As we wait for news of any new signings before the transfer window shuts tonight, Everton also have to prepare for a big game at Leeds on Wednesday evening.
It’s a more significant match because Everton slumped to such a disheartening defeat to unfancied Newcastle United at Goodison Park last weekend.
That result came after the Toffees were pegged back against Leicester City when they had taken the lead and looked like they might well survive and claim all three points. So instead of a possible six points from these two home games the Blues have one.
The manner of the loss to the Magpies was worrying. There was an almost total lack of energy and commitment and it was a very lacklustre performance more like the kind of efforts we saw all too often at the end of the Marco Silva era.
Carlo Ancelotti decided to dispense with his recently successful back four and this I think backfired as Newcastle played in a much more adventurous way and his team were able to exploit the lack of pace and defensive cover behind the full-backs.
But perhaps most concerning overall is the lack of form of the Everton forwards. None of them were really effective on Saturday although James Rodriguez had his moments early on.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn’t scored in the Premier League in almost two months and Richarlison is enduring perhaps the worst slump of form in his Blues career. And while Rodriguez has been playing reasonably well he’s recently returned from injury and given his history, is likely to have more such problems later in the season.
And of course with the departure today of Cenk Tosun, possibly Bernard and maybe Anthony Gordon as well, there is basically nothing in reserve.
So all this surely makes bringing in another forward before the window shuts imperative. If the Toffees don’t manage that then the second half of this season looks like being a very long one.
Anyway assuming there isn’t another forward for Ancelotti to choose from on Wednesday, then the Blues boss has to decide whether to continue with the team that failed at the weekend.
I think he has to revert to the former defence with Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey flanking Micheal Keane and Yerry Mina. It’s been a very solid and consistent backline and that is essential to providing a strong foundation for a successful team.
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This means benching Seamus Coleman and pushing Lucas Digne upfield to the left side of the midfield, which is not his natural position but is one he can perform in as his strengths are his attacking qualities.
This also means going back to a sort of 4-4-2 with Rodriguez playing off Calvert-Lewin and for me it’s a formaiton that seems to make the most sense given Allan’s continued absence from midfield.
Then the decision is whether to continue with Alex Iwobi on the right or switch Richarlison to the other flank.
Of course if the Blues have added another forward (and the favourite if there is to be one is Josh King) does he come straight into the team?
Anyway whatever tactics or line-up he chooses, Ancelotti obviously needs a much better overall effort and performance from his players at Leeds.
Wednesday’s opponents are coming off a two-match winning run including most recently a fine away victory at Leicester City. They have had a rollercoaster of a season leading to wildly inconsistent results as manager Marcelo Bielsa sticks firmly to his attacking principles.
The key to his approach is Kalvin Philipps. The young Englishman is an outstanding all-round central midfielder or defender. He combines excellent defensive strengths with a superb range of passing and distribution.
As many commentators have observed he plays in a sort of quarter-back type role sitting deep and masterminding Leeds play. Philipps was excellent when these sides met at Goodison Park in November and the Yorkshire club came away with a 1-0 win.
It’s impossible to know what Leeds team will turn up on Wednesday but for Everton this match has become more important than it perhaps should have been.
Had the Toffees beaten Newcastle they wouldn’t neccesarily have needed all the points, but now I think the Blues do need a win to ensure they don’t lose more significant ground on their rivals for the European places.