Speaking recently on The Athletic’s Gwlad Tidings podcast, Paddy Boyland recently discussed Everton’s problems in midfield, and their need to replace Idrissa Gueye.
Following Everton’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday evening, the Toffees currently sit in a disappointing 11th place in the Premier League table.
This is despite Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment in December of last year, with the decorated Italian manager overseeing 15 Premier League games at Everton so far – of which he has won seven, drawn four and lost four.
And, on the most recent episode of the Gwlad Tidings podcast, Paddy Boyland stated his belief that Everton’s struggles could be down to the fact that the club have not replaced defensive midfielder Idrissa Gueye – who left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain in a £27 million deal last summer.
He said: “It feels as though ever since Idrissa Gueye left, we’ve highlighted the need for a number of things in midfield. I think that the move to 4-4-2 does not help Everton and certainly, injuries have not helped Everton in that part of the pitch.
“While you get more from the two up front [Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison] – and I think they combine better in tandem – I think they do sacrifice some solidity in midfield, and it’s obviously an area in which Everton are restricted anyway when you look at some of the injuries, so it does seem like a continuation of that theme.
“And we bemoan a lack of solidity in there, we’ve bemoaned the lack of an Idrissa Gueye, or even a [Jean-Philippe] Gbamin-type as the enforcer.
“If Everton are to strengthen one part of the pitch this summer, it would be central midfield. It has to be central midfield, just because of how short they are, particularly in the centre of the park and the engine room.”
TIF Thoughts…
As such, it would certainly appear from his comments that Boyland believes Everton need to make a signing in the centre of midfield this summer – and that the club have been lacking ‘solidity’ in the position since the departure of Gueye last summer.
Were Everton wrong to sell Idrissa Gueye?
Yes
No
