Everton need to decide on attack

Then to try and stem this tide he went with a new side in December reverting to a defensive approach in which the Toffees played with four central defenders and the team were content to sit deeper and allow their opponents to dominate the ball.

This new approach worked well for a while and the Blues stopped conceding goals and started winning matches again, albiet without often creating a great deal in attack.

But this approach leaves the Everton forwards very isolated at times and it has contributed to a decline in the goals being scored by them, especially Calvert-Lewin, while Richarlison has struggled to be as effective playing wider on the left.

Calvert-Lewin is very much in the mold of a tradtional number nine. His strengths are his pace, power, ability in the air and willingness to run and work hard. He has been encouraged by Ancelotti to focus on getting into the box as much as possible to score more, although he’s still missing more chances than a really top draw goalscorer would.

The England international follows in a great tradition at Goodison Park of such centre-forwards from the legendary William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean through Tommy Lawton, Bob Latchford, Graeme Sharp, Duncan Ferguson and even Romelu Lukaku. All were big, powerful strikers who led the line.

For a player like that to be effective though requires the team around him to provide plenty of support and lots of crosses and good quality ball into the box.

That’s what happened earlier this season for Calvert-Lewin when Rodriguez was fit and in full flow. But without him the goals have dried up since the end of last year. This is in large part because he’s not getting the service he was earlier on and he needs a lot to score his goals.