Ancelotti talks of his short-term goals and long-term ambitions for Everton

I said it the other day, if you are a footballer and you can’t get driven and enthusiastic about learning from and working with Carlo Ancelotti then I really don’t think they should playing football.

Our players should be absolutely overjoyed that a man of Carlo Ancelotti’s stature is working at this club, passing on the knowledge hes had for decades across numerous countries and trophy successes.

My advice to Everton players, sit up, listen and learn, then you might just find out how to become a better player and have a stronger positive mentality.

I’m grateful to Lyndon in his article for explaining that our new manager wants to give us ‘appiness.

Yes, and I can't imagine them saying "shit, I'd have prepared Unsie of Fergie or Howe".

The players have a great opportunity with Ancelotti and his staff.

"I'm going to be trained and managed by Carlo Ancelotti today and for the foreseeable future!"

If that doesn't motivate you as a professional footballer, then you are literally in the wrong game.

Ladies and Gentlemen we finally have a winner!

I certainly would not want him to return any more than most fans. Personally I often did not approve of certain managers we have had in the past but no manager deseves hatred and vitriol directed toward them. I have seen many managers since the time of Cliff Britain. I am sure that they ALL wanted to be successful.Those that did succeed are celebrated as they should be. However those who were not good managers could have also been fine people.

Why waste time and energy by hating anyone who has ever been associated with our fine club.

Hope that really pisses you off Colin!

Note that Carlo Ancelotti does not have a set formation or style. His strength is his ability to adapt. He is fluid and moves with the times which is why he has had 17 seasons at the top. Most great managers find themselves left behind as they have great tactics, then everyone catches up and they get left behind. Something people suspect has happened to Mourinho. Ancelotti in adapting has avoided this.

He is a student of the great Arrigo Saachi, having played in his great AC Milan side and so his early days where spent recreating this with some initial success but then finding himself out of date and from then, he found the ability to adapt.

The video above will show you how he adapted Sarri's 433 into a 442, but it does not explain that Napoli lost Jorginho who was crucial to the 433 as the pivotal player. This was a major headache that he had to overcome and I think led to the change in formation. Anyway, it's an enlightening video.

CF CF
AM AM
DM DM
LB CB CB RB
GK

Very narrow through the middle. It allows the fullbacks to get forwards, which is a problem with wide midfielders in the traditional rigid 442, they simply get cut off. It also prevents being outnumbered by a 5 man midfield in the middle of the park. If Carlo goes for this formation it allows Richarlison to play up top but pull left like he likes to. It would also allow Sigurdsson and Iwobi to play centrally together, presumably with Iwobi free to pull wide and find space.

You'd then have two of Delph, Schneiderlin, Davies, Gbamin and Gomes in the deeper positions to hold and launch the long passes that underpin the formation.

So much depends on two players, Gbamin and Gomes. Gbamin I don't know enough about. I liked his ability to read the play and intercept like Gueye. He seemed faster, and more able on the ball, but most of the videos of him had him making poor passes immediately afterwards. Regardless, I read that his quad muscle "exploded" or something and it's a really nasty injury and he may never be 100% in his leg again. So that's a serious concern.

Gomes had an ankle injury, and with the ankle you can never be sure the ligaments recover 100% and if he loses movement, will he be the same player? So much of his game is based on his ability to turn and use his strength to hold people off. Regardless of that, he's had 3 or 4 injuries now, he had injuries at Barcelona and seems forever one to be injured.

Delph is always injured. Schneiderlin needs to be sold, unless Ancelotti can use his magic to make him into a player again. So by my calculations we are 3 midfield players short of a 433! We can cobble together a competent 4231 and rely on the attacking players to score. But we need a holding midfielder who is what Gbamin is meant to be, fast, powerful, good reading of the game, and able to bring the ball forward to speed up transitions, and can pass. Those players are not cheap. Alongside him, we need a fit Gomes preferably one with more pace and less injuries. The other position can be filled by Davies or Delph for now.

Walcott would be deputy to Richarlison. If you have Calvert-Lewin as striker he can be the other centre-forward and drift right to create space for the AM behind him. He would again play more or less where he likes to play now.

I think it's this kind of formation we will see next year from Ancelotti. He likes two strikers, and Richarlison, Kean, Walcott and even Calvert-Lewin all seem to play better in a two man attack. So he will look to make that work.

An old fashioned rigid 442 would require wide midfielders, ie not Richarlison or Bernard or Walcott, so we'd need to play Digne and Sidibe there to really make a 442 stick. And I just think it limits us going forwards. You end up with too few in attack, and too few in defence.

They are probably two, thoroughly good, decent people. I hated the years of drift and mediocrity under the stewardship of BK. I also hated the lack of ambition I felt Moyes showed during his reign.

I have nothing personal against either of them. Moyes is dead, long live the Carlo!! That’s my attitude from now on until facts prove otherwise.

These are my highlights:

Who is the one player you wished you had signed, but missed out on?

I tried to sign Steven Gerrard from Liverpool when I was at Milan, but it just wasn’t possible. I was close to taking Roberto Baggio to Parma, but I didn’t because he wanted to play in a different position than the one I wanted him for. Today I can say it was a mistake, but back then I didn’t want to change my system. Now, with more experience, I could say, ‘OK, no problem – we will try to find a position for him.’ In Italy I would also have loved to manage Francesco Totti. It would have been interesting to manage Wayne Rooney, too.

You’re known as a calm character. Do you ever lose your temper? What happened when you lost your temper the most?

It was when I was at PSG in 2013. We went out of the Coupe de France on penalties against Evian, and we had played really, really badly. I was very angry – so much so that I broke a door. I also kicked a box and it landed on Ibrahimovic’s head. He didn’t react. If I ever lose my temper, I need to leave the dressing room and sometimes go and have a quick cigarette and then I’m fine again, although I am trying to give them up.

I also like the fact he told Ronaldo he was on the bench, and the fact he was an extra in the star trek film Link

MH

TD. FD

GS/B

DCL. R

High Line is essential. Silva wanted it. Brands failed to get the quick Zouma style centre-back we needed. If Everton have not already signed a centre-back to come in at the start of January I will be thoroughly surprised. I expect Brands has finalised a deal that needs only rubberstamping once the window opens and that said centre-back will be quick.

Compact lines. Sacchi loved the compact lines, 25m from attack to defence. This makes it impossible to play through, yet you can aggressively press in the modern way.

Counter-pressing. Another modern concept, discussed with reference to Klopp's Liverpool, but something Sacchi's Milan were doing in the 80s. If you don't know what counter-pressing is, and let's be honest, these are just buzz words, you will do, you'll just call it something else. For example, I remember discussing pressing with my Dad: "We called it closing down, son!". Counter-pressing is simply fighting to win the ball back as soon as you lose it. Like Liverpool and City do, swarming the player who won possession and forcing him to cough it up, knowing the opposition can concede in a dangerous position and having been in attack, they might have started to run up the pitch and so be completely exposed to the counter-counter-attack. An Achilles heel of Silva's Everton for sure.

Quick direct passing - moving the ball quickly from front to back to beat the modern pressing game. One touch vertical passing was a big component of Sacchi's Milan.

The thing that Ancelotti inherited from Saachi though is his in game management. Ancelotti is second to no one in the game at making changes mid-match to win a game. Which is why he has a terrific record in the cups.~

Arrigo Sacchi: Link

Pickford
Sidibé
Kean
Mina
Baines ( only because someone has said Deign wants to leave)
Iwobi
Davies
Holgate
Bernard
Richarlison
DCL

Did you watch Tottenham vs Chelsea on Sunday. Chelsea were right at it, absolutely fantastic 'counter-pressing' to win the ball back as fast as possible. Mourhino's Tottenham were shell shocked with it in the first half. I was well impressed with their work-rate and attitude. Liverpool and Man City set the standard for it. Barcelona's success has been built on it.

I thought our midfield last season from Jan were on to it with Gana the main component. I am sure there will be at least one Gana-Kante esque midfielder bought in the next few weeks.

I agree with you. And Colin!

It's should be time we moved on. He left ages ago and has all but washed away from top flight football as a active participant. If he was up to it he would have a job. Plenty have been available.

But to disparage his work is a tad harsh. Not perfect by any means, but given what he had and what he brought in I think we can give a fair amount of credit. But yeah, he's long gone.

"Fuckin ’el, you done well this past month, lad. You had a job getting a tune out of this lot!"

And Dunc says, "Aye boss, like trying to play Led Zepp’s Stairway to Heaven with a banjo."

After that, I leave the computer for at least two hours in order to relax. I also have my wife of over 52 years who helps me to relax by saying such things as, "Are you on that bloody ToffeeWeb again?"

I sometimes use you as an excuse by trying to tell her what Steve Ferns just said. She really is behind the times because she then told me that she has never heard of you. I tried to remind her that Steve is the guy who knows more about Everton than Moshiri, Kenwright and now Ancelotti rolled together. Just shows you how much she knows as she said "Who are they?"

Steve. Just how do you do it?

I now think he sees Everton as a challenge with real potential. What's more, he sees the potential that we all have known has existed, only to see Manager after Manager piss about trying to utilise it.

He comes across as someone who has the measure of Everton and knows what to do.

I was wrong to say that he was the Italian Big Sam with an attacking option. He is not a mercenary, but the real McCoy, a Manager who wants to win something.

I'm really looking forward to the Ancelotti era. .

There was not a single player you could honestly say deserved to wear the shirt, and to think the new guy was watching the dross being served up. I would be sacking at least 6 of them straight away.

On a good note, at least he now knows how bad we are and what he needs to do sooner rather than later. There are some good players we've got but, on the whole, we need another big clear out before we can even start challenging for anything.

Hopefully there will be some changes for the Burnley game and we'll see how it goes. Could be an eventful January, one thinks. Merry Christmas one and all. COYB.

Forgetting Ancelotti’s achievements which mean nothing to us, I’m glad we have a manager who appears confident in his own ability, a good man manager and is flexible on tactics. I don’t mind stubborn managers but found Martinez and Silva infuriating that they would never change when we didn’t have the best players! Koeman and Allardyce I just didnt rate.

I also get the impression that Ancellotti wants to play attacking football and I think he will play bravely when he can.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

Merry Christmas to all and as always, massive thanks to the editors of the site.

Totally agree with your comments.

It’s the nearest I’ve come to leaving before the final whistle.

It may be a blessing in disguise as Ancelotti can now see what he has let himself in for.

Good job he signed before the match!

Yes, we certainly need to have better players come in but there are a few here who could flourish with the new manager. I was looking at that nugget of quality amid the dross on Saturday when Calvert-Lewin had the shot blocked. The move leading up to it was lovely and Calvert-Lewin was at the heart of it.

Much for Ancelotti to do but he is not without raw materials.

Whatever it is – I admire you for your acquired knowledge or fortitude in researching.

I shall continue with my speed reading skills.

It is hard to explain in how much regard I hold Cruyff. I am not an Ajax-fan, never have been, but Cruyff was on another planet tactically. And regularly explained his tactics on Dutch TV so even some nitwit like me could understand it! Or at least think he could understand it. Thanks for your post, made my day.

Sorry to stray away from the subject at hand!

We have had some good teams and been close on a few occasions of winning something but few and far between have these occasions come to fruition because of one thing or another.

I like to think that it just wasn't our time but I have a niggling thought that we just ain't been good enough be it because the way we have been coached or simply just that being satisfied with mediocre.

I for one am absolutely pissed off with mediocrity now and think that we as fans deserve a lot more. Why the hell we don't walk out a lot more or even stay away, like we used to when things are going tits up, I will never know.

Getting the new man in will hopefully change the mentality of all the supposed-to-be Everton people and give us long-suffering Blues something to finally shout about instead of hoping season after season we will win something. Here's hoping for a long-awaited change in fortunes. NSNO.

I can't wait but I can't see much happening this season other than establishing some stability. The summer is where Carlo will get to mold the team he wants... and I can't wait! 😊

Over seventy years of following the club, only Catterick and Kendal Mk 1 could possibly claim to have been 'great' -- and even their lustre faded over time. Personally, I was also a fan of Carey, Lee and, for much of his time here, Moyes, but none of them came anywhere near greatness.

Like all Evertonians, I want to be excited by the coming of the Italian but I will wait to see what he achieves this season before crowning him as our saviour incarnate. Top seven would be a start.

The sooner he has his "talk with Marcel and the board about how to improve this team" the better. Next week would be good.

I see at least Henry Winter and Martin Samuels don't agree with some of their fellow hacks who have suggested Ancelotti to Everton isn't a good fit. This is a man who has won everything with different teams in different countries. As I have said on other threads, if he had waited till the summer, he could have had his pick of one of the top sides in world football. But I think he sees more of a challenge to taking over at Everton.

While many quote the money he is getting, had he gone to China, he would command 3 times more than we are paying him. I don't think this has anything to do with money, this is a man on a mission. I have complete faith in Ancelotti and yes, it may take a few transfer windows, but he will bring success to Everton.

He has a big job on his hands, but he's being positive rather than negative.

Early days, but with Big Dunc alongside him, the fighting spirit will only get better (last Saturday excluded).

I certainly am looking forward to the game, as always, not that will be massive personnel change, but more to see the change in motivation and desire from the players.

I have said many times that I don't believe the players we currently have are all that bad, but often they have not been utilised as they should have been either.

Depending on other results, 3 points won't make a massive difference to our position in the table, but string a couple together, and the leap would be noticeable.

Such is the middle at the moment, a couple of wins, or losses, can be so dramatic. We have lost a lot of ground, before Duncan got us five unexpected points, which, because of other results around us meant we more or less stagnated.

He brings a positive air to our beloved Everton FC.

Very welcome Carlo Ancelotti. 😊

I sense the same, Brian. And while there's some debate about the size of the pay packet – (and I know there are other new staff we'll be paying for) put that into context – an "average" player costs how much these days? £11M for 4½ years for a guy who could turn us around dramatically just pales into insignificance.

On another note, Happy Christmas to all on ToffeeWeb. There may be some who disagree with Happy Christmas. Wouldn't be ToffeeWeb if they didn't. COYB.

I expect Carlo to go for a striker as I don't think he will be happy with what we have got. No shots on target on Saturday.

There will be bad losses and ugly performances along the way. Maybe more of these than good ones early on. Now that we have a truly world-class manager, we must support our manager and players during what will probably be a long transition. Think about the relative difficulties of Pep's and Klopp's first years with squads that were miles ahead of what we have now.

Yup, love the comment, get us back to where Moyes had us for most of his term after sorting things out - top 6. Like even more his desire for Top 4 and eventually Top 1.

Lot of revisionist history with Moyes. Steered us out of very choppy waters in the years after Joe Royle left to touching distance of being at the top. Failed but therefore considered a complete failure, especially because of actions in August 2013. But I think back in March 2002 we would have bitten anyone's arm off for the latter years of his tenure.

So let us drop it. And yup, pity we got Kenwright, we could have still had Peter Johnson as chairman and owner.

I would be keeping my powder dry for a well-planned trading window; more out than in.

I would love to see us hoover up a bit of young British talent like McNeill and Aarons but we probably need some foreign players to form the foundations first. Quality not quantity will be the key, though.

As a player Carlo was no slouch, playing in the golden AC Milan era under Arrigo Sacchi. What a team, with Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, they were just the three Dutch players. Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Donadoni and of course our Carlo were the pick of the Italians.

I imagine Carlo listened well to what Sacchi would have said; not only did he run the midfield, he has used it to his advantge as a coach.

Really excited for St Stephen's Day, I hope the players are fired up and we hammer Burnley.

He got paid off to leave Napoli.

We "negotiate" a £11.5 million/year contract.

I'm no Actuary but who the Hell decided to offer him that amount?!

God only knows what his son is being paid!

We are brothers for the cause and our time to get back to former glories, is now, but it will take time,

Merry Christmas & Good Health to All Evertonians.

Time for some new propaganda and shirts to be designed and agreed and made. This is our time, but it’s just starting.

“What’s Our Name?”

The last few years have been very difficult for the supporters of this great club and this has been a very negative period in our history. I watched the Holy Trinity play and win the League, it was amazing.

Like everyone else I have been so disappointed in the club; the past 3 managers have been awful but now we have hope. We have a serial winning international manager, financing from our majority Owner and a new stadium in the plans, this has to be the most exciting period in our current history. Let's embrace it, support the new manager and forget the negativity. COYB.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow Everton fans – happy holidays! Thanks, Lyndon and Michael for giving us this wonderful site to share our passions about all things Everton. God bless.

Season's greetings to all from Hong Kong, I left London 12 hours ago. Time for a crimbo pint.

Ancelotti never stays beyond 2 years at any of his previous clubs (Milan the exception). That means the club will probably have to pay him around 2½ years of compensation at that point, which is close to £25m. Moshiri (fool) and his money will soon be parted.

The most recent estimate I saw of Moshiri's net worth is $1.9 billion. That's an increase of $500 million in less than a year, and nearly double his listed net worth at the time he first bought into the club. So his businesses are doing really, really, really well.

He can afford to pay Ancelotti out of the change he finds under his car seat.

His track record of judgement since buying the club has been extremely poor. The multi-million-pound payoffs to sacked managers almost every year is a clear indication of this.

His willingness to hire managers who have completely different styles and different player requirements is also an indicator that he has no clear idea of how to progress the club. In fact, each time he opens his mouth to Jim White, he reveals what a buffoon he is.

It's easy to just ignore these points and say everything is fine since it's his money and he can spend it how he likes; however, we should not forget that he is just a custodian of the club, and we should be concerned about what shape he will leave the club in when he eventually departs.

Regarding Ancellotti’s salary I read that the £11.5m was for him AND his coaching staff which makes a bit more sense.

The toothy character across the park took nearly 3 years to deliver and some of them wanted to get rid on the way. We may well flatten off after the usual new manager ‘bounce' but Carlo will need time like every manager does so let's hope we as fans keep our collective nerve.

On the point of Moshiri and his money, I always have a little smile when people have a go at a billionaire for being a fool with money. Years ago, an electrician mate of mine was working on a multi millionaire's house, he said to me "He's a right knobhead, doesn't know what's going on. I can take him for anything." He was getting £20 per day and lasted less than a week and the knobhead who was employing him is now an international businessman. My mate didn't do irony, see?

Anyway, a happy and peaceful Christmas fellow Blues, especially those who are facing adversity - we're all standing beside you.

In the last year that Steven Pienaar was at our club, Roberto Martinez said to him that he saw a coach in him. They did talk about it in length.
Pienaar is now coaching the Under-16s at his first big club, Ajax, as an internship. He's now living in Amsterdam, and coaches an amateur club (4e klasse – not too high).

Looking forward to tomorrow's game, not only the side selected, but to see if there is a renewed belief in the players, whoever is selected must give their all.

Or, perhaps many successful people are very very very good at a few specific things?

And crap at others.

Negotiations with the unemployed lead to the balance of power being in favour of the employer.

I may not be a billionaire but this is an unassailable fact.

Merry Christmas!

Best wishes to John, his family, and all Bluenoses for a good peaceful holiday.

Wishing you and your wife the best.

Merry Christmas to Toffees everywhere.

Nil Satis Chrissy Optimum!

Looking forward to the next get-together.

Xmas can be a sad time as well as joyful so we need to keep a sense of perspective and think of those less fortunate.

May I also wish all ToffeeWebbers, Michael & Lyndon and everyone at our club a very Happy Xmas and a more prosperous new year.

Hope everyone is having a great day. For me, of course, it's just a Wednesday off... and the day before the Boxing Day fixtures!

As with all enthusiastic supporters, he fed me with details of his team. One player he singled out was a young attacker from Emilia who had joined Roma from Parma a couple of seasons earlier, that the Roma manager Liedholm converted into a box-to-box midfielder – Carlo (more commonly known as Carlito) Ancelotti.

That was probably the best Roma team ever assembled (better than the 2000-01 Scudetto team in my opinion) and included a midfield alongside Ancelotti of Agostino Di Bartolomei, Falcao and Bruno Conti.

People here have rightly stated the influence of Sacchi on Ancelotti's approach but I think Liedholm who managed that Roma team was just as important. Sacchi is an intense character with an eye to every detail, the swede Liedholm by contrast was a very laid back individual but a great reader of the game.

I think Ancelotti learned from both and also the national coaches he played and coached under - the World Cup Winner Enzo Bearzot and Cesare Maldini come to mind. Note he also played under Sven Goran Ericcson at Roma before transferring to Milan.

Here in Italy, Ancelotti is a popular character, in part for his comic side and his love of eating (Emilia is known for its cheeses and meats), in part because he takes time to talk and rarely avoids a journalist's question. Reading his match notes, one can sense that Everton may be the perfect club for him. I think we all hope so.

He started in management at a club in a similar position to Everton – Parma, and though he has had lots of success, he has also some 'non-successes' (I wouldn't call them failures as he was nowhere near being relegated) to his name in his time at Juventus and Napoli.

He works well when he has the right people behind him to back up his judgements, at those clubs he didn't get that space as decision making didn't involve him (Moggi at Juve, De Laurentiis at Napoli).

Benvenuto, Carlito

Great post, Aiden. I would appreciate more of the view from Italy.

Good luck to those in need or suffering

And as I read very recently, football is the most important least important aspect in our lives so let’s hope our fortune changes and brings good cheer

Up the toffees - c’mon you blues

Your Missus will be in my thoughts and prayers too. So will you mate.

The first was the absolute right to say when and if a player is sold or bought. He will have noticed the problems Koeman had when we kept our word to Lukaku and allowed him to leave before his contract was up. He will have noticed that effect of losing Gueye on the team, once again keeping our word.

I have no doubt he would state that we kept our word when players have finished their contract here and been paid for every day selected to play or not selected.

Second a guarantee of a 'set amount' of transfer funds delivered from the board for the first two years and then from earning and the board after his second full year.

Thirdly having his son as his assistant manager for the 4 year plus deal.

This is a Win, Win, Win situation for everyone.

It is a Win for the owners. If we get into the Champions Lceague, the difference between 4th place and 5th place is now going to be worth about £15M more due to the payment changes in the Champions league (more than Carlo's salary).

It is a win for the fans we will see more entertaining football and more success.

It is a win for Carlo because he can give his son premiership and European football management experience while experiencing a lot less pressure than if they were managing PSG.This also gives us fans another win when we are in the champions league we will have a ready replacement in Carlo's son.

I like the fact that he is taking the time to talk individually with players and staff and has already gone on the offensive against this, 'we cannot beat Liverpool' feeling that seems to pervade some players minds.

Everything about this man seems to ooze honour, class, confidence, planning and ambition. These are the characteristics that he also sees in Everton FC and it's fans.

Thank you Mr Ancelotti for joining and leading Everton. Best wishes to you, your family and your staff.

“To improve our [position in the] table and try to be closer to the top than the bottom — that's it. 

Is that Italian for 'get to 40 points and we'll see where we go from there'?

I know it's early days but I truly believe, between him and Duncan we are on the cusp of a revival, which is long overdue, in my humblest of opinions.

I think he has also, very quickly, realised what a Club Everton is with probably the best fan base anywhere. So Aidan please keep your posts coming, and all the very best to you.

I'm South African, where the Reds have a HUGE following. People are often surprised when they hear that I'm a Toffee. Hopefully, with Carlo at the helm, great days lie ahead, and the world will take notice of our beloved Everton.

3 more points today!

ETID!

Will have you and your wife in my prayers.