bluestevon
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Everton’s numerous defensive weaknesses laid bare by razor-sharp Leicester
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Everton saw their recent slump slip into malaise territory as league-leading Leicester stormed to a 3-2 victory at Goodison Park. Roberto Martinez is not alone in finding Claudio Ranieri’s wonderfully simple side unconquerable this season, but the extent to which he played into his opponent’s hands was concerning. The lively encounter followed the pattern of both Everton’s recent squandering and Leicester’s consistent profiting as the illusion of dominance was punctured on the counter. The predictable but currently undefendable Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy cut the home side to pieces, and Leicester waltzed on victorious.
The hallmarks were all there. Everton had more possession, more shots, more corners and yet… It’s been the same for a few weeks albeit against relative weak attacks. A side as charged and confident as Leicester will expose you. And that’s what happened. All three of the visitors’ goals exploited well-known Everton deficiencies: an absence of midfield pressing, centre-back errors, vulnerability to pace on the counter, and inadequate goalkeeping. The acceptance of these weaknesses – Martinez’s biggest flaw – continues to undermine Everton.
Shinzi Okazaki revealed naivety and panic in Ramiro Funes Mori who hauled him down. Mahrez took advantage of Everton’s failure to close down to perfectly release Vardy to draw Tim Howard’s foul, the slick Algerian scoring on both occasions from the spot. Vardy and Okazaki and, it must be said, a handball were at it again for the third goal as the former laid it on a plate for his teammate. Everton’s flat-footed centre-backs were too distant, the midfield was static. Worryingly, this is what it’s supposed to be like. This is how Martinez fully intends to keep setting up his side.
Everton conceded 1.32 goals per Premier League game last season, up from 1.02 in Martinez’s first year. That’s risen to 1.41 so far this season, still, at the very least, some way off Martinez’s appalling four-year Wigan average of 1.80. For all the exciting attacking he inspires, and for all the excellent work he does in developing young players, Martinez cannot coach defending. Seven years, 245 Premier League games, 388 goals (1.6 per game) seems a representative enough sample: so far in England’s top flight, Martinez has failed to instil effective defending. The one season his side defended well, David Moyes had done the vast majority of the preparation.
Insanity or vanity?
Martinez studies the figures. He’ll know how remarkably bad his defensive record is. In which case, why does he not tweak his tactics? Surely, by now, seven years into a Premier League career largely characterised by bad defending he should be tightening up? Isn’t a fundamental rethink of his defensive approach long overdue? This is ignoring the hole in your shoe and going out in the rain, a Premier League manager who fails to interpret conceding 1.58 goals per game for seven years as a reason for change.
Last season at Goodison, Leicester earned a 2-2 draw thanks in the main to Esteban Cambiasso who bossed the game from the centre and scored from seven yards. Goals in the 63rd and 69th minutes saw Everton playing catch-up in a game they’d ‘controlled’. On Saturday, goals in the 65th and 69th minutes – a discouragingly similar pattern of ineptitude – had precisely the same effect. With Cambiasso’s seamless replacement N’Golo Kanté both sitting in front of his back four and playing box-to-box, the Foxes bore all the organisational class Everton lack, despite missing three first-choice defenders through injury and suspension.
Romelu Lukaku finished well for his seventh in seven league games, to leave even the record-breaking Vardy concerned, Ross Barkley flicked magnificently for sub Kevin Mirallas to swipe home, John Stones, in the main, had Vardy in his pocket. But even these elements have become sources of frustration. Everton have some truly outstanding young players – a Rolls Royce centre-half, a powerful, skilful number 10, a world-class winger and a ridiculously in-form, prolific centre-forward. But they’re all being hindered by their manager’s inability to organise his defence properly, or at least notice Everton have essentially played with a parody of a goalkeeper for 18 months.
There are gaping, genuinely quite horrendous flaws in Martinez’s approach to defending. The midfield presses slower than pensioners at cash machines, the centre-backs are constantly nervy, they fail to get tight enough and can be easily turned. Everton do not practice defending set pieces (For Christ’s sake). Defenders set up too high and stand too far apart, or drop too deep and fail to close the ball in front of a goalkeeper whose attributes are all weaknesses. A low-profile and stunning FA Cup success might have hidden Martinez’s fundamental defensive inability for some time, but it’s out in the open now, and can no longer be denied. Unless Martinez rapidly reverses the trend of defensive iandequacy which has defined his career in England, Everton have no chance of progressing.
from http://www.therussianlinesman.com
2 Comments
Everton saw their recent slump slip into malaise territory as league-leading Leicester stormed to a 3-2 victory at Goodison Park. Roberto Martinez is not alone in finding Claudio Ranieri’s wonderfully simple side unconquerable this season, but the extent to which he played into his opponent’s hands was concerning. The lively encounter followed the pattern of both Everton’s recent squandering and Leicester’s consistent profiting as the illusion of dominance was punctured on the counter. The predictable but currently undefendable Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy cut the home side to pieces, and Leicester waltzed on victorious.
The hallmarks were all there. Everton had more possession, more shots, more corners and yet… It’s been the same for a few weeks albeit against relative weak attacks. A side as charged and confident as Leicester will expose you. And that’s what happened. All three of the visitors’ goals exploited well-known Everton deficiencies: an absence of midfield pressing, centre-back errors, vulnerability to pace on the counter, and inadequate goalkeeping. The acceptance of these weaknesses – Martinez’s biggest flaw – continues to undermine Everton.
Shinzi Okazaki revealed naivety and panic in Ramiro Funes Mori who hauled him down. Mahrez took advantage of Everton’s failure to close down to perfectly release Vardy to draw Tim Howard’s foul, the slick Algerian scoring on both occasions from the spot. Vardy and Okazaki and, it must be said, a handball were at it again for the third goal as the former laid it on a plate for his teammate. Everton’s flat-footed centre-backs were too distant, the midfield was static. Worryingly, this is what it’s supposed to be like. This is how Martinez fully intends to keep setting up his side.
Everton conceded 1.32 goals per Premier League game last season, up from 1.02 in Martinez’s first year. That’s risen to 1.41 so far this season, still, at the very least, some way off Martinez’s appalling four-year Wigan average of 1.80. For all the exciting attacking he inspires, and for all the excellent work he does in developing young players, Martinez cannot coach defending. Seven years, 245 Premier League games, 388 goals (1.6 per game) seems a representative enough sample: so far in England’s top flight, Martinez has failed to instil effective defending. The one season his side defended well, David Moyes had done the vast majority of the preparation.
Insanity or vanity?
Martinez studies the figures. He’ll know how remarkably bad his defensive record is. In which case, why does he not tweak his tactics? Surely, by now, seven years into a Premier League career largely characterised by bad defending he should be tightening up? Isn’t a fundamental rethink of his defensive approach long overdue? This is ignoring the hole in your shoe and going out in the rain, a Premier League manager who fails to interpret conceding 1.58 goals per game for seven years as a reason for change.
Romelu Lukaku finished well for his seventh in seven league games, to leave even the record-breaking Vardy concerned, Ross Barkley flicked magnificently for sub Kevin Mirallas to swipe home, John Stones, in the main, had Vardy in his pocket. But even these elements have become sources of frustration. Everton have some truly outstanding young players – a Rolls Royce centre-half, a powerful, skilful number 10, a world-class winger and a ridiculously in-form, prolific centre-forward. But they’re all being hindered by their manager’s inability to organise his defence properly, or at least notice Everton have essentially played with a parody of a goalkeeper for 18 months.
There are gaping, genuinely quite horrendous flaws in Martinez’s approach to defending. The midfield presses slower than pensioners at cash machines, the centre-backs are constantly nervy, they fail to get tight enough and can be easily turned. Everton do not practice defending set pieces (For Christ’s sake). Defenders set up too high and stand too far apart, or drop too deep and fail to close the ball in front of a goalkeeper whose attributes are all weaknesses. A low-profile and stunning FA Cup success might have hidden Martinez’s fundamental defensive inability for some time, but it’s out in the open now, and can no longer be denied. Unless Martinez rapidly reverses the trend of defensive iandequacy which has defined his career in England, Everton have no chance of progressing.
from http://www.therussianlinesman.com
