Sean Dyche says “Why fight the box you’re put in?” but a new study has calculated Everton to be the most ‘route one’ team in the Premier League
When it comes to perceptions of his playing style, Sean Dyche has declared: “Why fight the box you’re put in?” but a new study has calculated Everton to be number one in the Premier League in a predictable field. The Blues boss has spoken about a “reset” for his squad over the summer in terms of the evolution of their approach but it seems that some old habits die hard.
Research from OLBG has named Everton as the best ‘Route One’ team in the Premier League so far this season, given their penchant for long passes, set-piece reliance and one of the tallest squads in the division. When Pep Guardiola and his Barcelona side waltzed their way to European glory on multiple occasions playing a dizzying brand of ‘tiki-taka’ football, it seemed as though the days of the target man were long gone.
Made famous by the likes of Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis and even the self-styled ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho – whose name has been linked to Everton following the takeover agreement with the Friedkin Group – direct football is fast and physical at its very best, flummoxing even the most elegant defenders.
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However, it seemed as though Route One football had started to die out, with the classic number nine, bristling with imposing physical attributes, had become obsolete. Yet the cyclical nature of the beautiful has ushered back the days of back-to-front football, with the likes of Erling Haaland – under Guardiola at Manchester City – West Ham United’s Michail Antonio and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin unapologetically balancing their brawn with brains to terrify defenders.
In order to find out which current Premier League side was the most ‘Route One’ in the division, OLBG conducted new research analysing all 20 of the current teams to determine the most direct. The research looked at a number of factors, including the average heights of teams, the number of long passes attempted and the reliance on set-pieces.
Taking the crown as the most ‘Route One’ side in the Premier League is Dyche’s Everton side. They had the third tallest team on average in the division, the most number of long passes attempted and came second in aerial duels won. Since the start of the 2023/24 season, they have also scored 22 goals from set-pieces, which is only bettered by Arsenal, who have scored 23.
Meanwhile, across Stanley Park, Arne Slot has slotted seamlessly into life in the Premier League, with his Liverpool side sitting top of the table as it stands. However, despite the intricate passing patterns, they are not afraid to be direct. The Reds lead the way in aerial duels won, with a 63.8% success rate, 13 crosses chucked into the penalty area so far this season and 467 long passes attempted so far this season.
At the other end of the table, Southampton are the furthest away from what you would describe as a ‘Route One’ side. The Saints have attempted the fewest number of long passes in the league, the fewest number of crosses into the penalty area and have just a 45.3% success rate in aerial duels.
Down the East Lancs Road, both Manchester City and Manchester United rank fairly lowly in the Route One table, with City having the smallest squad on average in the division and United attempting just 411 long passes so far this season.