 Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to Toppy TV USA. My name is James Boyman joined by my co-host Ryan Williams for episode 4. Ryan, how are we doing today? Not too bad, James. It's another week where there hasn't been a lot of news. We're going to try and fill up the time. Probably not going into too much detail today, but we have some observations and I'm excited to be back with you as usual every week. Indeed, yeah. When we started this weekly news show, we were under the assumption that there would be weekly news to discuss. It has been relatively slow, but we will nonetheless dive into some topics today. We're going to be doing a little bit of a review of our episode from last week where we discussed some of the in-depth statistics of Everton thus far this season. We're going to take a look at those relative to the win against Fulham last weekend, of course, and maybe try to project outwards how those stats will continue to look. And then we're going to do a little, of course, for those of you that don't know, tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. I'm going to talk a little bit about Everton players that we are thankful for. But before we get into that, Ryan, let's kick things off with some stats for the people. Yeah, we went through a bunch of different things where, and again, it's just additional information. Don't kill us for bringing up some numbers, but we do like to take an objective look at things like I said before, just to see what it tells us, you know. And a lot of them sunk with some of our observations, too. There wasn't too many dramatic things, but one of the things we did talk about was movement and whether we were really getting back and forth up and down the pitch, you know, whether we were working. And there was some concern that we really weren't. One of the stats and metrics we looked at was the concept of progressive runs. I don't think we're going to find that last time, but that is an actual stat. That's not just someone running around like an idiot, which we have at times, I guess, but against Fulham. It was actually a pretty big difference. We had several individuals that had them and I think we mentioned last, last week that we're Charleston led our team with under four a week and sure enough, my man Alex a woby, and I would be remiss if I didn't show it, show it to the people. Well, let Alex a woby handle it. Anyway, Alex a woby had six which is really a big number honestly it's he hasn't had that many in a long time and really haven't. I don't. I'm not sure another Everton players had that many all year. That was a big difference and I thought his ability to get up and down the pitch was a key element of our attack. And even in the second half when we didn't generate too much he was really the one threat that still was able to carry the ball forward and create a couple with that pressure. So yeah I think in that particular instance that number does stick out and I think that speaks very positively. I think the other numbers kind of we looked at and that same attacking vein was passing in terms of getting a high volume of key passes creating shots from a pass and getting the ball into the box more. And the final third we didn't see that. But one thing we did see that was a little bit different which is seems kind of obvious is we had 22 crosses. We've not had more than 17 in the league yet in any single game and that is a hallmark of our past sides. And when you have Dominic Calvert Lewin in there as well as for Charleston a guy is pretty good in the air. Why would you not and again that doesn't mean looping stuff in the air that simply means that we did attack in a little more volume on the wings. And I thought that was very good to see. I know one thing too that you've always harped on is the way we attack the different sides as well as one thing that you noticed in particular that Everton was not doing very well in the last three games proceeding the full of match was just our passing network. It looked dire a lot of stuff just back and forth between center backs but James this is a very different scenario and I think it's a good thing. Yeah most definitely and just to quickly add to the points that you made I mean everyone was giving Alex will be a ton of credit on Saturday because he was just that with the ball he was really really aggressively looking to bring the ball forward consistently from that kind of right wing back position, which is something that I think the only other player on the right side that we've seen aggressively drive the ball forward that way would be shameless Coleman in any sense. In his absence I think will be did a really good job of both getting the ball forward and kind of finding the balance between offense and defense. We know that he's not naturally a defensive player but he is a big strong physical player as Carlo mentioned in some of his comments impressors this week. And so that could be a potential interesting long term solution. And then yeah the passing I mean the crossing has been Everton's most effective way to create goals now for a few seasons and a lot of teams do that. It's not uncommon, but to get that many in when we have a poacher of the nature of cover Lou and a player who can finish both with with both feet and his head and Richard listen, just getting them the service it's that simple, and seeing Richard listen back in the side obviously helped provide a ton of balance which segues nicely into the conversation about pass amounts. Yeah the balance is key because it seemed like we attacked from both sides almost equally and that had not been the case and several matches proceeding. Furthermore I mean a lot of the times what we see is an over reliance on on using the outside the outside players to get the ball forward. And that's just kind of the way that modern football at the highest level is played you have to that's most teams will try to leave the center compact and force you wide and and give you what what you can take. We did a good job of exploiting that but we also did a good job of getting Alan into Corey involved in the middle we see you look at the most. So for example the top 10 links the two players who are most frequently passing each other ball at number one we have two players, Rodriguez and decor a 24 passes between them, 12 on each side so that is a really good indication the quarry in the central mid, getting the ball to Hamas who was kind of in that free floating role. Second is Gary mean and Michael keen which won't really surprise anyone you've got your center backs, they're going to be on the ball a lot there that's how you generally recycle possession of course. So you have players that it's interesting because that's actually again toward the right side although Hamas drifts he was in name or right when you're quote unquote. So to see the emphasis of getting the ball down the right side when traditionally the left side has been our strength was really interesting to see but later on you get into it and you've got Michael keen to look at Dean is next up so you just see that sort of balance and none of these relationships are like, it was dramatically higher than the other the highest 24 than 20 to 1918. So it's, it's pretty balanced in that we're going to both sides. And then I think the sixth one is is a will be in Rodriguez which is a really good relationship if they can build up a good rapport and a good good understanding of what the other is going to do. That goes really well for our ability to create on the right side which, you know, with the a wall called last season was not something we were all that good at and we've been missing that right side presence for a long time so if we can start to create that and find that balance on both sides it's really going to do wonders for our attack. Yeah, I think it was really key how well we move the ball to like you said attacking the final third when a team is being compact as hard. You know the Premier League is known for big physical players from speed athleticism in order to beat that you've got to move the ball. And we saw a lot of that and I think a lot of that is the reason why we're effective not just the pace of doing is I think we did a pretty good job this time one of the things we talked about was getting our best players the most touches, and that definitely played out against Fulham. Most definitely and so if you look. We talked a lot about Hamas touches and how he the last several games he hasn't been getting nearly as many as he, as he did in the first few games when he was lighting up the league. Today, or rather against Fulham 57 touches and 73 minutes at halftime he was well on pace to get his most touches in an Everton shirt of course he came off early which prevented that. But then the next three guys with the most touches decor a little bit will be and look at Dean. So you're getting your most dangerous players Barbara Charleston you're getting your most dangerous players the ball. And that's only going to go well we talked about it. If you're in any sport you want your best players to have possession and be able to create and do things. And we did just out and I think it's worth the little sleigh asterisk that it was for them. They weren't great and we did maybe struggle a little bit in the second half but still these stats are better than they have been the last three games and I think that that shows, at least from a numerical standpoint why we were able to win. And look, they are a good attacking side it's not like they don't have weapons and so one area we focused on was some of the defensive metrics which are a little more difficult I think. We talked about some of the flaws again these are just numbers that just pieces of information. Every sport has them not always do they work well for certain things but just defensive metrics across the board. One thing that did stand out at least against Fulham was we had 14 interceptions that's the highest we've had in the league. I mean the next highest was eight. It is at least some indication that we were picking off passes and making a little bit difficult for them to split lines and we talked about some of the gaps between the midfield and the defense in the last couple matches. We didn't see that as much I mean I we also said on last pod how important it was to find the right midfield combination. I feel like it's a lot easier and we both said this to have two man in midfield working together and I think Alan and Decori did a pretty good job in there. Decori in particular had like nine takeaways just just an outrageous I mean it's an unbelievable number. He was all over the place but rarely did you see one of them go forward without the other supporting him. And so while yes they had a lot of possession and when you sit back a little bit more which we did in the second half you're going to concede more possession we weren't pressing this high. I think number one that has to do with some of our guys were tired. The international break was not too easy even for Gary you didn't play the second match that had to be a stressful time to be part of a Colombian side that just got smashed twice. Coming from South America is not the easiest thing you could tell where Charleston was dead even well before they subbed him off. But the bottom line is even though we packed it in if you look at expected goals and you look at the chances they created ignore the penalty is you know that obviously would weight the numbers too much. The expected goals was higher in the first half than it was the second half they really didn't create too many moments I think of terrible fear other than the penalty which is more just an individual mistake. As well as hey look look look man dusted Dean. He did he went right by him. But really the only reason why they scored there too is yellow off the sheet got open but you're just made an individual mistake you know he just didn't get down to his knee quickly enough and deflected in the goal. That was it. I mean there really wasn't a lot of danger other than those and and I think that's a good thing and I think, you know one other thing too it's one thing to be disciplined positionally but another thing was I didn't feel like we are reckless to get around like a bunch of idiots and and I think we had seen that in the past accumulating a lot of cards that's something we picked up I think the last three matches proceeding this one it was something like four cards two cards three and three and two reds maybe the four matches I think proceeding that that's a terrible record but we didn't see much of that against full and did we know we didn't I mean we had no cards so that anytime that you can escape a match without a significant discipline I mean the only as you mentioned there was the individual mistake from your amino leading to the to the goal and there was the foul by Godfrey in the box that led to the penalty. But again those are individual mistakes isolated and I think highlighting the XG XGA and the second half is really important and it kind of speaks to a point that actually I think you tweeted earlier this week that upon rewatch. It really wasn't as bad a second half performance as people made out and I think I alluded to it on the pod where people kind of just assume that everything that has happened in the past will come back. The ghost of Everton past. Yeah, we haven't been able to hold on to this kind of need so anytime that you have a big lead and you start to see it slip a little bit. The panic starts to set in okay we're going to blow this is going to be like Newcastle last season yada yada yada. But it's true. I think a lot of that is just sort of unconscious bias by fans or maybe even conscious bias. When in reality especially after we made the substitutions bringing Guilty and Tom Davies on there really wasn't a whole lot from did to threaten our goal and I think people were just kind of frustrated that we weren't being more aggressive to attack but again, you know you attack you leave yourself exposed on the counter and Fulham have good attacking players I think it was made perhaps even wise of enchilada to to rain things in and again the discipline is really, really crucial because we can't be going without a good team and Richard listen for games over the course of the season or anyone really in our starting 11 because we've seen how thin we are so anytime one of those vital first 11 players is out. It's bad enough if they're out with an injury but if they're out through a self inflicted decision on the pitch that just shoots us in the foot even more. Yeah, and I think it's all product of the same thing you know being focused having a game plan and seeing it out and I thought the guy showed some maturity in doing it. And look they were playing a slightly different more unfamiliar system I think you blame that a little bit maybe even on the first goal. But they did settle in and and I wasn't as nervous as some others but I was, I was. Well, we all get it I mean when a team has the ball that much anything can happen and that's the risk of doing it, unless you're really sound really well versed. Those are certain actual enchilade learn from the best you know Ariadjah Sachi is really the main guy he learned from and you know his hallmark was coordinated defense you know they pressed like crazy you know running out of people. But they did it together as a unit and Carlo if anyone understands the need to do that as we saw some of it it's certainly something to build on I guess we'll put it that way. Most definitely. So, taking a little change of pace here after we've knocked into the stats and moving away from that in the vein that it is indeed going to be Thanksgiving day I think when this comes out. We couldn't help but notice that Everton very nicely posted an interview with Landon Donovan on the site and to quote them. Mark Thanksgiving in the USA on Thursday Everton FC sat down for an in depth interview with American Great Landon Donovan to discuss his two memorable loan stints at Everton and why he will always cherish being a blue. Now I have to admit that got me thinking as well about what I am thankful for, and we thought it'd be kind of fun to take a little trip down memory lane to talk about maybe the players the American players. There have been many, which is why Everton Tony Samson this is for you is America's team. But truly, I thought it'd be fun to talk about the guys that kind of maybe helped lead us to Everton, the American players in particular. So I'm going to start off and with my guy Joe Maxmore. Now most Everton fans are thinking like, how long did he play with us longer than you might think. Joe Maxmore was an interesting player for the US. He came over on a free transfer from New England Revolution from MLS where he was lighting up the league. He's still actually the sixth, sixth all time leading goal scorer in US men's national team history. So I love Joe Maxmore. He was a little guys diminutive but he was so tough and such a fighter but he was very clever and actually creative. The US didn't have too many players like that at the time and he was definitely one of them. Now Joe Max kind of, obviously I was aware of Everton at the time, but I got kind of excited that he was playing for what I thought in my mind was such a big club. And he started off. Correctly. Yes, of course. I mean, yes, true. Maybe not, maybe not quite at the time, but I think it's very amusing when he showed up. I mean, felt like every time he stepped on the pitch, he scored. I mean, I think he scored something like six goals in seven matches in crazy display between January and February 2000. And it was really cool. You know, they were singing songs about him more, more, more. There was a funny song about Joe Maxmore and David Beckham and, you know, being better looking or something. I can't remember exactly what was pretty good stuff. I mean, it was exciting. It's gotten interesting. He went on to play 52 times for Everton didn't score too much after that, but made 22 starts eight goals and four assists. But anyway, he was a unique player for the US at the time and unfortunately got hurt. I was actually at the match in Korea when the US played Portugal and Joe Max more hurt his knee, which is a total bummer kind of killed his career after that. Yeah, Joe Max more. Thank you my friend and thank you Evertonians for making him feel welcome enough and getting me excited about Everton while watching him and the few chances we could growing up because a lot of people don't realize that there was no European soccer on at least when I was a kid. So this is kind of some of the first forays we could really watch or at least get on the internet and, you know, learn about it and stuff. So yeah, Joe Max was a key one for me. James, how about you? Yeah, I mean, I think I'm going to go with a less perhaps obscure pick than Ryan. And for those who are familiar with the show and its history, this will come as no surprise, but I'm going to go with the classic. The legend US men's national team legendary keeper, of course, Tim Howard, friend of the American toffee podcast incidentally we of course had him on the show a few months ago to sit down and Alex and I were able to meet him when we made our first trip to Goodison on match day. And it's weird thinking now, but this was the last home match with fans allowed in the stadium against Manchester United with the the 1-1 draw and the hay have played that the deflection deflection off of Calvin Lewin in the opening minutes. And anyway, Should have been a win. We are first, our first Premier League match live in person and we were robbed by garbage, I mean, garbage poetic in some ways and tragic and others. But I am thankful for Tim Howard. First of all, he is an unbelievable guy, super nice, super an amazing representative for the club off the pitch. And we're going to talk a little bit about his on the pitch achievements, but to be such a strong character to be such a big personality and one of the very first American soccer superstars stars guys who truly captured the national spotlight in the World Cup. There have been plenty throughout the years, but as the sport has grown more popular, I think Tim, Tim's performance against Belgium was one of the, I think maybe watershed moments for US soccer perhaps and certainly exposed a lot of Americans countless Americans to ever And even in the first place, I have him to thank for one of the primary reasons that I'm a fan and to have such an impressive career. There's there's a history of keepers American keepers in the Premier League but 354 appearances over the course of 10 seasons over 1000 saves in amazing achievement and he really truly in interviews and in every public appearance represents the club and truly understands the club and speak so eloquently about it and you know now that he's on of course NBC sports weekly coverage of the Premier League it's great to have you know that we have a blue in our corner, although I'm sure he tries to be as unbiased as he can. He does a great job as an analyst as well. And as I said an amazing guy and for the US men's national team over 120 caps, the most, the most capital keeper in US men's national team history 62 wins 42 clean sheets so big thank you to Tim Howard. It was great to meet you it's been was great to watch you in a blue shirt and all the best in the future. I of course have to come up with another lesser known American because that's just me and the interview was already about Landon so what am I going to say about that. Right. My guy and probably in all honesty my favorite soccer player of all time is Precky. I know people may think that's insane but wait before we go in. Yes, I just want to say Ryan is so excited to talk about. It's true. It's true. Yeah, this is just a ridiculous excuse for me to bring up Precky at a private. Well, yes. So pre drag Rado slagovic. That's right. I don't know if I got that right. It doesn't matter. He's Precky. Yeah, the guy, he only played 46 times for Everton 22 starts four goals to assist. He was actually pretty decent the teams weren't great. Howard Kendall bought him for $100,000 where out of MLIS. So, from the indoor soccer league, think about that MISL pardon me, straight to Everton and I remember seeing Precky play in the indoor soccer league. He was playing for Tacoma at the time the massive metropolis of Tacoma playing against my dear Pittsburgh spirit and he would just tear them apart and it was frustrating but yeah in the mid 80s believe that's all we had in America I mean, you know, the American soccer league was defunct. There were some smaller leagues so Precky was truly a superstar and it's funny, you know, he did the same stuff for Tacoma that same move it's he sits on his left foot, takes to the outside cuts back rolls over cuts back rolls over bang he's gone, all throughout his career. He was one of the few like truly technical players, the US had like a player player we didn't have many of them. He was distinctly I mean he eventually played for the US later to that was kind of the interesting part about it or else it might have attracted me more obsessively to the club earlier. It's funny then after Everton he went back to MLS from ages 32 to 41 one hand BP twice, including the second time at age 39, 39, maybe his debut for the US at age 33, probably best known for the goal that actually beat Brazil at the 1998 goal cup the only time the US has beat Brazil we won't bring up the loss in the Confederations Cup final. Anyway, we still lost the final to Mexico but whatever we still won. So either way, I want to give thanks to Precky, as well as the Evertonians everywhere that seem to embrace him as well as the other Americans on this lovely Thanksgiving day and just in general everyone I think the big reason why we truly love is the people and the fans and the reception we've gotten being over there for me a couple times now, and I really appreciate it so that's what I'm going to give thanks to thanks for Evertonians everywhere. Yeah, big thanks to everyone out there to all of the American Toffees who are watching either after Thanksgiving hope you had a great one if you're watching on Thanksgiving hope you're having a great one etc etc. Great holiday look forward to seeing Everton play Leeds at the weekend. If you haven't already be sure to check out our link in the description to all of our podcasts and socials give us a follow, give us a like if the video like give Tuffy TV a like and a subscribe if you haven't all that good stuff. Otherwise we'll be with you guys next week appreciate everyone checking it out leave us a comment. And until next time up the Toffees.