Everton need to stop using makeshift options like Jake O’Brien.
Modern full-backs needed to create space for the likes of Iliman Ndiaye.
New signings are need to provide consistent, high-quality crossing.
Ask any Evertonian how David Moyes can modernise this Everton side, and they’ll likely point straight to the full-back position. While the “new striker” debate dominates social media, the pursuit of two specialised full-backs this summer is an absolute necessity.
To evolve beyond mid-table stability, Moyes must fix the “engine room” of his tactical system.
The tactical “Moyes blueprint”
A specific full-back profile anchored Moyes’ most successful eras at Everton and West Ham. In his system, in addition to their defensive duties, these players carry a significant attacking burden; providing width and creativity.
Their movement allows wingers to tuck into “half-spaces” while the full-backs overlap to deliver high-volume, high-quality crosses. Think of Leighton Baines combining with Steven Pienaar and you get the idea.
Currently, Everton lack these profiles, which prevents the team from building the wide relationships necessary to break out of the mid-table pack.
Right-back crisis: The O’Brien experiment
The right-back situation sits at a breaking point. With Seamus Coleman’s advancing age and Nathan Patterson’s failure to impress a succession of managers, Moyes has frequently turned to Jake O’Brien—a natural centre-back—to fill the void. This choice has created a two-fold problem:
The defensive issue: Lacking the natural agility of a full-back, O’Brien sometimes struggles to contain elite Premier League pace. We saw this clearly in the recent clash with Manchester City, where Jeremy Doku repeatedly exploited Everton’s right side.
The attacking void: While O’Brien offers aerial dominance, he provides limited overlapping threat. This makes the Everton attack predictable and allows defenders to compress the play easily. What’s more, his crossing, understandably, can be painful to watch.
Overcoming left-back stagnation
On the left, Vitaliy Mykolenko remains the preferred option for Moyes. While the Ukrainian defends competently, his offensive output leaves much to be desired. The attacking drop off compared to Leighton Baines (or even Lucas Digne) is considerable.
Everton need a left-back who offers more than just “reliability.” Currently, Everton’s left-sided play feels too conservative. Not only does Mykolenko lack any kind of end product, but he also regularly fails to support or overlap, allowing the opposition to isolate and double up on creative players, like Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish.
The great debate: Striker vs full-backs
With just 15 goals between the current Everton strikers, fans constantly debate the need for a new centre-forward. However, it’s arguable that the full backs are the true priority. Even if Everton were to sign an elite striker (unlikely as that sounds), lack of service starves even the most accomplished finishers.
By signing two specialised full-backs, Everton can achieve three critical goals:
Unlock the wingers: Overlapping runs allow the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish to cut inside and occupy dangerous central positions rather than staying trapped on the touchline (potentially marked out of the game)
Increase service: Generate the high-volume, precision crossing that physical strikers like Beto and Thierno Barry need to thrive.
Tactical flexibility: Enable Moyes to transition from a “reactive” team that is more comfortable without the ball to one that can dictate the pace of the game.
The bottom line
A new striker offers a tempting “silver bullet,” but without a functional delivery system, any new arrival risks becoming another isolated figure upfront (as has often been the case this season)
Two new acquisitions at full-back represent the foundational components Moyes needs to make his system modern, dangerous, and efficient. To fix the finishing, we must first fix the supply line.