As quoted by the club's official website, Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he doesn't want his team to have a "really clear identity".

What did he say?

The Italian took over as Everton manager on a permanent basis in December 2019, and has sparked an impressive turnaround, leading the Toffees to eighth in the Premier League table.

And speaking about how he wants to take the Merseyside team forward, Ancelotti revealed that he is far more in favour of his team being able to adapt to different styles of play, rather than one "clear identity".

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He said: "I don’t want that my team has a really clear identity. If you have a really clear identity, then you can play football in only one way. You can play football in different ways. You can play football being aggressive, defensively, with an attacking style, with counter-attack.

"You cannot say one is good and one is not good. There is no one winning system. I think the winning system is to put the players on the pitch comfortable. Our work is to put a team that has a clear idea – not clear identity – on the pitch. The players that are going on the pitch, they have to know what they do. And, of course, the goal is to give happiness to the supporters. This is the ambition."

Potential for problems

Whilst there is certainly a sense of logic to Ancelotti's methods - after all, the Italian is one of the most successful managers in the history of the game with Champions League titles to his name - it is difficult to see how not having a clear identity is a sustainable approach for the long-term.

The 60-year-old appears to be intent on ensuring his side are a force immediately, but that could lead to major problems down the line. When you've got a clear philosophy, that filters through into not just the first-team, but the academy sides too - an 'Everton way' of playing so to speak.

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Instead, Ancelotti's wish for his team to be almost chameleon-like means that when the going gets tough, the side won't have a foundation to fall back on. His managerial approach is paying major dividends so far, but there could be potential problems in the foreseeable future.

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