Sean Dyche has explained why it is important for Amadou Onana’s development that he plays in different positions in Everton’s midfield.
The Blues turned a lot of heads during the summer transfer window when they swooped in and stole Onana under the noses of West Ham United.
David Moyes wanted to bring Onana to the London Stadium, only for his former club to hijack the deal. The Blues forked out £33.5m to secure the services of the midfielder from Lille.
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A centre-forward was the position on the minds of Blues supporters at the time, but instead Everton went big to strengthen their midfield. The feeling at the club following the arrival of Onana was that they had pulled off a massive coup.
The 21-year-old quickly established himself as a regular starter at Goodison Park and has been an ever present for both Dyche and Frank Lampard so far this season.
After bossing the midfield in Belgium’s 3-0 away victory against Sweden, Onana produced another dominant display in his side’s 3-2 friendly success against Germany in Cologne a few days later.
That night in Cologne will live long in the memory of the midfielder as he ended the match wearing his side’s captain’s armband. Now, Onana is back at Everton and hoping to lead the Blues to Premier League survival.
And although he acknowledges that Onana has done well, Dyche has revealed that he has held talks with the former Hamburger SV man about why it is important that he continues to operate in different positions across the middle of the pitch.
“He has done well, he is adapting and playing in varying roles,” Dyche said. “A deep lying role, left of two, we have pushed him forward more in an advanced role.
“The reports I got from the international games was that he played well, he played as more of a deeper lying role. It is good for his development, I have spoken to him about playing different roles in midfield.
“At Lille, he played in a two, he’s played deep lying, and now the No.8 for us - all of that is good for his development because I want a young player like him to know all the roles of varying styles of play.
“I have never been one, say you are in recruitment and you say, ‘he’s a No.6 or a No.8’ and I say, ‘what age is he?’ ‘20’, and I go, ‘well you don’t want to be just one or the other when you are 20.’
“You should, for me, be operating different formats. Maybe when they are 28 they might be in an out and out position. But young players in my view should be adapting to what the game offers.
“It was a very short while ago that they talked about two pistons in midfield, especially the German side with Lothar Matthaus and people like that, [Patrick] Vieira and [Emmanuel] Petit who were two centre halves at Arsenal, playing together in midfield were pistons with one in front.
“It doesn’t seem that long ago to me and sometimes the modern world of football has become too individualised on you are only going to be that player and sometimes that can hold a player’s career back by saying you are only that role.
“I am a lot more open minded to how players can develop rather than ‘you are only that player’ because sometimes that gets in their head. I think, ‘hang on, you have way more to offer than just doing that.’”
As one of the lowest scorers in the top six divisions of English football this term, Everton are in desperate need for players to chip in with scoring from all areas of the pitch.
And when asked if he thinks Onana could offer more of an attacking threat, Dyche replied: “Let’s have it right if you are 21 and playing for Everton Football Club and scoring 15 goals I would say he would be worth a few quid.
“Hopefully, you have seen it. When he is playing in an advanced role we have encouraged him to go into the box more because of his physicality, he can head the ball, and we encourage him to drive into the box from deeper.
“That is a big part of the information we have shared with him. The idea being that once you have done that there cannot be disappointment, you have to leg it back.
“That is the role. A modern midfielder, for me, is not only to do that [one thing]. That is not the case, your job is to get in the box but then if it doesn’t come to you your job is to recover.
“He did it fantastically well at Notts Forest away and he did it pretty well at Chelsea, too. Driving forward but then recovering into his position.”
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