Carlo Ancelotti isn’t one for knee-jerk reactions on any issues at Everton. The boss recently opened up a little on the private conversation he had with Calvert-Lewin following Monday night’s match, and it revealed a lot about both the player and his manager.
Carlo Ancelotti revealed: “We spoke and he talked about the situation that he had in the game. We tried to improve that situation, we’ve had work on this. But, as I’ve said, to be criticised is absolutely normal and sometimes it’s also fair. After the game I said Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison could do better in that situation, and they know this absolutely. I don’t think that they were happy after the game, they were really disappointed with the opportunities that they had. So you have to accept the critics sometimes without problem and I think Dominic accepted and understood what was the problem. He has worked this week on this.”
Man-management is something Ancelotti has often been lauded for and examples such as this one are exactly why. Calvert-Lewin has transformed himself into a real penalty-box poacher over the course of the Italian’s time in charge at Goodison Park, taking the coach’s advice to stay more central and make sure he’s on the end of chances more often.