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http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/...how-everton-can-get-season-back-on-track.html
The tables look better on the article itself, however:
Things will turn around as long as some wins get strung together, winning the next three games is both realistic and just the shot in the arm that is needed, but the team needs to get it done with its backs to the wall.
The tables look better on the article itself, however:
Adrian Clarke looks at how why the Toffees have struggled in the BPL so far this season
Everton ended a run of four straight BPL defeats with a draw against Man City
Everton ended a run of four straight BPL defeats with a draw against Man City
Roberto Martinez could not have wished for a better start as Everton manager as his side threatened a top-four place before eventually finishing fifth last season (Watch here). But his side have not hit the same heights this season and languish in 12th place only three points away from the relegation zone.
What has gone wrong at Goodison Park? Ahead of their Monday night match with West Bromwich Albion, our tactics analyst Adrian Clarke takes a closer look…
An error-ridden campaign
The concession of soft goals has been an unwelcome habit that has plagued Everton. Injury problems for John Stones, Sylvain Distin, and James McCarthy have created defensive instability of sorts, but even so it does not excuse the excessive tally of individual mistakes committed at key moments.
Leading the Barclays Premier League in this statistic, Everton have gifted almost double the number of goals to opponents than in the entirety of 2013/14.
2014/15 Errors leading
to goals
1st Everton 11
Arsenal 7
Liverpool 6
West Brom 6
Sunderland 6
2013/14 Errors leading
to goals
13th Everton 6
It is hard to pin this negative trend on one aspect of their play, but Everton do not seem to have played at quite the same tempo this season, which has not helped. Their success in recent years has been built around an energetic hard-working approach, but out of possession they have lacked the same kind of intensity in 2014/15.
A by-product of this is that they have given opponents too much time and space to put the ball into dangerous areas. Martinez’s side let in 31 goals from inside the 18-yard-box last season. With 17 matches to go this season they are just one shy of that, on 30 as it stands.
To stop the rot, they must collectively concentrate on stopping rival teams feeding so many passes and crosses into their penalty area.
Lacking consistent combinations
Blessed with various versatile options, Martinez has never been averse to switching his attacking midfield trio around. The Spaniard experimented with 20 different combinations behind his main striker in a 4-2-3-1 from the start of matches last season, and when using that formation this term we have seen 14 different combinations. The most-used threesome (from left to right) has been Mirallas-Naismith-McGeady, but they have only played in that set-up three times as a unit.
There are pros and cons to mixing up your personnel in this way, but I think Everton have missed the natural link-up play they enjoyed down the flanks last term. Leighton Baines and Steven Pienaar (on the left), plus Seamus Coleman and Kevin Mirallas (on the right) were directly involved in 36 of the side’s goals, and, in tune with each other’s games, the quartet shone en route to a 5th place finish.
Martinez selected the Pienaar-Barkley-Mirallas and Pienaar-Osman-Mirallas combinations most often last season (nine and six times respectively) but this time around, neither unit has been deployed once. Samuel Eto’o’s arrival, Steven Naismith’s form and injuries for Pienaar has led to Ross Barkley switching positions more often, and Osman spending longer on the bench.
How has all this affected the Toffees’ game?
As you can see in the table below, they are finding it difficult to create as many goalscoring opportunities in the areas of the pitch that matter most. Selecting the same attacking midfield combinations on a regular basis could be one way of forging better chemistry and natural understanding.
Stats (per match) 2014/15 2013/14
Crosses 17 (19th) 22 (8th)
Shot inside six-yard box 4% (19th) 7% (8th)
Shots inside 18-yard box 43% (19th) 50% (6th)
Shots outside 18-yard box 52% (1st) 43% (16th)
Ageing and less durable
Once Everton got their noses in front last season they were incredibly hard to knock off their perch. In matches where they scored first, they collected 58 points from a possible 66, drawing once and losing twice, both of the latter times to the champions Manchester City. Full of fight, Martinez’s men also clawed 10 points back from matches where they fell behind to the opening goal.
This season that resilience has diminished. To date Everton have let 15 points slip from their grasp in leading positions, and not once have they fallen behind to the first goal and won the same Barclays Premier League contest. Three draws are all that they have managed when having to play catch-up.
While it is impossible to find one sole reason behind the change, Martinez’s squad is among the oldest in the division. Of the 13 players used against City at the Etihad Stadium in December, eight were 30 or older. There are many pluses to having senior pros on the pitch, but fitness and stamina are not among them.
Age could be catching up with several of their key performers. Everton have conceded more second half goals (20) than anyone else in the Barclays Premier League. The introduction of younger legs might be beneficial.
Underperforming stars
Other than Steven Naismith, it is hard to think of an Everton player who is performing to a higher level this season than in 2013/14. All over the pitch, Martinez’s personnel have struggled individually to replicate the standards they set in his first season at Goodison Park.
As shown in the graphic below, many of his key men have struggled in facets of their play that were a big strength last season.
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Tim Howard may argue he has been given less protection this season, while Phil Jagielka and Gareth Barry could suggest injuries to their preferred partners have not helped their form either. Kevin Mirallas has been in and out of the side and used in different roles, and we have also heard Romelu Lukaku indicate he would prefer a more direct approach in terms of the team’s style too.
These arguments all have foundation, but nevertheless it is still clearly apparent that most Everton players have room for improvement in the second half of the campaign.
Final thought
It is hard to envisage Everton failing to improve performances and results in the final 17 matches but they need to up their game quickly or they could find themselves scrapping for points in an unexpected relegation battle.
The squad have enough quality and depth to thrive in the Barclays Premier League but the team as a whole must rediscover the defensive resilience that has been their hallmark in recent years. Once they tighten up at the back and show better discipline as a unit, much-needed victories home and away will surely begin to flow.
Things will turn around as long as some wins get strung together, winning the next three games is both realistic and just the shot in the arm that is needed, but the team needs to get it done with its backs to the wall.
