‘Awful’, ‘Lost his way’: Gary Neville slams two big-money Everton players during defeat

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Everton were beaten 3-2 away at Arsenal on Sunday evening.

Pundit Gary Neville has told Sky Sports (23/02) that he felt Everton players showed bad body language against Arsenal on Sunday – and was critical of both Morgan Schneiderlin and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

It all started so well for the Toffees, as an acrobatic finish from Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave Everton the lead inside a minute, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side threatening to end their torrid run away at the Gunners.

Eddie Nketiah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned the game on its head to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead, only for Richarlison to hit back with an equaliser just before half time.

Yet just as Everton scored inside the first minute of the first half, Arsenal did the same in the second, and it proved to be the winner as Aubameyang struck to give the Gunners a 3-2 win.

Everton tried to mount a fightback but didn’t have quite the same life about them in the second half, and Neville was furious with what he saw throughout the second period.

Neville suggested that Everton players were demoralised and showing bad body language after Aubameyang’s second goal, believing they were going through the motions and needed experienced heads to pick them up again.

He even pointed out midfielder Sigurdsson’s struggles, accusing him of not putting in the effort to get forward and support the attack whilst branding one piece of play in the final third ‘awful’ as he failed to create for Everton.

Neville also feels that Schneiderlin has completely lost his way, admitting he thought the Frenchman could have become a top midfielder based off his time at Southampton, but now plays ‘nothing like that’ for Everton; not exactly ideal given that Everton paid £45million for Sigurdsson and £24million for Schneiderlin in 2017.

“It’s just interesting to watch the Everton players now, just drifting across, ambling across in their shape. Wind back to the first five minutes of the game, when they’re sprinting up the pitch, getting to people quickly. You talk about body language and being demoralised, it’s things like that, that you notice – they stand out a mile. It’s experienced players like Leighton Baines and Morgan Schneiderlin, they should be getting the troops going,” said Neville.

“As Everton were counter-attacking with Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin, Sigurdsson was walking alongside the two centre backs and Leighton Baines up the pitch – it was really weird to watch. Everybody should be busting a guy, especially him, to get forward into the final third and he just wasn’t making an effort at all.”

“Look at Schneiderlin and what he was at Southampton, he was a pressing midfield player who won the ball back high up the pitch, he’s nothing like that when you watch him for Everton, let alone at Manchester United. He’s somebody who I thought at Southampton looked to have the makings of a real top midfield player at doing the simple things; winning the ball back, keeping it simple in midfield, he’s just lost his way completely.”

“Awful, it really is; from someone of his composure and class, there must be something wrong with him because as I said before, he’s walking up the pitch when Everton are attacking,” he added after a misplaced Sigurdsson pass in the final third.