Everton Attack Down the Middle Less Than Any Other Premiership Side

[thefisch26]

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/03/16/premier-league-sides-attack-lopsided-wing-play/

"Everton’s reluctance to play down the centre owes much to playing so many passes down the left. Despite being a left-back, Leighton Baines is one of their more creative, technically-gifted players, and playing through him is a key part of their approach. The return of Steven Pienaar also maximises this effect."

I think he's focusing a bit too much on what we have rather than what we lack (a strong, central playmaker), but it's nice to see some statistics rather than the usual conjecture surrounding football. Any thoughts?

 

[Azzurri]

Rodwell, Gibson and Fellaini not playing a forward pass between them for 90 minutes probably has something to do with this.

Osman down the middle please Mr Moyes.

 

[just_COYB]

Rodwell, Gibson and Fellaini not playing a forward pass between them for 90 minutes probably has something to do with this.

Osman down the middle please Mr Moyes.

Don't forget Neville!

It's sad, actually, but when I saw that 25% of their attacks were down the middle, I thought to myself "did those happen in all the games I missed or are those the errant crosses by Distin?"

 

[ilikecheese]

Ossie in a center role Por Favor...

To small for it...but he is great going forward in that role..

 

[hawkii]

I think it has more to do with the seeming lack of haste in a lot of our attacks. They never seem to want to go on fast breaks, and always wait for people to catch up; play passes either to or behind players and generally take their time. If you take as much time going forward as Everton tend to do, your likely to get the ball out to the wings to get crosses in.

We never seem to go forward at pace (and I don't mean going at Bale speed, I just mean constant forward movement with nothing static on the way up the pitch) and in the same vein we never seem to take quick throw-ins or up-the-pitch quick free kicks.

With the complete lack of urgency we have, teams can easily get lots of people in the middle of the pitch, and the only place there's any space available is on the wings. Combine that with how good Baines is, and it explains why we aren't attacking much up the middle of the pitch.

 

[Christiffa25]

We don't have creative players through the middle. Ossie is the only one.

 

[Elong]

We don't have creative players through the middle. Ossie is the only one.

Bingo!

 

[Saliba]

We have to be one of the most predictably boring teams in the league. 2 seasons ago we were passing the ball beautifully....now....so dull.

 

[blue61]

You could have called this thread 'Everton attack down the right less than any other premiership side'.

 

[ijjysmith]

Least suprising news ever!

 

[Christiffa25]

We need a quality creative, goal scoring ACM

Role up Ross Barkley..... When he's ready of course!

 

[davek]

That ball from Donovan to Anichebe a couple of weeks ago shows what's possible with invention through the middle.

We'll waste Jelavich if this isn't sorted out.

 

[scratchnsurf]

Are the words 'down the middle' needed in this thread title?

 

[kenada_blue]

Rodwell, Gibson and Fellaini not playing a forward pass between them for 90 minutes probably has something to do with this.

Osman down the middle please Mr Moyes.

Tactics mate, its how they're instructed to play.

Arteta did the same.

Has been for seasons - wide, cross, cahill....hasn't worked

 

[Famous Grouse]

I normally agree with everyone who says Osman in the middle but today, especially in the second half he barely moved.

There were times when Drenthe was wide against 2 men, needed a pass inside but there was no offer of a pass and the move breaks down. Osman was a passenger.