Dele Alli and Donny Van De Beek: How Lampard’s new midfield duo can work at Everton – tactical analysis

Frank Lampard, Dele Alli, Donny Van De Beek and Everton Football Club.

At the start of the calendar year, these parties were not connected, but they all have followed the same trajectory.

All four have, at a certain point, been successful and shone on the biggest stages; starting with Lampard  a decorated football career and transitioning into management, Lampard excelled at Derby County.

After nearly gaining promotion to the Premier League, he received an offer from what most would perceive to be his dream job at Chelsea, given their history together.

The situation did not end well.

After taking a year away from the game, Lampard’s love for blue remained  not the blue of Chelsea, but Everton, as he became their new manager in late January 2022.

Everton Football Club is a household name within English football  their league-winning triumphs in the ’60s and ’80s are fondly remembered.

Everton has also seen good times within the Premier League era, finishing fifth twice with David Moyes in the early 2000s and another fifth-place position with Roberto Martinez during the 14/15 season.

Everton’s league table position dropped, but the Toffee’s fortune took a turn for the worst when Farhad Moshiri became the new owner of the football club in 2016.

Moshiri substituted vision and strategy for money and senseless, which caused the demise of Everton, leaving them with overplayed talent and near relegation battles and a manager merry-go-round.

Dele and Donny Van De Beek; different paths, but the same on many levels.

Both players share a separate memory of beating Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, as both know what it is like to be the hottest property around.

Donny Van De Beek is Ajax from birth, while Dele, on his passage to the top, played at MK Dons in League One before making his move to Spurs.

These two attacking midfielders transformed into superstars in the blink of an eye, but the tables can turn just as quickly.

Through the decline of Tottenham Hotspur, symbolised by the sacking Mauricio Pochettino, and poor squad building, Dele suffered and was played out of position, besides three consecutive hamstring injuries.

Donny Van De Beek’s worst hours came with his initial move to Manchester United, where game time was limited because of Ole Gunnar Solskjaers love of Bruno Fernandes, which did not afford Van De Beek opportunities.

Now, this gang of once superstars in their own right are together in Merseyside  and it is clear to see all parties have seen the highs of football and now seeing the other side of the game.

While everyone included is on a redemption tour trying to revitalise themselves, this could be the perfect marriage as everyone is hungry to retrieve the success they previously had  but football is never as simple as that.

In this tactical analysis and scout report, I will look into the players Dele Alli and Donny Van De Beek are, or were, as well as how they can both fit into Frank Lampard’s scheme he might implement at Everton, from his days at Derby and Chelsea.

Frank Lampard’s tactical scheme

As mentioned previously, Frank Lampard suffered setbacks during his second season in charge of Chelsea, ultimately resulting in him losing his job.

Still, during the beginning of his tenure in West London  and his season in the EFL Championship with Derby, he showcased his tactical understanding and his ability to maximise players under his leadership.

When delving into the tactical blueprint of Frank Lampard as a manager, right away it is clear to see Lampard has a favourable formation he likes to make use of either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.

With this being said, Lampard has made use of other formations in one-off games, such as a 4-4-2 diamond in the Playoff final and a 4-1-4-1.

Regardless of the change of formation, he likes his team to have the ball and dominate play rather than protecting their goal in a low block and allowing the opposition to take initiative.

Lampard’s Derby averaged 56% possession per 90, which was the 5th highest in the Championship that season.

In addition, Lampard’s Chelsea averaged over 60% possession per 90, being the third-highest total, behind Manchester City and Liverpool that season.

During the build-up, whether in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, Lampard’s teams like to play out from the back, with a defensive midfielder dropping slightly deeper, supporting the centre-backs in possession.

Either the outside central midfielders in a 4-3-3 or wingers in a 4-2-3-1 would drop into the channels during the first phase, making use of space created by the number six and full back.

Lampard puts great faith in his full-backs to be key attackers when in possession, positioning them high up in the field.

When utilising a 4-3-3, the two number eights within his midfield three would push forward and occupy the half-spaces, allowing them to create passing triangles in advanced areas.