How Carlo Ancelotti has revolutionised Everton – and why they're now dark horses to get into Europe

Pretty nice write-up in FourFourTwo, albeit on a now-familiar theme.

Not sure about this though: "two forwards in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison that compliment each other’s games perfectly and are in a rich vein of form."

Yes, they're scoring more frequently now, but so much about both their games I still find exceedingly frustrating and far from 'perfect'.

But there is this: "Everton’s goals conceded per-game has decreased from 1.8 under Silva to 1.17 since the Portuguese’s sacking, and Holgate has been central to that improvement." Yet we're being told on here that we are giving up 2 goals per game? Lies, damn lies, and statistics! I guess, if you just take the last game, then it's three goals per game!!!

I’m all in with Carlo but I feel it’s way too early yet to start talking about possible signs of new revolutions and brave new eras on the horizon.

We still need a really top top class player in virtually every area of the pitch if we want better results and better league positions.

Defensively we are weak, I don’t care what opta index or the like suggest, I watch Everton week in week out and I see a team that’s still far too easy to score against and still doesn’t make life hard enough for opponents when we haven’t got the ball.

Going forward we are slightly improving but mainly the goals come from two players, the midfield and wide areas need more input and we need a different style in certain games and a new dynamic in matches that we get bogged down in.

The FA Cup derby against Klopps kindergarten club and the final 40 seconds (maybe even last sloppy 30 minutes) of the Newcastle 2-2 game still rankle with me and the performances since have not really done too much to get the pulses racing.

Ancelotti will want to get a win in one of these big matches because its where you are measured to be taken seriously by those above you, can you deal blows to the big hitters, as in any sport if you want to be the best you need to start beating the best.

I don’t need stats or ratios telling me what to expect or what’s happening.

Carlo needs better players in the summer, at least two or three really outstanding quality players plus a couple of hard nosed arl’ arses that will roll their sleeves up when the dirty work needs doing.

Keeping roughly this same group of players will see another season of limitations laid bare by around November and no real progress made.

Jim, I mostly agree with your observations however this old view of needing some 'al-arsed roll-ya-sleeves up players is not what the game is about now..

Man City and Liverpool have good quality players with mental strength plus managers who know what they want – their players to play in a system that suits those players.

I agree that we need better quality but moreover we need winners with the mental strength to take us forward.

Maybe that's what you meant, Jim??

Mark

I think you do need some arl’ arses too, even if just to con our way into the top 5 more often like when Phil Neville or Carsley were here.

We won’t attract the world class talent that City or Liverpool do , so they can get away without having arl’ arses.

We are too sweet in key areas of the pitch, it’s something Koeman first touched on when he arrived but didn’t change it enough.

A problem we thought he had solved with the signing of Ashley Williams back then or last summer with Fabian Delph but two failures.

Michael 1- The devil is in the detail. We have conceded 2 goals per game in the last month but we don't need stats to show how poor defensively we were against Newcastle, Watford and Arsenal.

I would have thought under Carlo, considering we are set up with more protection and with his history, this was an area I expected to be more in line with his initial games.
The fact we have been playing so far in the main against profligate, out-of-form, lower-end teams is worrying with the fixtures we now face.

Interestingly despite the article speaking about our defensive improvement, if you look at the corresponding fixtures Carlo played compared to Silva, points-wise, Carlo was far superior but defensively only one goal better.

There were six games (excluding Arsenal under big Dunc and Silva didn't face Newcastle) which Silva's men conceded seven goals and Ancelotti's six. This is too small a sample to take any meaning from but highlights that an area we struggled under Silva is still a concern under Ancelotti especially considering the defensive debacles at Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal were excluded from these matches.

We still have far to go to reach top four but there is often a big dose of self-immolation in our discussions. I remember in 1984 no-one took any notice of us, even when we rose to the top. Our run would soon end, we had no stars. That team only became recognised when it wouldn't stop winning. Admiration was very hard won.

That team had it's weaknesses but it won a lot of games. Liverpool have been highly praised from all sides this season but have been running out of steam over the last few weeks. Take away their intensity and they are pretty ordinary. Maybe when we start to gel in defence, people will start to notice some of our players as stars.

I guess my message is top four may not be as far away as we currently think, if the team has more to give.

We look better now as 4-4-2, not least because Richie and DCL are two of the best forwards in the league.

We need a better midfield to supply them and also protect our defenders. All depends on the summer recruitment, but if CA gets it right, we should be aiming for CL the year after.

Totally right, Roger. Think big and imagine a midfield of bernard, rabiot, Gomes and odegaard. Suddenly our defensive balance looks better and you can see where the chances will come from for DCL and Richarlison.

I've not been impressed so far, but obviously it's very early days.