Everton took advantage of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s lack of game time at Chelsea by securing his signature last summer.
For a few years now, the role of Everton’s attacking midfielder has been less about what they can do on the ball, and more about what they can do off it. Dewsbury-Hall was brought to the club to improve their creativity in the final third.
The move to Chelsea was perhaps the wrong one for him after an impressive spell with Leicester City. But he’s now found his feet again, with some even suggesting that he should be getting a call-up to the England squad.
In this article, we’ll look at:
Everton attacking midfield role change
As mentioned, Everton predominantly utilised a ‘defend first’ attacking midfielder under Sean Dyche. David Moyes continued that towards the end of last season.
Abdoulaye Doucoure wasn’t in the side for his creativity, excellent technical ability or linking play between midfield and attack. The Mali international was there for his superb work rate and out-of-possession discipline.
In contrast, Dewsbury-Hall is asked to be more involved in possession, helping turn defence into attack while being a key cog in how Moyes’ side look to create opportunities.
As seen below, Doucoure was tasked with covering lots of ground, usually getting on the ball through turnovers and picking up loose balls. Dewsbury-Hall has a heavy focus on the left-hand side, where Everton can look to create opportunities through him and Jack Grealish.
The shift in roles is shown by the difference in data. Dewsbury-Hall has had more final third passes, final third entries, and chances created per 90 minutes than Doucoure in his final season at the club.
There is certainly more of an emphasis on having sustained possession in the opposition half under Moyes than there was under Dyche. But that is partly down to having a player like Dewsbury-Hall who is comfortable on the ball. Dewsbury-Hall has allowed the Toffees to be more expansive in their attacking play. Although we have not seen huge changes in terms of their output, it’s mostly been down to poor finishing and struggles creating from other areas of the pitch.
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Dewsbury-Hall has multiple strings to his bow
Dewsbury-Hall doesn’t quite have the same off-the-ball impact as Doucoure. But he certainly contributes enough to be worth sacrificing some of that for what he offers in possession.
He has won possession in the attacking third 0.74 times per 90 this season, which ranks him 44th in the league. Although this is a drop off from Doucoure, it’s far from drastic.
The Englishman also has a similar work-rate level to Doucoure. It’s been imperative to not shifting too far away from the core principles of a Dyche side. Although Moyes is hoping to move Everton into a new direction, some of Dyche’s principles are similar. Work-rate and pressing remain essential to getting results.
Dewsbury-Hall has multiple strings to his bow as an attacking midfielder. It’s why he’s been such an effective signing for the Toffees. Doucoure’s role was more focused on getting as close to the striker as possible to feed off scraps or make runs off him. Dewsbury-Hall, meanwhile, is used to connect play all over the pitch.
Doucoure’s closest relationship was to the centre forward, which can be beneficial in ensuring they aren’t isolating. But it can also lead to huge gaps between midfield and the attack, while also making it difficult to link play between the two.
Dewsbury-Hall has relationships all over. Whether it be receiving from the midfielders, creating partnerships and overloads with Grealish, or connecting with Vitalii Mykolenko.
Everton’s unsung hero
Plenty of Everton’s credit this season has gone to the likes of James Garner or Grealish. But Dewsbury-Hall could be their unsung hero.
The 27-year-old now has nine goal contributions in 21 Premier League starts. That’s more than any other player. And he perhaps doesn’t get the credit he deserves from outside of the Everton circle due to a hamstring injury picked up over the hectic festive period.
Dewsbury-Hall is exactly the type of midfielder that the Toffees have needed over the last few years, becoming a key cog under Moyes this season.
The former Chelsea man is the perfect blend of an old-school, hardworking player, alongside having the technical ability to flourish in the Premier League.
Everton have been rightfully criticised for their recruitment over the last few decades, particularly under Farhad Moshiri. But signings like Dewsbury-Hall are the exact route that they need to continue going down. Although he’s not a young talent with high sell-on value, the Merseyside club need to find the right balance. They need to bring in players who can make a significant impact on the senior squad while also adding young talent from around the world.
Many have suggested that Dewsbury-Hall could be a future Everton captain. And it’s hard to disagree given his ability and attitude.