Along with a much-needed win against Southampton at Goodison Park last night, Everton also welcomed back a key player as Brazilian midfield dynamo Allan returned to action.
Allan’s return after injury is a real boost for Everton as we enter the final third of the season and he made an immediate and significant difference last night – as you would expect for such a good player.
It was also important to see him back as Tom Davies who has been doing a fine job in his position, was unable to play last night.
The Brazilian has slotted in seamlessly since his arrival last summer from Napoli. He, alongside Adoulaye Doucoure gave the Toffees rather soft and ineffective midifield much-needed energy and ball-winning commitment.
Allan did his usual job against Southampton, winning the ball well breaking up Saints moves and using the possession he had secured effectively and effeciently.
Having Allan back and fit again gives Carlo Ancelotti more options as he continues to try and find the right balance in the middle of the park.
This is one of the issues that the Blues boss has been wrestling with all season. When the campaign opened he had a three man midfield of Allan, Doucoure and Andre Gomes. Since then he’s tried a number of different combinations without ever seeming to settle on the right one.
Last night saw Gomes return alongside the two summer signings and Gylfi Sigurdsson came back into the side because of Rodriguez’ latest injury problem.
But while Allan’s return is certainly welcome, it still seems to me that Everton are missing a piece in the midfield puzzle.
In many ways this could be best solved to a considerable extent if Jean-Philippe Gbamin was ever to be seen again at Goodison Park.
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The Ivorian has been absent for so long and the endless rehabilitation he is currently doing, which just seems to be going on and on, makes it hard to imagine him ever now returning.
But if by some miracle the former Mainz midfielder was to appear again in a royal blue shirt, he could make the diamond-type formation Ancelotti adopted again yesterday work.
We’ve talked many times about formations and what is the right system and tactics for this Toffees team. Ancelotti has experimented a lot as well this season.
Last night’s variation, a 4-3-1-2 does enable him to play Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison together up front, which seems to best suit them – especially the Brazil forward. It also allows him to have the play-making talents of Rodriguez behind them at the top of that diamond.
Gbamin (or perhaps Davies if he continues his current development) would be perfect for this formation as he best suits playing a deeper-lying defensive midfield position. He is also a fine passer of the ball from deep and this would suit the way Everton are playing.
This would also enable Allan and Doucoure to play in a more advanced role providing support to the Blues attack while also giving defensive cover out wide and behind the full-backs.
If Gbamin is never to be seen again, then Ancelotti will have to consider whether in the summer he should bring in another similar midfielder to make this tactical approach work.