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This article is part of Football FanCast's The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Everton showed signs of improvement against Wolves but Marco Silva is still yet to find the right balance between attack and defence.

On the chalkboard

The Toffees had six shots on target at the weekend, doubling the tally they had achieved in the three league games prior to that fixture, and their three goals scored suggests they now pose more of an attacking threat.

However, they also doubled the amount of goals they conceded, and there is a sense that Silva is yet to settle on his preferred team, with the likes of Bernard, Morgan Schneiderlin and Dominic Calvert-Lewin being dropped for the first time.

Since arriving last summer the Portuguese manager has preferred to use a 4-2-3-1 formation, but there is an alternative method he could use which would suit the players at his disposal.

A diamond formation would allow the likes of Moise Kean and Richarlison to take up forward positions, and as they both come alive in the box they could be more likely to get on the end of goalscoring chances if they partnered each other up front.

The system would also allow Gylfi Sigurdsson to maintain his role playing just behind the strikers, whilst providing extra cover by operating with a defensive midfielder, with Fabian Delph and Andre Gomes acting as box-to-box midfielders.

A flaw with the diamond formation is often a lack of width, but both Lucas Digne and Seamus Coleman excel going forward - as evidenced by their assist record - and they would provide a threat from the flanks.

More suited to current squad

Everton have got off to a rather slow start to the season but there have been positives. Sigurdsson is growing into the season with a goal and an assist from his last two games, but with two strikers to aim for he could improve on those numbers.

Kean, meanwhile, has struggled to adjust so far and made just six passes at the weekend, but his introduction did result in a greater attacking threat for Everton and he has made an impact from the bench on occasion, with two shots in 19 minutes against Watford.

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Partnering him with another striker could get the best out of him, too. At Juventus last season he started in a front two on four occasions and scored four goals in that time, and with Sigurdsson playing behind him the two would likely link up well.

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