Our inability to defend/keep clean sheets

[Terrarian]

I also think all the line up changes wont be helping. We cant get any chemistry going or partnerships formed, thats bot helping either

 

[Ring master]

 

[marcus]

The system could also be the problem...

Leaves our midfield wide open with Doucoure & Allan exposed...

 

[Blue Roo]

Its a work in progress. Not going to all happen at once especially when you've got injuries to Coleman and Digne.
James looks lost without Coleman. No.1 priority should be a top class right back in the window.

But we have a good stock of CBs.
I can see Holgate and Godfrey, given time, becoming the best centre pairing in the league.
They've potentially got it all and with Carlos guidance there's more chance of this happening.
Keane and MIna (and Digne) are about as good a back up as anyone else.
In the meantime Carlo has to work it out game to game.

I think the current problems stems from midfield set up and midfield build up/transition.
We are playing out deep and recycling deep too often and it gives the opposition defence (whole team) time to set.
And it hasn't helped that the midfield passing has been schoolboy level at times (Gomes, Allan and Doucoure in particular)

Because of the way we are set up, when the opp gets the ball they can just go for it; they don't need to build up like we do.
Often Alan or Doucoure are out of position when this happens.

The problem for me is Alan is better at holding than Doucoure and better at box to box than Doucoure.
Doucoure is popping up on the counter in space and in great positions. But he's the not the player you want there.
I think its about five times in the last two games where Doucoure has scuppered great opportunities to score or assist or keep it dangerous.

No2 and 3 priority should be to get someone to partner and compliment Alan and get a top RW to allow James to play a free role.
The current squad allows for neither of these things to happen.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I noted Michael Keane being interviewed after Burnley saying that they're 'still learning' the back 3/5 system and when he was asked about the improvement after Delph went off he said it's probably because defenders are more naturally familiar with a flat back 4. His demeanor about it all was pretty much 'it is what it is'.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

A new RB and another LB - on the basis Carlo clearly feels NK is not yet ready - are critical in January. We can revert to a flat back 4 which should get the best out of James and Richarlison too.

 

[Toffeelover]

Lack of a settled back four is a massive issue for us, and in particular our full backs being in and out of the side is our biggest problem.

I'd also rather we played the classic ball winning CB (Keano) alongside a quicker more athletic recovery CB (should be Ben God, but he's had to cover for absent full backs) as opposed to two ball winners (Keano and Mina). Don't think we are mobile enough with both Mina and Keane playing.

Mina and Pickford in the same defence is just too much chaos.

Think a regular back four of Seamus - Ben God - Keano - Digne would keep clean sheets even with Jordan 'Calm Down' Pickford in net.

Based on that logic, we won't keep a clean sheet until late Jan. Which is great

This, see my comment on the Pickford thread.

 

[Brownie]

It's a massive worry.

The team is not settled. Mina looks as dodgy as he ever has.

I want to see Holgate and Keane and a back 4 for a few matches. This 3 at the back needs to go in the bin. One half-decent performance at Fulham isn't enough to convince me that it is a tactic worth sticking with.

Having the central midfielders constantly pulling out wide when the wingbacks are caught up field has left massive holes in the midfield that teams just walk through before placing a shot calmly past Pickford from 30-40 yards out.

Lol

 

[Brownie]

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...

Obviously it's a combination of factors, but the one that really grinds my gears is the complete lack of ability to pressure opponents as a team.

We have some decent individual defenders along with some pretty terrible ones, but that shouldn't prevent them working together as a unit to close down and force opponents into mistakes. All it takes is a willingness to sprint into position and some spatial awareness.

Instead we see individual players half-closing down to prevent the man with the ball dribbling past them rather than fully committing and forcing a turnover. They're so worried about being beaten because they know that there probably isn't going to be anyone supporting them, so it could mess up the entire shape if they charge in and don't win the ball. There's no coordinated pressure whatsoever.

Yes, we have some slow players who are going to struggle to keep up at times, but we should still be much better at it than we are, and we wouldn't have conceded half the goals we have if we could do it with any degree of effectiveness.

 

[billyblue80]

Ironically when Carlo came in we had the opposite problem. With the addition of James we have gone more attacking and that has caused us to be more open and our inconsistent CBs to be more exposed. Also Allan is not a genuine DM he is a box to box player who will stick his foot in and drive forward. We need a DM who protects. Not to mention injuries to our first choice full backs and an unreliable keeper

 

[johnjoeefc]

I can't buy into it when people blame our centre backs. I don't think any of them have been bad at all.

Defending set pieces I think we have been spot on which has been a big problem in previous seasons. The issue is coming from the back 4 or 5 constantly being exposed and outnumbered.

The whole team balance is wrong and still hasn't been rectified.

It would be obvious to me for the upcoming Chelsea game to go back to basics and play a lineup and formation similar to the one fielded by Dunc last season to get some momentum going again. Wont happen though.

 

[blulouie]

Seems we're not very good without Seamus.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Defo needs strengthening. Seemingky our full back options aren't too deep either

 

[Gilbert..]

I can't buy into it when people blame our centre backs. I don't think any of them have been bad at all.

Defending set pieces I think we have been spot on which has been a big problem in previous seasons. The issue is coming from the back 4 or 5 constantly being exposed and outnumbered.

The whole team balance is wrong and still hasn't been rectified.

It would be obvious to me for the upcoming Chelsea game to go back to basics and play a lineup and formation similar to the one fielded by Dunc last season to get some momentum going again. Wont happen though.

Our centre backs switch off far to many times. That split second lack of concentration is punished. Fulhams first goal the other week. Flat footed. Bang. Goal
Keane isnt a leader. Neither is mina. I dont see any of them organising. Pulling players into position. Being aggressive.
Couple that with pickford behind them. I dont think any of them go out there thinking they're going to keep a clean sheet.

 

[the golden visionary]

The pedestrian playing out from the back puts them on the back foot straight away. Its awful and i say boot it long and scrap for 2nds i dont care if were the worst side to watch being long ball merchants weve got one of the best hold up / target men in the league and we should use it more often