Arsenal endured a shock defeat at Everton on Saturday afternoon and Mikel Arteta has major cause for concern with how the Toffees could have scored many more on another day
It’s perhaps a little cruel on Frank Lampard to suggest this, but for the first time in a long time, Everton have an identity again.
There has been so much hot air around the problems at Goodison in recent weeks and months – and marches – but perhaps the biggest one has simply been the failure to mould a team with recognised patterns from what is actually a decent set of players.
Under Lampard and Rafa Benitez before him, it was often hard to work out what their teams were trying to achieve, what the plan actually was. With Sean Dyche, there’s no such confusion.
Against an Arsenal side who are top of the Premier League on merit – and hadn’t lost in the competition since the first week in September – they produced a pulsating display of fire and brimstone, but underpinned by a tactical plan of flawless clarity.
Dyche had less than a week to produce his blueprint, but he had seen enough of this Everton side to know if he could give them a solid base, there was enough quality to do more than simply grind it out. In fact, as he explained after this deserved victory – and an impressive one too, where they created many chances from decent attacking positions for Dominic Calvert-Lewin – his biggest task was to remind his players of the quality they have.
“They are good footballers, sometimes we just forget. A season or so ago, some of these players were being absolutely lauded and cheered off the pitch every week. It is not that long ago,” Dyche explained. “They are here for a reason and sometimes you have to remind them of that. It is Everton Football Club and you are not here unless you are a good player.
“We show them some of what they have done in the past, their histories, what they have achieved. I said you are good footballers. And all the noise about new signings. They better be good to bring them in here. We worked really hard I can assure you. I was physically there all the hours, joining in all the phone calls, we worked really hard but don’t lose sight of what is here already. That is one of my biggest beliefs.”
Sean Dyche won his battle of wits with Mikel Arteta ( Image: Getty Images)
The new boss was helped by the fact a couple of key players in man of the match Dwight McNeil and goalscorer James Tarkowksi knew his system well enough, and both set an important tone. Yet putting Idrissa Gana Gueye back into his favoured position and allowing Abdoulaye Doucoure and the hugely impressive Amadou Onana to use their athleticism to drive forward also changed Everton’s momentum.
Dyche, though, was at pains to point out he wasn’t criticising Lampard. Instead, he revealed that the players themselves held their hands up this week and conceded they had let the former boss down.
He added: “A few people have made out I have been critical [of the previous manager] – I haven’t been and I have never done that. I can only talk about my style and how I operate.
“A few of the players have criticised themselves and admitted they felt they let the last manager down. I think Seamus [Coleman] said that – and sometimes players have to hold their hands up. Let’s clear that one up. I have a way of operating and it starts with the base. What you saw today was the base requirement of what I believe is right for the team, any team.”
At Goodison Park, rivals also saw a way to expose Arsenal. Everton’s power in midfield overwhelmed them and the organisation at the back negated the visitors’ ability to find space around the box.
This was a bad defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side because it shows others how to not only frustrate them, but to get at them too. On another day, Calvert-Lewin could have had a hat trick, and that is a huge concern for Arsenal’s their young manager.
Source: mirror.co.uk
