Willie Kirk is always trying to tease the best out of Nicoline Sorensen and felt trying the Danish striker in a central role worked to good effect in Everton Women’s 0-0 draw with West Ham.
The Blues had less to play for than their hosts, who are battling against relegation and played five at the back in an attempt to stifle the fourth-placed side.
Kirk moved Sorensen into a central role to try to find space in between the lines and while it didn’t produce a goal, he believed it showcased the 23-year-old’s quality.
“It was a strange position for Nico to play, but we thought that she was the one player who could strike from distance,” he said.
“We saw her strike one before she got moved in there, but it got blocked.
“I thought she eventually had a good game. I thought she threatened to have a good game in the first half, with opportunities, but wasn’t aggressive enough or on the front foot enough.
"She could have caused them more problems. In the second half, she built herself into the game.
“She has a good relationship with [Ingrid] Moe Wald. You can see that partnership bear fruit in the second half.
“Nico’s a top player. She’s at times too nice, and we need her to be a bit more clinical and aggressive in her actions. She’s got a big future in the game.”
Everton only pressed forward meaningfully in the second half with midfielder Izzy Christiansen’s free kick ricocheting just wide.
Kirk’s side have been a force away from home this season, winning five of their ten games on the road, but couldn’t find a way through against Olli Harder’s stubborn Hammers.
The Scot felt that West Ham’s defensive approach was the key factor in producing a goalless draw.
“The activity in both boxes was similar, but theirs was a little more clear cut,” he said.
“We were trying to find that perfect cross, that perfect pass, but they played with five at the back, rather than three at the back, and it just made it difficult to get anything clear cut.”
