Part one of Michael Ball's weekly ECHO column as he looks back on Everton's 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Sean Dyche's tactics and Amadou Onana's role
When the fixtures came out back in June, Aston Villa away was clearly Everton’s toughest game before the first international break in September. The prospect of facing Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at home, as well as Sheffield United away, gave us all hope that we could kick off the new campaign with a couple of positive results.
I can take being beaten by better sides, but when we play with a lack of passion, like we did on Sunday, it makes any defeat tougher to take. However, one thing that really alarmed me was that Villa did not even have to play that well. One of the benefits of getting into Villa Park early on Sunday was that I was able to watch Everton warm-up. And what I witnessed shocked me a little bit.
I remember during my time as an Everton player, my captain, Gary Speed, ran past me and tackled my man. In the split second in which that happened, it was the biggest wake-up call I could have had. The fact that I am even being asked such a question is alarming. But after Sunday, those questions will only grow, and understandably so.
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