Everton managed to secure a 2-2 draw with Hull City on the weekend, and it wasn't a perfect performance from the Toffees.
If Everton want to become a more dominant side, they need to adapt.
That might sound weird after a dominant game against Hull, but it was always going to pan out that way given their setup.
Hull have the least possession in the Premier League this season, and they were always going to allow Everton to have a lot of the ball. Given the amount of possession Everton had, you could argue that they should have actually created more opportunities.
The Toffees produced 1.68 xG according to Opta. 0.3 of that came from a Thierno Barry header right in front of the goalkeeper from a corner, which, in reality, was almost impossible for him to score.
Everton produced just 15 shots despite having 65.2% possession. We dominated proceedings, but still should have created more opportunities.
The draw showed a couple of key problems. Of course, the defence needs to tighten up. The defending for both Hull goals was unacceptable, and it should have been a routine two or three-goal victory.
We should have scored more goals, of course, but Barry isn’t going to score every chance. He’s not clinical, but he eventually got his goal.
The other big issue is the balance in the side and how we approach attacks.
Everton were held to a 2-2 draw against Hull City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.roundtable.ioEverton were held to a 2-2 draw against Hull City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Two 4's: Everton's Player Ratings After 2-2 Draw With Hull City
Everton’s left-sided dominance
Everton have Jack Grealish on the left-hand side of attack, and naturally, they are going to favour getting him the ball. At his best, Grealish is a chance-creating machine who can create space for others, draw fouls, and keep possession.
Grealish wasn’t at his best against Hull, but despite that, Everton continued to try to get the ball to him and ignored the right-hand side.
Opta Analyst
Opta Analyst
As you can see, there is a clear aim to utilise the left-hand side. To put it into context, Jarrad Branthwaite passed the ball to Grealish 12 times, whereas Ainsley Maitland-Niles found Brennan Johnson just three times. Harrison Armstrong found Johnson seven times, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall found Grealish 13 times.
Grealish is a better player than Johnson, there’s no denying that, and it’s understandable that Everton look to favour that left-hand side. The issue is, it becomes very predictable.
Had someone like Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling been on the right, Everton would have looked to find them more often. Both players are much better against deeper defences than Johnson, and it’s clear he’s just been used to stretch the pitch, be an option in behind, or to attack the back post.
If we have two wingers on the pitch who are both constant threats who can regularly receive the ball and look to take on their man, Everton become much less predictable.
Opta Analyst
Opta Analyst
This isn’t something new. If we look at the game against Ipswich, it’s a similar story. Johnson is making little to no impact on the right-hand side, and not even through much fault of his own.
The reality is, with someone like George or Dibling on the right-hand side, we’ll look much more balanced and can cause problems on either wing. Johnson will suit certain games and situations, but when trying to break teams down, he’s not the answer.
Breaking down low blocks is something Everton won’t have to do loads of during the season due to the way we usually set up, but in games like Hull, it was obvious that was going to be the case. Everton need to be braver in their selection if they want to dominate teams further, and it will give us the opportunity to have more possession, sustain attacks better, and create even more opportunities.