Silva’s set-piece record offers little hope he can end Everton’s dead-ball weakness

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Marco Silva has been given the backing of Farhad Moshiri over his Everton future as the Portuguese comes under increasing pressure, as reported by TalkSport.

The 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Wolves on Saturday was the latest in a long line of dismal Toffees performances which have come on the back of a downturn in form started by their last-gasp defeat in the season’s first Merseyside derby.

There appears to be a lack of fight, but Everton keep leaking goals and one major source of their issues is set pieces.

But as highlighted on this weekend’s Match of the Day – these issues at dead ball situations have plagued Silva throughout his time in England, at Hull City and Watford as well.

His Tigers side ranked first for set piece goals conceded, his Watford side were third and Everton are now joint first in the league in terms of goals against from those situations – a trend is clear.

Silva prefers a zonal marking system – and while there is a distrust of it in this country, there is nothing wrong with it, but the Portuguese is not executing it correctly at all.

Wolves’ second goal on Saturday was almost comically easy and Silva must now do something he has not yet proved himself capable of doing in English football to turn Everton around – improving his side’s record at set plays.

Otherwise, opposing sides will keep using it as a method to get simple goals against Everton, worsening the mood around the club and increasing the pressure on Silva.