A Game Plan Perfectly Executed
Everton’s goalless draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday was not the most thrilling game of the weekend, but as a result for the visitors, it was about as good as could be hoped for. The Blues had lost their last ten visits and not tasted victory there since 1996 — in front of a crowd; Carlo Ancelotti’s side had beaten the Gunners 1-0 during the lockdown season in April 2021. So, a battling draw and a clean sheet represented a very positive result, on those terms.
The hosts were not quite at it — in fact, from open-play they’ve not really hit the heights yet this season. Still, a team boasting the attacking talent that Arsenal possesses will break through on occasion and when they did Jordan Pickford demonstrated what a vital asset he is to this Everton side, the Blues goalkeeper making a number of solid stops to keep his side in the game. Arguably the hosts’ greatest danger - their unique set-piece delivery - was dealt with adroitly by the Merseysiders, with Pickford himself much more aggressive in coming off his line than is his tendency.
Everton didn’t threaten Arsenal at all. One early botched effort by Abdoulaye Doucouré was the sum of their offensive output — a mighty 0.09 xG (Expected Goals). It’s been said before, but if a side’s tactical setup leads to them generating so few decent scoring opportunities, then they must be taken at a higher rate than Everton have managed since Sean Dyche arrived at the club. If not, then they become disproportionately vulnerable to setbacks, or errors which lead to the concession of goals at the other end. The archetypal reaction of the players to going behind tells its own story: that they don’t believe they can recover a losing position, a feeling shared by the fans.
Arsenal v Everton - Premier League - Emirates Stadium Doucouré takes too long to get away his shot
Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images
The Toffees defended tenaciously, which has been characteristic of them in recent outings — a notable exception being a gaff-filled visit to Old Trafford at the start of this month. Even so, without the England number one guarding their net expertly, the Toffees likely would have fallen behind and whatever the strengths of Dyche’s tactical approach are, coming from behind is not one of them. On this occasion, the strategy of setting out to frustrate the opposition, merely hoping to see out the 90 minutes, worked. But this was no different to what the team attempted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August, when they were destroyed 4-0. When it works, its accepted, but should never be celebrated.
Why Dyche Cannot Be The Future
Leading on from the above point, the style of play that the manager believes in — to his very core, is one that must be endured whilst Everton continue to be in this abject state. Farhad Moshiri, whatever his good intentions - and the almost-ready new stadium must be acknowledged as a potential gamechanger - led the club into a perilous position. Reckless spending on players (recruited seemingly at random), a comprised leadership structure and some poor managerial appointments threatened its status in the top flight — and potentially much worse.
It cannot be forgotten just how bleak things looked almost two years ago, with the Toffees on 15 points after 20 league games played, without a win in more than three months and having suffered six losses in their last seven under Frank Lampard. Dyche was hardly a popular replacement, given his long-time association with a dour Burnley side and pragmatic, defence-first ethos, but given the dire position Everton found themselves in, it was a sound move. He has to be given enormous credit for getting the club over the line during that dreadful season.
Likewise, though the Blues got the following campaign off to a woeful start, by the middle of December the team had won almost half of their 17 league matches and that foundation would be enough to see them ward off two separate point deductions and a winless run of 13. The team would earn 48 points from their efforts on the pitch — a 12-point improvement in Dyche’s first full season in charge, despite the ongoing difficulties in terms of player recruitment. That continued last summer, though the consensus was that the team entered the new campaign in better shape than the previous one.
Arsenal FC v Everton FC - Premier League The Blues battled away doggedly in search of a point
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
However, the Toffees have underperformed expectations so far this term. They sit in 16th place, on 15 points after as many matches, with some tough games stretching ahead until the end of January. This was Dyche’s opportunity to show the doubters that he can be more than what he’d been pigeonholed as — a small club boss, a firefighter. He’s failed. Whilst it may be understandable to bring a park-the-bus game plan to the Emirates, it was just an extreme variation of the team’s general mentality: safety first and horrible to watch. This may be enough for the likes of the Clarets and even the Blues in their current state, but this cannot be the future.
Everton’s glory days may be decades in the past, and it is true that the way football is, that wealth and prior success has entrenched the advantageous position of a few clubs, so that it seems also impossible for those outside the elite to dream of silverware. But even in this financially rigged game, smaller, less historically successful teams than the Blues have at least entertained their supporters, attacked at home — essentially not played like the pinnacle of ambition should be staying in the division. The takeover is imminent and Everton will stand on the brink of a new era, in which fans can expect more than the negative anti-football they’ve been served up.
Random Observations
Ashley Young continues to defy Father Time. The 39-year-old rarely gets substituted off: he’s started 12 consecutive league games and completed the full 90 minutes in all but one, which is a testament to his professionalism and fitness. Against Arsenal, the defender compiled a combined eight tackles and interceptions and won seven of nine ground duels, limiting both Gabriel Martinelli and his replacement, Leandro Trossard. Whilst he is obviously not the future, with a large churn in the squad looming in the summer, if his fine form continues, then he could be worth retaining for another year.
Arsenal FC v Everton FC - Premier League Young shadows Martinelli
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Another veteran who’s contract is up in six months, Idrissa Gueye, proved his value once more. The 35-year-old patrolled the Everton midfield, breaking up play, retaining the ball and generally not looking at all like someone whose time playing at this level is nearing an end. The Senegalese led the team with eleven recoveries, completed 93.8% of his passes and was successful in all four of his dribbles. Like Young, he’s clearly a dedicated player who should be considered for an extension in June.
Orel Mangala put in another composed outing and is bedding into the side nicely. The Belgian international complements Gueye well and could be available for a knockdown price in the summer, given Olympique Lyon’s financial woes. If he can be obtained for £10m or less, then this could be a shrewd move, but Everton should not consider spending a significant sum on a player who turns 27 in March. This is what the club has done in the past and leads to a financial dead end. The Blues have to be smarter under TFG and must allocate their funds for signings aged under 25.
Statistics provided courtesy offbref.com andsofascore.com