Our inability to defend/keep clean sheets

[Toffe3m4n]

If you are believe that any goal conceded from outside of the area, the goalkeeper should do better with, then Pickford has been responsible for 10 of the 21 goals we've conceded this season (7 outside the area and 3 due to goalkeeper error)

I think the goalkeeper is a problem but defensively, the shape is wrong, the intensity is wrong and there are several players (not just Pickford) who have unfortunately made errors leading to goals and may be unreliable.

I think that Ancelotti trusts Pickford so I do not think that he will buy a new goalkeeper. I think the original post was correct and we will look for more support for Allan and Doucoure in midfield and maybe a new central defender.

I really can't see us getting another center back. We now have Keane, Mina, Holgate, Godfrey & Brathwaite at the club.

For me it's the fullback situation that now needs addressing, specifically RB. Would help adding more quality in central midfield where we can as well.

 

[RomanReigns]

Why do we concede so many goals from outside the box? The defence and midfield can be very static at times.

If you look at Fulham’s first goal all they did was a quick one two and they got past our defence easily

We need to defend more on the front foot

 

[Toffe3m4n]

We can't pass and keep the ball. Coughing it up as much as we do invites pressure and no team can keep on losing the ball in difficult positions without conceding.

This too. The last few games have really highlighted how poor our passing is and we do invite loads of unnecessary pressure because of it.

 

[ToffeeTim]

We have an average and erratic goalkeeper.

Keane is our only good centre back. The others made regular individual errors.

Our midfield are inept and ill disciplined and offer zero protection. They also do not work hard enough to get back into a compact shape.

So basically its a 3 fold problem. We are easy to play against. You can sit in and wait for the inevitable mistake.

 

[nsno-chris]

Quite simple for me:
Total lack of communication between the team, the midfielders don’t pass on runners
Individual errors and inconsistencies in our defence

the biggest issue is a goalkeeper who has the save percentage of 20 stone Sunday league player after he’d been on a session all night

 

[dannyboy]

I´ve said a few times that the midfield are offering so little going forward and defensively. Allan gets involved but he is all over the place, not sure whether that´s his fault or he just doesn´t understand the system. Doucoure and Gomes on the other hand are so rarely involved which shouldn´t be the case if you´re playing centre mid.

 

[roy vernon]

The defence have little confidence in Pickford, when crosses come in we are a shambles because Pickford can not command his 6 yard box. The other big issue is, we need a defensive midfielder who just sits and mops up, this would help the defence and also give the midfielders a chance to get in front of the ball now and again.

 

[Azza]

GK - he's a panicky mess. Doesn't instil confidence what so ever in the majority of situations, other than I'd say 1 one 1 when he's a great shot stopped he isn't very good. Can't catch the ball, always pushes the ball back into danger, catch save any shot from outside the box, isn't dominant enough at corners or freekicks claiming the ball, can't distribute and makes terrible decisions when doing so.

Consistency - absolutely key to have a regular back line. Injuries haven't helped but I think our players complement each other. Keane and Mina are a terrible partnership. If Keane is up against anyone with some pace he is done for, they both regularly go for random walks and dive in leaving the other exposed. Also there doesn't seem to be much communication between them. Godfrey and Holgate the future.

 

[Lanolin]

Think it's difficult to even know where to start.

The keeper is an issue, he doesn't inspire confidence in the defence and he's let in too many shots that are saveable. The defence is slow, doesn't seem to have a natural leader/organiser, and lacks a bit of class, for want of a better word. The centre halves are all reactive rather than proactive. The midfield is a mess. Whether it's the players not being up to it or the set up being flawed or both I don't really know but you can't have both Allan and Doucoure just running round like headless chickens with no positional discipline. We don't look after the ball well enough and so are too easy to break on. we push the full backs up, the midfielders don't sit to cover, and then we inevitably play a stray pass that leaves us wide open time after time. All in all, it's not a great recipe.

 

[luuk_deventer]

I really can't see us getting another center back. We now have Keane, Mina, Holgate, Godfrey & Brathwaite at the club.

For me it's the fullback situation that now needs addressing, specifically RB. Would help adding more quality in central midfield where we can as well.

Hmmm, yes, maybe you are right. Though Branthwaite may leave on loan. Godfrey and Holgate I think Ancelotti could use across the back four, not just at centre back. Maybe even in midfield.

Keane and Mina are the two main central defenders and, in my opinion, neither are consistent enough to play at a high level in the Premier League and Europa League. Similar to Pickford.

I would like to see Ancelotti be brave and play Godfrey and Holgate together as both are young and closer to modern defenders who can carry the ball, pass and are quick. Even though they may make mistakes, it would be better to see them make mistakes and maybe learn from them than to continue with limited players at their peak and still making the same mistakes.

 

[dannyboy]

Think it's difficult to even know where to start.

The keeper is an issue, he doesn't inspire confidence in the defence and he's let in too many shots that are saveable. The defence is slow, doesn't seem to have a natural leader/organiser, and lacks a bit of class, for want of a better word. The centre halves are all reactive rather than proactive. The midfield is a mess. Whether it's the players not being up to it or the set up being flawed or both I don't really know but you can't have both Allan and Doucoure just running round like headless chickens with no positional discipline. We don't look after the ball well enough and so are too easy to break on. we push the full backs up, the midfielders don't sit to cover, and then we inevitably play a stray pass that leaves us wide open time after time. All in all, it's not a great recipe.

This is so true as well. We find it very difficult to pin teams back which would definitely help to give our defence a breather.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Lack of an anchor man and poor central defenders for me. I think Keane and Holgate are vastly overrated and the less said about Mina the better but Holgate has the potential to work very well with a top class defender next to him. A right back might help too.

If an anchor man could keep the ball ticking over away from our defence and allow the game to be played more in the opposition half that would go a very long way too.

 

[marcus]

We've kept one clean sheet in the league so far this season, the opener against Spurs.

In all competitions, we've kept two (Spurs and Salford City).

How easy Everton concede goals has been my biggest disappointment with our campaign so far.

Fulham, Brighton, Fleetwood Town... West Brom - all slotting two past us.

How big a concern is it?

Is the problem as simple as our defence not being good enough?

Is it the setup?

Do we need another centre half in January? If so, who does he come in for?

The very first player Everton approached under Ancelotti was a centre half - Magalhaes.

That to me suggested he knew we needed a top, good centre half as a priority. Is Godfrey that player, now?

Ancelotti also wanted Hojbjerg - whether ahead of Doucoure or Allan is anyones guess, I'd guess he wanted Hojbjerg and Allan sat in front of a back four which had Magalhaes.

It makes me think our current defence just isn't good enough...

This is spot on...

I have also mentioned this in the thread Everton so far this season...

Invincibility lies in the defence ;
The possibility of victory in the attack...

 

[TheBigIguana]

We've kept one clean sheet in the league so far this season, the opener against Spurs.

In all competitions, we've kept two (Spurs and Salford City).

How easy Everton concede goals has been my biggest disappointment with our campaign so far.

Fulham, Brighton, Fleetwood Town... West Brom - all slotting two past us.

How big a concern is it?

Is the problem as simple as our defence not being good enough?

Is it the setup?

Do we need another centre half in January? If so, who does he come in for?

The very first player Everton approached under Ancelotti was a centre half - Magalhaes.

That to me suggested he knew we needed a top, good centre half as a priority. Is Godfrey that player, now?

Ancelotti also wanted Hojbjerg - whether ahead of Doucoure or Allan is anyones guess, I'd guess he wanted Hojbjerg and Allan sat in front of a back four which had Magalhaes.

It makes me think our current defence just isn't good enough...

Combination of things. Goalkeeper is probably the biggest and most quickly fixable if we got a mind to it.

The 3-4-3 formation was a terrible idea and had us more open than we were in any game before it.

The fullback injuries are tough but honestly Digne is pretty average defensively and adds value mostly going forward so just picking Nkounkou shouldn't have been a big problem. His alternative replacements may have been worse than Niels would have been.

And lastly the midfield is poor positionally and Allan despite his ball winning ability often opens gaps up that Doucoure and Gomes are incapable of covering. We need a true defensive midfielder to sit in front and block the backline to tighten it up in there.

Ultimately it isn't just a concern but the biggest thing preventing us from pushing up the table as this side does score goals.

 

[Simon Buttle]

The goalkeeper is a massive issue and imo it should have been the first signing on the list in the summer ahead of the midfield. Just look at Chelsea, their actual back line is no better than ours but the difference with having Mendy instead of Kepa behind them and they look solid now and the mistakes seem to have almost gone. Pickford is a huge issue for us and until we change him not much will be different imo.