Carlo Ancelotti’s description of Richarlison’s ‘complete striker’ role at Everton resonates with Braiden Graham’s role playing across the front line in Paul Tait’s Everton U21s side.
Graham scored yet again for Everton’s U21s in the Premier League 2 on Monday afternoon against Burnley.
The 18-year-old simply cannot stop scoring and is forcing the question to David Moyes over when his opportunity in the first team will come.
Moyes does hold concerns over Graham’s physicality as the lone striker in his Everton side will be required to hold the ball up.
Those concerns are valid given Graham’s slight physique, which has caused him some issues during the recent games against Ipswich Town’s U18s and Burnley’s U21s.
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Braiden Graham's Everton stats.
However, Ancelotti’s description of Richarlison’s role at Everton from a few years back highlights the type of role which Graham could have in the first team.
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton - Premier League 2
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Carlo Ancelotti’s Richarlison role is exactly what Braiden Graham is doing at Everton
Everton have shown an interest in re-signing Richarlison ahead of the summer transfer window.
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However, they could already have their very own version of the Brazil international in their youth set-up with Graham.
“Richarlison is a modern striker, a complete striker, because he works really hard,” Ancelotti told said back in 2021.
Does David Moyes need to put more trust in Everton’s academy players? 😤
Surely some of these players can do better than Beto and Dwight McNeil! 😡
Everton striker Braiden Graham. Everton manager David Moyes.
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“His physical statistics are really high, like a midfielder – but he has speed and he is really clinical in the box.”
The 18-year-old Everton talent played both as a lone striker and on the left wing against Burnley, whilst playing in a free role last week against Ipswich Town.
“He is fantastic with the head and clinical in front of the goalkeeper and his movement without the ball is really good,” Ancelotti added.
“I think he can be one of the top strikers in Europe. I’m sure he can because he has all these kind of qualities and he doesn’t have a specific position on the pitch. He is really complete.”
Everton’s U21s manager Tait has praised Graham for being ‘robust’ amid the frequent games between the U18s and U21s level.
Braiden Graham may struggle as a lone striker for Everton
Given his physical stature, the 18-year-old is unlikely to be able to hold the ball up against Premier League centre-backs like James Tarkowski.
Harrison Armstrong nicknamed Graham as the ‘ginger R9’, which highlights his style of play as a forward who likes to let his feet do the talking.
However, in the Premier League, his role as the lone striker may not allow that as he would need to maintain possession in the transition.
Graham showed in the game at Finch Farm against Burnley that he likes to roam across the pitch, which worked against him as he gave away a penalty in the second half.
Although his free role opened up angles for him to work the goalkeeper, it also often meant that there was no focal point up front for Tait’s side.
If Moyes was to hand Graham a promotion to the first team, he may well require a player like Beto to offer him a physical presence to work of.
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