Everton were thrashed 5-0 away at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, with Jamie Carragher admitting he simply felt sorry for Toffees defender Seamus Coleman.
Frank Lampard desperately needed a positive result as Everton battle against relegation but it turned out to be a nightmare evening in North London.
Michael Keane’s own goal set the tone for a shocking performance, with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane making it 3-0 by the break.
Sergio Reguilon killed the game off inside a minute of the restart and Kane added more gloss to the win by volley in number five.
Make no mistake, Everton are in big, big trouble in the fight against the drop and their defending will leave fans very, very worried.
Whether it was Keane’s own goal, Mason Holgate slamming the ball into Keane’s face or Jordan Pickford somehow allowing Son’s scuffed strike into the net, Everton kept tripping themselves up.
Jamie Carragher noted that Coleman really struggled, especially having been beaten by Ryan Sessegnon for Tottenham’s opener.
A simple ball played in behind Coleman gave the Irishman no chance of getting back, with Sessegnon blazing past him and send a cross into the box.
Keane fired the ball into his own net, but Everton looked exposed due to Coleman’s lack of pace and athleticism.
Coleman, 33, has been an incredible servant for Everton, racking up more than 300 league appearances for the club.
A bargain signing back in 2009, Coleman has been one of the best Everton signings in modern times.
Right now though, Coleman just doesn’t look capable of keeping up with Premier League players and that was on display against Tottenham.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Carragher suggested (8:53pm) that he actually feels sorry for Coleman right now.
Carragher feels Coleman just shouldn’t be starting Premier League games right now, and that’s down to Everton’s poor recruitment.
Yes, Nathan Patterson has been brought in from Rangers, but he wasn’t even on the bench against Tottenham. It’s far from ideal for Everton and we could see more issues for Coleman in the weeks to come.
“This back four is a Championship back four – there is absolutely no doubt about this whatsoever,” said Carragher. “Seamus Coleman, I actually feel sorry for him. He’s been a great full back for Everton but right now, this is happening far too much, with people just running in behind him, and that goes back to Everton’s recruitment that Seamus Coleman is still playing right now,” he added.
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