Come Back, Schneiderlin — All is forgiven!!

No, just no... and you explained why right at the top of your piece.

Why? Because, broadly speaking, all of their midfielders are good enough all-rounders to be able to be equally effective at defence and attack. Therefore, you are not in trouble if your tackling machine is repeatedly out-flanked, nor are you having to defer attacks until the ball winner can find a more creative player who isn't already in the clutches of a defender.

We've had patches were our complementary pairings or trios have clicked but none have sustained that form. Schneiderlin has been so far below the level of mobility and combative tackling that is required for so long, it is difficult to imagine he can ever do it again.

Read that again and re-think this post.

Half-decent Schneiderlin has long departed the figure who currently received 100k a week for having the name Schneiderlin doesn't wouldn't get into the local Sunday league team. And besides, half-decent Schneiderlin would not work with Gueye. Never has worked with Gueye.

If it was Schneiderlin - Gomes - Sigurdsson (in a No 8 role), then maybe... but Schneiderlin is shit, so, no.

I do agree that there is a problem with the midfield set-up in that Sigurdsson is essentially playing as a false No 9. IMO, he needs to drop deeper, be more disciplined, and play as a No 8.

He is a one-paced crab. He doesn't have a major asset. At least with Gueye, it's his interceptions/tackling, or with Gomes, it's his ability on the ball and twisting and turning in midfield. Schneiderlin never gets past 3rd gear when he runs. He doesn't move into space to look for the ball. He always passes it sideways. He's not a great tackler. He isn't the bravest, and he doesn't score many goals. If that's what you are looking for, he's your man!

What we need is a hard working 3 man midfield. Across the park, they have any 3 from Milner, Henderson, Keita and Wijnaldum. Tonight, Man United had Matic, Pogba and Herrera.

We seem to have a problem trying to shoe horn Sigurdsson and the attacking wide midfielders into the same team. We are too open in midfield. I think we need to either play Sigurdsson as an orthodox midfielder instead of a number 10, or take him out of the equation. We need to be more solid, particularly away from home.

I'd like to see us start Calvert-Lewin and have a proper 3 man midfield, starting at Millwall. We need to tighten up a bit and get the team functioning a bit better, because we seem to have lost the ability to build attacks also.

A prime example of us buying someone who had lost his fight. Cruised in and generally performed worse and worse. Similarly to what Gomes is showing us now.

Give me someone with the desire and a point to prove over someone who has already earnt a fortune and blunted their appetite for the game.

Poorer sides score against us easily, often through a quick transition. Schniederlin has a better passing skill-set than Gana too, a requirement against the poorer teams.

A short-term option, a placeholder... but I think it's a definite possibility.

Kevin is right to get his wellies dirty in trying to get to the bottom of the midfield weaknesses we have . It needs discussing, it needs thought and action.

We are too exposed when we lose control, too many players out of position, and when we are exposed it is often through the middle, in the most dangerous place.

For me It isn't bold to play with 4 attackers 2 wide Bernard/ Walcott, Rich CF and Sigurdsson at no 10 . It is foolish .

It gives no respect to the quality of premierleague opposition. Matches have to be won more often than not after a war. Midfielders have to battle for possession, harry, breakdown and defend non stop for long periods. They need to feed a Strong CF who can hold it up and bring into the game 1 free playing flair player at no 10 . Many games are won in the premier league by keeping it tight and scoring from a corner . These games give the club a foundation for glory later in the season, when through greater confidence we can take big scalps, or go deep in the cup competitions. I don't want Moyes back, but he understood and executed all that particularly away from home.

We need a midfield which is more compact and disciplined, a cohesive fighting unit . At the moment it is loose and ineffective . Offering not enough protection and nowhere near enough going forward for all the attacking players there.

It is a paradox, that shoehorning in 4 attacking players is actually making our offence weaker.

I think part of the problem is that we have paid so much money for some players that we just can't stomach leaving them out . But essentially for me the system and approach to a game has to come first . Then the correct players to execute that system have to be chosen for it . We need to address that to improve long term as a team.

If you take Sigurdsson out of the team then you take away any remote hope of goals, shots on goal from any of of midfielders.

It's just a big no.

It's soul destroying hearing about the money these people are on to contribute nothing! Sneiderlin doesn't even threaten to leave as he's not playing! He just seems happy to collect his 100k a week!

It's pretty grim and I just can't see a quick solution!

Sadly MS, lost this a long time ago. In my view he must go out on loan and toughen up and face the reality check on demands of being a footballer, but I sense there could be a last minute bid and he'll go to a European League.

It's hard to suss what happened as he played well, when he first arrived.

Today let's take a win today and be in the draw for the next round.

However, Shneiderlin is definitely not the answer and to drop any player to accommodate him is not for me.
The most interesting point was about Barkley and the opposition having to worry about him which allowed others to shine and opened space. Ultimately he was found out.

Simply, we're too predictable and I think we have been for as long as I can remember. Give me a manager who can change things according to the opposition. Constantly keep them thinking. The rigid 'philosophy' has become very tiresome.

I'm also amazed how so many, rather then the usual names, drag Davies in to this whose only problems seem to be that he scored a cracker against City and ever since seems to have been told to abandon any cavalier play to concentrate on defending.

If there is a problem it is that we seem to have accepted that any midfielder has to be labelled defensive while any all-round midfielder, as they should all be, is given some sort of a number.
Midfield, that's the bit between the defence and the forwards and should be robust enough to do both.

The same for Gueye, we've only been consistently good with him in the team as part of a midfield 3.

I believe Schneiderlin to be a very poor mans Gareth Barry, however I don't think we have another midfielder disciplined enough to hold his position in front of the centre backs like he does.

I honestly think we'll see a better Everton team with a midfield that compliments Gueye's ability, or lack of it, and, unfortunately, I think that Schneiderlin is the best option we have to do that.

Don't forget, he was adored when he first came, and the wheels camenoff the season when he was injured for 3 - 4 games at the end. He's never been the same again - maybe the change in formation is a massive part of this.

All 3 of them, Schneiderlin, Gueye and Davies, were brilliant in that midfield. They complimented each other and each other's strengths hid the others weaknesses.

You know what I think changed him, and I'm being serious? Getting married. I think he married his gorgeous wife and the desire to bust a gut playing football has taken second place ever since.

I think a rich young man's first and main priority is to his lovely missus and he just can't be arsed knocking his pan in when he doesn't really have to, to continue receiving his very large salary.

They proved they can function as part of a midfield 3 when Schneiderlin first came.

That's the point I'm making – we've written Schneiderlin off because he can't play in our current system, what if we went back to 4-3-3? Would we see the same Schneiderlin we originally saw?

In the early days of Martinez, Barkley would track back and help the midfield much more than Sigurdsson does too. We should have made sure we kept Barkley, another massive mistake by the club.

The team needs a vertical balance, Gana doesn't give us that. Moreover, the poorest we've looked is when we go behind, with Silva throwing forwards on like confetti, we look a shapeless mess. Perhaps having Schniederlin stay there might give us some a semblance of a spine.

You may be correct. I also think Schneidrlin is "broken". He is a cry baby. We all used to make fun of Jags weekly "we know we need to do better" speeches after lost. But between Schneiderlin and his wife I have read way too many quotes and interviews about how he is misunderstood, unfairly vilified etc etc. I just sense he is at a point where he is picking up a paycheck, goes home sulking, feeling unappreciated and his wife is "there, there honey, don't let the bastards grind you down." As opposed to say Niasse, who seemed to have a "screw you Koeman I will show you what I can do" kind of attitude. The sad part is that Schneiderlin is a far better player than Niasse, so even when Niasse adopts his Rocky underdog attitude he is still pretty crap.

MS started the season well enough and injury derailed him when he was possible one of our better players. His game is all about reading the game. I know when Gana was in the AFCON MS started well with us but didn't gel with one another on Ghana's return. Part of the problem was that he had to cover for an aging defence. He doesn't have that worry now and I think he should be given another go. If he doesn't I have no doubts that he could do a good job for another club when we give him away for buttons along with the other 10 or so. Sandro £120k a week haha haha is it just fantasy

Richarlison, Bernard and Calvert Lewin up front.

If we write this season off though and plan for the future, I would play Davies and Lookman instead of Gomes and Bernard.

I do feel, playing Schneiderlin in a midfield 3 would enable the full backs to go on the overlap more and provide more of an attacking impetus than they currently do, this would counter the fact that we lose a creative player in midfield.

I tend to see the fullbacks pushing forward at the moment, but rarely fully committing. I remember a couple of years ago when Baines would be crossing and Coleman would be on the end of it. A disciplined central midfielder might encourage this again.

He never has before.

And if Schneiderlin is the answer, after all that was said about him in the opening paragraph, then the situation is much worse than I imagined.

And also the suggestion of dropping Sigurdsson who has never done enough for me.

I think I agree in principle but would there not be a space for Gomes somewhere? Possibly in the Davies role?

For starters, it completely ignores the fact that our biggest defensive liability is our league-leading 10 goals we've conceded from set pieces. Our open play defense has not been the issue. And the fact of the matter is, we'd likely concede even fewer goals from open play goals if we weren't constantly forced to chase games, after having allowed yet another (demoralizing) set-piece goal.

The second problem with your suggestion is that it violates your own premise; the Barkley factor. You wrote, "the opposition always had one of their midfielders watching (Barkley), effectively taking out a player who could exploit the space left if McCarthy didn't win the ball." If this is what made the 4-3-3 effective, which one of our midfield players is now going to occupy an opposition player in your Starting XI?

It's not Gomes or Gana, because, if it was, they'd be doing that now. And it's sure as hell not Schneiderlin. Of course, all of this ignores the reality that we now need to replace the 9 Goals and 3 Assists Gylfi has provided thus far.

For future articles, please consider that the way to improve a team is not to replace one of their best players with one of their worst.

For future responses, please read where you pick quotes from and apply them to the same context.

Ps - didn't Sílva mention how crucial Schneiderlin was to defending set pieces? Never thought of it til now but maybe we'd concede less with him in the team.

I do think pace and mobility is an issue, Gomes, Schneiderlin and Siggurdsson are all pretty slow in terms of reaction and acceleration, they simply don't get to the loose ball quick enough, nor do we ever see them dominating their opposite men physically despite all being quite big. Gueye is quicker and hence is often able to get a foot in. And I do think having Barkley was useful and his ability to beat a man did allow us to open teams up more easily.

I can't believe I'm writing this but what about a midfield 3 of Davies, Gueye and Bernard. With Davies sitting, Gueye hunting and Bernard playing the Barkley role of breaking forward with the ball?

Something like this:

Pickford
Coleman Keane Zouma Digne
Gueye Davies Bernard
Lookman Calvert-Lewin (or Tosun) Richarlison

I've not seen a lot to suggest that Davies could perform that sitting midfield role adequately but, at this point, I'd just like to see something different.