Everton position by position: full-back
As I continue my analysis of each position in the Everton team, today I turn my attention to the full-back position.
In truth left-back at Everton looks settled as despite his having had a somewhat subdued campaign, Lucas Digne is very much the settled first choice on that side. So in particular, I want to look at the situation regarding who should play at right-back in the future.
Djibril Sidibe has not satisfied many following his loan move from Monaco in the summer. The Frenchman was brought to Goodison Park to provide competition to veteran incumbent Seamus Coleman as Jonjo Kenny was sent out on loan to Schalke 04 in Germany for the season.
I wasn’t certain that sending Kenny out on loan was the best option. I would actually have preferred to see him get more of chance with Everton this season, but the decision was made to let him go to the Bundesliga instead.
Sidibe has obvious qualities regarding his attacking abilities, but his defensive attributes are more questionable. His lack of positional sense and tendency to be caught out of position, are major handicaps to him and have exacerbated the Toffees wider defensive problems.
Coleman has never fully recovered from the two serious injuries he suffered in the past and he is also coming towards the end of his career, so obviously he doesn’t have a long-term future.
In many respects Sidibe is the archetype of the modern full-back. He has pace, loves to overlap and attack, and is an excellent passer and crosser of the ball. A tall rangy player, he certainly provides a good offensive outlet on the right.
And although he has a reputation for making regular mistakes at the back, he has actually put in a lot of defensive work, being one of Everton’s top tacklers so far this season.
The Blues tactics though haven’t helped him. Everton, under both Marco Silva and now Carlo Ancelotti, have pursued tactical formations that don’t suit Sidibe.
Silva liked to play a 4-2-3-1 formation and Ancelotti of course prefers a form of 4-4-2. Under both these systems, the full-backs have to be dynamic all-rounders, able to both defend and also get forward regularly to supply width in attack.
Given his strengths, Sidibe would better suit playing in a 4-3-3, (as he tends to do with his national team), where he would have three defensive type midfielders to protect him. Or perhaps playing in a 3-5-2 formation, alongside three centre-backs, where he could be freed from many defensive duties and operate as a wing-back.
But Ancelotti isn’t likely to adopt such a formation. So what about Kenny, could he solve this problem position?
The young academy product, has enjoyed a fine season in Germany, and the rumours are that he would like to stay and that Schalke want to keep him permanently.
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Kenny is a solid all-round right-back so would be better suited to the existing formations that Everton are playing. However there are doubts that he has the size, pace and physical strength to become a top quality full-back in the Premier League.
There are reports that although Schalke want to keep him, they won’t be able to afford his transfer fee so if that’s the case, he will return to Goodison Park this summer.
Are there any other candidates out there that the Toffees might consider?
I’ve always said that Everton should look at a player like Fabien Centonze, a player I’ve mentioned before. Centonze is a the right age, possesses both the defensive and attacking ability, and has the qualities to fill this difficult position more than adequately. Given the fact he plays for a relatively low status club like Metz, he would also likely be affordable.