Everton looking at 4-3-3 manager who’s far more exciting than Dyche

Everton are the worst-performing team in the Premier League when it comes to keeping the ball, with their possession at 36.3% on average across their first five games this season.

Sean Dyche’s side are struggling, having conceded 14 goals in their opening five games, only scoring five, as they look lost in their identity.

As pressure is mounting, a loss this weekend against Crystal Palace could spell the end for Dyche, with incoming new owner Dan Friedkin already compiling a list of suitable replacements just in case.

Dyche’s Everton system

Dyche is well known for his more rigid and pragmatic system, looking to create a team that wins their duels, defend first, and hits teams directly on the break or through long balls. This shows instantly in the metrics, as Everton attempt the most long balls per 90 of any Premier League team this season, with 77.8 long passes attempted per 90.

Alongside this direct manner of play, Dyche’s men play the fewest short passes in the division, averaging 133 per 90, and the least “medium” range passes per 90, with 114.6. These passing metrics show us the intention of Everton under Dyche, to keep less of the ball, absorb pressure, and break directly with long balls, gaining chances and set pieces through this method.

Despite all of this, Everton have conceded the joint most goals in the league after five games, with 14 goals conceded, which shows this method of having less of the ball and looking to be defensively compact, is not working, and is instead putting them under more pressure.

Everton complete the highest number of tackles and the second-highest number of interceptions in the league, yet still concede the third-highest xG in the league, whilst also generating the fourth-worst xG in the league.

If you do this, it is inevitable you will lose games, which has shown quickly for the Toffees this campaign, still searching for their first win of the season and possibly even a new manager in due course.

Everton’s potential replacement for Dyche

According to GIVEMESPORT, Everton could look to offer Lee Carsley a ‘romantic’ return to Goodison Park if the new owners sack Dyche, having spent six years with the club from 2002-2008 in his playing days, making 198 appearances for Everton, scoring 12 goals, and providing seven assists in 16,329 minutes played.

Carsley was appointed the interim manager of the England senior national team following the departure of Gareth Southgate and since his appointment, many of the players, including Declan Rice in an interview after their 2-0 win against the Republic of Ireland, have said the new boss is “refreshing“. That’s particularly what he could be at Goodison Park.

The 50-year-old – who is “unbelievable” in the eyes of pundit Troy Deeney – has taken charge of two Nations League games for the England senior side so far, winning both fixtures 2-0 in impressive style while holding 76% possession in the first game, and 79% in the second game.

Carsley likes to set his side up in a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system from the get-go, with an emphasis on keeping hold of the ball, looking to control the game, and giving his attackers freedom to solve problems in the attacking third. This often sees a slightly more rigid base, with a very fluid frontline.

A key figure of Carsley’s style, is the creation of wide triangles and diamonds, from which players can express themselves, playing what many would describe as “mini rondos” in tight areas, little pass and move sequences, to break through the opposition and problem solve in the attacking third.

This saw Jack Grealish find his mojo again, playing as a left-sided number eight/ten in Carsley’s system, which goes from its original 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, into more of a 3-1-6/3-2-5, allowing the full-backs to join in, forming these wide triangles/diamonds (seen below).

Grealish was able to fluidly move between roles, drifting wide at times to receive the ball, dropping into deeper central zones to pop the ball about, and then driving at the heart of teams from central areas, making little one-two combinations with his teammates to open up pockets of space.

For Everton, this could see the likes of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom given more freedom to roam, allowing them to get on the ball in a variety of areas on the pitch, making them harder to pick up for the opposition, and giving them more creative freedom to make things happen.

The other key factor of this appointment would be the drastic change in philosophy, going from a coach like Dyche who wants to absorb pressure, average low amounts of possession (36.3%), and hit teams directly.

Carsley is the opposite, who wants to control the game, holding large amounts of the ball, and play through teams at their tempo, building through the lines, and sustaining pressure in the opposition half.

Someone like James Garner could be really important for this, adding more passing quality, and having the confidence to receive the ball in central areas, circulating possession until the right moment to penetrate, whilst a midfield partner such as Tim Iroegbunam could provide the duel-winning capabilities to protect the backline, and sustain pressure high up the pitch.

Whether this type of managerial appointment would work for Everton, remains to be seen, as it would be a massive change of expectations for each individual, which would likely come with a settling period, as many players aim to get to grips with this new style of football.

However, with Carsley’s Everton bond already intact, and a very exciting brand of football, fans would likely be willing to give him time, buy into his philosophy, and get behind the team as they look to make it work. This would certainly be a bold appointment, but an exciting one for Toffees fans alike.