Bernard says seeing psychologist after anxiety attack helped him

You never know what’s going on behind the scenes.

You've been spending too much time in Brent Stephens' company, Mike!

That's a Brent-esque groaner!

When I first saw him in October 2018 I thought we had a playmaker that would dazzle with his skills and play more through the centre.

I thought Bernard would be our modern version of Juninho, for anyone who remembers Middlesbrough's little Brazilian genius from the 90s.

His situation is actually bit similar to André Gomes, another who hasn't really kicked on quite like I thought he would; too many inconsistent displays (even before the horrendous injury) and you look at both Bernard and Gomes and wonder if the Premier League is getting too fast for them now.

As for psychologists, well, our entire team needs one for when we play away to the top six!!

Now that's what you call a Panic Attack!!!!

Agreed.

Again sadly like Gomes, on his day brilliant, but too often games pass him by.

Good on him for not being embarrassed about speaking about his anxieties. I hope his therapy helps him, and his speaking out about it encourages others to seek help if they need it. Good man.

Gomes, Davies, Sigurdsson, Delph, four guys there who wouldn't win any foot races let's be truthful.

We have two wide midfielders who basically just aren't really any good as wide players. Iwobi is neither here or there, not direct enough to be winger, not tidy enough to be a regular in the centre.

Bernard likewise on the left.

I was recently watching some games from Martinez last season, while we were god awful defensively we were a really cohesive flexible unit going forward, we had energy in Lennon, Deulofeu and Barkley in that midfield, McCarthy (when he played).

I look at our midfield now and from left to right across it there just no real athleticism or dynamism.

I think one reason he has struggled is that Digne has not been on top form for much of the season. The partnership between the two of them was one of the features of our success in the closing months of last season.

Another reason is that, alongside a pedestrian central midfield incapable of controlling the play, especially in away matches, Bernard is not the player who can change the dynamic of a game by grabbing possession and driving the team forward.

He is a player who can add value in the final third by unlocking defences with a clever piece of footwork, a neat pass or a tidy finish. To be at his most effective, he needs to be in a team playing on the front foot, dominant in possession and pushing the opposition back towards their own goal. At present, we are not that team.

Here is the video interview on the club site.

Bernard opens up on anxiety attack

The club need to do much more in this area to help individuals but also collectively as a team to improve game management and instil a winning mentalality.

As for Bernard he's a trier but always looks fatigued, maybe he lacks stamina or just spends to much time chasing and lacks positional sense.

Like Iwobi, Siggy and Gomes to a degree, they are attacking midfielders played out of position. They lack the pace and skill to be wingers and poor tackling / pressing in a deeper midfield role.

He's got skill, balance and can be direct but his final ball and lack of options only add to him giving the ball away cheaply.

I could not describe any current Everton player as brilliant. Several have had very good games but not consistently enough.