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Everton's Midfield Conundrum as Christian Norgaard Returns to Training
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- Everton's Midfield Conundrum as Christian Norgaard Returns to Training
Christian Nørgaard has finally returned to training for the first time since joining Everton this summer, and I think it could be coming at the perfect time for our midfield.
One characteristic of our performances this season so far is that it feels like there's an imbalance in the middle of the park at times.
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First of all, James Garner isn't a number six for me. His ability on the ball is wasted playing deeper. We saw the best of him last season playing further up. Fellow new signing Hayden Hackney is showing pleasing signs and is making steady progress, but he's still getting up to the pace of the Premier League. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has really struggled for form of late, leaving only Harrison Armstrong showing genuine consistency levels.
So what's the issue?
Everton lost a huge presence in that midfield when Idrissa Gana Gueye departed the club in the summer. Although we saw a drop-off in performance levels from Gana as his time at the club drew to a close, he was a natural defender, was combative and gave our midfield structure.
This is where Nørgaard comes in for me. Firstly, he's not a like-for-like replacement for Gana Gueye, absolutely not. But Nørgaard offers that positional sense, leadership and an instinct to shield that back four.
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Looking at the numbers according to the Premier League, his final season at Brentford is the best sample of what he could offer us. He was 17th in the league for distance covered, joint second for interceptions, as well as second for winning possession in the middle third.
That tenacity is an element which can help fill the void left by Gana Gueye's departure.
Not to mention his ability on the ball. Some of the clips I've seen from his time at Arsenal and Brentford are fantastic. I think that's another key benefit he can offer us.
Back to the balance element, Nørgaard coming in frees up Garner and Dewsbury-Hall to focus their efforts further up the field. I also think it'll complement Harrison Armstrong really well. Having a natural number six would free him up to use his fantastic work rate.
Sometimes the balance of the side can improve tenfold by putting one player in his natural position and allowing everyone else to settle into theirs. In this case, I think we'd bring out better performances from those around him.
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Of course, there is reason to suggest that Nørgaard may not replicate the levels we saw at Brentford. He's 32 years old, and having only just returned to training following that injury, it might take a while for him to get up to speed. Although I do think a three-week international break helps with this. It feels more like a mini-preseason. Players may take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things.
But I don't necessarily think Moyes needs to use Nørgaard for every single minute. He gives a different profile to anything else we currently have in the midfield, and particularly away from home, having that natural number six makes us way more solid.
Ultimately, I think it's going to take a bit of time before we fully see Nørgaard starting week-in, week-out. If it's a hamstring injury which has kept him out for this long, we'll need to be cautious.
But I genuinely feel that once we have him fully fit, the balance and structure of that midfield will go up another level. It'll give us a strong base, add to the spine of the team and hopefully bring the best out of those around him.
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It's not the glamorous, Hollywood signing we all wanted this summer. But I feel like it could be one we look back on as one of the most important for the spine of our team.
What do you think? Is Nørgaard the answer to improving our performances all round? Let me know!
