3 issues to be addressed

[COYB75]

I think we have the basis for a really competitive team. Pickford, Holgate, Godfrey, Keane, Mina, Digne, Allan, Doucoure, Davies, James, Richy, CL.

Get rid of the inconsistent to plain rubbish players like Iwobi, Siggs, Bernard, Gomes, Delph, Besic, Gbamin (can we wait forever for him ?)

And say goodbye to a great club player in Coleman. Should receive the same kind of respect that Baines did but doesn't always get this.

So that would be 7 midfielders jettisoned from the club. Pretty obvious where our weak point is.

Give the armband to Godfrey ( He will be first choice in the team week in week out).

Then look to bring in a quality right back, two wide players and a box to box midfielder who can really drive at the opposition. Finally add a proven front man (King clearly doesn't do it for Carlo)

Sounds so easy when I look at this but of course it isn't. Can we find these players and can we get them to come to Everton?

Would have thought Aarons would be a great candidate for right back. He would be guaranteed to start and there are few top 6 teams that can offer that (I know we haven't finished the season yet).

Finding quality ball players for midfield is easier said than done but I'm confident Carlo can do that, but can we offload a bunch of work-shy inconsistent dross before doing so? I wish I had the answers!

 

[Melchizedek]

We have no right-hand side. Coleman is coming towards the end of his career and can't stay fit, Holgate isn't a right back, Iwobi just isn't up to it... We've no right winger and no right back. It's madness, really. Has to be the top priority in summer. We need a top-class right back and at least two good players who don't look lost at right wing.

Agree. Right back similar to Digne's quality and a right winger would really balance out our attack. It would allow James to play centrally and have the option to send passes to both the right and left side. Right now, almost all our dangerous play is down the left and makes us predictable

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

Agree. Right back similar to Digne's quality and a right winger would really balance out our attack. It would allow James to play centrally and have the option to send passes to both the right and left side. Right now, almost all our dangerous play is down the left and makes us predictable

This is how I see the summer purchases being, we will be a far more dangerous side with quality on both sides. Obvious I know, but it will be amazing.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

Perhaps the key difference here is when we play to a shape by design and when we are forced into a shape or play out of the shape the manager asked for. I think the players are executing the managers plans, but they are dictated by the available players qualities.

For instance at Chelsea we played with the 2 up front which lots on here advocate but what it does is move DCL wider. We have been more successful with DCL in the middle. Now of course if DCL and Richy split the CB's by pulling them wide then that should leave a space for the tip of the diamond midfield to step up and take shots from 20-25 yards. This should be Sigurdssons role (or James or Bernard) but he plays too deep and is way too slow (Personally I'd like to see Iwobi given at least 45 mins in that role in one of the three upcoming games). against better teams the ACM is pressed back into a CM role.
Playing with those 2 upfront like that also diminishes our chances of getting wide men to cross into them, so it dictates we play with a narrower, more compact midfield 4. This suits Gomes (and James, Davies) but not Iwobi or Bernard. However it also looks to the 2 sides of the midfield to be able to find killer passes - I dont think any of ours can except James - Sigurdsson being more a short range passer not longer.
In the above model the full backs are called upon to play wider but not as far up the pitch as the front 2 are spread out. So we don't see as much of Digne looking beyond their full back for space. Probably just as well as without James we would struggle for that elusive switch pass. James brings the best out of Digne but without him we are less. On the right Holgate just doesn't have the skills to play in an attacking full back type role - no criticism, he is a CB.
The upshot of this rambling is that we end up with no way to carry the ball from goalkeeper area into midfield and up to the final third other than lumping it into the channels for DCL/Richy to try to bring down but they are so far apart and our MF so slow that there is no second ball challenge.
The DM(s) are forced into back passes as there is nothing on for them and its all so narrowly congested ahead of them. The ball invariably goes back to keane or Pickford who lump it.
FRUSTRATING!

 

[davids]

Yes and no, imo. He keeps playing Iwbo over King, Sigs over James, Gomes over Davies. All the latter appear to offer more in general than the former, I understand he needs to rest players but not every other week. Also, the complacent thing, they are fighting for their lives so they play better.....surely, fighting for CL would encourage our players to work harder?

Players carrying knocks have played a part in team set up and I've an idea pressure from above has bent his arm in some team selection. We aren't in a position given the present circumstances to drop players long term and effect their resale value...Iwobi,Gomes.

 

[davids]

Agree. Right back similar to Digne's quality and a right winger would really balance out our attack. It would allow James to play centrally and have the option to send passes to both the right and left side. Right now, almost all our dangerous play is down the left and makes us predictable

And yet Ancelotti has said multiple times he sees James playing on the right. A young quick hard tackling right back and another mobile defensive midfielder. Cover up front,job done.

 

[the golden visionary]

what i believe is the core of our problems, if it has and ive missed it apologies, is i think theres 3 major issues which are
lack of movement,
taking to long on the ball
and when in good position a lack of confidence when infront of goal from the 20-30 yard range

Effectively these are 3 major KPIs in relation to a footballing team and 3 that certainly affect each other more than most.

Now obviously there are players in the squad that are the exception, richarlson for example has excellent movement but the dithering on the ball from the midfield mean his runs are often ignored.

I dont know why we play so slow because the odd occasion we do up the tempo. We look like a great side.

Hopefully this is something carlo can install over the next season.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

what i believe is the core of our problems, if it has and ive missed it apologies, is i think theres 3 major issues which are
lack of movement,
taking to long on the ball
and when in good position a lack of confidence when infront of goal from the 20-30 yard range

Effectively these are 3 major KPIs in relation to a footballing team and 3 that certainly affect each other more than most.

Now obviously there are players in the squad that are the exception, richarlson for example has excellent movement but the dithering on the ball from the midfield mean his runs are often ignored.

I dont know why we play so slow because the odd occasion we do up the tempo. We look like a great side.

Hopefully this is something carlo can install over the next season.

The way we played in the first few games of the season, the first half at Elland road, the start of the second half at OT and in the cup v Spurs all showed we've got it in our locker to play up tempo, attractive, attacking football. So it's incredibly frustrating when we don't do anything of the sort.

Possibly a question of confidence and I'm sure, lack of quality depth in the squad.

What's a little more worrying is the amount of time and space every single team we've played have on the ball and the ease with which they get into attacking areas.

 

[the sniderman]

 

[the sniderman]

If you want to see 9 goals every game [Poor language removed] to the states where nobody understands football. They'd enjoy that. I'd take a controlled and organised 1-0 any day of the week.

wow buddy wow.

 

[deipnosophist]

we're no sow's ear, but we're still a loooong ways from being a silk purse...patience is required, and until then just philosophically take the rough with the smooth...it's still an enjoyable ride.

 

[Terrarian]

I do believe the low press is a deliberate Ancelotti tactic to conserve energy for when we have the ball, but we are so bad in possession it doesn't work.

 

[WA Toffee]

Is anyone else getting frustrated by this tendency to pass back all the time? Allan, davies, keane, holgate and even Gomez are serious culprits. I noticed it in a big way against United and it's the same [Poor language removed] yarn since then. DCL and Richarldson are busting a gut up front and no one is trying to find them. I'd much prefer losing the possession with an audacious through ball then keeping it tiky tak

2. Not keeping possession
This is a major issue. Chelsea were knocking the ball around tonight like any team should when they are protecting a lead. When we're ahead it's just 'sit back and absorb'. Against teams like man city this is going to have crucified.

3. Not pressing enough
Ashley Cole alluded to this after the west Brom game. He said 'they dont run enough off the ball for my liking. If you're chasing your dreams you've got to work much harder'. This is spot on. The aggression and pressure in the second half tonight was excellent, but why arent they like this every game? Why does it take going 2 nil down? A Guardiola side suffocates you, the pressure is immense and you dont get a chance to think. Coleman, davies and allan have great intensity, but I just wish there was this desire aggression from the whole side. Love to see players doubling up and crowding out the opposition. Can't understand why it requires a 2-0 deficit to motivate them into playing like demons.

All these issues can be rectified in a single team talk. Cant understand why they're reappearing game after game. Anyone else notice this lack of intensity and aggression?

Do you think your first 2 points contradict each other a bit? You want us to play it forward, even if it means losing possession, but also want us to keep possession, which is usually done by passing sideways and backwards.

 

[ChesterBlue]

Do you think your first 2 points contradict each other a bit? You want us to play it forward, even if it means losing possession, but also want us to keep possession, which is usually done by passing sideways and backwards.

Not necessarily, the issue is that whenever we have possession our centre backs are on the ball, try and pass forward only for Gomes to pass it straight back to them which makes us immensely easy to play against

 

[number4.]

The way we played in the first few games of the season, the first half at Elland road, the start of the second half at OT and in the cup v Spurs all showed we've got it in our locker to play up tempo, attractive, attacking football. So it's incredibly frustrating when we don't do anything of the sort.

Possibly a question of confidence and I'm sure, lack of quality depth in the squad.

What's a little more worrying is the amount of time and space every single team we've played have on the ball and the ease with which they get into attacking areas.

I'd guess privately, particularly with reference to Spurs game, CA was pulling his glorious hair out. I dont think he wants up tempo, attractive, attacking football if we are being honest about. He wants an incredibly solid base, height, strength, effective set pieces, a brilliantly drilled & coached team who makes the most of their opportunities.

CA is an incredible coach, arguably the best fit we could ask for, but he is his own man and will not being going down the swashbuckling route, it will be control first, goals second, flare not relevant.