Amadou Onana’s move to a more withdrawn role was an attempt to provide him with “comfort” claims Everton manager Frank Lampard.
Returning from World Cup duty with Belgium, the midfielder was operating in a deeper role for the Blues against Wolverhampton Wanderers during their 2-1 defeat on Boxing Day than during previous outings for his club last month.
Everton’s biggest signing of the summer, Onana arrived at Goodison Park in a £33.5million transfer from Lille as a ‘box-to-box’ midfielder. In the defeats to Leicester City and Bournemouth before the World Cup break, the 21-year-old was operating in a more advanced position but rather than it giving him a new-found freedom, the move appeared to imbalance the Blues engine room and left them looking exposed.
