Sean Dyche is hoping Everton can rediscover the balance of being defensively organised while also posing a clinical edge in attack when they host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
Everton have failed to score in four of their last six games in all competitions but have also managed to keep clean sheets in all but two of those outings. Seemingly not being able to pair a strong rearguard with a potent attack is something that Dyche is keen to amend.
“The strength of the group has been from the front backwards,” said Dyche, whose side have kept more clean sheets than any other team in the league since the start of December.
“We’re asking centre forwards to play their part, defending from the front, and the wide players working hard through the midfield and into the back four or five.
“Now, the real key moments when you’re doing both, and that’s the biggest challenge in football, is to do both well — defend well and attack well.”
Three goalless draws in January succinctly depicts both Everton’s current strengths and weaknesses, with the focus now on the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto, who have four Premier League goals between them this term, to become a more reliable presence in front of goal.
Nevertheless, Everton have still been creating chances and currently average 14 shots per game, which is the seventh-highest in the division.
However, underperforming against their xG (scoring 24 goals from an expected-goals figure of 33.1) underlines why Dyche’s team have dropped back into the relegation zone.
“It tells you we have got a competitive side that is performing in the right way to create all those [chances], but you have got to score a goal. The braveness to miss is always key for me,” Dyche added.
“A lot of the performance-level stats are very strong, but you have got to take advantage of those stats by scoring in one end and stopping it at the other. That is one thing that hasn’t changed.
“We have to make sure that we are focused on that, but it is pleasing in one way that the team is effective to create those chances.
“It is about the group and the collective ownership. We ask them to work hard as a group defensively and we are asking them to work hard in attack, which they are doing. It is a shared responsibility, as well. I have spoken to the players about everyone scoring a goal.
“It is not about one person; it is about all of them. I think the attitude is right towards it, and the stats support the performances.
“The balance is there but the final moment of truth is the bit that pays you back. That moment of clarity in front of goal or that final pass, that final delivery, that is the icing on the cake, if you like.”
Spurs' sharp-shooters will test Pickford
Everton’s fortunes in attack come in stark contrast to Tottenham’s record of scoring in every league game this season. Ange Postecoglou’s free-scoring side will represent a tough test for Jordan Pickford, who has played a significant role in Everton’s defensive form by keeping eight shutouts this season.
Dyche believes his goalkeeper is benefitting from a sturdy and consistent backline ahead of him. “I think he can see the picture well because the team’s organisation has looked good in front of him,” he said.
“Obviously keepers can see how the team’s operating — the yardages, the distances, how they are working as a collective, and I think he’s been enjoying that in front of him.
“So yes, that’s a good measure of a keeper, when they think the structure is right. I think it gives them confidence and likewise, it gives the defending side of the team confidence as well.”