Everton's Ndiaye Problem

The article goes on to reflect a range of ideas that our readers have already suggested on a number of current threads.

Let’s see what Moyes and his coaching staff come up with for the Palace game when they forced to replace the absent Dewsbury Hall who also goes missing quite often in the games he’s played up to now, is he being played in the wrong position?

Have Moyes’s coaches got a voice between them to let Moyes know what they think? Lots of questions there—I hope they come up with some answers!

Grealish and Nidiaye occupy same position on the left.

One of Grealish or Ndiaye could move inside but it forces KDH back (where he’s not so good) or out of the side altogether.

Neither Grealish nor Ndiaye are good on the right. Dibling is.

The side will have better balance if we drop one of Grealish, Ndiaye or KDH - and use Dibling at RW.

The alternative is to play Ndiaye as a striker as some have suggested - which would allow us to play him, Grealish, Dibling and KDH together. I have my doubts because teams which do this successfully tend to have flying attacking full backs and more pace.

We don’t have a single player in the whole squad who can go on the outside with pace and put in a cross. That is seriously hindering our attacking play - and will hinder us whatever the formation and personnel

That’s why so many lose their jobs. Their stubbornness is their downfall.

I hope Moyes sees the need for tactical tweaks as since the Aston Villa game we’ve become a bit stale and recent results are reflecting this.

Its linked to right footers playing on the left and vice versa. They nearly all come inside naturally. Having overlapping full backs would help, as you say, but even then crossing from wide is less common than it was.

Maybe it'll make a comeback as the fashion seems to be for teams to be more direct?

I don't think it would matter if we put crosses in atm. By the time we get to the opposition box, there are that many defenders in there and so few of ours that it would be pointless.

It was telling that our goal on Monday came from a cross after a corner, when we had bodies in the box.

Another observation is that neither Grealish nor Ndiaye (has he ever put a cross in?) regularly put deliveries in the box. They both chew it, which allows the defence to regroup and mark tightly, and limits any overlapping space anyway.

I'm in the minority camp that actually feels sorry for Beto and Barry (although admittedly neither are top class) as they are constantly double or triple marked and never get good delivery from out wide.

Grealish on the left and Dibling on the right.

Everyone wants to copy the “big boys” but, if you don't have the players or the squad to do that, then play to your players' strengths. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

My U18 team asked me last week who should lie on the floor when we conceded a free kick. I just shook my head and told them to bloody defend properly.

Colin, you are right. This happens a lot.

I don't think Moyes has done this particularly this season though. He's mostly played a fairly conventional 4-2-3-1 formation.

My prediction is that in the next few seasons we will see the 'revolutionary' tactic of players going to the byeline and pulling the ball back rather than going inside all the time.

This will go hand in hand with the long throw innovation and the cutting-edge technique of smashing it into touch from kick off like Johnny Wilkinson!

Whoever does his would be seen as a visionary and a revolutionary. Pep and Co wouldn't like it but who cares?

Bring back football.

Firstly, we do have 2 players in the squad who can get past the winger and put a delivery from the by-line. Garner is the obvious one and, while Patterson has many weaknesses, this is his main weapon.

Secondly, and what hasn't been mentioned, is that Ndiaye also gets isolated when on the right. He doesn't have a full-back to take runners away, to overlap or to play quick one-twos.

Moreover, Dewsbury-Hall's positioning is also a problem in my view for both wingers. He always takes up an inside-left position rather than being central. Against West Ham, everything went down our left.

Ndiaye only looked dangerous when Garner bombed forward on the right, leaving his defensive midfield role. Good understanding of the game by Jimmy but he should not have to do this.

Furthermore, Dewsbury-Hall's positioning made Jack's task that much more difficult as the midfielders and central defenders easily shifted more to their right and we're able to condense that area of the pitch.

When Jack had joy in the earlier games, he was isolated wide on the touchline with one or two markers where he either took them on or was able to switch the play to make room for others.

Every team knows how we'll pan out now and do a West Ham down our right. Dunno why Ndiaye and Grealish don't swap flanks mid game anymore -- that worked; I hope Moyes hasn't banned them using their initiative like that. And bring on Patterson as a wingback midway through the 2nd half to get balls into the box.

Oh, and throw everything at getting Juanlu in January.