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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Adam Jones

The unseen influence of Seamus Coleman at Everton - and how it affects Blues transfer plans

Everton's upturn in form in recent weeks, especially at home, has been intriguing to witness.

The Blues squad seem to have finally connected with the style of football Marco Silva is trying to introduce, and they have ripped apart some of the best sides in the country by utilising it.

Chelsea, West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester United all found themselves dominated by Everton in recent weeks - which is a far cry from what supporters were seeing throughout the likes of December and January.

The manager deserves a lot of credit for turning around what was a series of dismal performances, but so do the players.

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Many of those stars have been picking up significant credit for their displays over the last few weeks, and rightly so.

Bernard, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Kurt Zouma, Idrissa Gueye, Lucas Digne - the list could go on around the players who have caught the attention of fans and pundits over the last few matches.

However, that has left one star to slip under the radar somewhat.

While earlier in the season there were doubts over his place in the starting 11, Seamus Coleman has completely turned his form around in recent weeks.

Seamus Coleman and Andreas Pereira challenge for the ball (Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)

This calendar year begun with Jonjoe Kenny vying for a potential place in Silva's setup, but the Republic of Ireland international seems to have effectively ended those hopes for the time-being at least with a string of positive displays.

And his influence has perhaps been more understated than it should have been.

Everton have won 44% of their Premier League matches in which Coleman has been involved this season, compared to 25% when he has been out of the side.

HERE'S how Coleman rated in Sunday's convincing win over Manchester United

That represents a significant increase across the whole of the campaign and it was particularly prevalent against Manchester United this weekend.

Coleman's stats from Everton's comfortable win were very impressive - while being a little different than the player we were used to seeing before his serious injury in 2017.

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The right-back has moulded himself into a very different player. One still capable of getting up and down the flank, yes, but someone who now is starting to see his strengths heightened on the defensive side of his game rather than going forward.

The Republic of Ireland international made five recoveries, four clearances and two interceptions against Man United on Sunday against an opponent in Anthony Martial who has a lot of joy against him in the reverse fixture.

But away from the stats his influence was still clear for all to see - particularly in two moments missed from most highlights packages.

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The first half saw the returning Romelu Lukaku attempt to break down the flank but the striker was stopped in his tracks by a crunching, but fair, tackle from Coleman.

Fans rose to their feet instantly to applaud the 30-year-old - he understood what a little thing like that would mean to them.

And, secondly, an exchange with Phil Jagielka when the experienced defender was brought on also sticks out.

Coleman has been Everton's de facto captain for the majority of the season, but tried to give the club skipper the armband when he made his way onto the pitch.

Jagielka's reluctance to take it showed that he respects his teammate's authority, and knows that could be crucial for Everton's future.

If he and Leighton Baines are to leave in the summer when their respective contracts expire, Coleman will be next in line to take the Blues' armband on a permanent basis.

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The last few weeks have proven he can step up to that mantle, which will be a crucial role for the club in this transitional period.

Whereas many highlighted right back as an area for improvement earlier this season, the 30-year-old's upturn in form could well have lessened that priority in the eyes of the Blues' heirarchy - although it's still a position the club can strenghten.

He's still a crucial player in the Everton setup, even if that influence is flying under the radar.

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