Everton have plenty of players capable of opening up a tight defence; Ronald Koeman should know, he signed them.
In comments published by the Independent, Everton manager Ronald Koeman admitted his side struggled against Burnley because they were defensive-minded and well organised.
The problem is, the Toffees boss signed three players in particular this summer who were specifically tasked with breaking down resilient back-lines, with one of them making it an art form.
Gylfi Sigurdsson has the eye for a pass or a moment of magic that can unlock the most stubborn of defences. Similarly Wayne Rooney can still thread the ball through the eye of a needle despite his faltering influence, while Davy Klaassen was an assist king for his former club Ajax. And yet all three are struggling to make any kind of impact for an Everton side falling at an alarming rate.
Much can be blamed on the fact that Everton failed to replace Romelu Lukaku following his big-money move to Manchester United, however that does not tell the whole story.
After all, Everton still have players who have excelled elsewhere, along with those whose early form suggests they could be stars in the making.
It is up to the likes of Sigurdsson, Rooney and – to a lesser extent as he settles in a new country – Klaassen to lay chances on a plate for their teammates.
The Iceland international was bought for that very reason, so pointing the finger at a stubborn Burnley back-line simply does not cut it for Koeman.
No defence is going to roll over and let you score; the Everton boss knows it and signed creative players to deal with that very scenario. And yet with no out-and-out forward that he is willing to put his faith in week in, week out the likes of Sigurdsson and Rooney are somewhat pointless.
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