Everton fans have been encouraged by Merlin Rohl’s cameo against Tottenham Hotspur, which may leave David Moyes to make a formation tweak.
Everton were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon in a frustrating defeat.
David Moyes’ side enjoyed plenty of possession, but didn’t have the guile to break Tottenham down.
Everton have tasted defeat at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time in competitive action, and Moyes may consider some tweaks moving forward.
Beto continues to struggle in attack, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall turned in a tepid performance against Spurs.
David Moyes should consider formation switch at Everton as Merlin Rohl settles
Moyes has played a 4-2-3-1 system throughout this season, deploying Dewsbury-Hall as a number 10.
This decision has been scrutinised of late, with Dewsbury-Hall struggling to offer creativity from open play.
Dewsbury-Hall usually played in a slightly deeper role at Leicester City, and Moyes should consider tweaking his role.
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Merlin Rohl is now ramping up his Everton career, having suffered an injury setback after his deadline day move from Freiburg.
Rohl is an athletic, box-crashing midfielder who may be shackled by playing deep, but may not yet have the guile to be a true number 10 in the Premier League.
The solution could be to switch from a 4-2-3-1 to more of a 4-3-3 system, which we saw in stages against Spurs as Rohl impressed off the bench.
This would see Dewsbury-Hall drop into a more natural central midfield role, while Rohl could slot in as a box-to-box player.
Idrissa Gueye’s defensive ability would provide the anchor in midfield, though Rohl and Dewsbury-Hall would certainly have to contribute defensively.
Gueye is now 36, and while he continues to contribute defensively, he would need legs alongside him in midfield.
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Dewsbury-Hall and Rohl could be effective on and off the ball, combining in the Everton midfield rather than becoming an ‘either/or’ situation.
Moyes should certainly test out a midfield three to accommodate Dewsbury-Hall and Rohl, but he also needs to think about the future in front of Everton’s back line.
Gueye is heading towards the end of his career, and he could be phased out of the side in the near future.
Everton have Harrison Armstrong emerging in the ranks, and he could certainly develop into a quality holding midfielder.
Armstrong is shining for Preston North End, but the 18-year-old will surely receive Premier League chances in 2026.
Everton may also need to think about making a signing in defensive midfield to replace Gueye and aid Armstrong’s development at the highest level.
Everton’s midfield is clearly still a work in progress, and Moyes may need to move James Garner to full-back in order to test out a new engine room.