Homepage Article Everton's Attitude Problem

[T LEAFE]

I agree it is an attitude problem
But we have other problems as well such as lack of pace,skill,football intelligence, tactics,defending,creativity,passing forward,movement.
I spoke to BK at half time during a game at Chelsea a long time ago when we were getting thrashed and spent 10 minutes telling him our problems..after I'd finished he sighed and said I had forgotten one thing..he said we didn't have any skill either...and walked off

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Made me laugh reading Mr Balls article in the Echo today he put to finish:

"Sometimes I get stick for this column being so negative, but these are the reasons why. We cannot get this out of our club, this weak leadership and desire that these players keep showing season-on-season."

Love Ball me sticking it to the Supa Bloos and spitting the truth. Until we hit the factory reset button from top to bottom at this club things aint changing.

Also playing 352 at home to relgated Sheff Utd - garbage by Carlo absolutely woeful.

 

[ToffeeTim]

...I don’t think attitude is the key issue. The acquisition of too many similar type is the issue. Ponderous in too many areas, no threat in wide positions.

Attitude doesn’t make slow players run fast.

We can’t take the game to teams at home, we can’t mount periods of sustained pressure around the opposition box. We win away because we sit in and try and Nick one on the break.

Not wanting to pass the ball forward is an attitude or courage issue. Not wanting to commit to tackles is a commitment issue. Not tracking runners is an effort issue. Not running beyond the forward as a midfield player is a mentality issue. Not looking for the ball is a bravery issue.

It's all attitude and commitment. You knew the minute we conceded that there would be no response. They are an average team with a lack of commitment.

 

[Gilbert..]

Something deep rooted. Going back even further, Barry mentioned standards had slipped https://metro.co.uk/2016/09/17/all-...artinez-at-everton-says-gareth-barry-6134240/

Baines also talked about problems with the 'blend' under Martinez.

So what happens? Is it institutional? Is it just that players, by and large, need constant kicking? Was Moyes that man or was his emphasis on a player's character just as important as on field qualities? Are there backroom staff constantly undermining managers and getting in players ears?

Honestly don't have the answers, but it is a recurrent theme. Maybe Ancelotti is nor as good as some say, fair enough. But you've got ask if the same old issues won't undermine a.n.other.

Yes. Massively. We went so far the other way when koeman started throwing money down the toilet. He started the mess.
The only saving grace with koeman is i won money again last night with £20 on celta vigo winning in barcelona at 12-1.
Sheff utd were huge aswell but i just couldnt do it. Just couldnt.

 

[Eggs]

Not wanting to pass the ball forward is an attitude or courage issue. Not wanting to commit to tackles is a commitment issue. Not tracking runners is an effort issue. Not running beyond the forward as a midfield player is a mentality issue. Not looking for the ball is a bravery issue.

It's all attitude and commitment. You knew the minute we conceded that there would be no response. They are an average team with a lack of commitment.

...I’m not saying there’s not a lack of attitude, but I don’t think it’s the critical issue.

I read a post earlier where somebody highlighted their RB running past Allen & Digne. I don’t see that as being so much about attitude. We have a plethora of players who when you run past them are out the game. It’s a point I’ve made continuously.

I don’t think Gomes is particularly guilty of not tracking, I think it’s more about him not being able to track. Indeed, he’s guilty of trying to redeem by swinging a foot resulting in free kicks or penalties. Davies, Allen, Sigurdsson, Holgate, Keane are out of the game when the opposition is beyond them.

Continuously running beyond a forward takes great will power as most often the ball doesn’t arrive. To be fair to Sigurdsson he would often find his way into the box. I’d look at moves breaking down and he’s invariably got himself on the penalty spot. For some reason he’s not doing it. I don’t know if it’s a lack of willpower, but he’s been playing in the oddest deep left side position that I can only think is tactical.

Attitude in certain individuals might be an issue, but I think we’ve too many players of the same type. Lack of blend, lack of balance.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

The players are really poor on the whole if the opposition score early and defend deep. Not sure I blame characteristics such as effort, attitude, commitment or even leadership. They are just very limited as a squad and a team.

 

[Dixie1sixty]

Not sure whether it's an attitude problem or more a psychological problem, although granted the two could be linked.

We are far too comfortable with the underdog tag still and far too nice in every layer of the club. In some respects this is the inevitable side effect of having charitable, benevolent and progressive club values (something to be proud of) but the downside is that we aren't ruthless enough when it comes to footballing matters.

 

[TheSecondComing]

Our chairman who championed the idea of plucky Everton with all his soppy romantic BS.

Get him gone and the culture he’s created here.

 

[Blue Roo]

Not sure whether it's an attitude problem or more a psychological problem, although granted the two could be linked.

We are far too comfortable with the underdog tag still and far too nice in every layer of the club. In some respects this is the inevitable side effect of having charitable, benevolent and progressive club values (something to be proud of) but the downside is that we aren't ruthless enough when it comes to footballing matters.

Yeah, maybe. But that part of the character, carried forward, will make it so much the better when we win the title.
More to the point, we need exceptional characters with exceptional ability to pull it off.

 

[Toffeelover]

Personally I think changing the culture of a club is the hardest thing to do. Look at the Premier league and think of how many clubs have actually achieved it?
Man City took several seasons to get that winning mentality after their takeover. They had plenty of poor signings along the way but built their success on several good signings.
Leicester on the face of it seem like an anomaly but they have become an exremely well run club from top to bottom. They struck lucky with Vardy and had some other good recruitment thanks to Steve Walsh.
Man Utd are proof that it can easily go the other way. Once Ferguson stepped down that winning mentality disappeared over night and they've only shown brief signs of getting it back again recently.

The reality is, a winning mentality comes from good and proper management from top to bottom, a bit of luck and good judgement in the transfer market and an element of ruthlessness to deal with anything that's stopping the club from winning. Personally I think Everton are failing in all 3 aspects at the moment.
The good management may be improving thanks to Ancelotti but even after 18 months, I think it's too early to tell. This season may seem like a failure due to our abysmal home form and some utterly disgraceful results against poor teams but overall it has been an improvement over the previous season.
With 2 games left to play...
We have 3 more wins than last season
We have 7 more points than last season
We've scored 2 more goals than last season
We've conceded 13 goals less than last season

Despite this season seeming like a failure, had we converted 3 of our 9 home defeats in to wins we'd be sitting in 4th place right now which would have been a hugely successful season. Things may not look good at the moment and morale amongst the fans has been very low after each home defeat but if we can see similar improvements next season like we have this season then things are going to start looking a bit better. The summer transfer window is going to be huge. If we can bring in at least 3 players that are going to improve the starting 11 it'll be a good step towards bringing a winning mentality.

Take your points on board but look at our GD that is pathetic.

 

[Toffeelover]

Made me laugh reading Mr Balls article in the Echo today he put to finish:

"Sometimes I get stick for this column being so negative, but these are the reasons why. We cannot get this out of our club, this weak leadership and desire that these players keep showing season-on-season."

Love Ball me sticking it to the Supa Bloos and spitting the truth. Until we hit the factory reset button from top to bottom at this club things aint changing.

Also playing 352 at home to relgated Sheff Utd - garbage by Carlo absolutely woeful.

Yes.

 

[-Rob-]

Take your points on board but look at our GD that is pathetic.

We finished with a -12 goal difference last season. We're currently sitting on +3. That's a 15 goal improvement.
Still not as good as the teams around us but it's heading in the right direction.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Made me laugh reading Mr Balls article in the Echo today he put to finish:

"Sometimes I get stick for this column being so negative, but these are the reasons why. We cannot get this out of our club, this weak leadership and desire that these players keep showing season-on-season."

Love Ball me sticking it to the Supa Bloos and spitting the truth. Until we hit the factory reset button from top to bottom at this club things aint changing.

Also playing 352 at home to relgated Sheff Utd - garbage by Carlo absolutely woeful.

There is nothing wrong with playing a 352 in theory. I'm not a fan of a back 3 but it's not supposed to be a negative system. It's generally one of the most pragmatic ways to get 2 strikers on the pitch.

If we had only played 1 up top then people would have said Ancelotti was negative. But the fact is that we are far better with DCL up top on his own and Richarlison deeper or out wide. I don't like playing 2 strikers other than in a traditional and very rigid 442. You need very specific and well drilled players for that, which I don't think we have.

I'm a 433 fan. I think it's how we should look to play almost all of the time. DCL and Richarlison haven't played well enough together for us to be leaving the midfield exposed to accomodate them.

 

[-Rob-]

I don’t think Gomes is particularly guilty of not tracking, I think it’s more about him not being able to track.

How exactly is a player unable to track back? If it's because they are slower than the players running past them, having the winning mentality will also mean training harder to become a faster player. If it's because they are mentally slower, having the winning mentality will help to see the threat before it happens. If it's because the manager's tactics stops them from tracking back, the winning mentality will force a change in tactics.

If the current Everton squad could be hypnotised in to having a winning mentality and a willingness to put in 100% effort in to every single game they play then achieving top 4 would be easily achievable. Yes we need better players but if new players arrive with a winning mentality but they don't see that same will to win in the rest of the squad around them they'll be dragged down rather than the rest of the squad being raised up a level.

What we need is a ruthless captain that will put the boot in to people when they don't put the effort in. As much as I hate them, we need a Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Tony Adams, Vinnie Jones type of player. We need a captain that other team's fans will hate because of how inspirational they are to Everton.

 

[hallamblue]

How exactly is a player unable to track back? If it's because they are slower than the players running past them, having the winning mentality will also mean training harder to become a faster player. If it's because they are mentally slower, having the winning mentality will help to see the threat before it happens. If it's because the manager's tactics stops them from tracking back, the winning mentality will force a change in tactics.

If the current Everton squad could be hypnotised in to having a winning mentality and a willingness to put in 100% effort in to every single game they play then achieving top 4 would be easily achievable. Yes we need better players but if new players arrive with a winning mentality but they don't see that same will to win in the rest of the squad around them they'll be dragged down rather than the rest of the squad being raised up a level.

What we need is a ruthless captain that will put the boot in to people when they don't put the effort in. As much as I hate them, we need a Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Tony Adams, Vinnie Jones type of player. We need a captain that other team's fans will hate because of how inspirational they are to Everton.

Not many players like that about these days unfortunately. The fact that none of your examples are still playing tells you that. I would break the bank for Grealish personally, as he's the closest I've seen to that type of player, and he runs well with the ball, so would get us up the pitch.