What needs to change ahead of Brighton after a toothless Everton performance | OneFootball

The energy surrounding Everton Football Club was undoubtedly positive as the team headed into the first game of the season against Leeds United.

The new Hill Dickinson Stadium and the arrival of Jack Grealish had fans in a good mood, especially after the progress on the pitch under David Moyes in the latter half of the 2024/25 season.​

After 45 minutes at Elland Road on Monday night, that positive energy was gone, and despite small improvements in the second half, a penalty conceded by James Tarkowski put an end to any hopes of crawling away with a lucky three points. ​

Everton didn’t create a single shot in the first half, and only took 31 touches in the Leeds half, of which only two were in the home side's penalty area. Leeds were mostly restricted to half-chances, but the Toffees’ inability to retain possession gave Leeds plenty of opportunity to put pressure on the Everton back four.

Due to injuries to Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko, David Moyes employed a back four of Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, and James Garner, who had been used as a makeshift right-back in the past but was playing as a left-back. Garner’s move into the back four meant that the more defensive Tim Iroegbunam stepped into midfield alongside Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Defensively, the changes didn’t cause too many issues; Everton only conceded two shots on target, apart from the penalty, but they wreaked havoc on the team’s build-up play.

Leeds pressed well as a unit, leaving the Everton defence little time to pick their pass into the midfield. Most of the time, they didn’t, forced to hoof it forward to Beto, whose hold-up play left much to be desired, but wasn’t surrounded by physical players who could help him out. Iliman Ndiaye and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall are both slight technical midfielders, while Carlos Alcaraz was simply losing his battles for the second ball.

When Everton tried to play out from the back, it was even worse. Losing Branthwaite is a blow, as he’s naturally good with the ball at his feet, but moving James Garner to left back meant that Everton were left without a player in midfield who could move the ball forward.

Tim Iroegbunam completed just 14 passes in his 71 minutes on the pitch. Compare that to James Garner, who occupied the same position against Roma and completed 49.

So what can David Moyes change ahead of Brighton? Assuming he’s picking from the same squad he had available this week.

If Mykolenko is fit, then the back four picks itself, and Garner moves back into midfield. If he isn’t, Moyes could employ a back five similar to what we saw in the Premier League Summer Series.

The back three would mean additional support for either Nathan Patterson or Seamus Coleman at right-back, and could also allow for Dwight McNeil to play left-wing back. A position he’s occupied before, and would give Everton another option for carrying the ball forward and linking defence and attack.

On the other side of the pitch, Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall showed small flashes of creativity in an otherwise dull game, so they will naturally be in the side again, while Carlos Alcaraz should make way for Jack Grealish after an average performance, provided David Moyes deems the new man able to play from the start.

At striker, even if he doesn’t start, Thierno Barry deserves a longer cameo after a disappointing showing from Beto, especially against a Brighton defence that lacks pace.

Regardless of the personnel changes, supporters will hope to see a much-improved performance from the team on a historic day for the football club as a whole.

I guess I’m not surprised by the massive over-reaction.

Yes, we were pretty awful, especially in the first half, but we lost 0-1 to a dodgy penalty in a match where the officials competent bottled it. They didn’t even give us a corner when the ball went a yard over the line.

Out of possession we were typically solid. I never really felt like Leeds were going to score and Pickford didn’t make any difficult saves, just a couple of fairly routine ones. To read some of the comments you’d think the ball was bouncing off our woodwork every five minutes.

In possession we were absolutely dreadful. I don’t know if it was Moyes’ set up or the players feeling tense, but we just didn’t attack. Our first home game needs a completely different attitude. I don’t really know how Moyes complains about needing attacking options when he didn’t even use the ones he’s got. McNeil should have come on, even if it was only at left back once the goal went in.

Complaining that the manager, coaches, all the players, the owners and the tea lady are all irretrievably terrible might make you feel better for a bit, but it’s not true, realistic or helpful.

What needs to change is our attitude in possession of the ball.

Mike@2 they were not hitting the woodwork every 5 minutes, I agree that they really weren't much of a threat.They weren't very good in fact, but we still conceded the entire pitch to them for most of the match and snuffed out our own attacks by playing back to the keeper. That has to come from the manager, and he has got form for it.

Angus that is about right.Iroegbunam was out of position. I would have reversed position with Dewsbury Hall.Possession in midfield was woeful. I put that down to lack of a coherent plan and coaching.Beto is never a Target Man and hoofing the ball does not utilise the available players. The forwards ball supply was non existent.

Moyes did not want a West Ham result, so he set up what seasoned Professional s he had.With the negative caution of a relegation Manager youth was not given a chance.This is a problem when the Club's transfer policy is to reduce the average age of the squad and put a emphasis to use the available resources to do this, This is the correct policy.Moyes will only play youth under pressure..