Fabian Delph has always been a catalyst for his team.
Be it as a young star at Leeds, the captain at Aston Villa, or an auxiliary left-back at Manchester City, Delph has always put the collective first.
The England international hasn't had too many opportunities in the Everton first-team so far this season. He had a run-out in the League Cup against Lincoln City, eventually making his first Premier League start against Wolves at home.
Against Bournemouth, Delph's frustration got the better of him. 1-0 down coming up to half-time, Delph went into the referee's book with a rash challenge.
He then remonstrated with his teammates, screaming "everybody is fucking shit right now" in reaction to the caution.
That vocalisation of frustration may have lit a fire under the arses of the Everton squad, as four minutes later Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled for the Toffees.
However, that was as good as it got for Everton, as Delph soon undid all of his 'good' work.
From Ryan Fraser's quickly-taken free-kick, Delph swung his left leg to clear the ball. Instead, he diverted the ball past Jordan Pickford and into the net to gift Bournemouth a second.
Sloppy play in the midfield would eventually lead to Bournemouth's third goal of the afternoon, although Delph wasn't at fault for the goal.
Everton fans were split on Delph's performance and remonstration, with some appreciating Delph's show of attitude and aggression. However, others weren't as forthcoming with praise for the midfielder.
Fabian Delph screaming ‘Everyone is f****** s****’ at the entire team deserves instant captaincy.
Been waiting to see an Everton player do that, with so much aggression, anger and irritation all my life. It’s great to see.— Ell Bretland (@EllBretland) September 15, 2019
Delph is abysmal
— LD_ 209 (@Louii2Swords) September 15, 2019
Even Graeme Souness had a go off him.
Souness: " A poor bit of defending by Delph, because he's not got a right foot" pic.twitter.com/OWSZS3VcQr
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 15, 2019
Chin up, Fabian, there'll be better days to come...
