A regular criticism of Everton centres around how they do (or do not) press. Fans often get frustrated with a seeming lack of pressure applied to opposition defenders, believing Everton step off too much.
This was the case again as fans watched on Monday, with Everton going down at home to Manchester United.
Yet even on the eye test, it was clearly not the case, and the numbers back it up.
In the first half especially, when United had more of the ball, Everton were set up to try and spring on the counter. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was tasked with trying to nip in on the likes of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, and at times, Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire, with Thierno Barry also not afraid to put on the afterburners to try and close down the space afforded to United’s defensive players.
No player on the pitch won possession back more times than Dewsbury-Hall (10). But then when he had it, he was incredibly sloppy, losing possession 26 times, and not all of that was just him trying to take a risk — he was misplacing passes and having heavy touches, which is not commonplace for him.
But it speaks to a wider issue with this Everton team.
According to @markstats, United lost possession 35 times in the build-up zone (their own third) on Monday, yet Everton did not translate any of those turnovers into a shot.
There were chances to do so, but Everton’s players either hesitated in getting an attempt off, or they played a poor pass that saw the move break down.
It is a trend Everton have suffered from all season long, too.
The Toffees rank fourth in the Premier League for high turnovers won, with 208. Only Arsenal (210), Brighton (227) and Manchester City (232) have forced more such scenarios — a high turnover is classified as a team winning possession back within 40 yards of the opposition’s goal.
Yet only three teams — Wolves (19), Brentford (20) and Tottenham Hotspur (21) — have had fewer than Everton’s 22 shots from such scenarios. The Toffees have only scored two goals from high turnovers.
That 10.58% conversion rate when it comes to translating high turnovers into goals ranks 20th in the Premier League. Wolves rank 19th, with 12.03%.
So, who is to blame? Is it the manager, or the players?
The truth, as usual, is probably a bit of both.
Clearly, whatever pressing triggers the team work on in training are being executed relatively well. But then what comes next is a big let down.
Some of the accountability has to be on the players — it is those who have to make the right decision, at the right time. When to release the ball, who to play it into. Then there is movement. Thierno Barry, in particular, is nowhere near aware enough of his own positioning and does not seem to be making the runs to really stretch defences.
But then, where are the patterns of play? Where is the urgency from the players deeper to charge upfield and offer support?
Surely, that does come down to coaching too. Just winning the ball back high upfield cannot be the target. The target is, surely, to win the ball high upfield and then use that scenario to craft a goalscoring opportunity.
Everton do not have enough shots, and again, that seems to be a mix of the players and the manager not being brave enough. Too often, Everton’s attackers just take one touch too many, and the opportunity to have a punt goes begging. Often, it then ends up getting recycled all the way back to the defence, or even Jordan Pickford, and the Toffees’ inability to break down a packed defence then comes to the fore.
Clearly, Everton are capable of pressing effectively, but they are not efficient, and it is that efficiency that needs to improve.
If that happens, then there is still a route to (relative) success.
All stats via Opta Analyst unless otherwise stated
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