Until David Moyes can reassemble his top midfield, life will continue to be a toil for Everton
Shape
David Moyes is in handcuffs at present. Denied his defensive holder Phil Neville, his wide worker Leon Osman and the left-footed balance of the recently introduced Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, the Everton manager opted for a cautious five-man midfield to support the lone striker, Louis Saha. This is a team who managed 17 clean sheets last season but had managed none in their previous nine games, so the quintet in midfield was always likely to prove more of a protective shield to the back four than a springboard to support Saha. To succeed, Everton would need to gain possession of the ball and support quickly by passing through midfield.
Tactics
used their full-backs to great attacking advantage. With the visitors pressed back, Saha became more isolated as the first half progressed. Everton failed to pressurise United's full-backs: Dan Gosling found difficulty in containing the lively Patrice Evra while, on the left, Tim Cahill, tucking in, allowed Rafael da Silva space to exploit. The central midfielders Jack Rodwell, Marouane Fellaini and Johnny Heitinga were neither fierce nor athletic enough to threaten the home side. Clearly, Everton's five individuals here were not precise enough with their passing or capable of disturbing United's rhythm.
No comments:
Post a Comment