Delph can be key for Everton

While the majority of attention over a fine 3-2 win for Everton against Wolves yesterday focused on attacking players like Richarlison, midfielder Fabian Delph was just as important in securing the win.

Everton picked up a vital three points in their final game on Sunday before the season’s first international break.

It was great to see the attacking verve and creativity that the Blues forwards produced – and of course the three goals they scored.

But just as crucial was the excellence of the Toffees midfield and in particular the contribution of Fabian Delph.

When Delph joined this summer I suspect many Evertonians were not at first overwhelmed at the signing.

Bringing in an almost 30-year-old midfielder/ left-back who was surplus to requirements at Manchester City, didn’t necessarily meet the general expectation for the club to get exciting young talent.

But Delph came with bags of experience for both for club and country. As well as Premier League winners medals from the past two seasons.

At the same time Everton sold their other 30+ midfielder when PSG re-opened their interest in Blues star Idrissa Gueye. The Senegal player wanted to go and the Blues ultimately didn’t stand in his way.

However, it seemed Toffees boss Marco Silva didn’t think that Delph was a natural replacement for Gana, which sort of begged the question what role did the manager see for him?

This issue was brought into sharper focus when Everton went and signed another defensive midfielder in Jean-Philipe Gbamin. Silva indicated he thought the Ivory Coast player was actually Gana’s replacement.

Despite this though neither player seems like they will fill the role left by Gueye. To be honest that’s fine as there are very few players like the Senegal enforcer, but it does mean the Toffees have to adapt their game.

Gbamin is a powerful, generally deep-lying midfielder who likes to spray the ball around from a central position. He’s not really the kind of all-action ball-winning dynamo that Gana is.

Delph is a versatile player whom Silva seemed to think was best suited to playing a more advanced position linking up with the attack.

That never seemed to me the best place for him. At Manchester City Delph had most often played at left-back or in a more orthodox midfield role.

And on Sunday that’s where the former England man played and to good effect. Delph was busy all afternoon winning the ball, anticipating danger and intercepting loose balls whilst also using it very economically and positively.

In fact it was sort of like a Gana-type performance only much more controlled and offering a lot more good quality ball for the forwards to feed off. If he can continue to put in displays like Sunday’s he will quickly become an integral player in the Toffees side this season.

His partner in the middle Andre Gomes also had a fine match overall. He moved the ball well and generally worked hard, tracking back and supporting his new team-mate.

I get the feeling that Gomes is sometimes guilty of coasting in games and not putting in enough of a focussed performance. And when things are not going well he has a tendency to lose concentration and start fouling recklessly.

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I’ve said before that I feel long-term Everton might be best moving to a three in the middle of the park as part of a 4-3-3 formation overall.

My thought was a possible combination of Gbamin and Delph allowing Gomes or Gylfi Sigurdsson to operate further forward?

That way the Blues have two players to compensate in their different ways for losing Gana’s all-action defensive style.

But perhaps if Delph and Gomes can continue their evolving partnership then the Toffees can persist effectively with Silva’s preferred formation.