He was awful, albeit in fairness he was playing in a ridiculous advanced position which isn’t his game at all.
But this guy just isn’t a Prem player.
ok so what was the manager thinking - back to a 4231 with Gomes as 10?
anyone with an understanding of Everton's on field issues over the last few years would know this sets up to fail.
if he was part of a 3 man mid, then it just gets chalked up as another one of those great-worst midfield performances we have now come to expect from a long line of everton midfielders - schneiderlin, sigurrdson, davies, iwobi, gomes.
out of all of these gomes is probably the worst positionally. He either goes missing/hiding off the ball and crowds out the play on the ball. He opens up play for the opposition and closes it down for his team. He just doesn't have the skills and ability, let alone being able to keep up with the game
good midfielders have vision, whether its overall or in the millisecond, precisely because they have the skill and ability that sees them come out on top in midfield battles more often than not. Confidence gained from knowing you have time on the ball or can go in and shut down and make a tackle; confidence and ability that can be harnessed into reading and controlling the game.
Did the manager have any other options than to put in Gomes?
He should know this would have been a disaster. Kean kept getting pulled out of position bc of him and Godfrey did a good job not to get exposed more.
It was left to Doucs to control the game along with everything else. It was like playing with a man down.
The manager should know by know that any worth to be gained out of Gomes is to put him on during witching hour, and only out of necessity
he does have options
Digne could play as a 3rd midfield.
Grey plays at 10 and Richarlison and Townshend pick up the slack wide midfield
Delph holding with Doucs and Allan either side
Delph/Davies sits with either Doucs or Alan with the other free to move into 10, in possession.