At cross purposes

  • by Staff Writer
  • Monday, 24th November 2014

A failure to provide enough service to the strikers cost West Ham dearly at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The team's game plan largely consisted of providing supply to the two big front men - Carlton Cole and Andy Carroll - from wide areas. However United's failute to feed the duo sufficient ammunition from the flanks ultimately proved to be fatal.

Carl Jenkinson and Aaron Cresswell were charged with providing much of West Ham's attacking impetus; between them, they provided no less than 26 crosses (14 from Jenkinson, 12 from Cresswell).

Jenkinson's completion rate of 42 per cent (with five of his 12 centres finding their target) was just about par or the course, although just two of Cresswell's 12 crosses managed to find a fellow Hammer.


Everton's 62 clearances (compared to West Ham's 15) came mostly in or around their penalty box

Andy Carroll, the target for many of those 26 crosses failed to find the net in what was his first start of the season, but still managed six efforts at goal - the most by any player on the pitch - whereas his strike partner Cole failed to have a single shot.

Primarily employed to wear down the Everton defence prior to Mauro Zarate's introduction, Cole did little to justify his inclusion in the starting XI. His pass accuracy rate of just 40 per cent was the lowest in the team - and he managed just 18 touches of the ball, again the lowest.

Zarate, upon being introduced five minutes into the second half looked far livelier and made the most of his only shot at goal - West Ham's equaliser. He enjoyed 30 touches of the ball in 40 minutes, with a pass success rate of 73 per cent - the best return from the strikers on show - and converted two of his six crosses successfully.


Kevin Nolan, asked to perform a far more defensive role than usual, had just one touch in Everton's penalty area

Another player whose inclusion is regularly questioned is Kevin Nolan, back in the starting line-up to replace the likes of Cheik Kouyate and Alex Song. Whilst he failed to provide anything noteworthy, the club captain did manage to produce three key passes - the most from any Hammer - and cover more ground than any other West Ham player (6.3 miles).


Everton vs West Ham Utd: In Comparison

Most touches
1. Leon Osman (Everton): 86
2. James McCarthy (Everton): 73
3. Tony Hibbert (Everton): 66

Pass Accuracy
1. Mark Noble (West Ham): 96% from 25 passes
2. Leon Osman (Everton): 93% from 72 passes
3. Ross Barkley (Everton): 93% from 39 passes

Shots at goal
1. Andy Carroll (West Ham): 6
2. Romelu Lukaku (Everton): 4
3. Morgan Amalfitano, Matt Jarvis (West Ham), Ross Barkley, Samuel Eto'o (Everton): 2

Headers Won
1. Andy Carroll (West Ham): 15
2. James Collins (West Ham): 5
3. Carlton Cole (West Ham), Phil Jagielka (Eveton): 4

Tackles
1. James Tomkins (West Ham): 5
2. Tony Hibbert (Everton): 4
3. Mark Noble (West Ham), Steven Naismith (Everton): 3

Clearances
1. Phil Jagielka (Everton): 17
2. Sylvain Distin (Everton): 12
3. Tony Hibbert, James McCarthy (Everton): 7

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