Monday night’s win at Newcastle United was, in this writers’ view, Everton’s best performance in the Premier League this season.
Everton got on the front foot from the off; they were brave, but kept their discipline. And David Moyes’ tactical plan was spot on.
On paper, the team Moyes picked looked defensive.
Jake O’Brien was in at right-back, with Merlin Röhl ahead of him. Harrison Armstrong was back in midfield, despite Hayden Hackney’s goal and assist in the League Cup game last week.
Yet this was a good, timely reminder that it’s not about what formation you play, or even the players that feature from the off. It’s about the system, approach and the intensity with which a team play.
Against Chelsea and Arsenal, it was far too passive. It was back against Newcastle in the League Cup, and Everton carried it to St James’ Park.
Röhl was absolutely fantastic in a very specific role down the right wing, as he used his pace and athleticism to stretch the play and pin Lewis Hall back.
O’Brien was exposed at times, but led Everton for line-breaking passes and was pushing up to support Röhl, who was making driving runs into the area.
That’s exactly the kind of runs we want to see Brennan Johnson make, but he has just not shown any ability to get involved in matches when he starts games. Röhl, meanwhile, has the energy to be all-action, even if the end product in attack is frustrating at times.
As for Armstrong, he showed why he is so highly rated and so highly thought of by Moyes. He may not bring the attacking quality that Hackney possesses, but he is composed on the ball, energetic and reads the game so well for a 19-year-old.
However, just because it worked in very specific circumstances against an out-of-sorts Newcastle team, shouldn’t mean it then becomes the template moving forward.
We experienced this last season, after Röhl came in against Manchester City in that 3-3 draw in May and impressed on the right.
Suddenly, Röhl went from not featuring at all to being a permanent fixture on the right flank for the rest of the season. He didn’t play particularly badly, and he even scored against Sunderland, but teams generally figured out pretty quickly how to combat it.
And it must act as a lesson for Moyes. When Coventry City rock up to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday, there should be changes, because it will have to be a very different kind of game.
O’Brien can’t feature at right-back, for one. It should either be Röhl or Ainsley Maitland-Niles, albeit it seems like the latter has been relegated very much to a squad player for now.
Tyler Dibling, not Johnson or Röhl, should start on the right. Everton need another player who is comfortable with the ball at feet and someone who can create from the flanks, so the onus is not all on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George. That is, of course, assuming Jack Grealish is not back in the mix, and even if he is, there is no way the 31-year-old should start.
Johnson, right now, should be limited to a back-up role from the bench. Let him come on when the game is stretched, either down the right or up front, to give Thierno Barry a breather, or perhaps even some support if there is a need to go to 2 up top.
There may be a bit of concern over whether to start Jarrad Branthwaite for the second time in the space of 4 days, but if they deem it too much of a risk, then it has to be O’Brien who partners James Tarkowski, and not Michael Keane.
The only iffy decision, in my mind, comes then in midfield. Armstrong does not deserve to be out of the starting XI, but Hackney could well suit this type of game more, with Armstrong there to come on and shore things up if Everton have — hopefully — built a lead.
Or, keep Armstrong in but be willing to introduce Hackney earlier. Everton’s midfield put in a monumental shift on Monday, and to go again so soon after is bound to be draining.
It has to be a case of horses for courses, and Moyes must resist the urge to simply stick with what worked last time, because no two opponents are the same.
Read more – No Grealish, no problem: Dewsbury-Hall delivers as Everton’s main man