Michael Ball slams Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin for poor form
Michael Ball has slammed Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin for “playing within himself” amid his return from injury.
The Toffees talisman has only been involved in four goals all season across all competitions as a result of continuously battling injuries.
Ball questioned whether the England international has been asked to return to action too soon with his performances that were uncharacteristic.
He wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: “The 10-day break is a chance to recharge the batteries and a chance for other players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin to sharpen up a little bit.
“He looks like he’s playing within himself a little bit, maybe he’s not trusting his body at this moment.
“From the outside looking in I’m not too sure, but maybe he’s maybe being asked to play when he’s only 60-70 percent fit, which doesn’t look good on the eye at times.
“Those 10 days will be a good chance for him to recover and also get his sharpness back. Maybe look at himself and think if he can do a little bit more.
“Dominic hasn’t been holding the ball up, and he hasn’t been running into channels that he used to do a couple of years ago.
“He used to run in the channels and chase down lost causes. I don’t think he’s got the fitness levels he needs to do that for the full 90 minutes.
“At Finch Farm, Frank will be looking at what he can ask for other players in certain scenarios. Other players will be able to get their fitness up.”
Patience
The former Sheffield United man’s return was highly anticipated but he has failed to live up to the expectation.
That could be because the weight on his shoulders was so heavy with the Blues desperately looking for a lifeline amid their relegation battle.
It is a very tall order to expect a player who has only played 14 times this season – with the majority of those coming from the bench – to come in and make an instant impact but the supporters had no other choice but to pin their hopes on him.
Coming back into such a high pressured environment with the Toffees so desperate for results certainly hasn’t helped.
In ordinary circumstances, he would have been allowed more time to work his way back to his best rather than being thrown into the deep end.
His return does give the opposition a new dynamic to think about with his physical prowess up top – hopefully, he can score a goal or two to boost his confidence but more importantly help the Blues in their fight for Premier League survival.
In other Everton news, View: the fans will love Vitaliy Mykolenko’s passionate reaction after the Manchester United win.
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