3 Potential Answers to Everton’s “No.10” Problem.

It is no mystery that over the past few weeks questions have been asked of who should fill the number 10 role for Everton? This has intensified after poor performances from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Gomes. Although there are numerous other pieces of the puzzle that need to be addressed for The Blues, here are a few ways Everton could help fix one of the most important issues.

1. 1. Alex Iwobi
3. Hear me out. Alex Iwobi has not been the most consistent payer at Everton since he signed in 2019 from Arsenal. But, in the past few weeks he has been a spark when he has been subbed on in the second half. Even bagging an assist vs. Newcastle in an otherwise lackluster attack. Iwobi often plays in the center of the pitch for Nigeria on the international stage and has been placed there a few times for The Blues as well. So, personally I think it is time to give Alex a chance in the center.

2. James Rodriguez

• Move James inside – James is not a typical winger in the modern game. He will not ever be the fastest player on the pitch, he prefers to slow the game down, and prefers to have the ball played to his foot rather than running after through-balls. So, it stands to reason to move our beloved James into the center, underneath DCL. In my mind, James stepping into the middle accomplishes two things. First, it give James more opportunity to be on the ball, which frankly needs to happen. Secondly it gives us a true attacking midfielder, who often passes the ball forward… effectively. If you need proof that James can completely control matches from the center, watch any match from the 2014 WC. The most obvious problem with moving James inside is The Blues’ lack of depth at the wide positions, and it forces Carlo to start Bernard or Iwobi on the right, which could be problematic.

3. Isco :

This is obviously not an immediate fix, but perhaps the best option. Isco is the latest world-class player that has fallen victim to the icy hand of Zidane at Real Madrid, and seems to be on the way out. The Spaniard’s preferred position is the no.10 and excels that creativity in the final third, which is exactly what Everton needs at the moment. Isco’s astronomical wages at the moment is the biggest issue and he would need to take a pay cut in order to make the switch to Goodison Park in January.

Derrick Polohonki