5 Ways Everton Can Improve Their Attacking Threat
Everton's total of 14 points from 11 games sees them submerged in a congested middle third of the Premier League table.
They are nine points worse off from last season's corresponding fixtures and have six points fewer at the same 11-game stage.
While it's no disaster at this early part of the campaign, clearly there's room for improvement.
Defensive blips—such as those suffered during the 6-3 mauling by Chelsea—have been well-documented, but Everton's back line has greatly improved after a sloppy start to the season.
More recently, the bigger issue has been in attack, where the the Toffees have struggled for consistency.
Here's a look at ways to improve in the final third.
Find More Ways to Shoot
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Without hammering home the obvious, Everton are not shooting enough or fashioning out the chances required to be a top-four or even a top-six team at present.
Currently, Roberto Martinez's side have only registered the ninth-most shots in the Premier League (150), behind the likes of Stoke City, Southampton and West Ham.
Fans may immediately point to the fact that Everton have hit 20 goals this season, the fourth-most in the division; however, several goals have been aided by luck or simply finished with clinical precision which is not easily repeated.
Goals scored by Steven Naismith and Aiden McGeady (against Leicester), Samuel Eto'o (against Burnley) and Phil Jagielka (against Liverpool) are examples of some of the excellent strikes born out of individual brilliance rather than any team cohesion.
Add in comical errors from Brad Guzan and Ben Foster, and Everton's shortcomings in attack are better displayed. Over a season, that's not a sustainable way of achieving prolonged success.
The first and most obvious way to pose a greater threat in attack is to fire in similar amounts of shots as fellow rivals for the top four spots.
At the moment, Everton's direct rivals are all shooting much more and from more dangerous areas.
Stop Playing Three No. 10s
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So, now that the obvious is stated, exactly how can Everton go about doing that?
One issue is finding the best combination behind the striker. Samuel Eto'o and Steven Naismith have both been in good form this season and have looked strong in the No. 10 role.
Ross Barkley's return from injury has then increased the competition for this spot.
With all three demanding selection, particularly with Kevin Mirallas injured and McGeady and Christian Atsu frustratingly inconsistent, Martinez has tended to field two if not all three of these potential No. 10s in recent games.
This has often meant one or two of them are stuck playing on the flanks, where their threat is far more reduced. It also limits Everton's natural width as they naturally drift inside.
For better success, Martinez must identify his best combination and look to develop it over a run of games, even if it means a spell on the sidelines for one (or two) of these players.
Play Romelu Lukaku in Front of Ross Barkley
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Having said Martinez must find his best combination, he must also use what served him so well last season: the striker-No. 10 partnership of Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku.
Naismith and Eto'o have played well this season and deserve to be starting, but there must come a time when Martinez reverts to this partnership over a steady run of games.
Lukaku is yet to find any consistency this season but has enjoyed his best form in an Everton shirt when playing with Barkley in support as a No. 10.
The England international's ability to turn and find space attracts extra markers in the final third, freeing up more room for Lukaku to exploit.
Both started in those positions for Everton's 3-0 win over Aston Villa this season but haven't been given another chance to further their partnership.
Put More Trust in Aiden McGeady
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Aiden McGeady has been a frustrating player to watch at Everton. He is capable of the sublime but too often fails to find enough end product in the final third.
Despite that, the Ireland international hasn't be used as much as he should be with Kevin Mirallas injured.
Everton have been crying out for some width in recent games, often deploying Eto'o, Naismith and Leon Osman in wider berths.
McGeady provides this, and though he often exasperates fans with a frustrating loss of possession, this can mask the good work he does.
Only Leighton Baines (35 chances and nine assists) has created more chances (16) and registered more assists (three) than McGeady this season, despite the latter's shorter appearances.
The winger is too often the first player to be substituted when his trickery and bursts of skill can be most effective against tiring defences.
With a little more faith, Everton may start to receive a greater spell of consistency.
Bring Back Kevin Mirallas
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Finally, Everton's attack will improve once Kevin Mirallas returns.
The Belgium winger is a key member of Martinez's side, and his absence through injury has hampered his team's attacking production.
He immediately solves any problems with width and adds a new dimension to the Toffees with his pace—something that's been noticeably missing from several recent Everton showings.
Mirallas is set for a return over the coming weeks and will breath new life into Martinez's attack.
As soon as he's fit, Martinez must lean on him in the final third.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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