“You’re just a faker all the time,” was the chant from the home crowd, surprisingly directed at Seamus Coleman. The Everton captain was on the ground, face in his arm, after being struck by Ephron Mason-Clark in the first half of the friendly against Coventry City. Coleman was visibly in pain, having been hit late three times in the opening 45 minutes and receiving treatment for his knee at one point. Although he managed to play into the early part of the second half, the accusation from the home fans was puzzling given Coleman’s reputation for toughness and honesty.
This wasn’t the only criticism from the stands directed at Everton’s squad. When Jack Harrison was fouled, a fan compared him to Olympic diver Tom Daley, shouting, “You’d beat Tom Daley.” Here are a few other notable moments from Everton’s third pre-season friendly.
Everton struggled throughout the match at the CBS Arena, and manager Sean Dyche expressed disappointment with parts of the performance. Despite being at an earlier stage of pre-season compared to their Championship opponents and dealing with a number of injuries, there was frustration on the pitch. Dwight McNeil, one of the senior players, showed visible frustration after his team fell behind in the first half. Pressing up the pitch, he found no support as Coventry surged forward again, prompting him to raise an arm in exasperation. McNeil received a yellow card later in the game for a late challenge on Milan van Ewijk.
