2025/26 Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

[wandyr79]

I don't think we play with a so called 'Number 10' - Its just a 433 - With KDH the central midfielder with more freedom to move forward.

I was about to write the same. I think the armchair tacticians sometimes like to pigeon hole players.

Dewsbury-Hall plays in midfield, it is as simple as that. He sometimes collects the ball a bit deeper, he sometimes gets ahead of the ball to receive it higher up. He is an intelligent footballer and does seem to know where to be to dictate/affect play, as needed.

 

[Vaughan]

maybe its been a tweak recently but earlier in the season it definitely felt like he was positioned higher up the pitch than garner and gana, and often a bit adrift of the game

sunderland was a bit of a turning point, he was absolutely lost that game and we were terrible after the barry miss and lucky not to get pumped

from there his form really improved

 

[AndyP94]

Whatever his position is, he's doing wonders with what he's contributing so far.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Isn't he playing that position already?

Just because they put him as a ten in the pre match line up doesn't mean that's where he's playing. Most of the time is playing as an advanced 8 in that inside left channel which is - dundundun - where you want to move him to?

It's more about starting position really - there have been games this season (albeit not many) where we have played a genuine 433 (or at least games where we have switched to it).

Without the ball we defend as a 442 most of the time, which I have no problem with, plenty of teams do.

With the ball, if you're in a 4411, then KDH is receiving the ball that little bit further forward and he's not as involved in playing through midfield. It also makes us a tiny bit more imbalanced as his natural bias to the left of the pitch isn't replicated by anyone on the right. In a 433, that's addressed slightly better.

In a 433 he can get a bit more involved and a slighter deeper starting position is more difficult to pick up with his runs into the box. That said, a 4411 makes it easier to transition into our defensive shape without the ball. There are advantages to both. I'm a huge fan of the player and I maintain he's doing a good job as the 10 most of the time, I just think you get even more from him when the shape allows him to be slightly more involved. I think the argument for it increases if/when Grealish returns as they combine so well.

 

[Pabbers]

I was about to write the same. I think the armchair tacticians sometimes like to pigeon hole players.

Dewsbury-Hall plays in midfield, it is as simple as that. He sometimes collects the ball a bit deeper, he sometimes gets ahead of the ball to receive it higher up. He is an intelligent footballer and does seem to know where to be to dictate/affect play, as needed.

Yep, agree completely mate.

This Number 10 term that gets thrown around, was for free role attackers with unreal ability that you just let them be free, and wait for the ball as such.

Not many teams really play it anymore, as everyone needs to work hard.

 

[Pabbers]

It’s less of a rigid 4-4-1-1 than in prior Moyes teams but I’d say KDH is still clearly a more advanced player than whoever the other two midfielders are. We’ve done a good job this season of allowing one, usually Gana, to get further up.

Absolutely, he is just the more attack minded player of that 3...its down to Team / Individual instructions....he is the natural one advance more when attacking.

Think even him and Moyes have used the term too....being the 10, I just think its used loosely now.

He is just a midfielder that like to attack.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

I think we are playing it now....or a close version of it.

433 or 451 depending on how you look at it.

It's more a 4-2-3-1. I would want KDH as close to goal as possible given our lack of other scorers.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Maybe the best footballing side in our history?

“By the late 1960s, the vision of producing an entertaining team based on a fluid 4-3-3 formation was coming to fruition.”

Harry Catterick’s Centenary – Everton FC Heritage Society

efcheritagesociety.com

Ok, so I over 55 years ago. Why do people always assume that changing things will produce better results?

 

[Swartzy]

Have we ever played 433 in our entire history?

Now, we just use a fancy term for it..

 

[Rita_Poon]

Cement this season please.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Big show today, first taste of this in front of our lot. We all know you've got the game, today is the time to bring out the best of it.

 

[Rita_Poon]

That man again...

 

[jonnyg]

One of the few who was up for it the whole match.

We waited too long to exploit that left-sided run into the box that he does.

 

[maccavennie]

One of the few who was up for it the whole match.

We waited too long to exploit that left-sided run into the box that he does.

And when we finally start making the most of it, he put Illy on the right and that was basicslly the last we seen of anay kind of threat

 

[StateSideToffee]

Thought he had a wonderful game. Would love to see a midfield of him, Garner and literally any one other than Gueye.