Alan Stubbs was very positive on the defender and believes it’s down to Marco Silva’s tactics.
Marco Silva has helped transform Everton ever since taking over from Sam Allardyce in the summer, bringing about nicer football, a more attacking intent, and a more positive atmosphere at Goodison Park.
And while new signings like Lucas Digne and Richarlison have received praise for their impact, Silva also deserves credit for how he’s improved players already at the club.
One of those is centre-half Michael Keane, who has gone from looking out of place at Everton to starting the last eight games – a stretch where Everton have only conceded six goals.
And according to ex-Everton defender Alan Stubbs, his improvement is down to the style of play that Silva has implemented as Goodison.
“Michael is in a good place right now and playing at the top of his game,” Stubbs told Evertonfc.com. “Everton seem to be controlling games, which alleviates some of the pressure on the back four.
“The partnership Michael developed with Kurt Zouma was very effective and they developed an understanding of each other’s games.
“But the team is playing consistently well, which is a significant help for players who come in.
“It is much easier to come into a team that is achieving good results and where everyone knows their jobs.”
It’s easy to forget how highly rated Keane was when he joined Everton from Burnley last summer; the defender was a part of the England squad, having made his debut the previous March but his struggles under Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce left him usurped in the England squad by Harry Maguire.
While Maguire went on to establish himself at the World Cup and become a reported target for Manchester United, Keane was left to wonder about his place at Everton.
Thanks to Silva and his game plan, however, Keane is now back on track – and that’s yet another thing that Everton fans can thank the new boss for.
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