David Moyes has already told Dominic Calvert-Lewin he needs to start scoring to help save Everton’s season.
The returning Toffees boss has worked with his players for just two days ahead of his first game back at Goodison Park tonight. The Blues take on Aston Villa as they look to lift themselves away from the relegation zone.
But the lack of goals has been the problem and helped in the decision to sack Sean Dyche with Southampton the only team scoring fewer than Everton so far this season. Calvert-Lewin has scored just two goals this season, the last of which was back in September.
Coincidentally that was against tonight’s opponents Villa in a 3-2 defeat earlier in the campaign. Moyes is hoping to find a way to get the England international back firing to help ease their relegation worries.
“I think we all feel he could be the one who could make a big difference,” said the Scot. “Get his goalscoring boots back on, it’ll be a big help to Evertonians and to the manager as well. We’ll give him as much confidence and help him as much as we can, we’ll give him as much practice as we can.
“But then there’s a little bit where you need the player to stand up and do his bit as well. But I’m just in so hopefully we’ll get him working. But I’ve told him that I’m needing goals off him right away and he has to start delivering.”
Everton’s form in front of goal is not just down to the strikers. Their XG is the lowest in the league, their possession stats rank 19th, their shots on target per game are 18th, big chances created are the lowest in the top tier and they’re 17th when it comes to touches in the opponent’s box.
Dyche’s critics blamed that on the style of football. Moyes has faced criticism at his previous job at West Ham over style but he has also shown adaptability in his career to play in different ways.
But before he contemplates style of football, he wants to start winning with a team who has done that just once in their last 11 games.
“I’m thinking that I’m going to try and play to win as many games as I possibly can to get myself out of this position,” said Moyes. “Then I’ll start thinking about how my style is going to develop and what I’m going to do to make that work.
“I couldn’t tell you exactly what the biggest strength of all the players here are, because I might know better in a month’s time once I’ve had them. I get to see them play, I get to see the best positions, how I think they know what they’re good at.
“So for me to come in and strike something, I don’t know if we’re in that position where we can quite do that yet, but my plan is to come in and get as many wins as I possibly can.”
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