Gareth Barry

Everton manager Marco Silva has been under pressure this season, with the club failing to display any consistency this season. The Portuguese tactician was in a similar situation last season but was able to survive with a series of impressive results towards the end of the season.

However, it appears that this period could be different as Everton have an unbalanced squad, which he has tried to manage this season. One area where the team is lacking options is in central midfield.

The departure of IdrissaGueye in the summer has left a hole that the club has failed to replace. Everton has always been lucky with central midfielders with MikelArteta, Gareth Barry, and Gueye, a succession of top quality players in the position.

This has helped build continuity with the team as these players were able to dictate the game while allowing the forward-minded players to excel, although they had different responsibilities. Arteta was more of a passer while Barry was a facilitator able to win the ball and pass,Gueye is an all-action midfielder.

The current midfield options fall short of the departed quality. Morgan Schneiderin has yet to show the promise that he displayed during his Southampton days while Tom Davies appears lost within Marco Silva’s system.

The recent transfer window policy was a mistake from the Blues as they did not need to go all out for Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean. Although both players are young and have immense talents,the urgent problem of the team is not in attack but in the midfield where they lack quality.

The money spent on Iwobi would have been better spent on a midfielder like Lucas Torreira or Wilfred Ndidi, which could allow the team has more control.

Silva will be hoping that the team is able to churn out positive results before the January transfer window.