Everton haven’t had ‘rub of the green’ from set pieces this season – Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole believes Everton haven’t had the “rub of the green” from attacking set-pieces after failing to score one all season but they have seen significant improvement defensively, he told the Liverpool Echo.
The Blues are yet to score from a corner this season, with the only set-piece goal coming after Conor Coady finished from Amadou Onana’s knockdown from a freekick.
The Toffees have improved vastly at defending set pieces this season, but with Frank Lampard’s side struggling to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, an upturn in fortunes would come as a welcome relief.
First-team coach Cole outlined how the team were hard at work exploring all potential sources of goals from set pieces and that their rewards would come in the second half of the season.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “I think the output for scoring goals – we are one of the only teams that have not scored [from a corner] – so we’re trying to make a machine and get all the elements working.
“And there’s so many elements to that – delivery, timing of movement, trying to really create space to attack. I analyse the opposition and see their strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, the opposition do that to us.
“I don’t think the rub of the green has gone with us where we’ve had any little bit of luck, or kind of the half chances have gone our way. But we are working tirelessly to try to improve that. Defensively, we’re doing well, but now it’s time to start scoring some goals.”
Goals needed
For Lampard, Cole, and Everton, an increase in goals from set-pieces is much needed.
With The Toffees holding the second worst goals record in the league, scoring just 11 times from 15 games, a new source of goals would definitely help boost them up the Premier League table.
However, with main aerial presence Dominic Calvert-Lewin having been sidelined for large portions of the season and other notable names such as Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure both missing through injury, Everton don’t possess many strong headers of the ball in their squad.
The likes of Neal Maupay, Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray are hardly going to give opposition defences sleepless nights, so getting their injured players back to full fitness will be crucial in turning their fortunes around.
Defensively Everton have been boosted by the experienced Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, who have many years of Premier League football under their belts – so it comes as no surprise that they are defensively much more organised from set-pieces.