Fan Article Calvert-Lewin: Have you forgotten how good he is? We are really missing a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the starting line-up. But Calvert-Lewin seems to have been downgraded by many of our fans to someone we can do without. Robert Tressell 31/03/2022 50comments | Jump to last We are really missing a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the starting line-up. Unlike some players (Nkounkou or Simms, who seem to become “the answer” for not playing), Calvert-Lewin seems to have been downgraded by many of our fans to someone we can do without. This seems a strange conclusion to me, because this season kind of illustrates just how bad we are without him. Once complete, the inquest of this dreadful season will rightly indicate we have problems in goal, defence, midfield and attack. I'm going to assume we stay up, though, because anything else is just too awful to even contemplate. Since we cannot go through this again, we need to strengthen, in particular, the centre-back position and the holding midfield position which none of our current midfielders are well suited to. That should shore up a side that ships too many goals. However, we also score too few goals. Our recent record of goalscoring is not very good at all. 2021-22: 29 and counting (relegation battle)2020-21: 47 (finished 10th)2019-20: 44 (finished 12th)2018-19: 54 (finished 8th) Basically, you need about 70-ish to get in the Top 4 (with a decent defensive record too). Our goals have come from various sources over recent seasons (shown against number of games played with assists in brackets) but Calvert-Lewin has been consistent since he came of age in 2019-20. 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19Calvert-Lewin 3/10 (1) 16/33 (3) 13/36 (1) 6/35 (2)Richarlison 4/20 (3) 7/34 (3) 13/36 (3) 13/35 (2)Sigurdsson N/A 6/36 (5) 2/35 (3) 13/38 (6)Rodriguez N/A 6/23 (5) N/A N/AGray 5/23 (2) N/A N/A N/ATownsend 3/21 (2) N/A N/A N/AGordon 3/24 (2) N/A N/A N/A Stating the obvious, Calvert-Lewin is our biggest goal threat and we have missed him very much this season. In fact, I expect that Benitez would have us in mid-table if Calvert-Lewin (and Sigurdsson) had been available for the duration of the season. With the (bad) news of our continued financial demise, it seems likely that we'll need to sell at least one of Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison — possibly both. Personally, I think Richarlison is more dispensable because Gordon and Gray can both operate in the wide left position he usually occupies. Despite the fact he tries hard (sometimes too hard perhaps), I think Richarlison has now fallen out of love with Everton and needs to move on while his stock is still pretty high. It is possible (let us remain hopeful) that Dele Alli will get his career back on track and takeover the role of goalscoring midfielder from Sigurdsson. Presumably that's Plan A anyway. How, though, do we replace Calvert-Lewin if he leaves? Because unless we can replace the ~15 goals he usually provides, we will struggle to get back into the top 10, let alone the European places which we should really be aiming for. Unfortunately, this will be tricky because, although 15 goals doesn't sound amazing, it's very difficult to achieve. In recent seasonsm only between 7 and 11 players have scored that many Premier League goals in a season. And because goals are often scored by wide forwards or wingers these days, only between 4 and 8 strikers have scored that many goals in a single season. In short, therefore, Calvert-Lewin should be a red-hot commodity as a goal-scoring striker who puts himself about and is decent at football (though lacking in really silky skills). It is almost inconceivable that he will be sold and replaced with a striker who will score more than he does — at least initially anyway. Some of the players who get touted about as possible replacements include: - Alexander Isak: 4 in 24 this season, 17 in 34 last season- Luka Jovic: 1 in 13 this season, 4 in 22 last season- Breel Embolo: 4 in 22 this season, 5 in 31 last season Pretty mediocre returns and these are talented players, too. So it shows that goals are a commodity that can be really hard to come by. Indeed, across Europe, it is difficult to identify someone in our price bracket who provides anything like the physical threat (aerial, strength and speed), workrate and goals of Calvert-Lewin. I saw one contributor on ToffeeWeb saying we'd be better selling DCL and buying Emmanuel Dennis of Watford. Dennis has done pretty well this season — with 9 goals and 5 assists, he'd easily be our most potent attacker. But he's not a leader of the line. He's like a more established version of Dobbin — somewhere between a striker, a winger and number 10. I'm hoping Dobbin himself comes to the fore a bit next season and, given our financial situation, we're better off helping him develop than blocking his path with a new signing. Otherwise, many options are only scoring as many as Calvert-Lewin(or less) playing for the top teams in a weaker league (eg, Larin, Zirkzee, Evanilson, Brereton-Diaz etc) and it would be a surprise if they could match their goal figures in the Premier League — again, at least initially. So, hopefully, we can hang onto Calvert-Lewin for at least another season and maybe bring in a younger talent to develop over the course of next season — with a view to taking over from a (probably) departing Calvert-Lewin by season 2023-24. For example, Broja from Chelsea or Zirkzee or someone from the conveyor belt of quality that remains the French league (eg, Ekitike, Wahi or Kalimuendo). Brereton-Diaz or Larin on a free would be really good business too — provided we keep Calvert-Lewin as our main striker. We need his goals and an additional 5 to 7 goals (the same or actually many more as a player like Timo Werner) from the reserve centre-forward. That approach will allow us to spend what's likely (because of the further worryingly huge losses) to be a modest kitty on the centre-back(s) we desperately need, and some midfield reinforcements too. But in the meantime, for so long as he's here at least, let's show a bit of appreciation for Calvert-Lewin and hope we can get him fit for the run-in. He's not Lewandowski, but he's a very good player. Share article: Reader Comments (50) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Paul Kernot 1 Posted 31/03/2022 at 22:24:34 I tend to agree Rob, although it depends on us closing the managerial revolving door (and the meddling of board members) and getting some stability re how we play & the players brought in to fit that style of play. Top PL teams play minus a Calvert Lewin but with very fit, mobile players who fit that model. If we go down, boot out Lampard & bring in AN other style & then here we go again. As a few have said on other threads, going down may ultimately bring about the clear our & re birth we need. No doubt Dom & Richy would go, so we'd have no choice but to make like a Phoenix. Bill Gienapp 2 Posted 31/03/2022 at 22:39:04 Calvert-Lewin is unlikely to ever be a truly elite striker, given his lack of shooting touch... but he's also a player who basically improved each season for four years running, until he ran into injury issues this campaign. I think people tend to sell him short, particularly with these claims that he only had a brief "purple patch" under Ancelotti. David Thomas 3 Posted 31/03/2022 at 23:12:09 Calvert-Lewin is now 25 and played Premier League football for us for 6 seasons.In that time he has scored 15 or more league goals once.I for one wouldn't be losing any sleep if he left. Geoff Lambert 4 Posted 31/03/2022 at 23:41:02 Looking like he could be a Championship player next season anyway. We would come straight back up with his prolific goal tally. What does he average a season?? Less than 12 a season. Maybe he might get 15 next season, but I won't hold my breath. Derek Thomas 5 Posted 31/03/2022 at 23:45:26 I've never gone with the early anti-Calvert-Lewin stuff but, like Bill @2 says, he's no elite striker.He's the sort that, the better the team he's in plays, the better he plays... you add his workrate and, IMO, he's Pep's dream of a non-striking striker.The nearest I can get to is he's the Hunt to Hurst, Charlton & Peters.He'll do well at Man City, not so well at Arsenal.Sad thing is, we have a billionaire owner and we need the money. How did we get to this state?Kenwright, the Bill we can't afford. Nick Page 6 Posted 31/03/2022 at 23:57:34 We never even replaced £75m Lukaku never mind Calvert-fucking-Lewin, who has had one half decent season. Hang-on, I stand corrected; Bill (that non-interfering Chairman) did try to replace Lukaku….with a shot to bits Wayne fucking Rooney on £175k/week who Man Utd couldn't wait to see the back of. Absolute fucking shambles this club is. Oh but I tend to agree though too, for now, yesterday, tomorrow, when he wasn't my first-choice new striker right-back manager to be played by the new, last manager whom I didn't want, at first, because he was shit/foreign/didn't get us, old boys club former manager, at his last club but do like him now playing 3-4-3, 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1 with two up-front wide right, in a four-man attack with someone else on the wing in behind, overlooking the youth at finch farm who are boss, can't get in the first team, win anything….sack him and bring back Big Sam, Moyes, Catterick. Where's Howard?Get a fucking grip. We're about to get relegated, for the love of God, because we're the worst side in the Premier League and the club has been mismanaged for going on 30 fucking years and we're discussing whether we care if some half-baked half-arsed striker who most of the time couldn't hit a bastard barn door is going to be a loss if we sell him? And then we won't reinvest the money because we haven't already got a list of players drawn up who could be possible replacements and then spend all summer chasing some shithouse around and end up paying twice what any other club would have bothered.If, my dear fellow blues, you focused your efforts on trying to rid this once proud football club of the parasites sucking the life out of it, then I think we'd all be better off. That's the reality, not the fantasy. Dale Self 7 Posted 31/03/2022 at 00:27:51 I always enjoy the cool-headed analysis, Robert. Additional thanks for putting something up to relieve the angst on some of the other threads, well done although it has already been hit with Championship comments. I'm not sure Isak would come here since I thought he had interest from higher up the table over the summer. Dennis is not the answer in my opinion and occasionally he loses his head which is not what we need being without a true team leader on the pitch. Broja intrigues me from what I've seen.The problem has always been the lack of chemistry and possession capability between Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. I think we always needed a mobile No 10 to make those two productive, week-in & week-out. We shouldn't be getting rid unless we can recoup as you state but we may be up against it with that latest financial report. If you are correct about Richarlison's commitment, then I could possibly be lured into considering moving them both on over the next two seasons since we've not found a way to keep Richarlison productive, with or without Calvert-Lewin. Richarlison needs to cut in from the wing and is simply not a box striker. I love Richarlison, please do not get me wrong, and thinking of gambling in the transfer market with the misfires in the decision-makers' history is an obvious flaw in that idea. My thinking is simply that it has not worked out for some time thus moving them on would be best for them and the club so long as we avoid the Championship trap door which is our first concern.Not going down, damnit! Don Alexander 8 Posted 01/04/2022 at 01:32:30 Calvert-Lewin, a squad player I like, is bereft of the talent of a prodigious goal-scorer. His talents will excite no major European team as a goal scorer. As a pain-in-the-ass assistant to a killer goal-scorer I think he'd be fabulous. Unfortunately we don't have such a striker.That said, he's vital to us given the total bollocks delivered to us from the boardroom/Monaco (and Russia?) for six successive years. If I was him, I'd be seeking out options. Robert Tressell 9 Posted 01/04/2022 at 01:42:09 Thanks Dale. In terms of the negative stuff, Nick, I very much agree that the club needs a complete overhaul and won't achieve any success (regardless of who the football manager is) until that happens. We aren't the worst team in the division by any stretch - but we're one of the worst 6. Which is kind of my point. We've become that bad in the prolonged absence of a very good striker (on top of 30 years' mismanagement too). Iwobi rightly takes the credit for a very good goal but Calvert-Lewin's introduction made a big difference against Newcastle. Getting rid of Kenwright is something we need to do but it won't make an immediate difference from a footballing point of view. The immediate improvement comes through having a fit Calvert-Lewin in the team.So I think it is worth discussing that rather than labelling him as crap because he doesn't strike a ball like Harry Kane. Christopher Nicholls 10 Posted 01/04/2022 at 04:03:14 100% agree with your thoughts here. We also desperately need to be able to put in crosses. I don't think that it's a coincidence that losing our leading provider in Digne has also diminished Dom's effectiveness.Let's actually get wide players who want to get a cross in. Steve Shave 11 Posted 01/04/2022 at 08:21:59 Thanks for this, Robert. I agree wholeheartedly. It was I who touted Dennis as a possible replacement, I do recognise he is a different player altogether and maybe a better replacement for Richarlison. Brereton Diaz looks a good prospect too. I don't want Calvert-Lewin to go, I think (unlike Richarlison) he owes us another season. He will get back to form, I am sure, his hold-up play is excellent IMO, as is his dominance in the air. Yes, his finishing needs work but he has enough to go all the way. I feel his head has been turned though (could be wrong) and, if that's the case, I'd rather we sold him. If not (and Frank will know) then yes another season please, he's my favourite player alongside Gordon. The naysayers are the usual lot who get on the backs of our better players, week-in & week-out. It's like a disease in this club. Steve Brown 12 Posted 01/04/2022 at 08:54:55 Stop making so much sense, Robert.The issue with Calvert-Lewin is that he has had the temerity to suffer his first serious injury after 5 years at the club. In addition, he has reached the grand old age of 25 years old so he is over the hill. As your analysis shows, none of the players touted as replacements are prolific either. I would prefer to retain a striker who does score goals (average 18 in the last two seasons before the injury) to someone who might score goals.Richarlison, Kean and Mina will be sold in the summer to generate transfer funds and reduce the wage bill. Tosun, Delph, the Nameless One and Kenny (maybe) will be off the wage bill. Hopefully, that gives the DoF something to work with – will Moshiri and Kenwright be told to fuck off if they try to interfere? Tony Abrahams 13 Posted 01/04/2022 at 08:59:48 I think that, for Everton to stay up, Calvert-Lewin has got to find his form, and Lampard has got to find the right formation. Christopher Timmins 14 Posted 01/04/2022 at 09:16:32 Calvert-Lewin's season is almost a mirror image of Bamford's at Leeds. He is not showing much sign of being able to put a run of games together. He started against Brighton at home a number of weeks ago and ever since he has been in and out of the team. If we were not in such an unholy mess I think there would be merit in letting him off early in the hope that he would come back fit and well in late June. Sometimes you make things worse, a lot worse by rushing players back early.It's a big call for Lampard as to how best to utilise him over the next 11 games over the next 7 weeks. Let's hope he has the luxury of not needing him over the final 4 or 5 games. Paul Cherrington 15 Posted 01/04/2022 at 09:29:32 There is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin is a great striker when fit and on form. We are certainly a better team with him in, when he's firing on all cylinders.The problem right here and now is that he is not fit or firing on all cylinders. He may well take a number of games to get back up to speed, which is not something we can afford. It could be a major risk to slot him straight back in as a result, when we have other strikers who are not so rusty in terms of game-time. Moving ahead, the other issue is that we need a decent amount of cash to revamp the squad with over the summer. it seems selling a few in-demand players is the only way we can raise the sort of money we'll need. Might it be a case of having to sell Calvert-Lewin even if we don't want to, to fund the rebuild we need? I would agree with other posters though and look at people like Richarlison first or Pickford. Stu Darlington 16 Posted 01/04/2022 at 09:41:43 The general feeling I get so far on this thread is that, although he is not a prolific striker, we should try and hold onto him at least for another season, and I agree. He's a big unit and can make a bloody nuisance of himself in the box. Defenders must watch him and his movement can create openings for others but, as a striker, he is very dependent on quality crosses and he isn't getting these at the moment. Of course the perennial problem is, if he were to go, who do we replace him with? Young strikers with potential are going to be on the radar of other clubs and Everton are unlikely to be high on their list of prospective destinations at the moment, so the message is: "Be careful what you wish for..."Nick @6Brilliant rant, I enjoyed it very much. If only the team showed as much passion as you obviously do. Keep on saying it!! Jerome Shields 17 Posted 01/04/2022 at 09:52:30 I can't remember, Robert. But I never thought he was worth the figures that are bandied about on ToffeeWeb, or for that matter Richarlison either. He had improved up to his injury. But he has always been short on technical ability. Positionally, he is a yard short. Everton's final-third play has been below standard for years and Calvert-Lewin does not help that. He adopted Ancelotti's one-touch tactic, but poop pooped it after Ancelotti left. These tactics did progress him, but possible progress this season was stifled by injury and what appears to be poor rehabilitation. Robert Tressell 18 Posted 01/04/2022 at 10:29:42 Jerome, I think the potential fees for Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison probably got mooted as high as about £85M. Possibly more.That will have come down by a decent margin after Brexit, the pandemic and Russian financial disruption. Also not a stellar season for either, so we wouldn't be selling at their peak.I expect we'd now get about £50M+ for Calvert-Lewin and maybe a bit less for Richarlison. Decent fees but not going to allow an overhaul of the squad. Danny O’Neill 19 Posted 01/04/2022 at 10:30:55 I like Calvert-Lewin. He is a good in-the-box striker and no Harry Kane. He's not going to smash a screamer from outside the box. Apart from this Sunday coming.But if you judge him on what he is good at, he is a very good striker. 15 goals a season is a very credible achievement when put into the context of him pretty much being a lone survivor in that position. No credible back-up or support and often isolated with our deep-sitting midfield that has to sit deep to try and protect a defence afraid to stray too far from the 18-yard line. He almost needs his mobile phone to communicate with them.For those who criticised, I believe Ancelotti developed him by instructing him to stay in the box and not chase corner flags. Some credit Duncan Ferguson, but why didn't it happen sooner if that was the case?I maintain, he suffered with Digne being out, and vice-versa, as those two had a good understanding. 15 goals is a good return. I always remember the 86-87 title-winning season. What was characteristic of that glorious year was how the goals where shared amongst a squad that was savaged by injuries and very much a patchwork quilt. Without looking, wasn't our top scorer Trevor Steven on 14? And how many of those where penalties? In the days we used to get decisions and penalties. Shane Corcoran 20 Posted 01/04/2022 at 11:21:15 Agree with the general consensus. He's improved and he's pretty good at some things if he's given enough supply. But he can't shoot very well and I still think his heading is a bit strange. Anyway, I reckon he'll be off to the Gunners. He's English so we should be able to get more than he's worth and then we can boo him until our throats are sore. Kevin Prytherch 21 Posted 01/04/2022 at 12:31:43 Calvert-Lewin is one of the best in the division at getting on the end of crosses and scoring at close range. He can feed off a decent through ball, but mainly off a decent cross.And there lies the problem with Everton's shabby recruitment over the last few years.We had 2 players capable of delivering a decent cross at the start of the year, Benitez sold one straight away (Rodriguez). He brought in another (Townsend), then sold the only other player that could deliver a cross (Digne). Now Townsends out for the year, we're left with a right-footed left-back (Godfrey or Kenny), 3 wingers who prefer to cut inside (Gray, Richarlison and Gordon), 1 whose final ball is usually a joke (Iwobi), and a right-back who can't cross (Coleman). Similarly, the only 2 players capable of threading a through-ball have gone. Sigurdsson could with time on the ball, and Rodriguez could in any situation. Can we expect any of our midfielders to thread a decent through ball on a consistent basis?We have a centre-forward who is outstanding at getting on the end of a cross and no-one capable of crossing the ball. He is also decent at getting on the end of a through-ball and no-one capable of playing this type of ball.Is it any wonder he looks a shadow of himself? Kim Vivian 22 Posted 01/04/2022 at 13:06:39 Interesting piece, this. The crux as I see it is our inability to be able to replace good assets when they leave. An in-form Calvert-Lewin is preferable to most of the alternatives being mooted particularly with his strength in the air and hold up play so I would be pessimistic to see him go. Great rant @ #6. Made me laugh but I hope someone's making sure Nick's meds are up to date.Re the numbers. I always find the numbers for assists odd. Simply using the stats in the article above as an example – we have managed 110 goals with just 41 assists from the names mentioned so someone or others is/are very prolific assisters. How is that best explained and who are they? Michael Lynch 23 Posted 01/04/2022 at 13:10:26 To be fair to Rafa, his Plan A was to hit in crosses all day long for Calvert-Lewin to get on the end of. And so he bought Demarai and Andros. We started the season challenging for the top but, sadly, when Calvert-Lewin got injured, his Plan B was a patently unfit Rondon, and so the season's decline began.Now we have Lampard in charge, and I don't think he has the same love of a barrage of crosses to the big man which, let's face it, is a pretty old-fashioned style of football and one Rafa only pursued out of pragmatism based on the lack of ball skills in our squad.Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying that, if Calvert-Lewin does go, we probably don't need a like-for-like replacement. We need to let Lampard (or whoever is in charge next season, in whichever league we find ourselves) work out a system and get the right players to play that system. We've done the opposite recently, finding a style to fit the players we already have and it really hasn't worked, with so many square pegs in round holes. Michael Kenrick Editorial Team 24 Posted 01/04/2022 at 14:44:48 Kim @22, Re the assists, I don't know who's tasked with designating them officially but the BBC I noticed don't assign one unless it's crystal clear who set up the goal. We came up with a broader definition that includes the last Everton player involved in the move before the scorer. That way, nearly every goal should have an 'assist' from an Everton player.If you want to see the numbers, we track them as the Goalmakers each season. I haven't checked to see how they compare with other sources. Kim Vivian 25 Posted 01/04/2022 at 15:12:42 Michael thanks. That's interesting but just to demonstrate how brainiacally challenged I am – what are the numbers in brackets? Methinks it might be appearances as sub? Kevin Prytherch 27 Posted 01/04/2022 at 17:50:37 So we lost 29 assists from last season through a combination of Benitez's stubbornness and circumstances beyond our control. Our most prolific assist maker now is……. Jonjoe Kenny (3 from 13)It's no wonder we can't create a chance. David Thomas 28 Posted 01/04/2022 at 20:02:02 If Calvert-Lewin played for another club and we were trying to buy him with the goal-scoring record he has in the Premier League and we were quoted figures of £50 or 60 million etc, would people be happy? Jerome Shields 29 Posted 01/04/2022 at 20:22:19 Robert #18Totally agree, the sale of Everton players would provide the money needed. Robert Tressell 30 Posted 01/04/2022 at 20:33:24 David # 28. Good point but then we're the potential sellers, not buyers. The Premier League is the worst value market in world football. Ivan Toney would cost about £40m or more after his 11 goals this season (many of which are penalties).So I wouldn't be happy with us buying established Premier League players generally. We should be looking for value in the Championship, u23 teams and abroad.But if other clubs want to pay the very hefty Premier League premium that's up to them. Michael Kenrick 31 Posted 02/04/2022 at 08:45:38 This is what Frank Lampard has said about Calvert-Lewin's commitment to Everton:"Absolutely his commitment is there. He can't and I can't stop that type of talk. If you elevate yourself to the level of performance that he has shown, particularly as a striker, then it's very understandable that people talk about you in different ways."They talk about your form, they talk about how you live your life. With modern players, my job is to make sure they are absolutely focused. I haven't had to have that conversation with him because I know how determined he is."I know it isn't easy sometimes for players to vocalise that. What they need to do is show on the pitch and Dominic hasn't had the opportunity to do that this season. We feel like we have got him in a good place, so now is the time to show."Not sure I agree about him not having the opportunity. He's had it in every game he has played since coming back, and especially with that very poor penalty, which he missed. He has clearly lacked concentration, application and determination. The one good thing I can recall is the brilliant backheel to set up Iwobi for the goal against Newcastle Utd. If he starts on Sunday, we need to see that kind of involvement for the whole game. Tony Everan 32 Posted 02/04/2022 at 09:17:15 I think there are two Calvert-Lewins. The one who works like a Trojan when fit, helps the team and is unselfish. Then the Carlo Ancelotti - Filipe Anzaghi inspired Calvert-Lewin. The one touch finish mantra really worked, sometimes since Carlo has gone this has been forgotten. There are blurred lines between the two DCL's but the latter version that Carlo created is the one that the likes of Pep Guardiola will be interested in. A player who gives him options in all games as a starter or from the bench to change the dynamic and has proven can handle the Premier League.This Inzaghi Calvert-Lewin needs the best service possible from a well put together midfield, then 20 goals a season is a reasonable target. In this respect I think Robert T is right that Richarlison is he more dispensable player for us. We can use Gordon and Gray to provide for Dominic. The issues for us are creating solidity and tenacity in midfield allowing our creative players a bit more freedom. I fully agree we should keep Dom and strengthen, you already know where. All roads then lead back to the same conclusion about the need for one or two mobile tenacious midfield fighters who can play. The blue print, the next - Philips, Rice, N'Golo etc. Allan is 32 next season so we will need two. Mina gives the defence some composure and security and this percolates through the team. He will need replacing too with a dominant, reliable CH.It's a ramble ! but these issues are interdependent. Joe McMahon 33 Posted 02/04/2022 at 09:26:51 Tony, the Filipe Anzaghi 10ft range goal opportunities missed at Leeds in August, cost us 2 valuable points. Yes he can stretch defences but personally I prefer (obviously the rare Agueros of this world) an Ian Wright or or Jamie Vardy who score from anywhere. Kevin Prytherch 34 Posted 02/04/2022 at 10:16:17 Joe – you do realise that every striker misses opportunities? Calvert-Lewin's get highlighted because he might only get one or two a game. Have a look at Kane when he plays, he misses more than he scores but because he gets the chances, we only focus on the ones he scores. Last season, Calvert-Lewin had one of the best, if not the best, goals per shots ratio in the league and was easily better than the likes of Vardy. Jim Bennings 35 Posted 03/04/2022 at 08:05:02 Calvert-Lewin for me will always be a Franny Jeffers with more heading ability.Still think he's too powderpuff with his shooting and lacking technically to be considered a great striker.Over the years there's always been the top strikers at top clubs: Fowler, Shearer, Henry, Drogba, Aguero, Kane – lethal instinctive finishers.Then there have been the solid efficient striker that will bundle you 10-15 goals: Brian Deane, John Harrison etc.I'd put Calvert-Lewin in the second bracket, he's a limited technical player but will bundle you enough goals to keep a team about mid-table.If it was injury time in a match and the scores are level and you had to pick five strikers in this league to be clean through with the keeper to beat I'm not convinced too many would spring Dom off the tip of their tongue as one of them.I don't think he's worth the crazy money that gets bandied about and I also think he will not score that many more goals for Everton because like it or not, we lost three really creative players in Sigurdsson, James and Digne.It's even up for debate whether or not Calvert-Lewin will be the same player again now after this injury, his overall game is mainly all about athleticism and leaping high off the ground. Steve Mink 36 Posted 03/04/2022 at 15:50:55 Would sell him to Newcastle and get Callum Wilson in return. Dave Lynch 37 Posted 03/04/2022 at 16:02:56 I've just watched the WHU game.I'd forgotten how bang average he is. Clive Rogers 38 Posted 03/04/2022 at 17:52:51 After today's game, it's Calvert-Lewin who's forgotten something... how to play!!! Mick O'Malley 39 Posted 04/04/2022 at 10:18:20 Sorry but I'm not having the headline of this article, he had a purple patch before Xmas when James etc were setting them up in a plate, to me he is absolutely bang average, a woeful finisher and couldn't trap a bag of cement, I'm hoping he's replaced next season if we stay up, £70 million for him, laughable, Nick@ 6 I totally agree with everything you said Danny O’Neill 40 Posted 04/04/2022 at 10:23:35 Yet many were pleased to see Rodriguez leave Mick.I try not to get too involved in the finance side as I'm a supporter and confuse myself.Maybe needs must, but what I would have given to have had James even for half the games this season. Let's face it, about half of our players (and those of most other clubs to be fair) don't feature in every game. Paul Kossoff 41 Posted 04/04/2022 at 19:41:41 Calvert-Lewin? Bang average... beyond bang average.Never rated him and he's been elevated way past his skill level. I doubt we will get more than £40 million for him. If we have to rely on him to keep us up, God help us. Simon Dalzell 42 Posted 04/04/2022 at 20:02:28 Agreed Paul. bang average. I do feel for him though. This football malarkey seems to be getting in the way of his modelling skirts, handbags and shavers etc. Barry Hesketh 43 Posted 04/04/2022 at 20:16:28 It's little wonder that Dominic has to earn some extra money from Modelling and photo-shoots, given the 'paltry' wages he's on compared to some of the bought in 'stars'. It's probably the reason that there isn't any real team spirit at the club. NB: I've no idea how accurate the figures in the link are. EFC Wages Andrew Ellams 44 Posted 04/04/2022 at 20:22:41 Can't help feeling he's our Michu or Marcus Stewart. Never fulfilling the potential he showed during an all too brief purple patch.He's the type of player (Andy Johnson, James Beattie) that we would bought a few years back. David Vaughan 45 Posted 06/04/2022 at 09:28:10 'Calvert-Lewin: Have you forgotten how good he is?' I fear he has. Along with all other self-belief inside the club.Get behind them tonight, even if only through the TV in the corner. Phil Gardner 46 Posted 06/04/2022 at 13:54:42 Maybe, just maybe, this limited clown needs to work harder at his game and concentrate properly. At a critical point in our season and while his form is abysmal, he does this…Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Everton striker says it is difficult for young players to express themselvesThe lad's a nobhead. Kieran Kinsella 47 Posted 06/04/2022 at 14:12:52 Andrew Ellams Marcus Stewart, thank you, that's the guy whose name I couldn't remember that I've been thinking of with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He is closer to 30 than 20 yet people call him a kid Hasn't scored in months and is doing fashion shoots while moaning about the fans on Twitter Andrea Jacobs 48 Posted 07/04/2022 at 05:50:13 If DCL didn't score a goal for two years straight, the MOTD/Sky cabal would still be saying he's an incredibly brilliant, promising young striker, with J Redknapp saying things like ‘I fought ‘e was sensational today Calvert-Lewin'. I wonder what the lad has to do (or rather not do) for this opinion to change. He can never do anything wrong, and he has ridiculous articles like this written about him. If someone is daft enough to pay a large transfer fee for this deeply average striker, then we have to sell. I can't see it though, I can't see any Champions League club coming in for him. Antonio is a better player than him. Toney is a better player.Abraham is better.There's loads of better players out there.Get rid. Andrea Jacobs 49 Posted 09/04/2022 at 18:23:09 Not fit to wear the skirt - GQL is the most overrated player in the World.He's an absolute cart-horse. Geoff Lambert 51 Posted 09/04/2022 at 21:10:44 So you have remembered how average he is then, Andrea? I think you do cart-horses an injustice there. Dave Abrahams 52 Posted 09/04/2022 at 21:23:53 Barry (43), I think some of the younger players wages are from an old wage sheet, going by Lewis Dobbin's figure of £740 per week. He recently signed a 3-year contract after much negotiations; I'd imagine he's on about 10 times that amount. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. 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