Joe Royle, Have a Word with Lampard Before It's Too Late!

Sorry I didn't respond the other day. I will do though when I find your post again. I'm not too hot on systems, probably stuck in the old 2-3-5 days. But funnily enough, I was thinking about Joe Royle the other day.

What I do think, is that a good manager will make the best of what he's got and try and get replacements in for the weakest areas of the team. It seems to me that, at the minute, unless we get another goalscorer in, Gray is our best bet as a goalscorer. Now how we fit round him doing that role is where Joe might come in.

It's making the team "a team" if that doesn't sound too mad; but we definitely need to be putting more pressure on the opposition, while at the same time, ensuring that the midfield protect the defence, while at the same time creating attacking opportunities to the likes of Gray and Gordon. They're our two fastest players by far and both can score if given support.

It's a shame that Andros Townsend is out, as he and Gray were two of our best players, along with Richarlison when they came into the team. I'd like to see Ellis Simms take a more active part as well; he can score and did well at Sunderland.

It's where needs must, mate. If we can't bring anyone in, then we'll have to make do and mend and stop the rot first. And perhaps Maupay can play a more effective role in a more joined-up team. There's other young lads who might just do a job for us as well.

You'll remember as well, if not better than me, Joe Royle had a mixture of guile and skill in his midfield that won us the FA Cup and near got us into Europe. I think it's a good idea, Jim, and don't think it'd do Lampard any harm to have a few long talks with Joe Royle.

If so, he's probably got his hands full advising Unsworth.

All the variations of systems is the modern way but the tried and trusted one is the 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 and these ensure a strong midfield which is what we don't have at the moment.

It is all about a balanced team and I am sure the players are good enough to get us to mid-table playing a sensible system.

Joe Royle turned a team of no hopers into a cup-winning team almost overnight with his 'Dogs of War' midfield. Individually none of that midfield were great players but together they were very effective.

We need a midfield that will get the best out of Gray and Gordon for sure. I would definitely be using Simms too but here's hoping Calvert-Lewin remains fit.

I hope Carlo has told him to keep eleven men behind the ball, stay close together, close the space between the lines, and then look to hit teams on the break – or maybe even score from a set-piece, Frank!

Seriously Frank, if you don't do this, you will be watching somebody else leading Everton, to safety, using these tactics, so maybe it's best you do it yourself.

It will be great if we could have a couple more in, but they really will have to be effective and immediate, and hopefully at least one goalscorer, and one midfield creative player.

Combined with the brilliant set-pieces from Andy Hinchcliffe (I once saw him score an absolute beauty at Loftus Road) and two excellent target men in Ferguson and Rideout, along with the skills of Stuart, and we had a really good team.

Currently we just don't have that balance. When fit, Calvert-Lewin is a modern-day Rideout, I suppose, but who is our Hinchcliffe or Limpar?

The game has also changed so that having three defensive midfielders, two of whom can play a bit (as Parkinson and Ebbrell could) doesn't really work any longer.

Royle himself recognized the game was changing as he brought in Barmby and Speed (RIP) to evolve us from being the Dogs of War.

To be honest, I've not been excited about our set-pieces since Moyes left. Under Roberto they fizzled out, Koeman and Allardyce were pathetic which was weird as the former was renowned as a player for being a masterful free-kick taker. Silva was a joke when corners were awarded and Ancelotti was okay for Calvert-Lewin.

If we got set-piece routines going, we might just stay up, as we don't look potent elsewhere.

The knock-on effect is that it causes our pretty decent defence to get separated as they try to compensate and create more gaps. We are wide open.

The suggestion we should add a midfielder at the expense of a forward (if I've interpreted that right) leans me towards you thinking of playing 4-2-3-1, Jim, which I like. But as with any formation, it depends on the players you have available – whatever formation you play.

Jim Lloyd, Tony and others. Play as a unit. Stay together in defence. Move up and down the pitch together. Be compact in defence, make space and make the pitch big in attack. But mind the gaps.

I was no big fan of the Dogs of War approach at the time. A necessity, so I got it and understood it.

It was good to hear someone call out that Joe Royle, who played in what those who witnessed claim was one of the greatest title-winning Everton teams they have seen, saw the need to change things once he'd addressed the immediate issue of fixing the leaks and tried to add quality. Sadly, and in typical Everton fashion, he was ultimately not supported by the board in what he was trying to achieve.

Good teams, successful teams, competitive teams most enjoy football. They are comfortable with a football and not afraid of it. They work as hard as "the Dogs" when retrieving possession, but they are comfortable with a football at their feet when they have possession. A lot of our players currently look afraid.

As Jim says, I find it almost unbelievable that the manager cannot see the glaring problems with our midfield, how we are set up and how we are playing. Or maybe he does but can't think how to fix them which is worrying!

It gets even more baffling when you think he was a top-class midfield player himself and should know exactly how to get our engine room functioning.

I would personally still prioritise a proven goalscorer to spend money on first to be honest, but there is no doubt our midfield needs work too.

I think much can be done for now by giving some of our best youngsters (like Price or Mills) a run in the team and adopting a 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 as others have said. Just need to make sure we switch to 4-3-3 in possession though or at least make sure one of the central midfielders or attacking midfielders gets up to support the front man when we have it.

1. Signing a goalscorer who can hit the ground running
2. A hard-working, intelligent midfield ball player
3. Lampard suddenly discovering tactical nous that would be at par with the continental coaches

I agree that, for the players that we have, a 4-4-2 formation would best suit us.

With the players that we have – including those who would be back from injuries, that would be:

Calvert-Lewin Gray
Davies (or Garner) Gana Onana Doucoure (or Iwobi)
Mykolenko Tarkowski Coady Coleman (or Patterson)
Pickford

With: Simms, Gordon, Maupay, McNeil as options off the bench.

Lampard ended last season with a (usually) 4231 / 433 / 451 approach and a much improved mood in the camp. That seemed to suit the players we had then - with Richarlison being the key.

This season we've tried all sorts and nothing has clicked.

We're struggling to get anything to work without Richarlison. Even with 3 in midfield we have no control in possession and fail to protect the back 4 or 5.

What would Royle do now with what is available?

Probably a back 4.

A hard working midfield 3 of Onana, Gueye and Doucoure (or Garner when fit).

Gray and Iwobi / Gordon to provide the skill and pace and crosses - and chip in with goals.

DCL to head in those crosses etc and Maupay / Simms as options from the bench.

In all honesty that's not much different to what Lampard is already doing personnel / formation wise.

The difference seems to be organisation or lack of it. This is a different problem to formation.

Pep probably played his usual tactics but it seems neither him or the club were arsed about the tie compared to Southampton and look what happened.

I don't doubt for a minute Frank can talk the numbers as well as any FIFA computer gaming spud but inspiring players to play at full bore week in week out is another matter.

Motivation is the golden tool of footy management and the number of managers to have it since footy began can be counted on your fingers.

Shankly, Clough, Mourinho, Wenger, Klopp, Busby, Kendall in the English game but then it tails off.

We are desperate for inspiration

We were called the Dogs of War under Joe. Which some used to beat us with in a derogatory way, but that was pure meaningless banter trying to wind us up.

Because we became successful, won the cup for the last time up to now and counting, missed out on Europe by a midge's dick. That came from us being relegation candidates, as you know.

Howard had it, I think Martinez had it in his slightly eccentric way, and the next Everton Motivator was us supporters at the tail end of last season.

Robert, Maybe even Maupay instead of Iwobi if he's still injured? he's a worker and a fighter but has he the brains, do you think?

I have been working in Spain the last 8 years and now I am back in Liverpool, looking forward to my visit to Goodison on Saturday.

When in Spain, I noticed that the managers seem to have a defensive coach in the stands behind the team's goalie,and another half-way between centre circle and the opponent's goal. Both situated in high position and connected via Bluetooth.

I wonder if Frank would consider this type of thing?
I know fat Sam used to.

However, the simple fact is that we've been a much poorer side without Richarlison. There's no tactics or formation that will resolve that.

Motivation is important too, Barry. I think Lampard did a good job with that initially. Not sure now. He's obviously finding the job very hard indeed and doesn't have a clear sense of how he is going to get us out of the mire.

That's where managers like Redknapp and Allardyce have simplified it all, got players on side, and got results.

I wonder if the club is extremely hamstrung by what funds we have available to spend.

It seems to me that if we had the money up front, the choice of Maupay and McNeill seem quite odd. It got me guessing whether Everton were looking for clubs who would be prepared to take the money for those two players on the drip.

Without being disrespectful to either, I would have thought we could have done with, and chosen for the money we spent, much more effective players than those two. Goalscoring and creative midfield are areas that we are so much in need of improvement.

I wouldn't have thought we could afford to wait to see if DCL would come back fit or not.

I agree with you, that he seems now to be bewildered as to how to set the team out, to get the best out of them. Your spot on that managers who have been well versed in pulling teams out of the mire, would have made a plan, bought what players they could to fit that plan, then get them motivated to work to that plan

Paul, without a doubt, Goalscorer is top, top priority.

Tarkowski - free
Coady - loan
Onana - on the drip
McNeil - on the drip
Garner - ?
Gueye - cheap
Maupay - ?
Vinagre - loan

We also know we couldn't get Cornet because Burnley wanted the fee up-front.

So it's entirely possible we bought in the only players other clubs would release without actual up-front payment.

If that's the case, we can't really blame Lampard and Thelwell for sub-standard recruitment. It all comes down to the mess created from the idiotic transfer activity in the first few years under Moshiri.

What you've just itemised, shows a club short of money (for whatever reason) and the manager and DoF trying to repair a fair number of holes in the team, with time running out and maybe cash too.

I was thinking about Howard Kendall this morning and read Barry's post regarding Howard. Probably the most motivating manager in Everton's history while I've been supporting Everton.

Why we didn't get Brian Clough, or someone of that personality, when the chance came, I can only guess. I think the Board would have pooed Blue Lights!

Mind you, we would be wise to remember how near we came to losing Howard, when the pettion was going round to get rid of him, and Phillip Carter held firm (think it was Sir Phillip).

Then the rest, as they say, "is History"!

A few you forgot to mention. Hinchcliffe was deadly on corners and crosses, and Rideout. The latter was the most exciting but he was a very competent centre forward with a decent goal percentage. Much better than Maupay.

Unless we get a couple of players in, it would make sense to see what other roles our players can perform. If Calvert-Lewin is fit, that alters things. if he isn't, do you see Maupay scoring goals?

Southall was miles off the keeper he had been. Out of the back 4, Watson (pretty old himself by then) only got 13 England caps, Unsworth 1 and neither Ablett or Jackson got a cap. Horne was already pretty old and discarded by Saints. Hinchcliffe was a LB playing Left Wing / Midfield. Stuart and Rideout were very limited, again neither getting capped for England. Limpar was the one true talent and he was on a downward trajectory after Arsenal. None of those players was going to attract any real attention from a top side, put it that way.

It's not unlike the mixed bag we've got now. What Royle did was make sure our midfield couldn't be out fought and protected the defence properly - something Tony Abrahams rightly despairs about with the current set up. Royle also sorted out our set pieces.

Weirdly, Lampard was a member of a beautifully balanced well functioning midfield trio with Makalele and Essien but seems not to have a clue how to organise complementary roles for Gueye, Onana and whoever else.

Royle got the best out of the '94 team by getting them organised, playing to their strengths and like you said making sure the midfield could not be outplayed.

The players were much maligned under Walker but became heroes under Royle.

I have no idea how good the present players could become but I am positive most could perform better than they are at present.

Lampard has not organised the team well enough and confidence is low and we need someone to come in, organise. strengthen the midfield and get the team playing with more cohesion and as a result more confidence.

I wasn't in the Everton section, which I think made it even more satisfying and enjoyable.

We need to get the midfield set up right otherwise it just puts the defence under constant pressure and eventually even the best defences will crack. So to me we need to get more bodies in there preferably playing in the right positions.

This may then provide us with the platform to get the ball forward. Maybe it's me being naïve, but football is a simple game made complicated by experts.