Everton's Poor Playing Style

[gjeess]

Hi,

 

I'd like to voice my opinion on why I believe the Everton first team struggles against top teams from the EPL and Europe, and even lower table teams.

 

What I have noticed in their style of play is they give up possession too easily, then put themselves under pressure with constant defending. Constant defending tires players (especially in the final 20 minutes of matches) and makes them vunerable to defensive lapses.

 

I'm not sure whether it's the style Moyes administers to his team, or the defence lacks the skills to bring the ball out of from their own box, but what I notice is they (the defence and goal keeper) constantly play the long ball forward to one on two, or two on three/four scenarios. The chances of this being successful is about 5% as there are very few players in the world who can regularly pin point a long pass, therefore, possession of the ball is immediately given to the opposition and our defence is put under the pump.

 

The Everton first team needs to learn to hold the ball, passing it back, forth and across, waiting for an opportunity to open up. This tires the opposition because they are constantly chasing the ball trying to defend (I refer to my comment in the 2nd paragraph). If nothing is opening up, just keep passing the ball back and forth, dont rush. Our team has a bad habit of stringing 3 or 4 passes then crossing the ball to very slim opportunities, rather than working the ball into the oppositions box.

 

Possession wins matches. If the opposition doesn't have the ball they can't score goals (except own goals). Extremely rarely does an team win a match where they have held the ball for less than 40% of a match.

 

Watching the Chelsea game the other day was a perfect example of constantly putting our defence under the pump. Too often the ball was kicked long (poor percentage options) only to be returned by Chelsea immediately.

 

Personally I believe our team is a very good one, and could fight for a premiership next season (this season is over for them in the EPL), however, they need to learn to hold onto the ball. Yes, they may lose a few games practicing this style of play (and now is a great time to start before next season), however, once they have learned to master the possession game they will match the likes of the top four on a regular basis and fight for the title.

 

Happy to listen/read others comments

 

regards

gjeess

[Blue4Ever]

Hi,

 

I'd like to voice my opinion on why I believe the Everton first team struggles against top teams from the EPL and Europe, and even lower table teams.

 

What I have noticed in their style of play is they give up possession too easily, then put themselves under pressure with constant defending. Constant defending tires players (especially in the final 20 minutes of matches) and makes them vunerable to defensive lapses.

 

I'm not sure whether it's the style Moyes administers to his team, or the defence lacks the skills to bring the ball out of from their own box, but what I notice is they (the defence and goal keeper) constantly play the long ball forward to one on two, or two on three/four scenarios. The chances of this being successful is about 5% as there are very few players in the world who can regularly pin point a long pass, therefore, possession of the ball is immediately given to the opposition and our defence is put under the pump.

 

The Everton first team needs to learn to hold the ball, passing it back, forth and across, waiting for an opportunity to open up. This tires the opposition because they are constantly chasing the ball trying to defend (I refer to my comment in the 2nd paragraph). If nothing is opening up, just keep passing the ball back and forth, dont rush. Our team has a bad habit of stringing 3 or 4 passes then crossing the ball to very slim opportunities, rather than working the ball into the oppositions box.

 

Possession wins matches. If the opposition doesn't have the ball they can't score goals (except own goals). Extremely rarely does an team win a match where they have held the ball for less than 40% of a match.

 

Watching the Chelsea game the other day was a perfect example of constantly putting our defence under the pump. Too often the ball was kicked long (poor percentage options) only to be returned by Chelsea immediately.

 

Personally I believe our team is a very good one, and could fight for a premiership next season (this season is over for them in the EPL), however, they need to learn to hold onto the ball. Yes, they may lose a few games practicing this style of play (and now is a great time to start before next season), however, once they have learned to master the possession game they will match the likes of the top four on a regular basis and fight for the title.

 

Happy to listen/read others comments

 

regards

gjeess

I fully agree with that mate, tbh we need to move the players who consistantly play the long ball to the bench or sell them on. Stubbs, Neville, & Hibbert are the 3 who always do it.

With an improved midifeld we will slowly start to play more football im sure, we will just have to see what our midfield plays like when it looks like this

 

---------------------Cahill---------------------

Arteta----Fernandes----Osman------Pienaar

 

We would play alot more football and keep the ball, im looking forward to those times...No team in europe would want to face that midfield.

Edited January 10, 2008 by Blue4Ever

[StevO]

just a few points id like to make.

 

if you've watched everton in recent years, we have cut the long ball out a lot! we play more on the floor now than in a long time.

if you are to use the chelsea game then that is a poor example as we were missing all three of our footballing midfielders.

 

playing the ball out of defence; does no body remember the younger joseph yobo? he tried to always play the ball out of defence, often causing loss of posession/goals against us. im happy to see our back line hoof the ball up. again, chelsea is a bad example as this season osman has been coming deep a lot to bring the ball out.

 

other than that, i do agree we need to keep posession more and patient build up is more productive too, even if it means passing back to the keeper, posession is 9 10ths of the law

[Pat]

1st thought = Chelsea being a Poor example.

 

We ( Whilst admitting we have deficincies) Do & can Play a decent Brand of Football.

 

Pluck Arteta, Osman & Pienaar types out of any team & replace with plodders & workman, then yeh Ic an see how that opinion is formed.

 

Still & just a humble op, The above comments (Whith merit on A performance) Smirk of a passer's bye view rather than those of a student's.

 

No offense meant or offered

[gjeess]

1st thought = Chelsea being a Poor example.

 

We ( Whilst admitting we have deficincies) Do & can Play a decent Brand of Football.

 

Pluck Arteta, Osman & Pienaar types out of any team & replace with plodders & workman, then yeh Ic an see how that opinion is formed.

 

Still & just a humble op, The above comments (Whith merit on A performance) Smirk of a passer's bye view rather than those of a student's.

 

No offense meant or offered

 

 

No offence taken, and thank you for your valued contribution to the discussion.

 

I would like to provide some feedback on your comments.

• 
  

Having been a Tim Cahill fan for a number of years I have watched numerous Everton games. Yes, they can play some good quality football on their day, however, generally, against the higher quality teams they tend to struggle and kick long (as per my Chelsea example) rather than play the possession game.

I appreciate that Moyes has a number of players who are injured and has had to call up reserves, however, these reserves (who are professional footballers) train day-in day-out as a full squad and should be fully aware of how Moyes wants football to be played. With this being the case, then why did they continually kick long against Chelsea, and do so in many other games? Personally I believe that if these reserves can't play the type of football Moyes requires they should swap their boots for a trowel and lay bricks for a career - but that's not up to me to tell them!

 

I believe that if the squad regularly or continually plays long we will never match it with the likes of Man U, Gunners, Chelsea etc. We need to ensure that we make their mid field and defence tired during the game so that opportunities open up later in the match (that does not mean we don't try to score early goals).

 

I'm from Australia, and we probably only have 3 or 4 players who would be considered world class (Cahill, Kewell, Viduka, Neill), however, at the WC 2006 (only our 2nd ever appearance) Guus Hiddink taught our Socceroos team to play the possession game and ensure the opposition don't control the ball. The socceroos made the second round and came within minutes of a penalty shootout with Italy.

 

The Toffee's have the players, they just need the actions

 

 

regards

gjeess

Edited January 11, 2008 by gjeess

[MikeO]

Agree in principle with most of the above, however the long ball is a perfectly valid tactic to us at times. ManU used it at Goodison last year, particularly in the the first half, to no effect whatsoever. Arsenal used it at Goodison last month and it worked. In amongst the seven goals against Sunderland we used it to get two (I think) along with some beautiful passing/movement/interplay.

 

Just not all the time please, and I think we are better and getting better still. Tuesday was a one off, circumstances dictated but we shouldn't (imo) have allowed ourselves to be pushed so deep in the dying minutes. That was the time to keep posession, not to hoof. The return leg will be completely different, has to be.

Edited January 11, 2008 by MikeO

[carlmc25]

No offence taken, and thank you for your valued contribution to the discussion.

 

I would like to provide some feedback on your comments.

• 
  

Having been a Tim Cahill fan for a number of years I have watched numerous Everton games. Yes, they can play some good quality football on their day, however, generally, against the higher quality teams they tend to struggle and kick long (as per my Chelsea example) rather than play the possession game.

I appreciate that Moyes has a number of players who are injured and has had to call up reserves, however, these reserves (who are professional footballers) train day-in day-out as a full squad and should be fully aware of how Moyes wants football to be played. With this being the case, then why did they continually kick long against Chelsea, and do so in many other games? Personally I believe that if these reserves can't play the type of football Moyes requires they should swap their boots for a trowel and lay bricks for a career - but that's not up to me to tell them!

 

I believe that if the squad regularly or continually plays long we will never match it with the likes of Man U, Gunners, Chelsea etc. We need to ensure that we make their mid field and defence tired during the game so that opportunities open up later in the match (that does not mean we don't try to score early goals).

 

I'm from Australia, and we probably only have 3 or 4 players who would be considered world class (Cahill, Kewell, Viduka, Neill), however, at the WC 2006 (only our 2nd ever appearance) Guus Hiddink taught our Socceroos team to play the possession game and ensure the opposition don't control the ball. The socceroos made the second round and came within minutes of a penalty shootout with Italy.

 

The Toffee's have the players, they just need the actions

 

 

regards

gjeess

excellent, well thought out posts gjeess. I agree with a lot of it, but I will come back to my favourite reason for the malaise which has affected our team this season when playing against the big boys - 442.

 

We have played 451 once against the top 4, and guess what, we got our only result - a 1-1 draw away at Stamford Bridge (although we have undoubtedly been unlucky on other occasions where mistakes cost us big time). We actually didn't play particularly well on the day (most likely due to our midweek exertions in the UEFA cup) but we still ground out a result. The problem in the other matches (midweek is the finest example) is that we undoubtedly had big players missing, particularly in the midfield (although Chelsea were without a lot of their best players as well) but our midfield was nowhere near as strong as Chelsea's and for the first goal in particular they just walked through the middle of us. The midfield is where games are won and lost in general, ok sometimes luck or defensive howlers can win a match, but in general whoever controls the midfield and possession wins the match. Everton are unbeaten this season when playing a 451 and we have played our best football in years as we've been able to get a lot of possession with this formation and we now have the players in Pienaar, Arteta and Osman who can pass the ball around and move into space. With Fernandes arrival also hopefully imminent this should make us even stronger. I honestly think if we had've had a fully fit team, playing 451 this season against the top 4, we would have gotten a lot more results. Hopefully we'll prove that in the second leg at Goodison, Everton are no longer a long ball team - but on occasion, as you rightly pointed out, we panic and have this defend what we've got mentality, even when playing against 10 men without a striker on the pitch.

[jofanon]

excellent, well thought out posts gjeess. I agree with a lot of it, but I will come back to my favourite reason for the malaise which has affected our team this season when playing against the big boys - 442.

 

We have played 451 once against the top 4, and guess what, we got our only result - a 1-1 draw away at Stamford Bridge (although we have undoubtedly been unlucky on other occasions where mistakes cost us big time). We actually didn't play particularly well on the day (most likely due to our midweek exertions in the UEFA cup) but we still ground out a result. The problem in the other matches (midweek is the finest example) is that we undoubtedly had big players missing, particularly in the midfield (although Chelsea were without a lot of their best players as well) but our midfield was nowhere near as strong as Chelsea's and for the first goal in particular they just walked through the middle of us. The midfield is where games are won and lost in general, ok sometimes luck or defensive howlers can win a match, but in general whoever controls the midfield and possession wins the match. Everton are unbeaten this season when playing a 451 and we have played our best football in years as we've been able to get a lot of possession with this formation and we now have the players in Pienaar, Arteta and Osman who can pass the ball around and move into space. With Fernandes arrival also hopefully imminent this should make us even stronger. I honestly think if we had've had a fully fit team, playing 451 this season against the top 4, we would have gotten a lot more results. Hopefully we'll prove that in the second leg at Goodison, Everton are no longer a long ball team - but on occasion, as you rightly pointed out, we panic and have this defend what we've got mentality, even when playing against 10 men without a striker on the pitch.

 

I totally agree but I hate this 'EPL' shit!

[carlmc25]

I totally agree but I hate this 'EPL' shit!

what's EPL?!

[MikeO]

what's EPL?!

 

English Premier League.

[Romey 1878]

One of our best performances of the season was against Man U at Old Trafford, we played better football than them for large chunks of the game. Same goes for when we played Arsenal at Goodison a couple of weeks ago. Judge us on the Chelsea game and you're not looking at a valid picture of how much we've improved at all.

[jamiemaher85]

I think that their have been a few performances this season that we;ve resorted back to poor brand of football but n the whole we are playing alot better football than we have for years. Think back about 5 or 6 years and compare that to now. We are now laying the ball along the deck more and actually putting some moves together, sure there are aspects of our game that need improving but thats why we're not top of the league and just in 6th. We've come along in leaps and bounds recently. Some of the goals we've scored this season i cannot even imagine happening a few years back. Osman's goal against Larrisa for example, an awesome team move, can't of seen us scroing a goal like that pre-moyes

[Bill]

Think our better football started when Pienaar got matchfit and played wing with Arteta on the other wing, which allowed Osman who is not a winger to come and play inside with Carsley and Cahill. And so the 4-5-1 was reborn and we've not looked back since.

[carlmc25]

Think our better football started when Pienaar got matchfit and played wing with Arteta on the other wing, which allowed Osman who is not a winger to come and play inside with Carsley and Cahill. And so the 4-5-1 was reborn and we've not looked back since.

totally. In fact, it's now getting to the stage (if Manny is indeed signing) where we are actually looking VERY strong in the CM area (in a 451) and it's now the wings we need to look at strengthening - particularly if/when McFadden goes. Osman didn't really excel on the wing like he has in the middle, so that really leaves us with Pienaar (still only on loan) and Arteta as our only realistic options. If Moyes does sell McFadden, especially with Pienaar at African Nations, then I can only assume he is eyeing up a winger. That being said, I'd still like to see another class CM brought in to give us the realistic option of playing 442 - although some of the football we've played this year in a 451 has been brilliant, just imagine how good it could get with Fernandez pulling the strings as well and Baines fully fit bombing up the wing.

[Blue 250]

Well on our present style of play! my red brother........through gritted teeth has admited, that at times this season Everton have played some great stuff, passing and movement!

The rs totaly rate Lescott for the way he can play, but as mentioned above the big boot out of defence HAS it's place!How many people blasted Yobo for trying to play it out?

 

Pienaar, Osman, Arteta, Fernandes and Cahill plus the workhorse Carsley in whatever combination on their day will be too good for most......Then it's down to the defence and forward line!

 

As we seem to play better(at least at the moment) with Cahill behind the lone striker, this must make Cahill the man who needs to have a replacement ready and able!!

 

If the front man is Vaughan, Yakubu or Anichebe(one day maybe)....could AJ not fill that role!

 

Some Everton forums seem to have turned slightly against Andy!I'm not sure he's as good in the air as Cahill, but most of Cahills other traits, I think Andy could do!

 

If disaster strikes and Cahill is sidelined for any length of time, who's the man to fill his boots, maybe Fernandes.

 

I know 451 seems to be our best formation, but can we do it without Cahill....does that make Cahill a one trick pony?

[Calico]

Cahill is a goal-scoring midfielder who has other qualities which, although not as refined as other attacking players are, seemed to have become somewhat lost in our current team. This was shown against Chelsea; he was dead wood and about as useful as. I think this is why some people do see that we need to be able to play 4-4-2 at some point.

 

Although, seeing as the starter of the topic is a fly-by poster who is using the Chelsea game as an example, I wouldn't put much value to their comments.

[gjeess]

Thanks to all who have provided valuable comments to my post.

 

From what I gather our Toffee boys do have the capability to play quality possession football, however, we lack depth when injuries hit the team - which we have gone through recently. Hopefully the January window will provide us with some quality players, albiet, I haven't heard anything yet other than there is a lack of quality players available.

 

Again thank you for your replies.

 

P.S. Sorry Toffee supporters, but we need Tim Cahill back in Australia for our clash with Qatar on Feb 6 (they have just nationalised 3 or 4 Brazilians into their team).

 

regards

gjeess

[Josh Berno]

TBH that is a great midfield Blue4Ever

 

---------------------Cahill---------------------

Arteta----Fernandes----Osman------Pienaar

[Calico]

Indeed it is, but who is gonna defend between Ossie and Fernandes? <_<

[Pat]

The City game was another hardly typical performance ( one of old) bu tthere was circumstance attached.

 

totally agree but I hate this 'EPL' shit!

 

what's EPL?!

 

EPL well it's an ACN....come on Man...................!!!

 

Oh & an ACN is an Acronym for an Acronym

 

Seems the way of the new world.