View: Three things we learned from Everton in draw v Brighton
Everton limped over the line for a point against Brighton on Monday in a display that firmly demonstrated the club’s lack of squad depth.
The Toffees were perhaps fortunate to withstand the attacking pressure of a resurgent Brighton, who themselves also failed to perform as expected in the stalemate at the Amex.
For Everton the fixture would be marred by yet another injury, as Yerry Mina joined the growing list of injured players on Merseyside.
At Goodison News we have picked out three things we learned from the home draw..
Richarlison can’t lead the line
In the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison was challenged with leading the line for Everton as the club’s lone striker, and the Brazilian isn’t up to the task.
In fact, it’s fair to say the big-money forward let Ancelotti down badly.
Far too often does he find himself isolated and, as a result, effectively out of the game. Richarlison’s energy, work rate and ability on the ball is far too important to have him operate as a passenger for large stretches of time.
Midfield reinforcement required
Everton’s crisis in midfield this season has been accentuated by an excess of injuries, with Allan, Fabian Delph, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Andre Gomes and Abdoulaye Doucoure all out of the game against Brighton.
However Everton now know that they need to better prepare themselves ahead of next season. The Blues need deeper squad options and they need to search for players with strong fitness records.
Gbamin’s situation is unique but players like Delph drain wages without offering anything because of the amount of time they’re unavailable, so Everton need to rectify that problem.
Tactics split opinion
It’s far to say that the general consensus concerning Carlo Ancelotti as Everton manager is overwhelmingly positive, but that doesn’t mean the Italian is without faults.
Everton lined up against Brighton with six defenders on the pitch, while Gylfi Sigurdsson was tasked with tying the midfield and attack together.
If Alex Iwobi was fit enough to feature from the bench then he was fit enough to start, and though he may have been understandably apprehensive to do so, Everton could be better off turning to their youth ranks instead of trying to force square pegs in round holes.
In other Everton news, Rio Ferdinand thinks Manchester United should sign ‘fantastic’ Everton ace.
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