What is our biggest problem?

[TyphooToffee]

Genuine pace, overall fitness and lack of good quality in depth.

 

[Yarrgh]

We have 7 or 8 decent players that are first team quality for the European places with a few of those at best as top 4 players (Richy, James, Digne and maybe Allan and DCL if they keep up what they are doing. Coleman and Doucoure I like but one is almost at the end of his career, and the other needs to prove his quality now he's here). After that, we have some mid-tablers at best, and some lower half/relegation fodder players. Unfortunately it's tricky to remove the worse culprits and the inadequate as they're all on too much money and blocking the ability to get better replacements in. We get a suspension or injury to one of the good players and it affects us hugely - the other team doesn't have to worry about the replacement coming in and concentrate on negating any remaining threats more easily. As we are forced to play those better players consistently they are more prone to injury or picking up bookings/ suspensions.

For me deadwood and strength in depth are so intertwined at the moment, they may as well be the same option. Sort that out and fitness/ formations/ ability to manage games will start to be resolved too.

Also I put getting a new 1st team keeper into the strengthening of the squad.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

I see too much deadwood and strength in depth are the clear leaders in this poll. Two sides of the same coin to me. Finances dictate we cannot address one without first clearing the other.

 

[Papa Shango]

(as in you, although it also works for Sigurdsson I suppose...)

 

[Carloblues]

Bit of everything

Squad depth- couple of injuries/suspensions and we have iwobi and Davies playing full back and siggy comes in and captains us.

We don't look fit at all, we look goosed after about 60 mins

Keeper is shocking

Game management is disgusting,new concede a goal and the team just flaps it

Formation isn't working

Football is just moody

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

After five games we were flying; since then we have plummeted back to earth without a parachute...it's not been pretty.

Deadwood
Strength in depth
Keeper
Formation

Please don't blame injuries; all teams have those, and it just reeks of stupidity.

 

[luuk_deventer]

The lack of an identity is disappointing. The squad is not yet a team, it's more a collection of individuals. There are other squads with far less quality than this one, with managers less experienced than Ancelotti, and they have a clear playing style and are well organised.

The 'blood and thunder' as others have called it, intensity and never giving the opposition time to settle, is what Everton is known for. I hoped by now to see signs that Ancelotti has united the team and stamped his own philosophy on the group.

Fitness and stamina may be an issue, I'm not too sure. I know it has been at other clubs CA has been in charge of.

 

[number4.]

We are ship with no direction.....

In comes one captain "head that way", the next " no head this way" and so on. Ultimately leaving us spinning around the open waters....

how to fix....
Identify a captain (CA IMHO); agree destination, get a map and plot a route.

 

[DanEFC92]

Recruitment is a biggie

 

[The Legend of Southall]

We need more patience.

If anything, our start to the season was a sign of things to come. We were always going to drop off once injuries and squad rotation happened.

My only disappointment has been the defence. A bit tighter at the back, and we'd be higher in the league than we currently are. But it was always going to take a couple of windows to fix.

Personally, I hope we recruit in the January. We need European football for next season. Players like Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin will start getting itchy without it. A champions league team sniffing around James wouldn't surprise me either.

A League Cup win would be a definitive marker that we are heading in the right direction.

 

[everton1953]

Without doubt the biggest problem is not going to the games.

 

[Jim Hopper]

Other than Richarlison, Digne & Rodriguez the rest don’t seem to be on the same page and look clueless, especially our defence and central midfielders.

So many times over the last few weeks oppositions players have just easily walked right through the middle or ghosted in completely unmarked to a free header/shot on goal, there’s little closing down or players not being quick enough to close down, minimal organisation at the back, it’s like a free for all, all of them being dragged out of position and not covering when needed, it’s just a cluster mess. Pretty much been like this since after the Spurs game and gets worse with each game.

 

[johnjoeefc]

It's mentality. Leeds were night and day ahead of us in that department. Maybe the players should all take a trip to go and watch marine play, they could learn a lot off them too

 

[Saint Domingo]

Gylfi Sigurdsson

 

[Bullens Rd]

God, we've loads of problems. Thank God there's a transfer window opening in 4 weeks, but whether the board will invest further is anybody's guess.

- Replacing Richarlison who will be off end of the season
- Finding a new right back asap, must be in January
- Signing a pacy winger
- Shifting Gomes/Sigurdsson/Tosun/Mina etc