Andros Townsend apologised to his Everton teammates for the winger’s role in Max Kilman opening the scoring for Wolves during Monday night’s defeat, according to The Athletic.
The Toffees lost 2-1 at Molineux for their third-straight Premier League defeat and fourth in their last six games. They have not won in the top-flight since beating early relegation contenders Norwich City at Goodison Park on September 25.
Everton’s win over the Canaries was enough for the Blues to sit fifth in the standings, only behind leaders Liverpool on points. But have since fallen to 10th, with only Aston Villa (0) taking fewer points (1) over the subsequent four games.
Everton rarely looked like snapping their dire run against Wolves, before Kilman outjumped Townsend to score. The Merseyside natives were toothless in the West Midlands and failed to take control of the engine room.
Kilman’s header eventually handed Bruno Lage’s side a deserved lead; getting the run on Townsend to meet Rayan Ait-Nouri’s corner. Rafa Benitez had asked Townsend to act as a blocker at set-pieces to prevent Wolves players’ making runs against his zonal defence.
But Townsend failed to deliver what Benitez asked of him, and apologised to teammates for his role in Kilman’s goal. Yet questions also persist over Benitez’s tactics at set-pieces against Wolves, with the structure and personal used considered flawed.
Does Benitez need to change his Everton system at set-pieces?
Benitez opted to utilise a split zonal, man-marking system ill-fitting for some of the players Everton deployed to stop Wolves. Setting up to defend Jordan Pickford’s goal with men along the six-yard box and tasked with tracking any runners.
Benitez wanted Townsend to play touch-tight to Kilman at the corner Wolves’ £15k-a-week defender scored from against Everton. But the Toffees’ £48k-a-week summer signing did not get off the ground or prevent the 24-year-old reaching Pickford’s six-yard area.
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