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Defensive change: same old problems for Everton

By Matt Townsend

Fulham's Jamaican striker Bobby Decordova-Reid (C) scores the equalising goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Everton at Craven Cottage in London on November 22, 2020. (Photo by Julian Finney / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Fulham's Jamaican striker Bobby Decordova-Reid (C) scores the equalising goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Everton at Craven Cottage in London on November 22, 2020. (Photo by Julian Finney / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JULIAN FINNEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Everton broke their three-game losing streak yesterday with a 3-2 win at Fulham and while the points were bagged the Blues yet again conceded two goals.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to shuffle his Everton team and formation around along lines we had previously suggested he might consider doing.

So he picked a back three with Ben Godfrey coming into the team alongside Micheal Keane and Yerry Mina. This was slightly odd as I had expected that if he played three centre-backs we would have seen Mason Holgate as the third one.

Having switched to a back three, Ancelotti then had Alex Iwobi playing at right wing-back in place of the injured Seamus Coleman.

In fact Iwobi had a really good game showing energy and pace and a willingness to get forward on the ball and try make things happen. Perhaps operating as a right-sided attacker like this might well suit him best.

Although I think a back-three can certainly work, yesterday’s lineup had a little of a lopsided look without the complimentary pace of Holgate. Godfrey did well enough although he gave away the penalty while Mina deflected the ball while lying on the ground in the area, which beat Jordan Pickford and led to Fulham’s second goal.

Once again then it was individual errors and frailties that were in evidence. To be fair, Godfrey’s challenge was clumsy but not the worst by any means and Mina’s deflection could have gone anywhere but of course it looped over Pickford and into the net.

One other worry was the ease with which Fulham cut through the Everton defence in the second half in particular. The Toffees dropped back deeper and deeper and that put the new-look defence under more pressure.

There was also less protection again than might have been expected from the midfield. Allan was his usual busy and combative self but Abdoulaye Doucoure had another inconsistent game overall, despite scoring his first goal for the club.

Too often he isn’t disciplined enough to support Allan without another midfielder alongside the Brazilian who will stick with him. Having James Rodriguez as that player didn’t help defensively. If Jean-Philippe Gbamin can finally return to full fitness perhaps he can add that additional discipline in the middle.

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So the Toffees had again conceded two goals making it the sixth time they have let in two in the Premier League and a total of sixteen altogether so far this season. Only Leeds United, West Brom and yesterday’s opponents Fulham have let in more.

No matter how productive the Blues attack is, a defence as constantly leaky at this will undermine that attack and may well leave Everton finishing mid-table instead of the top six or higher.

Ancelotti obviously knows this and his decision to move to a back three was part of the response to it. I don’t know if he will stick with three at the back, but I think it’s worth persevering with at least for a few more games, especially if Iwobi can reproduce the form he showed yesterday.

Next. Everton hang on for the points at Fulham. dark

I think though he needs to put Holgate instead of Mina in alongside Godfrey and Keane, that would be a more ideally balanced back-three. However, in the end no defensive formation will solve the problems the Blues have conceding goals if individual players keep making mistakes.