David Unsworth outlines Everton playing style vision
Everton Under-23s boss David Unsworth has revealed that the club are looking to embed a style of play that is evident at all levels.
The former defender has been a coach at the club since 2013, having spent two spells at Goodison Park during his playing career.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Unsworth admitted that he has been working with Carlo Ancelotti and Marcel Brands to develop a distinct approach within the youth setup.
“It’s something that myself, Marcel and Carlo have spoken about. We want to try and have a way of playing,” Unsworth told the ECHO.
“It’s not set in stone, but certainly when you get to Under-23 level you should be mirroring what the first team are doing.
“We’ve got a manager now who’s here for the long term and is so experienced and so good at what he does. We speak regularly and those messages are filtering right through the academy.”
Despite having faltered in recent weeks, it is clear that Everton have been trying to play a certain way under Ancelotti since his arrival.
With creative players like James Rodriguez, Andre Gomes and Abdoulaye Doucouré, they are trying to have more of an attacking emphasis that brings forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison into play.
Following a number of years of turnover, the club appears to have finally found some stability and it makes sense to work with an experienced coach like Ancelotti in order to develop a sustainable model to move forward with.
Whether this is achievable remains to be seen though, with clubs increasingly willing to let go of a manager following a poor run of results. If Everton are genuinely committed to a project, that is good to hear, but it will take strong characters to stand behind it even if things start to go wrong.
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