View: Surprise squad development exposes Everton weakness as Ancelotti left short in Euro race
The inclusion of forgotten duo Muhamed Besic and Nathan Broadhead in the Everton Premier League squad shows the scale of the task at hand for Carlo Ancelotti.
Besic has not played for the Blues since the 2017/18 season and has made just eight appearances for the club since August 2016, while Broadhead made his sole outing against Apollon Limassol in the Europe League in December 2017 before fading from obscurity.
They have both spent time out on loan in campaigns gone by with the Bosnia & Herzegovina international linking up with Sheffield United last season while the 22-year-old joined Burton Albion in League One.
They have now been named in Everton’s updated Premier League squad list for the rest of the season alongside new recruit Joshua King.
However rather than placing faith in two players that could have a role to play in the squad it is a desperate move to cover spots that have been left vacant as a result of the club’s ineptitude on the transfer front.
Okay so the departures of the likes of Jonjoe Kenny, Anthony Gordon and Cenk Tosun have freed up spaces and they were players that rarely featured in the Premier League this season.
The arrival of King helps to paper over a few cracks with his versatility across the forward line but this is still a Blues squad that is seriously lacking in quality cover and players that will add vital competition to the first-team mainstays.
Take Dominic Calvert-Lewin for example – where is his back-up?
Sure, King and Richarlison can operate in a central forward role but that would completely alter the way Everton play.
Only West Ham’s Tomas Soucek (241) has competed in more aerial duels than the England international’s 199 [Wyscout] and his record of five headed goals in the Premier League this season is two more than his nearest rivals.
A change in approach is dangerous particularly with King only joining mid-season and on the back of a campaign where he has failed to register a goal, so all Blues fingers will be crossed that Calvert-Lewin remains injury-free.
Ancelotti has been more reticent than most to make changes during a match with a total of 56 substitutions in the league this season putting them 16th in this regard.
In a season as condensed as this having plenty of options and being able to rotate is of the utmost importance but clearly the Italian feels he is best served sticking with his first XI more than most managers.
Let’s not forget where Everton are.
We can’t compete with super-spenders like Manchester City and Chelsea for the best of the best but a squad of options is what is required to ensure a European spot is reached.
With the Blues on such a good standing at the halfway stage of the season and on course for Europe we would have liked to see the board and director of football Marcel Brands show a bit more ambition and bring in some hungry and exciting stars to push this team all the way.
The winter window is never easy to operate in but the club could be left ruing their inability to strike while the iron is hot.
Don’t expect to see Besic and Broadhead line up for the Blues any time soon despite their inclusion.
In other Everton news, our view on the imminent return of a talismanic Blues figure that could change the course of the season.