2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[Toffeelover]

How can we press with players like Gomes and Sigurdsson in the middle of the park? Which is what we’ve had to deal with mostly this season? Gomes The most dispossessed Everton player and most dribbled past player in Europe? What strengths do we have in the middle of the park? What strengths do we have currently? We’ve got a winger who’s rubbish who thinks he’s a No.10 who’s rubbish. We’ve had to use centre half’s as fullbacks most of the season. Our most creative player has been missing due to injury. Richarlison only hit form in January. Our only strengths currently are our back line and our strikers. We currently have one of the worst midfields in the league due to injury.

I agree but with their poor playing record why does Carlo keep picking them?

Does he have no faith in tryin one or two young players? That's how it seems there may be young players on the bench but they are never given the nod to have a go.

 

[blueblue]

I think we may miss out on a Europa league spot and certainly CL is way out of reach and I think it always was.
Doucoure is a loss that we simply cannot afford and in my opinion while Gomes is anchoring midfield and Iwobi playing as he is then we are struggling to pick up points never mind wins.

I think there is an argument now for 5-3-2 where we can allow Digne and Seamus to try to create from the wings because we are not creating any chances at all just now.

I would like to get this season finished now and if our recruitment in the summer is as productive as last summer then we can look forward with optimism to next season.

But, at the moment without JR we almost totally lack creativity and with JR and Gomes in the side we lack pace.

Iwobi had a good spell but at the moment he just runs around and doesn't contribute defensively or offensively.

I can only imagine the manager feels that by playing certain players he is maintaining their transfer value for the summer because as far as I can see they are more a liability than asset at times.

 

[BlueToff]

I think we may miss out on a Europa league spot and certainly CL is way out of reach and I think it always was.
Doucoure is a loss that we simply cannot afford and in my opinion while Gomes is anchoring midfield and Iwobi playing as he is then we are struggling to pick up points never mind wins.

I think there is an argument now for 5-3-2 where we can allow Digne and Seamus to try to create from the wings because we are not creating any chances at all just now.

I would like to get this season finished now and if our recruitment in the summer is as productive as last summer then we can look forward with optimism to next season.

But, at the moment without JR we almost totally lack creativity and with JR and Gomes in the side we lack pace.

Iwobi had a good spell but at the moment he just runs around and doesn't contribute defensively or offensively.

I can only imagine the manager feels that by playing certain players he is maintaining their transfer value for the summer because as far as I can see they are more a liability than asset at times.

Thing is, we're - with 10 games to go - 6th, and we're in the QFs of the FA Cup.

Had we been offered this for right now at the start of the season we'd be chuffed.

So this is why I'm not suggesting at all that Carlo is doing badly, or that it's 'his fault'. I just don't accept the 'what more could he do' argument because there's clearly mistakes that have been made which have cost us points in games we shouldn't be losing.

There is no way on God's green earth it is acceptable to take 0 points from Fulham, Newcastle and Burnley at home.

It's great that we've balanced it out with wins against teams away from home, but we've seen no progress in terms of an attacking structure or system - not even a hint at one. We don't attack in phases or waves, we attack in moments with one or two players having to get everything right. It's a worry because it becomes predictable and, as we've actually seen in our last two away games, quite easy to stop. We beat West Brom because of a decent cross and Richarlison got a march on his marker. That's literally the only chance we've created in the last two away games - the other one being a crap pass which deflected to Dom and he missed.

Again, I say the above with the caveat that I know a chunk of the squad aren't up to scratch, but they're still the same players that have managed to get some big results this season too.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I think we may miss out on a Europa league spot and certainly CL is way out of reach and I think it always was.
Doucoure is a loss that we simply cannot afford and in my opinion while Gomes is anchoring midfield and Iwobi playing as he is then we are struggling to pick up points never mind wins.

I think there is an argument now for 5-3-2 where we can allow Digne and Seamus to try to create from the wings because we are not creating any chances at all just now.

I would like to get this season finished now and if our recruitment in the summer is as productive as last summer then we can look forward with optimism to next season.

But, at the moment without JR we almost totally lack creativity and with JR and Gomes in the side we lack pace.

Iwobi had a good spell but at the moment he just runs around and doesn't contribute defensively or offensively.

I can only imagine the manager feels that by playing certain players he is maintaining their transfer value for the summer because as far as I can see they are more a liability than asset at times.

For the rest of the season I’d go back to 4231. It’s the formation we’ve looked most balanced in. Richalrison will have his lip out, but it means the flanks are covered, it allows James to ply in number 10 and it means only two midfielders have to cover a much smaller area of the pitch. I’d do that until the end of the season but Carlo shelved that formation as soon as Mina got injured.

 

[LocalNative]

I think we may miss out on a Europa league spot and certainly CL is way out of reach and I think it always was.
Doucoure is a loss that we simply cannot afford and in my opinion while Gomes is anchoring midfield and Iwobi playing as he is then we are struggling to pick up points never mind wins.

I think there is an argument now for 5-3-2 where we can allow Digne and Seamus to try to create from the wings because we are not creating any chances at all just now.

I would like to get this season finished now and if our recruitment in the summer is as productive as last summer then we can look forward with optimism to next season.

But, at the moment without JR we almost totally lack creativity and with JR and Gomes in the side we lack pace.

Iwobi had a good spell but at the moment he just runs around and doesn't contribute defensively or offensively.

I can only imagine the manager feels that by playing certain players he is maintaining their transfer value for the summer because as far as I can see they are more a liability than asset at times.

That bit highlighted in bold is a common theme every March for the past 5 years.

 

[granter79]

We didn’t get tactically out done against Fulham. They came here pressed us all game and outfought us in every single one on one battle. You can set a team up tactically as much as you want, when your squad is depleted and your relying on the same flumps that you know just simply aren’t good enough to carry out their jobs and put in the required level of performance then you’re always onto a losing battle.

Agree they were first to everything and players let the side down. I just don't think Carlo set us up in the correct shape as he did at the weekend. Players have been poor but it was clear against Fulham things had to change and earlier than he attempted to.

 

[blueblue]

Thing is, we're - with 10 games to go - 6th, and we're in the QFs of the FA Cup.

Had we been offered this for right now at the start of the season we'd be chuffed.

So this is why I'm not suggesting at all that Carlo is doing badly, or that it's 'his fault'. I just don't accept the 'what more could he do' argument because there's clearly mistakes that have been made which have cost us points in games we shouldn't be losing.

There is no way on God's green earth it is acceptable to take 0 points from Fulham, Newcastle and Burnley at home.

It's great that we've balanced it out with wins against teams away from home, but we've seen no progress in terms of an attacking structure or system - not even a hint at one. We don't attack in phases or waves, we attack in moments with one or two players having to get everything right. It's a worry because it becomes predictable and, as we've actually seen in our last two away games, quite easy to stop. We beat West Brom because of a decent cross and Richarlison got a march on his marker. That's literally the only chance we've created in the last two away games - the other one being a crap pass which deflected to Dom and he missed.

Again, I say the above with the caveat that I know a chunk of the squad aren't up to scratch, but they're still the same players that have managed to get some big results this season too.

I do think there are days when Carlo gets it wrong, all managers do.
It is bad enough getting nothing from the games you mentioned but even worse we were outplayed in all three games and we offered vey little.

I think the manager knows the limitations in his team and is trying to muddle his way through to the end of the season. We even saw Iwobi getting a chance in the middle to show what he could do because he felt that was his best position.

There have been games as well where we picked up wins barely deserving to do so.
We know we need more creativity and more pace and I am sure he knows that also.

 

[RomanReigns]

I need to just calm down and assess things once the season ends

Still 10 games left with palace at home next in the league

 

[blueblue]

That bit highlighted in bold is a common theme every March for the past 5 years.

But, the recruitment last season was excellent.
JR, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey have all played a big part in what has been by and large a decent first full season under CA.

If the players recruited this summer make the same impact then I think we can be optimistic.

We are usually hoping for better things the following season , but this season at least a solid base has been laid down and we do have a top tier manager , unlike any other time in decades.

 

[matty1878]

But, the recruitment last season was excellent.
JR, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey have all played a big part in what has been by and large a decent first full season under CA.

If the players recruited this summer make the same impact then I think we can be optimistic.

We are usually hoping for better things the following season , but this season at least a solid base has been laid down and we do have a top tier manager , unlike any other time in decades.

this

 

[Goat]

But, the recruitment last season was excellent.
JR, Allan, Doucoure and Godfrey have all played a big part in what has been by and large a decent first full season under CA.

If the players recruited this summer make the same impact then I think we can be optimistic.

We are usually hoping for better things the following season , but this season at least a solid base has been laid down and we do have a top tier manager , unlike any other time in decades.

Peoples desires to ignore the postitives and focus on the negatives will never cease to amaze me.

People talk about Fulham more than they do winning at Anfield for the first time in 20 years, which just boils my head.

 

[MikeH72]

Peoples desires to ignore the postitives and focus on the negatives will never cease to amaze me.

People talk about Fulham more than they do winning at Anfield for the first time in 20 years, which just boils my head.

That was Fulham’s first win at Goodison ever to be fair.

 

[BlueToff]

I do think there are days when Carlo gets it wrong, all managers do.
It is bad enough getting nothing from the games you mentioned but even worse we were outplayed in all three games and we offered vey little.

I think the manager knows the limitations in his team and is trying to muddle his way through to the end of the season. We even saw Iwobi getting a chance in the middle to show what he could do because he felt that was his best position.

There have been games as well where we picked up wins barely deserving to do so.
We know we need more creativity and more pace and I am sure he knows that also.

100% agree. It's not about him not knowing something (though baffled why he thinks Gomes is going to give us some structure over Davies).

We just need to be better going forward. I know it comes down to better players, I do, but you can still create some kind of system/structure to craft chances. A template, if you will, to build on with better players moving forward.

I think if we have that template in place, we beat the likes of Fulham and Newcastle

 

[str5720]

That was Fulham’s first win at Goodison ever to be fair.

It was the FA cup but Fulham beat Everton at Goodison 1-2 on Feb 15th 1975. It was a big shock because Everton were top of the league at the time and Fulham were in the 2nd division. First game I ever went to.

 

[Efcjake]

Gordon, Nkounkou and Branthwaite have great potential but are not ready for the first team. Gordon may be a differeMy prospect next year, but Nkounkou and Branthwaite will probably go on loan again to continue learning their trade.

I’m afraid without the signings we made, we would be in a far worse position. Of course there is work to do, but overall I would say we are in better shape than last year

The big problem has been the financial drag of players like Bolasie, Schniderlin, Tosun, Delph and Walcott taking big salaries and offering very little. We are treading water while those players get moved on. Unfortunately the squad still has huge gaps to fill, it couldn’t be addressed in one summer.

I understand your frustration with the style of play, but we have missed Allan, James, Coleman and Digne for large parts of the season and the squad quality trails off very quickly underneath them. Ancelotti has shown willingness to change the system With three at the back, wing backs, 442 and changing from passing out the back to going long against Liverpool. I’m afraid that there just isn’t enough depth of quality available at present.

We go on about Bolasie, Schneiderlin and Walcott sucking wages out of the club but we haven't learned and replaced them with Iwobi, Bernard, and Delph.

Brands was supposed to fix that problem not continue it.