Everton have enjoyed a relatively smooth campaign so far, currently sitting comfortably in eighth place in the Premier League. Aside from a disappointing exit in the Carabao Cup, their season has been largely positive to date.
Still, as is always the case, fans continue to dream of more. There’s a sense it could have been better with the games against Aston Villa and West Ham having left supporters wondering what might have been in the race for a top-six finish if the team took their chances in dominant victories.
For the club, the upcoming international break may have come at just the right time. It has provided manager David Moyes and his coaching staff a valuable window to assess, reset, and prepare for what’s to come, ensuring Everton are ready to hit the ground running once domestic football resumes.
The Toffees face a tough run before the November break with fixtures against Manchester City and Tottenham, as well as a tricky away trip to Sunderland. Maintaining their momentum, especially on the road, will be crucial.
So, what three steps can Everton take during the international break on Merseyside, while some of their players are away on national team duty?
1. Get the strikers scoring
Taking Iliman Ndiaye out of the picture, since he is deployed more as a winger or inside forward, the strike availability of Beto and Thierno Barry has yielded just one goal between them in seven appearances. The Guinea-Bissau international is clearly the main forward. While his performance offers value in terms of physicality and pinning central defenders to create space out wide, his goal ratio remains poor, as demonstrated on international duty.
The statistics clearly reflect his struggles: Beto's shot conversion rate is just 9% and his shot accuracy sits at a mere 27.2%. Barry's numbers are more alarming, as he has yet to hit the target with a single shot. However, the young Frenchman deserves a degree of forgiveness; you have to give him some leeway, considering he has only amassed 208 minutes across his seven appearances so far.
Ultimately, David Moyes must either schedule intensive finishing practice and instill confidence in his current forwards or accept that dipping into the January transfer market for a proven centre-forward is the most viable solution right now.
2. Find a way of keeping players fit and hungry
The Carabao Cup exit was a significant blow, primarily because it denied squad and fringe players a valuable chance to play meaningful minutes and force their way into the manager's immediate plans.
For talents such as Tyler Dibling, Thierno Barry, and Merlin Rohl, this loss of game time is particularly costly. To truly adapt to the Everton style and hit their stride, they need more than just training; competitive action is the only thing that will provide the necessary sharpness.
Now, Moyes will have to factor in giving more opportunities and more minutes in the upcoming Premier League fixtures as he looks to balance fitness with performance.
3. Get the defence working as a solid back four
A dramatic late win gave Everton three points against Crystal Palace, and Everton fans are happy with a great result, but the performance exposed familiar frailties this season.
It could have been different, though, with Adam Wharton pulling the strings in midfield. The Palace attackers consistently walked through and attacked the disjointed back four in the first half, only for their finishing to let them down in a game they largely dominated for the first hour.
David Moyes has sought to emphasise the attacking talent brought in over the summer, but this has coincided with a disruption to a settled defensive unit. Jarrad Branthwaite's hamstring injury, which has kept him out since the beginning of the season, has arguably made his long-time partner, James Tarkowski, look weaker, while his replacement, Michael Keane, appears stronger in form than in recent history. The full-backs have had their injury problems, which has also disrupted the solidity we saw last season.
The previous season saw the defence as Everton's bedrock, with the back four working in perfect unison to achieve a remarkable 12 clean sheets. The shift in tactical approach this season, coupled with the enforced personnel change due to Jarrad Branthwaite's injury, has clearly upset that robust foundation.
Reestablishing this defensive balance and cohesion will be the paramount challenge for Everton's coaching staff in the final week of the break, as it remains the absolute key to them once again becoming the difficult-to-beat team their manager craves.