The Creativity Gap

Whilst a climb from an 11th to 7th finish would have to be seen as progress, the 'big boys' are so far ahead as to make yet another season a write-off. In spite of the club's apparent new wealth, the Manager and the DoF have hardly inspired us or their team with the quality of their signings and it is significant that Academy players Davies and Holgate will go down as the best 'newcomers of the season' rather than the millionairos signed in the two transfer markets.

Both here and at Southampton, the Dutchman's teams seem liable to long runs of success and failure (or the other way round) – so beware, the season has a way to run yet before we can lay claim to the Moyeslike 7th spot. So before anybody gets further carried away by recent results, just bear in mind that, since the Scottish bore departed, we have made no improvement at all. And Kenwright is still negotiating transfers!

We are too often slowed up especially when trying to create from wide areas against packed defences. Pace can also be created, of course, by quick passing and we have managed that on two conspicuous occasions this season that I can think of: Mirallas's goal against WBA and Lukaku's opener against Bournemouth.

However we manage it, we need speed.

Barkley and Mirallas are not close enough to support him and they do not score enough goals to enable the big man to get space. In fact young Lookman seems more likely to score than them.

The Baines/Pienaar combo was well covered by Distin and that trio forged our best attacking outlet down the left. I hope that Baines and Lookman can eventually produce another attacking outlet but someone needs to cover Baines forays. Despite the recent improvement in the form of Barkley and Mirallas it is too far away from the final third.

Lukaku's early goal against Bournemouth caused our opponents to open the game up therefor leaving space at the back which we exploited. Lukaku's goal made everything easier for Barkley and others and big Rom cashed in brilliantly.

Against Man City there was always going to be space as they attacked us from the beginning. Where we struggle is against sides who defend and we lack the guile to open tight defences.

Coleman has scored four league goals and he rescued the game against Stoke. Lukaku was effectively shackled and Barkley/Mirallas were never going to score. IMO we are two players away from making the required step to challenging the top six. We need a tall commanding centre back and a second striker who can score a dozen goals a season.

If that means benching Barkley and/or Mirallas then so be it.

If we can get those two players in the summer and Bolasie gets back to full fitness then we will be a formidable team.

Of course a lot hinges on Lukaku remaining with us!!!

Part of the solution lies in starting games at a fast pace which we have failed to do on so many occasions this season. Lukaku's missed opportunity at Middlesbrough came in the 30th minute and was our first effort on goal.

Quick, early, forward passing is also essential if we want to put teams under pressure. Too often we drift into safe backwards and sideways passing. One reason Ashley William gets so much possession is because he is unmarked. It suits the opposition to leave him unmarked because they know his distribution is dreadful. Hence a pass played to him plays into their hands.

The same applies further forward when we play the ball across the edge of the penalty area to an unmarked Idrissa Gueye. His shooting is the weakest part of his game as evidenced by his poor goal scoring record. Hence opposing defences leave him with the freedom to receive a safe pass knowing he will do not do them any damage.

There is nothing defenders like less than opposing attackers turning and running at them with pace. When we do that we look a decent team. We must learn to do it consistently against opposition who will set their stall out to defend in depth.

The lack of creativity puts a huge burden on Barkley and is one reason that many of us hope someone like Sigurdsson might be on the shopping list this Summer.

I don't see it as a lack of creativity I see it as a lack of movement.

If Barkley and Lukaku are tightly marked they show no movement at all and that for me identifies the problem.

I think Koeman has identified this and is addressing it and that combined with Koemans teams tendency to have a strong finish to the season gives me more optimism for the future.

If I was in prison in some obscure part of the world and I was afforded just one Everton read a week. it would always be your latest piece. I'm a great admirer of your stuff... but I think you've overdone the positive slant a touch here

You've done the spade work clearly – I wouldn't expect anything less – but I cant help feel you are avoiding criticism unless it's the mildest kind.

I'm with Phil Walling on this: everyone expected significant improvement when Martinez was moved on. "ANYONE would do a better job." Those expectations grew when we hired a manager who was world famous and who came with a solid reputation. Those expectations grew still further when we realised he was going to be bankrolled in the manner in which he has been. For me, it simply hasn't happened.

I cant understand why you refer to Ashley Williams's play as angled passes. He hoofs it... so does Funes Mori and Robles. Their reluctance to show is starting to force our two full backs to go against the grain too.

I can't get as enthusiastic about the Southampton game, much of it was drab... and the Bournemouth game? Every Blue should have embraced the game against Bournemouth it was one of those games that stay with you. We also got to see the beast at his terrifying best...

But we can't kid ourselves here. Lukaku aside, this wasn't a brilliant performance. We came across a manager who has his back to the wall because his defenders are injured and he has decided his only way out is to shoot his way out... against everyone.

I can go along with the theory that we edged both the Stoke and the Middlesbrough games, but dominated and dictated? I cant have it; we could very easily have lost both.

I think Koeman is an out-and-out pragmatist, I can't see how he will ever bring you the creativity you hanker for. I suspect he will always trade flair for industry.

Lukaku had better be fit for Sunderland, because if he isn't, Koeman will still be expected to demonstrate this improvement against the basement team and clueless Davey.

I'm guessing the overwhelming majority of Evertonians will wait for confirmation that the big fella will be starting and they'll be giving the bookies a very wide berth if he's not.

I wonder how much notice is paid to this kind of data at Everton? Apparently "top" clubs do analyse this kind of stuff.

Brings to mind the film Moneyball about the part stats and data played in the relative success of a baseball team in America, the Oakland As who went on to win a record number of consecutive games based on a team constructed mainly of low-profile semi-rejects assembled with the help of a data and statistics expert and giving the players a value or rating based on their performance in particular situations.

Of course, Baseball more easily lends itself to this kind of analysis than football, the nature of that game being chiefly a series of set plays.

However, it would be an interesting experiment to see if and how it could be used in football and makes you wonder whether Brian Clough and Peter Taylor used these methods in assembling what appeared to be a team of unknowns and has-beens into double European champions.

Right now the players in our defence are not the problem. That's not to say they're perfect but for the first time in near on three seasons they are now getting the commitment, at times, of their fellow players in front of them, and certainly so when we dig out a victory. That's what Chelsea defenders enjoy, just like every other winning team in history (excepting the Brazil 1970 World Cup winning team). That commitment, echoing what Lukaku said about needing to analyse where improvements could be made after a 6-3 win against Bournemouth, is the key to further success.

Like others I've no idea what goes on in the minds of our players but in Martinez's first season (and I deride the tosser) I wondered if squandering the chance of a top four finish might have been down to many of our players fearing for their futures if we'd actually qualified for the money-laden riches in that competition.

This season, we've got rid of some dross players and signed a few top operators, thereby increasing the pressure in training and team selection. Bloody good.

Lyndon rightly talks of the importance of "belief" and nowhere is that more important than in the players as individuals. That's the biggest issue for Koeman as far as I'm concerned because, in a squad where so few have ever won any trophy, I just wonder how deep their belief might be.

That said, I would regard 7th as an acceptable progression post Bobby Bullshit but like any fan I'd prefer better, and next season I'll demand better on the basis of Mr Moshiri's stated ambition.

But as was pointed out, it can't just be that missing player. The team routinely resorts to passing it backward and among the defenders. It's pointless passing that inevitably results in a hoof up field and it's maddening.

From what I've seen lately, the main cause of this is very slow build up play. Instead of playing quick passes and one twos, we play slow passes and the receiving player takes a touch, looks up field, and takes his time in deciding whether to pass it backward or sideways. It has to be quicker. And sadly Baines is one of the primary offenders. Instead of already being aware of where the defense and his players are when the ball is being played to him, he far too often receives the ball and then looks up to see what he wants to do with it.

I'm still not giving up moving up the table, there is plenty of time to go. We need to win matches and stop settling for some of these draws, but the teams above us will drop points. We just need to have the mentality that 7th is not good enough.

If you go down that road you're going to be struggling to score hatfuls of goals unless you're winning the league.

In that context you're unbelievably lucky to have a player with the craft of Barkley and a striker with the potency of Lukaku. Barkley's talent is not a matter of opinion. The stats on chances created tell the story. Ross is very special.

In the Premier League, Arsenal play good attractive football and in Sanchez and Ozil have 2 fantastic footballers who would grace any team yet they can't win the Premier League and get pasted in the Champions League every year.

I would love to see Koeman introduce a style into our game that we could try and believe in. At present, our style is about sitting tight and hoping either a full back or striker will come good.

As fans, we just have to hope that we keep progressing under Koeman. Challenge for the top 6, top 4, league title. Even though I am very sceptical about the new regime at the club, we are making positive progress and hopefully laying foundations for greater stability.

There has been improvement, most of it off the pitch, with the debts being wiped off and the sense of business direction in the club itself.

When Koeman was mooted as the next manager, I got excited. Then I thought about it, looked at the squad and backed off.

That said, I'm still underwhelmed by what we're watching. Yes, we're more solid, we're harder to beat, he's playing some younger players and there is a some real promise. I like the sense of toughness that Koeman is bringing to the team. I like the idea of pressing in lines, squeezing the opposition and letting the flair players flow.

It's just that I'm looking for the flair players that turn draws into wins. Where are they? Where's the excitement, the out of the ordinary?

We are where we were under Moyes; the best half decent team in the league. There's definite improvement, but like under Moyes, the next stage of development is the one that will excite us. It's the hardest step and requires an influx of genuine creativity and surprise.

Didn't happen under him, will it happen under Koeman? I'm hoping rather than expecting.

Baines doesn't get forward enough down the left as well, all our attacks seem to stem down the right with Seamus or down the middle to Rom who often just gets crowded out.

We seem to show the opposition way too much respect & only start to really press & attack them when we trail in games. We just seem to have an inferiority complex, happy with a point away... plucky little Everton.

Still looking forward to the Spurs game away, it could be a cracker... but in all honesty I just can't see us winning it... 2-2 methinks at best!

We currently have 2 really good FB's imo. At CB were still weak, Williams is decent but when he has either Mori or Jags by the side of him I don't think we're that strong, even though we did keep a clean sheet last week but we have looked stronger with a back 3 but I don't think Koeman will go with that full time, he'll use it out of necessity.

In the centre of midfield I think Gueye & Schneiderlin have the makings of a really good partnership. Their styles blend well and that looks promising. It's who plays in the three with them 2 for me? Now I'd like to see an attacking midfielder in there that bombs on between the lines, goes in the hole to make things happen and even beyond that to get goals. Now a lot will say it should be Barkley but I'm not convinced he's that kind of midfielder?! He can do it, we've seen it, but I'm talking about week in, week out. Some games he does and some he doesn't, and imo we need a player that is going to get up close to Rom, work with him and off of him and even go beyond him, get on his flick or just break into the box and get goals and I just don't think Barkley does it enough, he wants to stay deep and get on the ball more than he wants to go forward and score, create, imo btw.

Now Davies when plays in the 3 he does get forward and into the box but again I don't see him as that kind of creative, goal scoring midfielder. I don't even think he got many goals coming up through the ranks?! Now I see both Barkley & Davies has more of a central midfielder that does a bit of everything but wants to be involved on the ball in the middle of the park and help make the team tick. So we need that central player that will create and chip in with goals.

But Koeman being a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 man were gonna need a right sided player also has were devoid of any quality out there! Even Barkley a lately has been played out there but where he wants to come deep and be on the ball he vacates wide right and also isolates Lukaku so we need a right winger or wide forward to balance the team out. Tbf it could be either Lookman or Bolasie when fit but I think both are better suited down the left where they can drift inside and link with Lukaku and create and score. Mirallas can play there but I don't think he's effective enough and Lennon isn't good enough so I feel we need a right sided player.

And obviously we need a striker. I've seen on other Everton pages, online and on social media saying we don't need another midfielder, we don't need another striker cos they won't play with Lukaku being the main man. Well sorry but I think their talking rubbish! Course we need another striker. Back in the day Man Utd won league after league with 3-4 top strikers in their squads! I know teams don't generally play with 2 anymore but still, you need that competition and cover or sometimes to have someone to come in and partner Rom. Having another decent striker in the squad will bring out the best in Lukaku. It'll keep him on his toes, it'll push him on and we'll have another option to call upon when needed. And for me we do need another CM. What we have in there currently is a much of a muchness, defensive mids and ball players of sorts and we need a more advanced, creative player that gets a decent amount of goals.

Find those players and our team/squad starts to look really strong!

We are basically playing with 6 defenders or 7 defenders when we play with 3 centre-backs. This kind of set-up may keep the goals conceded down but it doesn't really leave much room for creativity. Now until we can play with only one defensive midfielder, this situation will continue.

I think Koeman feels the same way. I have a sneaking suspicion that Schneiderlin wasn't brought in as a replacement for Barry but as a replacement for Gana and, for the rest of this season and next season, we will see Davies, who has more creativity than both our current defensive midfielders, will be getting a more prominent role as I just can't see Koeman settling on Schneiderlin and Gana clogging up our midfield.

The wheels are turning and the gears have been knocked into forward. He has transformed Barkley, Robles, McCarthy and Baines have come on loads.

He has introduced some fresh faces who have oodles of quality... Positives, positives, positives!

I still don't see any firm gameplan from Koeman, I don't see any consistency, I don't see any signings that make me say "Oh, I can't wait to see him play against the shite".

I certainly don't see anything from Koeman's dire press conferences to suggest he is passionate about the club or its future. I have been sceptical for years and have seen false dawn after false dawn at our beloved club.

I agree totally with the article statement that there has been no improvement since Moyes left, it's been one step forward two back for so many years under Kenwright that, until he is gone completely, I can't muster any kind of enthusiasm for our ability to break into the top six.

Yes, we all want to see free flowing football in the Barca style, with goals galore and the meanest defence in the league. I mean how long does Koeman want? – He has been here 6 months now...

As for not improving the team, well I would suggest that signing Gueye, Schneiderlin and Lookman have improved the team. He has also introduced Davies and Holgate which has greatly reduced the average age of the side.

Finally, the two highest profile managers in World football were sitting 5th and 6th in the league the other week, despite spending huge amounts of money. So let's at least wait till the end of the season before sharpening the knives.

He's brought in some decent players, one or two really good players, and he's got rid of a lot of shite and now the next few windows are about fine tuning the team/squad in a way that Koeman wants and likes; IF we have a good summer, we could be on to another progressive season!

I actually prefer the football were playing under Koeman. A lately it's been more possession based but at least Koeman isn't afraid to go from back to front to get the ball forward and get us high up the pitch and in the oppositions half. And in time, the pressing from the whole team will improve, we're more fitter and harder working and, with more quality the team, will improve no end; the early signs under Koeman are good imo.

We've a lot to look forward to and – IF we have a really good summer – we could have a very exciting season next season!

Robles has been outstanding in recent weeks.

Clean sheets are becoming a habit.

We have real competition for places and quality in midfield.

Rom looks a bit happier, a bit hungrier and has found his scoring boots. Ross looks like he's getting back into the groove too.

In Lookman, Davies and Holgate we have some potential future stars who if nothing else have injected some verve and vitality into the side.

We are starting to look, and play, like a team with confidence, as opposed to a group of anxious individuals.

We have offloaded players deemed surplus to requirements.

There will be money to spend in the summer – if we can keep hold of Rom and add in two or three players of the quality of Morgan and Gueye, I'll be happy.

We have proven we can "do it", we just need to "do it" consistently.

I sense this isn't a revolution – more constant, grinding, determined evolution and at the moment. I am more than happy.

Spot-on. Two good posts

You too. Another good post. Perfect summation of progress since Koeman took charge.

I think Pickford has the look of a very fine goalkeeper indeed and I also think Schmeichel is excellent but Joel has been great and I can think of areas where our need is greater. His attitude throughout his time with us has also been very impressive.

I do think, though, that a truly top rank keeper can turn a top 7-8 side into a top 4 side and I have a hunch that Pickford is in that category. Apparently, Man City will be in for him so the question may not arise anyway, so far as he is concerned.

Today's Observer; Huddersfield V Man City report.

" Huddersfield have joined a select band of clubs who have prevented Manchester City from scoring this season:"

Who's missing from the list! No prizes for guessing! Their biggest league thumping of the season and we're not mentioned!

As I said no wonder we're a bit negative at times. Inferiority/ persecution complexes notwithstanding. Ah well!

My own view is that much of what precedes is possibly "intellectual" by the standards of our modern day playing staff. I'm not saying that they are all knuckleheads, but I bet there aren't many who would match or outscore most of the posters on TW in a "Countdown" style head-to-head.

Tony Hill in post number two highlights pace and not only the "nought to 10 yards" or the "60-yard dash" but how fizzing the ball around can bedazzle an "Easter Island back four".

Our own Ross Barkley has changed significantly from this time last season. Lumbering about, delivering no final product, not even offering so much as a "hassle" let alone a tackle to the opposition when out of possession. What do see now?

A leaner, meaner and keener young footballer who CAN force the "Easter Island" back fours into making errors. How? He runs at them and they make errors.

We've never doubted his touch. We have doubted his wit and guile. Left to think, he ponders. Koeman has "flipped" the cards over and has Barkley dictating the terms. Ross looks all the happier for it. As Tony illustrates, pace is a very key issue.

Ross can shift, is a physical presence and has touch. Would you want that heading straight at you with the ball?

Love it Dazza. At last we know how you've managed to sit through some of the stuff Koeman's side have produced this season

"Oui, oui, masked misère. You will watch ze highlights from ze Stoke game followed by zerr 2015/2016 season rrrrrreview. Again! (whilst we shout 'Who are yer? Who are yer? Who are yer?'...or something. Maybe.)":

Link

Honestly though, I agree with a lot you are saying. The handy heatmaps Lyndon inserted have been compared to "bacterial growth" and images from a "weather radar". I thought they were screenshots from Predator at first. Which would have been quite apt, as Arnie's famous quip of "You are one... ugly... motherfucker" sums up quite nicely what I thought of our 'style' of play for large parts of the first half of the season. A lot of hoofing, huffing and puffing, with very little creativity or guile.

As Lyndon points out though, there has been noticeable improvement of late and an upswing in results certainly makes the more unrefined moments much more palatable. I'm hoping the (understandable, I suppose) 'back to basics' stuff is merely a first baby step on the road to where Koeman is ultimately looking to cart us.

Ultimately, he's going to have to step his game up and show us more than he has thus far, but I don't see any real barrier to him doing so.

I've not been overly impressed by his manoeuvring in the transfer market to this point (Schneiderlin and Lookman both seem like they will be decent acquisitions, but it comes across as more a case of them being readily available, rather than them being crucial parts of any cunning Koeman 'plan'), but he's been promised enough financial backing to enable him to take a few punts, plug a few gaps and hopefully, after a full season to assess what he's got within the squad, he and Walsh will now look to add more creativity and firepower to the more stable mix.

Our biggest weakness is the centre of our defence. Williams and Funes Mor,i I'm sad to say, are just not good enough. Their distribution is terrible and Williams is awful at dealing with crosses. It's essential to have skillful players who are comfortable under pressure.

We are getting there and the summer will be the time to complete the jigsaw. Even if Lukaku goes, I'm confident that we will find the right replacements.

I'm far from convinced that Koeman will be here next season if he can market a 6th or 7th place finish to a suitable big club (Barca, Arsenal?) – then he will be off. I suppose some would call his so-called candour refreshing although when things have gone wrong he adopts a 'Trump style' strategy of blaming everyone and everything else, apart from admitting his tactics and decisions might be culpable.

I do think Moshiri is doing a good job off the pitch with club and a stadium announcement before the end of the season (April?) indicating we have the Bramley-Moore Dock site would be the biggest sign we are are moving forward as a club.

I hope the club's leadership have a vision that ensures we are scouting out potential managerial successors should Koeman go at the end of this season or the next as he never seems to stick around anywhere too long.

If Ronald does move to Arsenal, then the Everton project is dead in the water and we might as well get used to a limit of 7th place and the odd cup run now again, for the rest of our days, whether we are currently 10 years of age or 90.

I realise you qualified your mention of Arsenal with a question mark; however, I have seen this concern elsewhere, on this site and others – if Wenger leaves Arsenal, Evertonians should be worried as the Gunners will nick Koeman.

It's not so much what Koeman has bought to Everton FC thus far, or that he couldn't be replaced; moreover, it's the message that it would send out to our players and potential Everton players if he did move to somewhere other than Barcelona.

The Everton project will be carrying on and the key development is a new stadium. BTW – I would love it if for Koeman to stay, and win things for us – something he has failed to do outside of his native country. What Moshiri and others should have is a plan to recruit a manager for the longer term as Ronnie's replacement as he tends to flit around a bit dependent on the money on offer... ask Southampton fans!

Hoddle was creative, more-so than either Reid or Bracewell, but I'm not sure he would have fitted into Everton's team of the eighties?

Some people might call McCarthy a crab, but slowly Martinez is getting taken out of his system and I think Everton have now got a lot of midfield players who can do a little bit of everything.

I couldn't quite grasp Koeman early-on... but maybe he's grasped us much better, than we even know ourselves? Because I'm sure most of Everton's successful teams, have always been aggressive and difficult to play against. We still have a long way still to go on this score, but it's something all winning teams, have to get right, before they earn the right to go and get trophies! Who knows?

No "proof" to substantiate my hope, admittedly, but after six months I'm heartened by what he's achieved for us thus far. Next season is his biggest test though, as it very much is for Moshiri too given his stated ambition, and the season after that should raise the bar still further because of their/our stated "project".

I'll say Moshiri convinced him that "somewhere" is Everton. He'll certainly not be offered a better salary than what he's getting now.

I'd imagine Koeman would leave any England club to manage Barcelona. If so, the clock's ticking and he knows it. He'll have win at Everton to do so.

And why does anyone think Arsenal will come for Koeman if they don't retain Wenger? The buyout would dwarf what OFM heisted at his exit. From a Gunners' view, where's the sense in that?

I would imagine a hard run at Simeone, no? Only a year left on his contract, makes little over half of what Ronald's getting right now. What Club wouldn't leap at the opportunity to sign him... hey, wait.

Not everyone can do this job though; as great and creative as both Sheedy and Steven both were, I don't think either had a better football brain than my "Everton idol", Peter Reid.

I think Reid coming on against Notts County, the night the leaflets were given out asking for Howard to be sacked, was the game that really turned Everton's season round. That was a League Cup game, and Everton were going out, and maybe Kendall with them; we won 2-1 and, if my memory serves me right, Colin Harvey was made team coach the next day.

That game with Reid taking over the game was the one that got Everton – going not the much acclaimed Oxford game.

I was referring to creativity earlier, because players like Davies, Schneiderlin and to a lesser extent Gueye and McCarthy, can all play football, and what the last two lack in terms of real creativity they definitely make up through effort.

Time machines are on offer in Aldi this week by the way.

[Sorry about this post. I'm hung over to death and stuck in nonsense overdrive.]

Speedy scored a sublime chip that day and this is what his opponent was going on about. "Horses for Courses," I said to him, because he was built and played like Reid, whereas Sheedy was just floating round that day, making Everton tick, and once they did Leicester were light years behind us, and this fella couldn't get near Kevin Sheedy.

Both these players were of great value to Everton, but who got them playing the most, the maestro or the man who made sure everyone else was doing their job properly? Opinions, Ed, it makes for great debate!

I think I will leave that the way it is, and I might just go to Berlin, to see the wall come down instead!

Some great points mate. A perfect balance in that midfield but you're right. Reid and Bracewell gave Sheedy and Steven the platform to play on. Their will to win and tenacity to win their individual battles let the twinkle toes play and boy could they play. Reidy had one of the best football brains I have seen, always saw two passes ahead.

One other thing fans forget is how often we went long, full backs and centre halves knocking long balls (it's called hoofing now) into Sharpie and Andy.

Currie; It's a bit harsh to blame Currie on his own for England failing to qualify by not beating Poland... there were 11 others involved, I mean they had Emlyn Hughes on their side for a start.

Currie, Bell and Peters in mid field, Channon, Chivers and Clarke (sub: Hector) up front. England had 36 shots, Hector missed the sitter of all sitters... It's about Balance... maybe theirs wasn't right.

Oh and that 'Clown' of a Goalie had a blinder.

Other than that, you may have a point of sorts, creativity is good, but only so much, we need a bit more, but when you just add it for it's own sake... nah – Balance.

Martinez's philosophy and his downfall was 'Possession' – if it didn't work his only cure was to add more possession... because it's all about possession, so more must be better, right?

Back to creativity, and I think if you can get 3 players in the same team whose main job is to be creative, then I think the manager is doing well. Because it's no good a player being creative if the team ends up suffering? How's that for a contradiction?

He got the score wrong but not because of his reasoning, which was that Everton just steam-rolled teams. They call it pressing now-a-days but it was called hunting in a pack during the eighties and I honestly don't think many people got much time to play against Howard Kendall's great team.

It seems to me that we are okay when we play against teams who set out to attack us, presumably because they have faith that they can win the game, eg, Manchester City, but we need a solution to unlock defences of teams like Stoke and West Brom who are likely to put 10 men behind the ball, particularly at Goodison Park.

That statement of the obvious made, to my original point. When the other team retreats to its own 18-yard line we obviously have more time and space to use the ball in our back line only. In this scenario isn't it appropriate therefore for us to move our more creative players into less advanced positions to get them on the ball?

If Koeman's fundamental philosophy is to 'press' and to fill the team with a playing staff with the physical attributes to play that way first and foremost, is it possible to use those attributes and press a defensive team as well as attacking one, even if their agenda is not necessarily to retain position?

What if in games where it becomes evident that the opposition are going to "park the Bus", we "inverted the triangle"?

By moving Barkley to the base of the midfield in the 'setup' phase and putting McCarthy and Gueye (for example) to the fore, Barkley could use his vision and range of passing from a position where there is space to do so. My idea is that the ball goes long into the opposition area and becomes a 50-50 contest between Lukaku (or other) and the centre-half but ,with the likes of McCarthy and Gueye harrying around for the scraps, we are more likely to retain, or regain, possession in and around the opposition area than with our traditional set up.

Players like Mirallas, Bolasie and Lookman who carry a goal scoring threat would retreat to the edge of the box in the setup phase anticipating the tackle won by the midfielders or the occasional won header. The full backs would take up the most advanced wide positions, available for a pass slid in to a either side of the 18-yard box and keeping the opposition back line spread.

It's a slight variation on what naturally happens anyway but relies on the commitment (and license) of the defensive midfielders to attack beyond their normal comfort zone.

The other thing we would need to be prepared for is the, very un-Everton, professional foul by Barkley or a Centre Half on the halfway line when the opposition inevitably, occasionally broke.

Just my thoughts. Perhaps I'm overstating the obvious and describing exactly what people mean by pressing and hunting in packs but I'm a fan of crash, bang, wallop football as a product of the 80s and believe in the long ball as well as the School of Science.

No it doesn't.

Stoke were poor but turned us every time with balls into the corners and angles of the box. He changed to a back four against Bournemouth, and then a five with Schneiderlin still as the sole sitting DM. He was on his own at Boro.

Our problem in the two away games was quick ball forward, not 50 m but 20, 20, 10. Oddly, with Davies and Berkeley (who looks uncomfortable on the right) a little further forward this didn't work.

The U23s last night played 4-4-2. They moved the ball rapidly through and across MF with the occasional, very well hit, long ball. They turned defence into attack rapidly and they moved up and down the pitch as a unit. Hmmm....

Koeman favours Schneiderlin, he is a good player, but this shape is going nowhere. Saturday I'd advocate Gueye alongside Schneiderlin and persist with that into the spring.

I think we have to play 3 centre-backs because of the vulnerabilities of each of them in a pair and the attacking bias of our full backs.

Then two mids, as you advocate, means 5-2-3-1, 5-3-2 or 5-4-1.

Barkley fits in the first one, kinda in the second but not, as you say without playing wide, in the third.

I guess the lesson learned from your evidence is you need to be able to play in a number of ways if you are getting 'worked out' and perhaps Koeman's working out the three or so shapes which his players CAN effectively adopt.

Certainly Hoddle could switch it on and had a keen eye for a pass, yet Reidy in his very own words WAS the master of the 3-yard pass.

Hoddle would also go entirely missing if Spurs or England were having an off day and he'd offer absolutely nothing. Reidy by comparison would redouble his efforts when times were hard. Admittedly we aren't comparing like with like.

I recall Reid playing at Goodison for Bolton and every time he got the ball I got the shivers. We walloped them, but Reid was the standout MotM.

My point is that some players can swing a game in a creative moment (Hoddle, Le Tissier), but if you are (even by misfortune) in the brown 'n' stinky they aren't worth a 'bloon. Reid would most likely ensure that you didn't get brown 'n' stinky to begin with.

That vintage midfield ALL had attitude. (How many times did Sheeds get booked for getting a bit tasty?) Our latest version does have the capacity to mirror them. Gana is the nearest I've seen to Reid, is vital in our engine room. The upgraded v.2.0 Barkley has Tricky Trevs creativity, but is rapidly acquiring his ball gathering skills. (Trevor Steven played a game or two as right-back and was absolutely immaculate). Young Tom Davies looks more to me like he's Alan Balls son than Alan Whittles nephew.

Won't overstretch the comparisons, but my gist is that we can only be creative if we have the ball. Creative players are luxuries if (like Hoddle) they feel that getting the ball is "tradesman's work", unless they put serious efforts into getting it back. Sadly, RM's philosophy made absolutely zero allowance for the opposition having any motive or tactics whatever. Koeman does appear to see the opposition as having some semblance of intelligence.

However, your: "hunting in packs but I'm a fan of crash, bang, wallop football as a product of the '80s and believe in the long ball as well as the School of Science."

Hunting in packs really was our demonic strength. So it's been relabeled as "counter press" (really, just).

Threes, I always saw threes. Often in the "wide twenty" we'd see our winger, fullback and a midfielder shutting down their options with intent. And the intent is the key, it's not shutting out, it's intimidation with purpose and punishment. Smash and grab.

Our "School of Science" taught "Out-think, Out-play and Out-score".

A long ball is an intelligent pass when it's played with intent, accuracy and timing. It's a hoof when it's played in blind desperation. These two are not blood relatives.

We all more or less agree that we know a decent midfield when we see one. The one we have just now is better than the one we had in August, which was (marginally) better than the one we had last May.

I'm sure Koeman knows a decent midfield when he sees one as well? If so, and we can say the same thing this time next season and the season after, then we will be on the right track.

It may happen that some of today's midfielders will have kicked on and some may've been replaced and are on the bench. This has to happen.

'Twas ever thus – 'The game is won and lost in the midfield.'

On the other hand move it slowly or pass it to players running towards their own goal and chances will be rare.

Bracewell and Reid were the two key players for me in the '85 side. As long as they were in the side we would dominate midfield and usually in. I think they managed one goal between them in their entire Everton careers.

In the current squad, there's still way too much "niceness" to be able to expect success.

Nobody would ever have accused Ronald Koeman of displaying any "niceness" at all en route to becoming one of the best footballers ever in his position and I really do hope he educates our lot on the need to sacrifice it in pursuit of winning.

That's why I asked what creativity was? Because it's no good having the skill if we have got a team without character – something I now think the manager has been hell-bent on changing since he arrived at Goodison Park?

"A long ball is an intelligent pass when its played with intent accuracy and timing. Its a hoof when its played in blind desperation. These two are not blood relatives"

Amen to that. It shouldn't need explaining but in some cases, it clearly does

You don't have to be creative, to cause defenders problems and most people don't care as long as there team wins. This is what was worrying me most before Christmas, the complete lack,of style and players not really looking like they understood what they were doing, but hopefully this is beginning to change slowly?