2021/22 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[Papa Shango]

He's following instruction though isn't he? The same instruction Ancelotti give him.

He, and Ancelotti were very vocal that he best serves the team when he in effect 'goal hangs'. The issue is, we've got nobody who'll create a chance. I'm sure Lampard said similar early days.

We have a striker who is a goal hanger, but we aren't capable of creating anything for.

Chances created this season by team from the Premier Leagues website - Watford have created almost twice as many chances as us...


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Spot on, it's almost like selling our two most creative players has affected us in some way.

 

[Deulofeumygod]

He was given one chance the whole game

 

[Papa Shango]

I am properly fed up now.

That MNF appearence a few months is what set my alarm bells off, it was clearly arranged by his agent and was to show wider audiences what an intellectual lad he is. That will further convince clubs who are sniffing around him that he'd be a really good addition to their teams/group. If you think I'm being daft then ask yourself and be honest, would City, the RS, Chelsea or Arsenal let one of their injured players be on TV doing punditry for one of their games? Of course they wouldn't because it's nothing but a side-show. They'd put the kibosh on it immediately because they are all serious about keeping everything in-house and not letting anybody they want to keep be touted around in any form whatsoever.

Him wearing dresses I don't give a toss about, him appearing on magazine covers whilst he's gone months without scoring and we're neck-deep in crap, everyone should have a big pronlem with that because it reeks of total disinterest. Get lost in that case.

You do know these magazines are done months in advance? He hasn't walked off the pitch yesterday and straight into a photo shoot!

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Right but if that's the case he is waiting for chances to be put on a plate we may as well try Rondon or a fluid three especially in away games. I know that sounds mad but jesus the creation just isn't there in this team to have a goal hanger.

I agree.

But I still think we're best served with him on the pitch.

It's not ideal, but he can slot if given a chance.

If we had better than Rondon, I'd be saying maybe get someone on who offer something else/stretch play for others but we don't and it really didn't work when we had Richarlison trying it.

These are the Lampard quotes I remember pre-match:

"The break has been positive for Dominic. I’ve only had him for three games. He was playing short of fitness, a striker wants to be, needs to be 100%. We’ve worked well with him over the last couple of weeks."

“Without putting un-due pressure on him - because it’s tough for a striker with expectations - but he’s in a good place".

Sounds like he was fine. Apparently he was seen throwing his bib to the ground after being taken off - disappointment at his/the team's performance or frustration at coming off? We don't know, but it was a surprising change that seemed to catch DCL off guard.

Having no alternative would be our biggest problem if Calvert-Lewin was a top class player who wasn't available to us, but he is playing and is contributing absolutely nothing. Teams of our level don't often have a plethora of options upfront when you have an undisputed starter for one position. Far too many of us thought that once he was back we would markedly improve but that isn't the case at all. Look at Calvert-Lewin's performance compared to Antonio's for West Ham, absolutely chalk and cheese.

My post wasn't an attack of his ego, I don't doubt that he's a good lad and he always comes across well. It was merely an attempt to maybe understand why the work rate has completely disappeared from his game and I think it goes far beyond 'manager instructions'.

That's Lampard saying Calvert-Lewin was playing short of fitness - that's why he didn't start in the game before. He's working up to full fitness, that's why he come off - not because of this;

During that time, he's become an England international, is linked away with big money moves repeatedly and seems to be making a name for himself as somewhat of a celebrity away from football too.

When you've put the hard yards in over several seasons, beaten off competition from a big money signing brought in to replace you, achieved a level of goalscoring under an iconic manager playing a certain type of way and seen your authority, status and ego naturally grow there's bound to be a reluctance on his part to go back to the way he used to be.

I don't think Lampard is asking him to play the way he is currently, dragging DcL off when Gray and Iwobi were more likely candidates was particularly telling (and fitness is certainly no excuse for him anymore). I think Calvert-Lewin sees himself now as a bona-fide star who doesn't need to do the extra graft and there's a bit of a clash of wills at the moment.

We're better with Calvert-Lewin in the team.

We desperately need him to stay fit.

 

[diggerdestroyer]

Keane used to say of Beckham. He didnt care what Beckham did off the pitch, what he wore or did because he used to produce every saturday week in week out.
Dcl could walk around with a marshmallow head for all I care if he produces on a Saturday. But he doesnt and hasnt since his injury.

In saying that he is useful on crosses into the box. I never rated him for much else. However it isnt his fault we actually dont get the ball in the box.

 

[toffee-L]

I agree.

But I still think we're best served with him on the pitch.

It's not ideal, but he can slot if given a chance.

If we had better than Rondon, I'd be saying maybe get someone on who offer something else/stretch play for others but we don't and it really didn't work when we had Richarlison trying it.




That's Lampard saying Calvert-Lewin was playing short of fitness - that's why he didn't start in the game before. He's working up to full fitness, that's why he come off - not because of this;



We're better with Calvert-Lewin in the team.

We desperately need him to stay fit.

For sure with your last two points, the gulf between him and what's behind him is vast. Sadly we are not in a position where we can allow him to just coast through games and do the bare minimum whilst he works up to peak fitness (whatever that looks like). He has to really bring it now.

We'll just to have to agree to disagree on the substitution. He could have easily completed that game if he was left on. Many are baffled by Lampard's decision to take him off rather than Gray and it seems DCL was too. My opinion is simply Lampard wasn't happy with his performance or effort.

 

[Littlesue]

Look at the state of the trousers, at least he could polish the floor while wearing them

 

[GrandOldTeam]

For sure with your last two points, the gulf between him and what's behind him is vast. Sadly we are not in a position where we can allow him to just coast through games and do the bare minimum whilst he works up to peak fitness (whatever that looks like). He has to really bring it now.

We'll just to have to agree to disagree on the substitution. He could have easily completed that game if he was left on. Many are baffled by Lampard's decision to take him off rather than Gray and it seems DCL was too. My opinion is simply Lampard wasn't happy with his performance or effort.

I don't think Lampard names Calvert-Lewin on the bench for Palace and then bring him on at half time if he wasn't happy with his attitude. For me that's managing his fitness and is consistent with his comments about him not being 100% fit.

He also doesn't start him and give him 80 minutes if he isn't happy with his attitude.

I think he saw 10 man Everton in a game that got away from us, and had Burnley in mind.

If you agree with my last point of 'we desperately need him to stay fit', then considering the comments before the game was exclusively talking about working on his fitness - then for me that explains why he'd likely take him off. Returning from back-to-back injuries and to be fair, he wasn't in the game.

You think Calvert-Lewin has an ego/bad attitude and Lampard is taking him off because of a lack of effort.

I think Lampard is managing his fitness.

Each to their own.

 

[MikeH72]

He's following instruction though isn't he? The same instruction Ancelotti give him.

He, and Ancelotti were very vocal that he best serves the team when he in effect 'goal hangs'. The issue is, we've got nobody who'll create a chance. I'm sure Lampard said similar early days.

We have a striker who is a goal hanger, but we aren't capable of creating anything for.

Chances created this season by team from the Premier Leagues website - Watford have created almost twice as many chances as us...


View attachment 161260

Why doesn’t he attack crosses and corners then?

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Why doesn’t he attack crosses and corners then?

Doesn't he no?

 

[chicoazul]

Why doesn’t he attack crosses and corners then?

Dude you just dialled into a CRUSHING ffs why oh why? I care for you.

 

[bcblue1878]

Replied to someone else who said this saying he's almost certainly following instruction from the manager.

Before Ancelotti he'd be all over. Ancelotti told him to stay in the middle and I suspect Lampard is doing likewise. The issue though is fitness, confidence and the 3 top providers/chance creators in Digne, Rodriguez and Sigurdsson no longer play.

Calvert-Lewin needs chances creating more than most, but who is creating them?

Agreed about the lack of providers which has had an impact on both Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, particularly Calvert- Lewin - because let’s face it he doesn’t score many from outside the six yard box, where as Richarlison does occasionally have that moment of magic in him to make something for himself out of not a lot!
Whatever the answer is we need significantly more from both in the remaining games if we are to stay in this league!

 

[APN_EFC]

You do know these magazines are done months in advance? He hasn't walked off the pitch yesterday and straight into a photo shoot!

Yeah and he wouldn't have any say on the timing - i.e. 'please don't release this on the day after we lose' etc.
He's fine with the side-hustle, but like with everything else, he has to be a good player to get all that too. If he doesn't play well again, get in the England squad etc, all of that will dry up anyway

 

[EFCPaul]

You do know these magazines are done months in advance? He hasn't walked off the pitch yesterday and straight into a photo shoot!

I do know that, but unless it was before Christmas it's a properly crap look because we've been in the mud since then. My issue is it that it's looks like he's trying to build a profile for himself that doesn't involve being an Everton player. It's concerning.

 

[Tony’s Carp]

You do know these magazines are done months in advance? He hasn't walked off the pitch yesterday and straight into a photo shoot!

It wasn’t done months in advance. In the interview he mentions the Palace defeat. He’s entitled to do what he wants with his time off but it’s a bit tone deaf when us fans are so stressed about relegation.