Snakes and Ladders relegation battle
. . . Everton’s lack of bite looks like costing them
THE words, as always, were positive. Sean Dyche is a clever man and has spent enough time in industries outside of football, picking up lessons in leadership, to know it doesn’t pay to heap negativity on negativity.
Everton, the Premier League’s lowest scorers, had slithered back into the relegation zone after allowing a game they could have won — and certainly worked hard enough to win — to be wrested from their grasp. They had the opportunities to score but, true to form, didn’t take them.
Everton haven’t found the net more than once in a match since October 22 and in the 12 games that have followed that visit from Crystal Palace, their numbers have been binary: 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0.
To add context, Everton have as many goals as Ollie Watkins (six) since the World Cup break and once he despatched a nerveless penalty, Aston Villa were never going to lose here. Emi Buendia’s rasping late finish put gloss on the scoreline for a team who have been well coached by Unai Emery.
There is no question Everton have been getting more bodies into the box since Dyche took over and are being aggressive in their play, but doesn’t the point come when players start to get demoralised if they know they can’t score? The manager considered it and flipped the situation on its head.
‘To be fair, it’s been a worry for a while,’ Dyche said. ‘So if they have been disheartened, eventually they say, “Sod it, we’re not disheartened any more because, guess what, we have seen all that before, we have heard all the rhetoric, heard all the noise”.
‘If everyone is disappointed there is only one way — it either stays the status quo or it goes upwards. I’m saying to them, “Look lads, you have the freedom more than ever before, because everyone thinks you won’t (score)”. If people think we won’t, what is the worst that can happen?
‘ I am trying to get that mentality going and saying, “You won’t be hearing from me as long as you are working with conviction to score goals”. They go, “All right… I will take that”. It is just when they are a bit unsure and the runs are not clinical and we’re not getting enough bodies in the box.
‘When you see someone that is clinical there is a belief in it, in their body language, and that is just slightly off at the minute. Everyone is wondering who’s going to score, “Can it be me?”.’
This isn’t the time, however, for wondering. In the coming weeks, Everton have got to be ruthless in games of this nature otherwise all Dyche’s enthusiasm and encouragement will mean nothing and they will be stalked by the prospect of relegation.
Everything is being hung on the prospect of Dominic Calvert- Lewin returning to provide the cutting edge but it is dangerous to assume that he will remain fit through the runin. It is up to others to step forward and take responsibility.
This statistic, for instance, puts things into perspective — Alex Iwobi, Demarai Gray, Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil have a combined 671 appearances between them in the Premier League. They have only managed 70 goals — seven of which have come this season.
‘I am open to coaching this team and working with them — but I cannot mend people’s bodies,’ said Dyche, who will not put a time frame on when Calvert-Lewin will return. ‘We are working with the group, it is not (about) one player.
‘I have had challenges before where you look at teams and say, “They haven’t got this, they haven’t got that”. It has never been an excuse in my career.
‘We have to make sure we find ways of being productive and that is the challenge of football. That is why it is a team sport and not an individual sport.’
As Dyche would recognise, though, it is high time some individuals stepped forward to save the day.
EVERTON (4-1-4-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 6, Tarkowski 6, Coady 6, Mykolenko 6; Gueye 6; Iwobi 6 (Gray 70min, 5), Doucoure 5, Onana 5 (Davies 82), McNeil 7; Maupay 4 (Simms 76). Booked: Onana, Doucoure.
Manager: Sean Dyche 6.
ASTON VILLA (4-3-3): Martinez 7; Cash 7, Konsa 7, Mings 6, Digne 5 (Moreno 60, 6): Luiz 6, McGINN 8.5, Kamara 6; Bailey 6 (Buendia 61, 8), Watkins 8, Ramsey 7. Scorers: Watkins 63 (pen), Buendia 81. Booked: Martinez.
Manager: Unai Emery 7.
Referee: Anthony Taylor 5. Attendance: 39,309.