Draw underlines lack of Everton attacking options
Last night Everton could only draw with Leicester City and the failure to gain all three points kept them from returning to the top four. Is the lack of alternative attacking options hurting the Blues?
Everton were perhaps a little lucky to get a point as the visitors produced an excellent second half display although the Blues defence was solid enough and proved resilient. In truth Leicester didn’t actually force many saves from Jordan Pickford.
Speaking of Pickford it was of course his latest moment, or actually moments of madness, that cost the goal with which the Foxes secured their point.
The team’s back four had though kept the Blues in the game. And late on the Toffees could still have grabbed the win if they had taken their chances when both forwards Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed headers, which they should have made count.
Late in the match Carlo Ancelotti made some changes to try and wrest control back from Leicester bringing on Alex Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson late in the game. While Iwobi has been good recently the Icelandic international is very inconsistent and neither offer great pace or many goals.
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Everton’s manager and the club’s Director of Football Marcel Brands have both said publicly that they don’t think there will be any incoming signings this month. That would seem to once and for all rule out any forward reinforcements coming through the doors at Goodison Park.
Last night’s match though underlined how limited the Blues attacking options actually are and the lack of quality depth in the squad.
Of the first-choice forwards Calvert-Lewin has just come back from injury and although he scored against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, he hasn’t found the net in the Premier League since early December.
Meanwhile Brazil forward Richarlison has been badly out of form ever since he returned from his three-game suspension following the red card he picked up in October’s derby. He had a really poor match again yesterday.
In addition, James Rodriguez while often brilliant when he’s fit and in the team, is always liable to suffer injuries and miss games as he has done already this season.
All of this means that Everton need further choices in the squad to turn to if needed. At the moment they are limited up front.
Apart from Iwobi and Sigurdsson there are only players who are not considered good enough and /or might be on their way out of the club such as Bernard and Cenk Tosun. And then there are youngsters like Anthony Gordon, who again Ancelotti doesn’t seem to have great confidence in.
Although it might not have proved crucial last night if those chances had been taken, there may be other important matches this season when the Toffees need to be able to change a game by bringing on different attacking players.
In particular Everton needed additional pace and an outlet to stretch opponents who control possession like Leicester did. Then they will have a counter-attacking threat when they were under the cosh for long stretches.
There’s still a few days left before the transfer window closes and I think if they can the Blues should consider a loan for a forward to give them that other option and possibly challenge Richarlison who on current form doesn’t really merit his place in the team.