2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[LocalNative]

Here's the updated attacking stats after last night, for the season. This is ordered on 'chances created'

Now, if I order it on 'big chance created', we're 12th in the league, with 28. However, our 'big chance conversion rate' is brilliant - it's 55% - that's 7% more than any other team.

That tells us that we put the big opportunities that we create (well, more than half of them, which is very good) away - it's because we've had Dom in such good form, and a lot of his goals have come from in the six-yard box. We just don't create enough of them.

If we just find a way to start creating more chances, and that means not just having one route to goal (2 if you count set-pieces which we just aren't winning enough of right now - I stress again, but 4 corners won in the last 5 league games is horrific because we're genuinely very good from attacking corners too), then we'll be in a far better position because our forwards put those chances away at a rate that is better than anyone else in the league.

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Crikey, third bottom with chances created from open play is a bit of a worry. Esp when you consider we have 3 'playmakers' in Siggy, Gomes and James playing regularly. To me, it's a lack of pace up top - have we ever put a ball in behind a defence for someone to run onto? That and not having enough bodies to get forward, very often it's on Richarlison and DCL in the box, maybe sometimes Doucoure when he busts a gut.

DCL will always bag the big chances we get for him, but we need to be a little more expansive rather than relying solely on him and set pieces.

 

[catcherintherye]

I think we have to ask why we have been incapable of beating some very poor sides. For me, it's clear that we don't have enough variety in our attacking play. The stats back that up.

I can expect that to be better while also agreeing with everything you say above.

Thats the point though isn't it? The general picture is fine, in fact it's good this season. We are 6/7th on merit 2/3rds of a way through a season. The specifics of winning against poorer teams at home is not good enough, and a solution needs to be sought. Fans returning will help, but the results should be better nevertheless.

 

[LocalNative]

It does seem, in the money era, we have a tendency to turn on managers very quickly, some (Allardyce, Silva, Koeman) were more than justified, the other because he tried but ultimately failed (Martinez). Moyes, bar maybe 03/04 and his latter couple of seasons, would rarely face as much disgruntlement

Under Moyes there was always a sense of doing everything we could to compete, plus we regularly played in Europe then too. Since then we've yo-yo'd between top and bottom half and had about 3 trips to Europe in 10 years.

Player recruitment sine the Moshiri has come in has been dismal, particularly those early years.

 

[PSB1]

Do we?

Is it the time for finger pointing?

Or should we look at the bigger picture?

For me, that's Everton, in 7th, 5 points+game in hand on 4th place. Pretty good, all considered.

Yet, we see people on here, and social media fuming at Carlo Ancelotti, with some sack shouts. What world do these people live in?

Stadium will get approved, finance is well boxed off for that.

Then, after a clearout (Remember all these? Schneiderlin,Garbutt,Stekelenburg,Sandro Ramirez,Yannick Bolasie,Cenk Tosun,Theo Walcott,Oumar Niasse,Cuco Martina,Shani Tarashaj etc) - we'll then have the FFP capacity/bandwidth to spend and strengthen in the summer.

The optimism/hope for me is new stadium/Usmanov involvement in that stadium/Everton having cleared deadwood have the capacity to spend in the summer under one of the games greatest ever managers.

Some need a reality check - the quality in this Everton team is 7th-10th. A few injuries and it's 10th-13th.

If only some interfering so and so hadn't taken away rep, I'd award this plus 10.

 

[Egil Olsen]

That's four out of 10 outfield players.

Pressing is a team art. So yes, maybe Ancelotti prefers his philosophy. Fine. Bit I still maintain even if he wanted to play gargoylepress, the rest of them aren't up to it.

It is the players, in part. Some players suit a style / system better than others.

Anyway, with a user name like Egil Olsen, od have thought you'd love a bit of hoofball?

Well, here we have to disagree. Liverpool can play with the reserve team and get about the same result. Walcott masters this well in Southampton, etc. Many teams master this well without star players.

Egil Olsen's teams were always very good in the pressure game, and in the defensive game Norway was superb in defending themselves in zones. The pressure varied depending on situations and opponents. Long balls were used as a tool when the opponent was in balance, and the intention was to move up the team to win second balls (create an advantage around the duel). In order to create an imbalance in the opponent.

Olsen was very concerned with winning the ball in favorable areas, and then the ball should go vertically and on as few touches as possible going forward. He is probably not very impressed with our defensive game, and probably thinks we are too cumbersome when we attack. However, he is probably impressed with our set pieces.

1.16

 

[PSB1]

winning against poorer teams at home is not good enough, and a solution needs to be sought. Fans returning will help,

Yes, I remember the patient, supportive fans as well.

 

[Death]

But we are not in a European place, top 4 is Champions League. 5th is Europa, the other 2 Europa spots goes to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, these will not go to the league unless the winners have already qualified through the league. It could go down to 7th but it could easily just go down to 5th!

You'd love it to go to 5th.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Football is cyclical, and in reality there is no 1 perfect way to play. If I had a pound for each time there was, I'd be a lot richer than I am today.

Before the latest iteration of pressing there was a period where it was all about possession, and smaller, intelligent, tricky midfielders. Before that it was you needed to have 2 defensive midfielders who were very positionally disciplined. Before that sides would play with a guy with a free role in a number 10 spot. The back 3 with a sweeper tends to come around cyclically in amongst all of those.

Even within that, you get sides like Leicester, who do none of the above, and produce results that go far beyond any rational, they sit deep, play with 2 up front, have no pace at the back, and ow possession stats and win the league, by basicaly breaking every supposed rule that exists.

The game is constantly evolving, so the idea what is currently the status quo will l always remain so I find very odd. It's just the current phase, and someone bright will find a solution to it soon. To a degree with Liverpool they already have. It's like evolution really. The best managers, are able to adapt, and change what they do to suit the needs of a game.

People go on about the likes of Hassunhuttl, but he's just lost 6 games in a row, and been hammered 9-0 again for the 2nd time in as many years. There's a line where tactical consistency just becomes dogma. It just becomes sending players out to lose.

If Ancelotti tried to play a certain way, we would probably be where Southampton are, as the players aren't good enough to win every week doing it. We've had "philosophy mangers" in Martinez and Silva and it ended badly. I'm much happier we have someone who is pragmatic and gets us over the line. I don't think anybody would want to be waiting 3 years for a manager to get his ideas in place. Maybe thats a bad thing, but thats teh world we live in now. If we lose 2 games, one of them against a side who has won 17 games in a row, people are questioning a manager. What world are we living in where people get years to put their plan together?

I understand all this. Old ideas often come back, but they have evolved because they have to take into account all the other ideas that have evolved. My point is, and I hope I am wrong (which is very possible) is that Ancelotti's ideas have not evolved in line with the new ideas.

So what he has are ideas that were successful in a given context, but that do not respond to the challenges of today's context. Alternatively, the ideas give us no advantage over our opponents. They work to a certain extent, but do not give us a competitive advantage.

When what went well in other big clubs does not work here, for natural reasons, he is out of ideas and goes back to the most primitive and safe he can come up with. He is Italian and the catenaccio attitude is in their blood. But the probability that I am wrong is extremely high. Still, it's a thought.

 

[Bernard]

I think the problem is that nowadays with all the "social" media anybody and everybody can pretty much say what they like and face no consequences. Everton are in so much a better place than 18 months ago. Last night was pretty much a forgone conclusion. City stats for this season are just incredible with just 2 defeats in 24 games being one of them. We actually scored against them, surely that is a massive positive. Sure we were terrible against Fulham for whatever reasons, perhaps players thought it was going to be a walkover which is an awful thought. Fans are supposed to support their team through thick and thin and not attack players for a bad performance. I think far too many of our "fans" just like to criticise and get on certain players' backs.

 

[degsy]

...Or should we look at the bigger picture?
...For me, that's Everton, in 7th, 5 points+game in hand on 4th place. Pretty good
...Stadium will get approved, finance
The optimism/hope for me is new stadium/Usmanov involvement in that stadium/Everton having cleared deadwood have the capacity to spend in the summer under one of the games greatest ever managers.

Some need a reality check - The quality in this team is 7th-10th. A few injuries and its 10th-13th

Agreed; 'Par' for us is 7th-10th. Birdie a couple and we mentally fit ourselves out not only with a green jacket, but think it comes with a claret jug too...then a bad bounce puts us in the bunker and its a 6 on your card.

 

[ForeverEverton]

Football is cyclical, and in reality there is no 1 perfect way to play. If I had a pound for each time there was, I'd be a lot richer than I am today.

Before the latest iteration of pressing there was a period where it was all about possession, and smaller, intelligent, tricky midfielders. Before that it was you needed to have 2 defensive midfielders who were very positionally disciplined. Before that sides would play with a guy with a free role in a number 10 spot. The back 3 with a sweeper tends to come around cyclically in amongst all of those.

Even within that, you get sides like Leicester, who do none of the above, and produce results that go far beyond any rational, they sit deep, play with 2 up front, have no pace at the back, and ow possession stats and win the league, by basicaly breaking every supposed rule that exists.

The game is constantly evolving, so the idea what is currently the status quo will l always remain so I find very odd. It's just the current phase, and someone bright will find a solution to it soon. To a degree with Liverpool they already have. It's like evolution really. The best managers, are able to adapt, and change what they do to suit the needs of a game.

People go on about the likes of Hassunhuttl, but he's just lost 6 games in a row, and been hammered 9-0 again for the 2nd time in as many years. There's a line where tactical consistency just becomes dogma. It just becomes sending players out to lose.

If Ancelotti tried to play a certain way, we would probably be where Southampton are, as the players aren't good enough to win every week doing it. We've had "philosophy mangers" in Martinez and Silva and it ended badly. I'm much happier we have someone who is pragmatic and gets us over the line. I don't think anybody would want to be waiting 3 years for a manager to get his ideas in place. Maybe thats a bad thing, but thats teh world we live in now. If we lose 2 games, one of them against a side who has won 17 games in a row, people are questioning a manager. What world are we living in where people get years to put their plan together?

I dont think the questioning comes from just the 2 games we`ve lost but the manner in how we`ve lost to a few teams this season. And why shouldn`t a mananger get questioned? It keeps them honest, in your working lives I guarantee your managers are getting questioned constantly, it keeps their performance high.

 

[degsy]

Anyways win at anfield and its all smiles again

 

[ForeverEverton]

You'd love it to go to 5th.

Id love us to finish in a European spot, I`d sacrifice our FA Cup game with City (If that was even an option) to qualify for Europe via the league. It looked nailed on for so long but now looks fairly remote, in my opinion. Qualifying for Europe would mark a step forward anything else will be the same mediocrity we had under Koeman, Allardyce or Silva.

 

[TheSecondComing]

Anyways win at anfield and its all smiles again

A ground we haven't won at in 22 years?

 

[ForeverEverton]

A ground we haven't won at in 22 years?

Even when they are at their worst they can beat us without even trying.