Tactical Analysis — Southampton (H)

Introduction:

It was great to be back at Goodison after the summer and to get a chance to see Silva's blues up close for the first time, after I was unable to go to the Valencia game due to family reasons. It was interesting to see how the Blues warmed up, I was down the wrong end so couldn't see so clearly, I was straining to see who was who, and it was about the time I ended that I worked out what was happening rather than paid close attention so I will look for this next game. Silva had Keane and Holgate working with Duncan Ferguson. The were warming up by leaping for headers and controlling waist height balls. The rest of the side were grouped up by position and doing position specific warm ups, such as long passing for the midfielders Gueye, Sigurdsson and Schneiderlin. Gueye was hitting some lovely long passes, so he has the ability, much to my surprise. Can Silva get this out of him in a match?

Southampton are not a bad side, despite their struggles last season. They looked great when they demolished us, putting 4 past Unsworth's Everton, and ruining our dream that Unsworth could make the step up. They were actually 9th to our 10th on the Xg table for last season. What the Xg table tells you is that they didn't score enough wonder goals (which have low Xg points) and missed too many sitters (which pay out more Xg points). So basically they did play well but finishing let them down. I'm expecting them to be mid-table this season.

Formations:

Everton lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, this week I had no doubt at all about that. Saints lined up in a 4-4-2. However, Charlie Austin dropped back a lot behind Ings and so they made a 4-4-2 very like a 4-2-3-1 as they tried to compete with us and find space. Again, we were very narrow. Baines and Coleman tucked right in on defence and Richarlison and Walcott did so in attack, and the attacking width was provided by Baines and Coleman, particularly Baines on the heatmap.

Statistical Analysis

As usual, I refer you to Who Scored for complete statistics. Have a look around on the site as there is some interesting stuff on there.

Interestingly, Saints had more shots that us, but this was 8-8 at half time. However, the real story is told by the fact that we edged it 7-4 on shots on target for the game, with 6 of the 7 coming in the first half. Possession was at a steady 58% in our favour in each half, clearly with 11 men and at home, we will have more of the ball. 74% of pur passes were successful so clearly we were taking risks and a bit sloppy in possession. We had more dribbles at 8-4, 3 of them (all ours) coming in the last 35 minutes though. In a turnaround from Wolves, we were far less dominant in the air, but Saints are fast becoming a mini-stoke in Hughes' image, and this should be little surprise really. We had 18 tackles to 11. This is clearly becoming a hallmark of our side under Silva. This is shown by catching Saints in possession 15 times, whilst only being dispossessed ourselves 7 times, which is not bad considering we were dribbling more. The passing stats are interesting and show there's more forward passes, not as many long passes, and those we did hit were on the ground, 43 of 69.

Something else the stats show us, is so obvious everyone has noted it, but the stats show the full extent. This is the return of the Everton left side. Between 2009 and 2015 (the Baines and Pienaar era) Everton regularly topped the stats for most attacks down the left. For the first time since we top the league stats for most attacks down the left. 47% of our attacks against Southampton came down the left, as opposed to the centre or the right. I think there's two reasons for this, obviously the form of Richarlison and Baines, but also that Saints went with Ward Prowse on the right, and he spent most of the game trying to play in the middle where he prefers and did lot to stop us roaring down the left.

Match Report & Analysis

Everton were as excited as the fans at the prospect of playing at home. It showed as we roared “out of the traps” and played with a very high tempo from the off. We looked to get forward at every opportunity. This led to even the likes of Gueye playing ambitious passes forwards.

The pressing, especially in the first half, was immense. This was something we've seen in the past, as closing down is nothing new, but not in this way and in such numbers. It was harder to analyse the press in the Wolves game as we only had 10 men for most of the game, and we were away from home. So the press is started by Tosun, he is key (not central but key) to the press as it relies on his work rate, determination and willingness to drop backwards, chasing and harrying opponents. The number we tend to see in the press is 3. So usually it starts with Tosun, and then either Walcott or Richarlison and Siugrdsson. If the ball is further up the pitch then Schneiderlin or Gueye will replace Tosun in the three fighting for the ball.

As soon as we aggressively won the ball back, we went on the attack immediately. Sure we did pass it around many times, but that was only if there was no opportunity to get forwards first. One such example of our attacking play came on 6 minutes. Baines takes a short throw back to Morgan Schneiderlin. Schneiderlin turns inside and has his head up, looking inside for the pass. He turns back to Baines and hits a short pass to where the throw in came from. Baines receives the ball and plays a quick one two with Richarlison (out of camera shot on the left on my screenshot). Having got the ball back from Richarlison, Baines then plays another quick one two with Sigurdsson. Baines was making a beeline for the box, but instead Sigurdsson has to play a back heel towards the by-line to get around the defender. Baines does get there, but he's got four Saints defenders in close attention and they manage to get the tackle in on him. Meanwhile Tosun is open in the box for a tap-in and Richarlison is getting there to give Baines a second option. It's a move that didn't come to much, and didn't make the highlight reels but it was quick, incisive, exciting play that hints at the capabilities of those players and highlights the good running and movement of Tosun.

The resultant corner I've screenshotted to highlight our attacking setup. This is exactly the same as against Wolves. Tosun, Richarlison, Walcott and the two centre backs in the box, Sigurdsson taking it, and Gueye and Schneiderlin on the edge of the box for the rebound. Baines is available for the short ball and only Coleman is back, and even he is not quite on the halfway line. This corner was actually a Paul Scholes -esque move and it fell to Gueye who hit it true and hard, but the volley was blocked and difficult to say if it was on target.

I'll admit I have reworked this since we had the zonal marking discussion, but note that Southampton themselves lined up in a zonal marking formation. The difference being that they man mark Keane, Holgate and Tosun, and by the time the ball is in the box it looks like man to man as they adapt to the situation in front of them.

I thought Schneiderlin was very good against Southampton, one of the best halves he's had a blue shirt. I've highlighted the below picture for an example of how he played. It's still very early in the game and it's all Everton and Schneiderlin and Gueye are controlling midfield. Here, Richarilson can be seen on the turn, you may wonder why he's so deep. Well he's just sprinted 20 yards to make a great interception and with one touch hits a great short pass to Schneiderlin who has his head up, as you can see, and spots the pass indicated by the arrow and Tosun is on the move into the area indicated. Tosun tries to beat two men in the box and is tackled. But it was a great pass from Schneiderlin. Richarlison was racing up and down the pitch, not only winning this interception but wheeling around and sprinting back up the pitch to give Tosun an overlap!

The first example of the zonal marking failures to come, came when Saints won their first free-kick. Holgate allowed Austin a free header by not picking up Austin, who was clearly in his zone, and therefore his responsibility.

I've barely mentioned Sigurdsson so far. Well he had a great game, perhaps his best in blue. There are other aspects of his game I will discuss below, but first I want to mention his ability to win a freekick. He was excellent at it. Whilst we saw Richarlison writhing on the floor in agony, something I do not like to see, Sigurdsson showed how to win freekicks, and similarly ended up on the floor each time. In the photo below, Pickford has his hit one of his backspin side volleys down the pitch and it's dropping straight down onto Sirgurdsson. The clever player he is, he knows where the defender is, that he can't win this ball easily with his feet and instead he would have to take it on his head and that's not his strength. He instead positions himself and waits for the foul. Just like we will see 10 minutes later when he wins the free kick that leads to the first goal, he knows a foul is coming and sets himself up to take it. For the goal he ends up facedown on the grass and lies there a moment catching his breath and gets up. Nothing wrong with that, and just as effective as winning a freekick as Richarlison's method.

The goal we have all seen to death. There's no point analysing it, but I will put a link here for the official YouTube site where you can enjoy it in all it's glory from “all angles”. This is a real team goal. They worked together on it. It belongs to all of them, and it shows in the celebration, which is as emphatic as a last minute winner. A clear sign of a very together dressing room, at least for these players on the pitch, as opposed to the toxic dressing room of last year.

Between the two Everton goals there is nothing to highlight. Everton were excellent. They played with tempo, they pressed hard, they passed well, the ball moved quickly, and there was excellent movement. So perhaps the only thing that needs to be said is that two players were at the hub of it all. Schneiderlin and Sigurdsson. The former was always an option for the back four and rarely hit a bad pass, even including those much maligned backwards passes. The latter was on the ball most in the opposition half. There was no real amazing defence splitting passes but there was plenty of clever play.

I highlighted in the Wolves came the proximity of Schneiderlin and Gueye, and there was signs of that in his 25 minutes on the pitch, but as Everton were more expansive in his game, and more defensive in the Wolves game (with 10 men), it's hard to really compare. What was clear was that things did change when Davies came on. He was frequently further up the pitch when moves broke down and not in the area you can always be assured that Schneiderlin inhabits.

Now I need to be fair and say that Davies played well. I in fact think the world of the boy, more so than the vast majority of you. Perhaps, I expect too much. After this clip he does indeed get back into the area highlighted and then takes the ball off the defence Schneiderlin-esque and starts a move with a good forward pass. People have queried what Davies is good at. There's a bit right before half time when Davies takes a ball out of the sky on his foot and turns a man and almost wriggles past three of them and they have to foul him to stop him. His control is always excellent. He turns and goes. Never backwards, always wanting to attack. He's not an attacker. He's not a no10, or a no8, he's a no6. He is a younger, still to improve, version of Gueye. But where he lacks Gueye's exceptional qualities, he makes up by having a lot more to his game. He is a more rounded no6. There's very few good young no6, it's a wiser player's role, you need to have a lot of experience, you need to read the game, Davies needs experience. He can be the single no6 we want. Silva said that Davies does not fit the Schneiderlin profile. No one at Everton does, Silva said. That means Gueye too, he simply cannot do what Schneiderlin excels at, the discipline, the positional sense, the passing, the composure, and the ability to just take the ball off the back four and build an attack.

Southampton found a lot of joy down the Everton left. Baines was getting forwards and so they were able to get either in behind him, or in the channel between him and Keane. Nothing came of this in the first half and chances were few and far between, but it should have been a warning sign for Silva.

I won't analyse Southampton's best chance of the first half, as it's been done to death elsewhere. Pickford was clearly not at his best this game, or the previous game. He lost the flight of the ball and let a routine save bounce off him and then Ings blasted it at goal and his lightning reflexes allowed him to get a glove on the ball and tip it onto the bar. It was a great save, but one that should have been avoided. The best and worst of Pickford in a split second. From my vantage point in the Park End, we thought Ings had blasted it straight onto the bar!

The second Everton goal is worth considering in detail. It shows what we are all about. Saints have a freekick well inside their own box and hit it square between their centre-backs, before launching it long after teasing us to press them.

Saints launch it long toward the Everton penalty area, due to the pressure of the press, and it's an aimless ball which Keane nods down to the feet of Davies. He taps it to Gueye, who takes it and sets off at speed in a diagonal towards the right hand side, allowing Coleman to sprint forwards on the right.

Gueye slips a pass to Walcott in the channel, and he feeds Coleman who checks and lets the bodies arrive in the box. Coleman starts to come inside before knocking it back outside to Walcott who has got himself into position to cross. I liked that the three in box did not stand like statues (like under previous regimes) and kept their movement allowing Richarlison to be where he was and Tosun had pulled to the edge of the box.

It was a fine header by Richarlison for the goal. They say he doesn't speak much English. He's been here a year so I find that hard to believe. All the Everton payers call him Charlie, which indicates more communication. When he scored, he ran to the Park End, as you saw on TV, and he was mobbed by the players. One by one they gave him a hug (all except Pickford). Then Coleman was last to hug him. It wasn't caught on TV but I saw it clearly from the Park End. Coleman says something to Richarlison, shouting in his ear, and pointing to us. Then Richarlison does his pigeon dance. Silly I know, but it shows the togetherness the camaraderie and the connection with the fans Silva was talking about. Here was the new captain and fans' favourite telling the new fans' favourite, do your dance, they'll love it. And we did.

Zonal Marking Woes

There's more zonal marking woes before the half is over. As Darren Hinds had noted (I hadn't spotted it) all 11 Everton players were back in the Everton penalty area. And yet Saints manage to get 4 v 4 on the near post and flick it on, dangerously across goal, but no one got on the end of it and it was a goal kick. I'm not going to identify all the players, but Walcott is the one on the edge of the box and the likes of Tosun are closest to the keeper.

Zonal marking needs to be understood before it can be criticised. You will hardly ever see any evidence of man marking in open play, and when you do it is a “man-marking job”. In other words, you would man mark just one player of the opposition. So this means the other 10 are actually zonal marking. And in reality, you will not have seen Everton do anything other than zonal mark in open play for well over 10 years. Now this is most evident with a back four. In this article and the one for Wolves I consistently highlighted the defensive midfield two and analysed their zone. Above I criticise Davies for not being in his zone. But this zone is fluid. If the ball is on the right flank, Baines is almost on the centre of the pitch, not on the left flank. That is because zones are fluid, they move with play and the ball and with players. The right winger comes at Baines in his zone and Baines will have him, he's his man. But yet, he's not man marking, he's zonal marking, yet here is a dangerman for Baines and he takes him. However, if the right back has overlapped and runs at Baines, Baines takes the right back and if the right winger makes a move it is for someone else to be in Baines' zone and pick him up. If Baines is left isolated and is outnumbered, we'd be shouting where is his support. What was Keane, Richarlison or Schneidelrin doing? We wouldn't be screaming bring back man marking.

This is the same on corners. Everton have not adapted the zonal marking to be more fluid. They don't move as a unit. In the photo you see too many Everton players standing in isolation. They've not moved as a unit. Now is this teething problems? Is there a more serious issue? Silva did not bring all 11 back for Watford. Maybe we've been so flat footed in training that he's got 11 back to defend better. Well it wasn't working, because 11 couldn't get to the ball first. I say, be patient, it's two games in, not twenty. It may be all season that we have hearts in mouths on corners and set pieces, but as long as the penny drops before the season is out, and not much damage is done, then it'll be ok, we take it on the chin and learn for next season.

One thing to consider though is a trade-off. Last season we were brilliant (particularly under Allardyce) at defending set pieces, and yet we were poor at converting them. This season we are poor at defending them, and brilliant at converting them. We've scored 2, and conceded 2.

In the photo below you can see that free a corner, Saints are countering Everton. I can assure you that those defenders are it for Everton, and if Ward-Prowse could get beyond them, there's only Pickford to beat. But Everton do this well under Silva. It's controlled defending, as Baines allows Ward-Prowse to wriggle free and shepherds him to the flank, allowing players to get back. Pressure is applied from the trio, Gueye makes the covering run, and Sigurdsson comes racing back to get stuck in. We do this better than I've ever seen. We risk being counter-attacked breaking in such numbers, but we are clearly well drilled in these delaying tactics, and it's something I have noted before about Silva's teams. We have got this nailed early, which is encouraging.

in the second half, Saints come out hard. They were desperate to get back into the game. It was them who set the tempo. They pressed hard and chased us. We pressed less, ones and twos, instead of threes. We were also struggling to pass through midfield, hitting other Saints rather than through them.

Saints were on top and so deserved their goal. They hadn't really threatened us, but won a corner and zonal marking came back to haunt us. Look at the photo below. You'll see a second before the ball arrives for Ings, Saints have 4 v 2, and one of the Everton two (4. Keane) is helpless where he is. This 4 v 2 is right there in the middle of the goal, more or less with 7 players marking 3 Saints.

in the next photo, you can see how Ings has got free of Keane, who had two men, Sigurdsson struggling with two men, whilst the rest of the boys in blue turn and look like fools as the ball goes into the net. Problems to be sorted as detailed above.

After the goal, Everton woke up a little and were in a better defensive shape, and had a better tempo. Southampton responded by kicking us. Their rough house tactics saw a succession of fouls and Everton players, Richarlison, Tosun, and Sigurdsson left on the turf. Not enough bookings were given, and so Southampton continued kicking us undeterred. So we sat a better deeper, kicked it further and carried it less.

Walcott scored against the run of play. Only for it to be disallowed. Pickford hit it long down the pitch. It was headed back by Saints and collected by Sigurdsson who hit a great pass slipping Tosun through. The top picture shows him looking onside, but on the bottom picture he does look offside.

Tosun did well with the ball and Walcott made a great run into space, and stroked the ball home with aplomb. It took most of the fans in the ground a good while to realise it had been chalked off for offside. I couldn't wait to get home and see why it was offside, only Match of the Day only showed it as part of their “analysis” rather the actual highlights.

The next point of interest sees Holgate receive the ball from Keane and he takes a few touches and comes forward and hit a gorgeous long ball to Sigurdsson's feet:

Sigurdsson lays it off with one great touch:

Walcott takes a touch and comes inside, and plays it back to Sigurdsson who draws everyone to him like a magnet and plays it first time back to Walcott, in acres of space, clearly onside, and he fluffs his lines dragging it wide of the far post. Perhaps if he hit it first time, or having taken a touch if he squeezed it inside the near post.

The game then becomes relatively scrappy and this is summed up by an aimless Southampton punt down the pitch. Pickford and Ings challenge for it. It's not a 50-50, it's more a 60-40 in Pickford's favour. If I was Ings there, I'd expect to lose out and get clobbered, but he charges in. There's no way he's getting there first which is why he turns his back for Pickford to kick him in it. Ings knew what was coming or why less turn his back. He was second best to a ball he wasn't going to win and so cannot complain that he got hurt.

Southampton put too many attackers on the pitch to get the equaliser that we comfortably gained control of midfield and the ball and the game petered out to a relatively tame end. Although there was time for Calvert-Lewin to show his willing running and for Niasse to come on and be a nuisance like only he can be.

The end of the game showed more of Silva trying to establish a connection with the fans. The players were told to stay on the pitch and clap, and he walked onto the pitch and hugged the players (the biggest was for Gueye for the immense running he did all game long), and then he clapped the fans turning to each stand to show them he was grateful for the support.

I think it was a good Everton performance. It was probably an offside goal for Walcott, but that one or the one he missed were deserved as it was more of a 3-1 game than a 2-1 game. I've read others who've said we played more of a 433 and that Sigurdsson was in midfield. No, he was very much in the no10 position. However, unlike normal no10s he runs, and he runs a lot. He was up and down the pitch more than any other no10 and so it appeared like he was in midfield, as when we didn't have the ball he was dropping deep and helping out. But when we did have it he was making a front 4 and being at the bottom of an attacking diamond shape.

So many positives to take from the game, but it was far from perfect. There's issues with the defending of set pieces. There's also a worry over Schneiderlin. I don't think we have a replacement for him. I hope that Andre Gomes can be the answer, but we will have to wait and see. We will be better than this. This is all about progression. We can see the progress with our own eyes today. We ran more. We pressed. First half in real numbers, before tiring. We harried and chased and Southampton couldn't cope with that. The passing was good, but it can be better. It was crisp and it was quick, but it can be quicker. So many reasons to be positive and I can't wait for the next home game.

Follow @ferninho

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