There's plenty of opinions on here. Can anyone name a left footed left winger and a right footed right winger who would fit into Carlo's 4-4-2?
Not a wide forward, or an inverted winger. We're talking old fashioned 7s and 11s. Starting position from deep, ability to beat the fullback on the outside and get a cross into the box?
That's who they are going to be after. It's why Walcott played when fit, he's the only one on the books who ticks those boxes.
There is a reason why we hardly ever see these old fashioned 7s or 11s anymore. Statistically crosses into the box is the least effective way to try to score. No team have great success with that in the modern game.
If you are going to rely on crosses into the box, you will always have more success when attacking more narrow and letting the opponents wingers try to block crosses from your full backs.
The problem with Carlo's 4-4-2 is that it allows the opponent to outnumber and overrun us centrally. Upgrading the midfield will help, but it won't change the fact that any other team in the league will be able to control games against Everton. Possession does not win games. Having 40% possession can be OK. But it does mean that the wide players will spend most of their time defending. 80 yards away from the opposing goal.
Correct me if I am wrong, but did not Walcott only look like a threat when we played 4-2-3-1?
I expect Carlo to stop playing 4-4-2. It is too negative and outdated in a league where most teams focus on crowding the midfield and control matches. If he is too stubborn to change formation, I really hope he is looking into a more modern approach. A 4-2-2-2 variant similar to what Southampton are doing well with could be interesting. But most likely we are back to playing 4-2-3-1 by November. The Everton formation.
