown 6 inches in thiose 3 years. He was always a really talented technical footballer, would send defnders the wrong way with a twist of the body, but looks more powerful now. He won't make it here, but I always enjoy seeing that sort of intelligent footballer who can beat a man and make chances for others. Given his size, I'm sure he will have a decent career in the game (that was my concern for him, was size).
Anyway the two to really catch my eye. Isaac Price playing midfield. Another one who has really grown, probably 4-5 inches in the last 18 months or so. Looks about 5 ft 11 now and hopefully keeps growing. I think I mentioned him around the turn of last year on here, but he was someone who had been highlighted as a good player. I was told he played in attacking midfield, but yesterday played deeper and I thought conducted himself very nicely for a debut. Neat and tidy on the ball, but probably needs to be a bit more physical.
Reece Welch also looked impressive. Again a debut, at centre back, 6 ft 1-2 already and hopefully got a little more growing to do. Like with Price will no doubt need to fill out as well as upwards, but I thought he was tidy on the ball.
Of the others, Ouzanidis was probably MOTM but at 21 it's very unlikely he plays for Everton. In a way he sort of shows the development that can happen from 17-21 that we have seen. He is much bigger physically than a lot of the lads, and is able to show that.
Other than Quirk being back (and again growing, looking close to 6 ft now) the only other player of note was Rhys Hughes. Again looks 6ft to me but is quite tidy on the ball. Never really passed the test of playing above himself, but looks a tidy footballers, good on the ball and gets back into shape. Another one who will likely make a career out of the game, but probably not here.
