If you were Everton manager right now, what would you do next?

[Woolly Blue]

I was going to make this after the Atalanta game but on reflection I think now seems a better time considering our 'nightmare fixture period' is now out of the way.

We're coming off the back of 4 straight (and frankly depressing) defeats, shipping goals without scoring any ourselves, and everyone at the club is understandably not feeling too great.

The team has been considerably tinkered with in recent times and it most definitely hasn't helped our form, but the masochist in you would've perhaps considered it a necessary endevour in order to find out more about the glut of new players that are being introduced into an almost entirely new setup compared to last season.

With everything that we've seen so far, what would you now do as manager of Everton? What would you say to the squad/certain players given the run of fixtures we now have ahead of us? How would you line the team up/what system would you play going forward? How would discussions go between you and Steve Walsh/the board regarding January and beyond?

Genuinely interested to read some thought out responses.

It's a good question mate. If it was me, there'd be two main things I'd do, and they'd be linked.

1. I'd decide what my best team was, rather than the best eleven individuals, and get them drilled to play to their strengths. Until Seamus and Bolassie are fit, this will mean that at least one of his signings is unlikely to be a regular starter.

2. As part of that, I'd decide whether a back three or a back four was my preferred option, and, whereever possible, stick to it. The problem here is that Martina is best suited to playing wing back, but Baines just doesn't look comfortable there, so something has to give.

We have a set of games coming up against teams who aren't, on paper, any better than us, so it's now time to stamp a style of play on the team that suits the personnel rather than worrying too much about the opposition.

Less importantly, I'd swerve talking down expectations. He was happy enough to let them grow, but, although most fans knew that top four wasn't going to be an immediate thing, part of the manager's job is to get more out of the squad than the sum of their parts.

Finally, I'd ignore any smart-alec one line responses from the twitter generation who struggle to put a coherent sentence together.

 

[sageyefc]

This is true.

Maybe Keane in the middle with Holgate and Jags either side could work.

Keane can do everything Williams can without the brain farts when it comes to passing.

Jagielka should be no where near a defence, same as Williams, they're both finished. Think we'll be stuck defending so deep to overcompensate for lack of pace til funes is back or he buys someone else in Jan

 

[marnie]

Pretend it was an International break on transfer Deadline Week......and FFFF Off to Portugal for a game of golf with Steve Bruce.Or has this already been done ?????

 

[sageyefc]

Just play 433 like last year you tit and no trying to squeeze players that aren't wingers on the wing

 

[bicycleheader]

I'd send Rooney to train with the staff 5 a side team and drop Williams via Twitter

 

[Furey1878]

A steady back 4

Always have at least one of DCL/Sandro to play up with Rooney

Play at least one pacey winger/forward in the team as well as DCL/Sandro be that Mirallas, Lennon, Vlasic or Lookman

Give Kenny and Lookman a go

In home games at least sacrifice one of Schneiderlin or Gueye, have Davies/Klassen deeper to help us link play and get up the pitch

Create chances

Score goals

Don't concede

Win games

Go to Elsmere port

 

[Furey1878]

 

[Sona]

1. Decide on a best starting eleven, which would incorporate some much needed pace whilst also building for the future.

GK: Pickford
RB: Kenny
LB: Baines
CB: Holgate
CB: Keane
DM: Schneiderlin
CM: Davies
CM: Sigurdsson
RW: Lookman
LW: Sandro
CF: Rooney

2. Stick with it for these 4 winnable games.

Regardless of how well Martina, Jags, Williams play, they are not the long term future of the club.

Playing Kenny, Holgate and Lookman couldn't be any worse than it is now, so might as well get them out on the pitch.

 

[demo84]

Get players moving off the ball so people have a pass to play and so they dont have to pass back and sideways. For the past 4 years there has been no movement off the ball.

He also needs to get the lone striker to stay up the pitch. Its no use the lone striker looking to get the ball in the middle of our half with no one further up the pitch to play it to. we already have another 10 players deep in our half, we don't need an 11th.

He needs to stop playing 2 defensive midfielders too! No wonder we are so deep and negative with our passes when the players who our moves should go through are so close to our defence. When passing, players need to be in space or move into space to receive the ball and get a good ball off to other players. Because our midfield is so close together none of these things are done easily and we end up just passing it backwards.

And finally (there are more but i'm going to stop now), the players need to go through the routine over and over again of passing the ball back to the keepers preferred side (left foot). So many times they are passing to his right foot and the keeper is under pressure then to get the ball away on his wrong side - not what you want with a team with no confidence!

 

[Who's_up_for_cumpkins?]

Drop Williams. Play Holgate in a back 3. Consider dropping Baines. Even be tempted to play a more attack minded player there. Lookman maybe. Worked for Chelsea last season with moses. Try and play a settled team for a few weeks. Finally pray Coleman and Bolasie get fit soon.


Next few games I'd go:

Pickford
Holgate jagielka Keane
Martina Schneiderlin gueye lookman
Sigurdsson
Rooney sandro

 

[Abraders]

Put out a team that will definitely beat Sunderland and go from there

What team is that exactly? Any team I can come up with looks crap.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Make the best use of the current squad until the next transfer window, which is;

1) Flat four at the back please. Once upon a time Baines would have been useful as a wing-back at one time, not now though in the twilight of his career. A defensive three with Williams and Jagielka together is a liability. Martinez looks good going forward, but he simply cannot defend. Jonjoe Kenny deserves a chance in the odd game until Coleman gets back, and I'd like to see Holgate given the odd opportunity in the centre of defence. Jags and Williams to be gradually phased out.
2) I think we can afford to play one defensive midfielder only (especially with a flat four), and play one CM a bit further forward. Gueye as the CDM, Schneids / Besic / Davies a bit further forward.
3) WIDTH..... perhaps Mirallas or Lookman on the right flank for pace, good outlet too when counter-attacking. Sigurdsson / Vlasic on the left.
4) One up front (likely to be DCL) with one playing just behind in close support (Rooney). Sandro and Klaassen respectively to cover.

It ain't perfect but given the squad that's probably the best system. Obviously still glaring difficiencies in the squad, namely cover for left-back and a target-man up front, which can hopefully be rectified in January.

 

[LookmanShootsGOLLLL]

Lookman

An offense of slugs is no offense just like cheeps without mayonnaze is no cheeps

 

[degsy]

I'd resign.

We have a winner

 

[toffee-L]

Excommunicate Williams.