Relegation

[AsiaAsia82]

I think the reason we’ve created so few chances this season is the ludicrous sale of Digne, releasing James, etc.
Taking out some of your creative players was akin to self destruction.
Our attackers now tend to run with the ball and not pass it through, all brave and gutsy to try to do it individually, but better passing creates more chances.

 

[smileychap]

I think the reason we’ve created so few chances this season is the ludicrous sale of Digne, releasing James, etc.
Taking out some of your creative players was akin to self destruction.
Our attackers now tend to run with the ball and not pass it through, all brave and gutsy to try to do it individually, but better passing creates more chances.

True this.

I've been impressed by Frank'swillingness to have Gordon, Gray, Iwobi all on at the same time. Adding width, pace. It's been positive.

But Rico isn't a suitable 'target man'. He also needs to be cutting in from those positions... DCL and Rondon are the target men we're not playing... Rondon scarcely good enough given age (but effort and application has been OK).

DCL can do it, but needs a run, free of injury and fitness which we're not gonna get this season.

Not sure what the answer is in these last three games other than we simply show more energy and over-run two teams barley better than us with little to play for and make the Arsenal game irrelevant.

 

[NathDogg]

I’d have allan stick to Eriksen like ? to a blanket, man mark him out the game and don’t give him a minute.

Stop him and we stop Brentford.

Absolutley made up for the fella that he’s back and playing after what happened to him, but I’m praying he has a shocker on Sunday!

Hopefully the Goodison effect does its magic and helps drag these jokers over the line and we can all get blooted celebrating survival on Sunday.

 

[USABlue]

Just posted this in the DCL thread but have just done some research for a piece and it turns out Everton have only created 28 'big chances' (i.e. chances you'd expect a player to score from, so basically in the 12-yard, width of the goal or a 1v1) throughout the entire league season. Only Norwich have created fewer.

Last season, for DCL alone, Everton created 31 chances. Just for one player.

That's where the problem is, combined with letting in goals for fun earlier in the season, clearly.

Here's the list of the players that have created big chances for us in the league:

Richarlison	5
Gray, Demarai	5
Gordon, Anthony	4
Iwobi, Alexander	3
Doucouré, Abdoulaye	3
Townsend, Andros	2
Keane, Michael	2
Digne, Lucas	2
Alli, Dele	1
Calvert-Lewin, Dominic	1

Yeah this why it always bothers me when people get on Richarlison for not having more goals. We don't create anything and have no creativity in the squad. It's mostly either a counter or set piece for us. Teams like watford are harder for us then Chelsea because they'll sit back. "Top teams" will come st us so we at least have a chance on the break.

 

[GoldenToffee]

I’d have allan stick to Eriksen like ? to a blanket, man mark him out the game and don’t give him a minute.

Stop him and we stop Brentford.

Absolutley made up for the fella that he’s back and playing after what happened to him, but I’m praying he has a shocker on Sunday!

Hopefully the Goodison effect does its magic and helps drag these jokers over the line and we can all get blooted celebrating survival on Sunday.

I'd honestly get two players on him, Doucouré and Allan, and put 5 in midfield. He'll run rings around the team and create loads of chances for them if he's allowed to have the ball at his feet.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

The last thing we want is to be going to the Emirates needing to get something to guarantee our survival.

If Leeds win their next two matches (quite feasible) and we just draw our next two matches we then have to actually win at Arsenal! ?

These next two hone matches are crucial. We fans need to be behind the players from the first whistle to the last whistle because we’ve seen how the players respond to our support. We saw it against Man Utd and we saw it against Chelsea. Conversely we’ve seen how our negativity affects the players too.

I think for Leeds the injuries and suspensions will be their undoing. They have 9 players out including Bamford, Raphina, James, Dallas and Ayling who are very important to how they play. I would be very surprised if they win their last 2.

Having said that, we have to do our job, focus on winning our 2 home games and then it really doesn’t matter what Leeds do

 

[ForeverEverton]

Been thinking about this and saying it for a while mate. I dont even think our problem is goalscorers i think its creating goals that is the problem. What we did this season in terms of self mutilation in creativity is one of a few reasons why we are where we are. Its partly the reason why we struggle to breakdown the Watfords of this world. One of my chief concerns at the moment, is breaking down Brentford and Palace who will come to us and hand us the initiative and tell us to go break them down, as opposed to Chelsea, Utd, Leicester who took us on and we could hit on the counter.

I see a lot of threads about selling DCL, Richarlison etc. But we know from bitter experience how hard it is to replace goals in the PL (Lukaku), so if we stay up we have a job of work on injecting creativity into this team and goals if we are selling to my mind - tough gig.

100% agree, the only issue is the way Frank goes with shape of the team.

If he want to go the 3-4-3/5-2-3 route, which looks likely, we aren`t really going to create much unless it comes from wide from the Wing Backs or Wingers, which appears to be the issue as these are currently Coleman, Mykolenko, Gordon and Gray. Even then bodies in the box will be minimal with the midfield 2 not able to break in to the box and then just the Centre Forward unless he can get the wingers playing inside/tucking in as strikers when the full backs get forward.

I`d much prefer to see a narrow 4-3-3 with a holding midfielder to protect the back 4 and 2 box to box Central Midfoelders like City have with Rodri and a De Bruyne/Bernardo Silva or a 4-2-3-1 which tends to suit us better.

It`ll be interesting to see which way Frank goes but I`m not really a fan of the 3 or 5 at the back, it is very very limited, the way forward is definitely the 4-3-3 as proven by the 2 teams at the top.

 

[Neiler]

100% agree, the only issue is the way Frank goes with shape of the team.

If he want to go the 3-4-3/5-2-3 route, which looks likely, we aren`t really going to create much unless it comes from wide from the Wing Backs or Wingers, which appears to be the issue as these are currently Coleman, Mykolenko, Gordon and Gray. Even then bodies in the box will be minimal with the midfield 2 not able to break in to the box and then just the Centre Forward unless he can get the wingers playing inside/tucking in as strikers when the full backs get forward.

I`d much prefer to see a narrow 4-3-3 with a holding midfielder to protect the back 4 and 2 box to box Central Midfoelders like City have with Rodri and a De Bruyne/Bernardo Silva or a 4-2-3-1 which tends to suit us better.

It`ll be interesting to see which way Frank goes but I`m not really a fan of the 3 or 5 at the back, it is very very limited, the way forward is definitely the 4-3-3 as proven by the 2 teams at the top.

We need more threat mate, its where you choose to get it, you can get it from wing backs, through the central channel with an 8 o 10 or on the flanks, for my money though, i dont not rate the players we have in those positions - but we lack bottom line creativity collectively, thus meager goals and assists throughout the team and our strikers not firing prolifically. Yes we can nick a goal on the counter and that is the foundation of our recent run/success, but im not sure it works when a team gives you the initiative and asks you to break them down, we struggle with that, Watford a case in point which is why im worried about our next two.

I cant see us changing from a system thats working and we may fall over the line, but i think we have a job of work transitioning this team in the summer to be more creative while also finding the best balance of keeping it tight, thats a huge challenge and akin turning an oil tanker around.

Selling Digne, Jamo, while we also knew we would be without Gylfi was madness, even Bernard poping up in between lines - while none of the afore mentinoned where without their faults, collectively they were the most creative players we had who could give us a platform to score - collectively it was removing any semblance of creativity from the team all in a season - bananas! Where did we think we would create from - the proof is there in terms of our baseline creativity.

 

[Fansince1988]

I’d have allan stick to Eriksen like ? to a blanket, man mark him out the game and don’t give him a minute.

Stop him and we stop Brentford.

Absolutley made up for the fella that he’s back and playing after what happened to him, but I’m praying he has a shocker on Sunday!

Hopefully the Goodison effect does its magic and helps drag these jokers over the line and we can all get blooted celebrating survival on Sunday.

I agree with this, in the main Brentford weren’t that good but since Eriksen arrived he really has really made them tick.

 

[Fansince1988]

I think the reason we’ve created so few chances this season is the ludicrous sale of Digne, releasing James, etc.
Taking out some of your creative players was akin to self destruction.
Our attackers now tend to run with the ball and not pass it through, all brave and gutsy to try to do it individually, but better passing creates more chances.

In his final month here Digne was suppling very little also his defending wasn’t great, good we got rid of him Imo. As for James I think the FFP was the issue he’s was just taking up to much money out of our budget.

 

[blulouie]

I'd honestly get two players on him, Doucouré and Allan, and put 5 in midfield. He'll run rings around the team and create loads of chances for them if he's allowed to have the ball at his feet.

He doesnt run rings round anyone mate.

Pace is not his virtue , his vision is.

 

[DrEFC]

I think the reason we’ve created so few chances this season is the ludicrous sale of Digne, releasing James, etc.
Taking out some of your creative players was akin to self destruction.
Our attackers now tend to run with the ball and not pass it through, all brave and gutsy to try to do it individually, but better passing creates more chances.

Siggy, James, Digne had 26 goal involvements last season. Massive loss to the team

 

[NathDogg]

He doesnt run rings round anyone mate.

Pace is not his virtue , his vision is.

Thinks that’s what he meant mate.

 

[Preki]

In his final month here Digne was suppling very little also his defending wasn’t great, good we got rid of him Imo. As for James I think the FFP was the issue he’s was just taking up to much money out of our budget.

We should have got a cheaper playmaker then. Gone from too many number tens to none (barring Ali who never seems to play).

 

[GoldenToffee]

He doesnt run rings round anyone mate.

Pace is not his virtue , his vision is.

He runs rings around people with its creativity.