Four Talking Points From Apollon Limassol 0-3 Everton As Lookman Shines

Four Talking Points From Apollon Limassol 0-3 Everton As Lookman Shines
20:19, 07 Dec 2017

A much-changed Everton side picked up their first win in this season's Europa League thanks to an inspired performance from Ademola Lookman.

The Blues, who had no chance of progressing through to the knockout stages of the competition, were without manager Sam Allardyce and a host of first-team regulars, but nevertheless delivered their most complete performance of their European campaign.

Nikola Vlasic teed up Lookman for a headed opener, before the England Under-21 international took matters into his own hands with a thunderous drive from range. A comfortable second-half ensued as Nikola Vlasic completed the rout late on.

Here's what we learned from the game in Cyprus.

1. Lookman comes good on vast potential

With most of Sunday's Merseyside derby squad left behind in England, and little riding on the outcome of tonight's game, the stage was set for Everton's fringe players to put their hands up for the final berths in Sam Allardyce's squad for Anfield.

Nikola Vlasic and Morgan Schneiderlin were two such players to impress at the Tsirio Stadium, but the undoubted star of the show was Under-20 World Cup winner Lookman, who delivered a tantalising glimpse of his vast potential.

Frozen out of the squad under Ronald Koeman, and largely ineffective on the occasions he did feature, there had been a sense that for all his talent, the 20-year-old was too inconsistent to be trusted in important first-team matches.

This was a step in the right direction here though, as the ex-Charlton man capped a confident display on the ball with two superbly crafted goals.

If his first was a poacher's finish, the second showcased the attacker at his absolute best, driving into space and drilling in long-range effort from distance. A pair of very different goals, but equally a pleasing indication as to the Wandsworth-born starlet's varied skillset.

Play like this more frequently, and Lookman will be hard to ignore.

2. Reckless Besic further from first-team than ever before

If there was one negative from an overwhelmingly positive 90 minutes, it was Mo Besic's abject display at the heart of the defence.

A senior figure in an otherwise youthful line-up, the Bosnian was arguably the weak link in a defence that contained three players who started the season as hopefuls in the Under-23 setup.

Caught several times trying to dribble out on the edge of his own box, Besic also saw space regularly exploited on his side of the defence. Moreover, one rash challenge at 2-0 could, in other circumstances, have easily gifted Apollon a route back into the match.

Tellingly for a player who still has first-team aspirations, it was Besic's central defensive partner Morgan Feeney- making his first start for the Blues- who appeared the more settled throughout.

In the build-up, stand-in manager Craig Shakespeare spoke of the clean slate afforded to the likes of Besic. But this, together with another poor display in the recent Under-23 derby against Liverpool, shows Besic's time at Goodison could well be up.

3. Disgraced duo dig in to start rehabilitation

It says a lot about the way the season has panned out for Morgan Schneiderlin and Kevin Mirallas that the pair found themselves on the plane to southern Europe instead of preparing with the rest of the first-team for Sunday's all-important derby.

The former's decline, in particular, has been well documented, with the Frenchman swiftly going from key midfielder to a routine liability in midfield. Sloppy in the tackle and lethargic out of possession, it often seemed as though Schneiderlin didn't have the heart to help dig Everton out of the mess they found themselves in.

An alleged training ground bust-up with David Unsworth's coaching staff saw matters spiral even further out of control, with many supporters taking to social media to voice their desire never to see the pair in an Everton shirt again.

Both, though, showed signs of life against Apollon. Schneiderlin was a composed presence in midfield, distributing the ball forward effectively to a trio of attacking midfielders. Mirallas, meanwhile, buzzed around creating chances and hassling defenders.

The long road to recovery starts now- and, admittedly, there have been numerous false dawns for Mirallas- but, crucially, baby steps were taken by both the Belgian and Schneiderlin in this dead rubber.

4. The future's bright; the future's blue

There has been much talk of late of the bumper crop of talent being nurtured at Everton's Finch Farm academy. Recent graduates, such as Tom Davies and Jonjoe Kenny, are now first-team regulars, while several others are currently shining on loan in the Championship. Factor in last season's Premier League 2 title win, and the future certainly seems rosy for the Merseysiders.

The performances in Cyprus of a host of young talents only added to the feel-good factor surrounding Everton's academy. Indeed, handed their first starts at senior level, Morgan Feeney and Harry Charsley delivered composed displays that belied their tender years.

In defence, Under-23 captain Feeney produced a towering 90 minutes that showcased his obvious defensive nous. At times, it was the 18-year-old who held an inexperienced defence together as Mo Besic went AWOL. It's thus tempting to see the game as an indication of the way in which the two Blues defenders are headed in completely opposite directions as far as their Everton careers are concerned.

At full-back, out-of-position pair Beni Baningime and Harry Charsley also defended resolutely in far from ideal circumstances. The latter, a box-to-box midfielder, provided penetration from left-back and could have had a debut goal but for a superb save from the home 'keeper.

With Scottish youth international Fraser Hornby also starting, Nathan Broadhead producing a neat cameo and Under-18s Alex Denny and Anthony Gordon appearing from the bench, this was a good night at the office for all at Everton's Finch Farm Academy base.

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