Everton boss Ronald Koeman should go long or Toffees will come up short again in the Premier League
GO long to play short. It’s what Ronald Koeman and Everton have not been doing in the league. And it’s costing them.
Everton’s defenders have been coming in for stick recently as their team has slipped into the bottom three. But that’s unfair.
Their problems are not down to the back five. They stem from the centre-forward. Or lack of one.
Look at the average player position map (Map A, below) for their 4-0 loss to Manchester United.
You can see how deep they are and that Wayne Rooney (No 10) is the furthest forward. He is hardly out of his own half.
Everton have nobody stretching the game, running in behind the opposition, doing what Romelu Lukaku used to do for them.
As great as Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson are, they are not going to do that. They want the ball to feet.
This means that unless Everton’s defenders aimlessly punt the ball up the field, their only option is to play out from the back.
As an opposition defender playing against Everton, because there’s no one running in behind, you can press high up the pitch. It’s no-risk.
LATEST EVERTON NEWS
This makes it hard for Everton to play out from the back. Michael Keane, Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams are all looking for eye-of-the-needle passes to marked players.
Some stats from this season back this up: Everton have conceded twice from losing the ball in their own half — last season it happened four times in total; only Palace have conceded more goals from losing the ball in their own half; only Swansea and Brighton have made more errors that have led to shots on their goal.
The solution — play a striker who will run beyond the defence.
When I played against Didier Drogba, he would run the channels and provide an out-ball for Chelsea.
It made us sit deep as a back four. And that created space in the midfield for Chelsea’s skilful players to get on the ball and cause havoc.
Everton’s best result of the season was their 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad.
Look at the positions map (Map B) for that game.
Everton played Dominic Calvert-Lewin (No 29) up top. The young striker, who scored twice against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup in midweek, stretched the game, with Rooney and Tom Davies (No 26) getting up to help him.
It gave them an out-ball. So when City pressed high, Jagielka and Co could play the long ball and not just try a clever pass or give it to someone under pressure.
Koeman had a good transfer window but missed out on the final piece in his jigsaw — an Olivier Giroud to hold the ball up or quick striker to run the channels.
But Koeman has Carabao Cup hero Calvert-Lewin — if he is willing to trust him.
⚽ Ian Wright's First Goalscorer Tips ⚽
Sun Bets are the best price on all first goalscorers in the Premier League this season
Former striker Ian Wright selects his top picks for the weekend.
- Harry Kane (West Ham v Spurs): "The Tottenham star is up and running now." (3/1 - add to your betslip)
- Jermain Defoe (Everton v Bournemouth): "Jermain is looking sharp and ready to pounce." (13/2 - add to your betslip)
- Jamie Vardy (Leicester v Liverpool): "He's the standout contender to give the Foxes the lead." (11/2 - add to your betslip)
The summer transfer window was one the craziest we have ever seen.
Take a look at the most profitable transfers of ALL time.
And here are the Premier League players whose wages made them the most expensive per minute played.