Recently it has become clear that Everton’s options in the wide attacking positions, with the blues struggling massively for creativity when breaking into the final third.
Despite placing in a relatively comfortable mid-table 13 games into the Premier League season, this has mainly been down to the blues’ resolute defensive displays this season compared to their attacking displays. Everton currently sit joint 3rd in the league for goals conceded, only behind high-flyers Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle. However, Frank Lampard’s side scoring the joint 3rd least goals this season, with only the bottom 2 sides Wolves and Nottingham Forest scoring less.
A lot of the blame for the toffee’s low-scoring tally so far this season has been put down to striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin being out for the majority of the season through injury. But the amount of quality Everton have going forward should have provided more than enough goals to put their side further up the table.
However, this has been far from the case.
Going into the summer window, attackers were seen as the top priority on Everton’s list. The window ended with Frank Lampard adding Dwight McNeil and Neal Maupey to their ranks, but even before the season, these signings were seen as, although good squad players, not having much effect on the starting 11.
Lampard obviously put a lot of faith into Demarai Gray and Anthony Gordon prior to the start of the new season, making a statement by not signing any direct replacements.
Early on in the season, this decision seemed to be paying off, with Gray scoring in the blue’s 3rd game of the season against Nottingham Forest and Anthony Gordon scoring in back-to-back fixtures away to Brentford and Leeds.
This form was, however, short-lived.
Since this run of games, both wingers have been involved in a single goal-contribution combined, with Gordon netting in his side’s recent win over Crystal Palace.
Lampard’s only other option off the bench to bring onto either wing is Dwight McNeil who himself has found it hard to produce performances good enough to keep his starting spot, despite netting twice in recent fixtures.
Andros Townsend is expected to offer some more competition in an attacking sense but is only expected back from injury after the World Cup break.
Everton will struggle to succeed without the acquisition of at least one attacking player during the January window. Kevin Thelwell has a massive job on his hands trying to source one in the next few weeks.