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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Carl Markham

‘I’m not going to put a left-back up front’: Sean Dyche backs Everton strikers

PA Wire

Everton manager Sean Dyche is not prepared to consider a leftfield option in an attempt to solve their goalscoring problem as he remains convinced their form will change soon.

The Toffees are the lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 17 goals in 25 matches and that is the main reason they are in the bottom three.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still out injured and their joint-leading scorers with three are Demarai Gray, who cannot get a place in the starting line-up, and Anthony Gordon – who was sold to Newcastle in late January.

“Statistically they will go in. When you are not scoring it will come your way as a striker because you come to a point where you will score goals and all we do as a team is increase the chances, the expectancy and the volume coming quicker,” said Dyche ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

“There are only so many things you can try in football and usually if you look at the stats and facts, even in the modern game a lot of goals are scored from set-pieces, a lot of goals are scored from crossing positions, simply entries into the box, hitting the target a lot.

“You have to look at the basic principles first and then you look at the details. The basic principles have to be adhered to.

“It is very difficult if you are not getting in the right areas and you are not getting enough bodies and entries into the right areas, it becomes more difficult as you are shortening the odds of scoring.

“There has to be a method, whatever that method is, depending on how radical you are thinking – I’m not going to put a left-back at centre-forward and expect it to work.

“There’s a fine line between madness and genius they say. You’ll be here next week asking ‘Why did you do that?’ when you’ve just asked me why I’m not doing it. Therein lies the conundrum.”

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