TL;DR version: Does it matter if we bring in another winger if the tactics are such that they don't actually play on the wing?
Point 1 - It's very rare, when in possession, that we ever have two players overlapping on the touchline. As soon as our fullbacks push forward, our "wingers" drift inside and stay there, even when the ball is played out wide. This looks like a tactical decision, because in those rare occasions when one of our wingers stays wide, the fullback will then tuck inside.
What often happens when the ball is played wide is that everyone is stacked in a column extending from the edge of the 18 yard box to midfield, and Barry eventually gets the ball and passes it back to the keeper -- or worse, Distin. There's plenty of room down by the corner flag, but we never play the ball there from this position, particularly not in that special way Bainaar would toy with opponents.
There are two points here that jump out. The first is Martinez's dislike for corners. He is, in general, averse to whipping the ball into the box and more or less hoping something good happens. From a tactical standpoint, he's also said a failed corner will too often result in an easy opportunity for the opponent to break on the counter.
The second point is something Garbutt mentioned following the Newcastle match. He talked about overlapping with Baines, who was in center midfield, as opposed to overlapping with Eto'o, who was lined up ahead of him. I know our DM's provide defensive cover for our fullbacks, but the key here is that in a few instances Garbutt and Baines did swap roles while Eto'o freelanced. Instead of utilizing their mutual abilities to play wide to link up, they covered for each other in different parts of the pitch.
So, the questions are:
1) Am I missing something tactically in watching these games? Or are am I right in thinking there's a conscious decision to keep our focus on the center of the pitch? (This is a genuine question. I've only been at it a handful of years.)
2) Aside from the obvious of moving Barkley back to ACM/CM, how much do Everton stand to benefit from an upgrade at winger if this is how that player will operate tactically? Would the only upgrade be in having a player with the ability to deal with the profound lack of space in which he will have to operate?
Thanks/cheers!
Point 1 - It's very rare, when in possession, that we ever have two players overlapping on the touchline. As soon as our fullbacks push forward, our "wingers" drift inside and stay there, even when the ball is played out wide. This looks like a tactical decision, because in those rare occasions when one of our wingers stays wide, the fullback will then tuck inside.
What often happens when the ball is played wide is that everyone is stacked in a column extending from the edge of the 18 yard box to midfield, and Barry eventually gets the ball and passes it back to the keeper -- or worse, Distin. There's plenty of room down by the corner flag, but we never play the ball there from this position, particularly not in that special way Bainaar would toy with opponents.
There are two points here that jump out. The first is Martinez's dislike for corners. He is, in general, averse to whipping the ball into the box and more or less hoping something good happens. From a tactical standpoint, he's also said a failed corner will too often result in an easy opportunity for the opponent to break on the counter.
The second point is something Garbutt mentioned following the Newcastle match. He talked about overlapping with Baines, who was in center midfield, as opposed to overlapping with Eto'o, who was lined up ahead of him. I know our DM's provide defensive cover for our fullbacks, but the key here is that in a few instances Garbutt and Baines did swap roles while Eto'o freelanced. Instead of utilizing their mutual abilities to play wide to link up, they covered for each other in different parts of the pitch.
So, the questions are:
1) Am I missing something tactically in watching these games? Or are am I right in thinking there's a conscious decision to keep our focus on the center of the pitch? (This is a genuine question. I've only been at it a handful of years.)
2) Aside from the obvious of moving Barkley back to ACM/CM, how much do Everton stand to benefit from an upgrade at winger if this is how that player will operate tactically? Would the only upgrade be in having a player with the ability to deal with the profound lack of space in which he will have to operate?
Thanks/cheers!
