Andre Gomes is a ‘Belter’

Everton have signed Andre Gomes. Despite all the rumours West Ham and Spurs were interested, Gomes has decided his future is at Everton, and one of the two loan signings Marco Silva and Marcel Brands secured last summer have now signed permanently but let’s look at Andre Gomes more closely.

Andre Gomes more often than not last season played next to Idrissa Gueye in a 433/4231 formation where he would provide a more attacking threat in the middle of the park than Gueye but yet did not extend to the positions that ‘number ten’ Gylfi Sigurdsson found himself in. Despite the best efforts of Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies in the same position last season, neither of them provided the same attributes as Gomes, hence why Marco Silva and Marcel Brands have seen it imperative that Gomes resigns.

There were other options in the transfer market, but with Gomes having that year experience with Silva and his price being reasonable for a player of his quality, it would not have made much sense to change course and have another period of development and learning for another player when Gomes is pretty much a guarantee for what Silva wants. With that in mind, it is best exploring what are Gomes’ key strengths and why he was such a hit at Goodison last season.

For too long, under Ronald Koeman, Roberto Martinez and particularly Sam Allardyce, there has not been enough creativity, energy and most importantly quality in the CDM/CM role each manager has played. Martinez, often opted for a 4231 with Gareth Barry and James McCarthy, Ronald Koeman, who knows what system, but often went for Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin in the centre of the park and Sam Allardyce’s 451 meant Idrissa Gueye often next to Wayne Rooney and Tom Davies.

Neither McCarthy, Davies or Rooney can offer what Gomes offers. McCarthy, more
comparable to Gueye, had lots of energy but the quality on the ball was often missing, particularly in a creative sense. Tom Davies has time on his side but it is hard to track his best position and for sure will not reach the on the ball quality of Gomes and Rooney, better than Gomes technically but did not have the energy to press and cover both boxes in a Marco Silva system. Thus, with Andre Gomes, Marco Silva can tactically take Everton to another level.

Yes, Andre Gomes was a part of an inconsistent Everton side to laboured to 8th position last season so there was not a great deal of tangible change in fortune with Silva and by extension Gomes on the pitch but there are a lot of variables in play here. Firstly, Gomes did not have a full pre season.

Gomes signed on deadline day and was not part of Ernesto Valverde’s plans in summer 2018. Therefore, his ability to tactically adjust to Silva’s demands were not compatible with poor fitness and a team around him still carried by deadwood and new players also learning. Being the creative spark in the CM role, Gomes is going to need the team around him to be on the same wavelength as he is in order to to pick out passes effectively and cause trouble for the opposition.

With Theo Walcott not being able to tactically adjust and Richarlison often dipping in and out of good form, the option to play the ball out wide is reduced. Idrissa Gueye is not the type of player to be found with a progressive pass due to his position. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Seamus Coleman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Cenk Tosun, all had various issues over the course of the season leaving Lucas Digne as the only other consistent force in the team to be found with a pass that consistently could hurt the opposition.

Hopefully from August the form found at the end of the season returns and Gomes has a
team around him that maximises his ability as a CM and in such case will you see a better Everton side. Gomes signing has to be the first of many. Whilst Everton will improve by just having Gomes in the side, compared to no Gomes, for Everton to ‘bridge the gap’ with the sides above, more goals will be needed, as well as additional cover at the back. But Andre Gomes is a welcome signing, whose creative ability will hopefully come to the table again next season in an even more dynamic and potent Everton side.

Welcome Andre.

Owen Parkes