Everton's defence during the 2013/14 season classified as 'formidable'

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Blue Cheese said:
What a ridiculous thing to say, it's a team sport 11 a side, everyone plays there part.
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Keeping the ball more was a factor.
Inaki Bergara seems to have helped Howard.

But Martinez simply hasn't made our back four better defenders. He recognised teir limitations and addressed it with a midfield holding duo that were pretty much the only mainstays of our team. Even one without the other left us looking shabby on the few times it happened. At no point in the league did we play without either.
 

Royal Blue Jersey said:
Keeping the ball more was a factor.
Inaki Bergara seems to have helped Howard.

But Martinez simply hasn't made our back four better defenders. He recognised teir limitations and addressed it with a midfield holding duo that were pretty much the only mainstays of our team. Even one without the other left us looking shabby on the few times it happened. At no point in the league did we play without either.
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I think it was glaringly obvious we needed some holding midfielder, we watched in horror as Neville and Osman let wave after wave of attack through last season, so regardless of implementing a different style of play, that was an area we were always going to need to strengthen. Once that was addressed i'd have fully expected us to keep more clean sheets.

My point was the team defends as a unit. To a point you are correct to say McCarthy and Barry were part of the reason why we conceded less because they were better than what we had last year and both are defensive minded. I wouldn't say our defence has been nothing, over the last few seasons without them though, we have a pretty solid back four and have had for a while.
 
I think our defence is better than the statistics suggest. We leaked a lot of goals when any of our first choice back four was out, (3 against City, 4 against Liverpool off the top of my head). Stones is good and getting better, but I died a little inside whenever I saw Alacaraz on the teamsheet.
 
All ifs and buts. But when you consider we shipped 7 goals against the RS in 2 games and 6 against city in 2 games. That equates to 26 goals conceded in the other 34 games. I think this paints a truer reflection of how much better we were defensivly last season. Also wasn't Howard near the top on clean sheets gained?
 

toffeejack said:
harsh. they only conceded one more last season with osman and neville in front of them
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Yeah, in a team set up away from home to defend deep. Every time they got it it was booted clear. This expansive football looked like it was going to leave them horribly exposed, I actually think once Martinez realised this he madd shifting Fellaini and building a holding midfield partnership his #1 priority.

As some have perhaps fairly argued, we'll never actually know, but all indicators point to that being the case
 
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