JOHN Worsfold is the right man to lead winless Essendon, but the under-pressure coach needs help, former West Coast champion Daniel Kerr says. 

Kerr, part of arguably the greatest midfield of all time under Worsfold in the mid-2000s, believes the Bombers can quickly get back on track and texted his former mentor offering advice ahead of a crucial clash with bottom-placed Melbourne.

"I said to him 'you've got to teach your midfield to do the little things in a game, the little simple things', because they're so important," Kerr told the Coast to Coast podcast.

"It's the first bit of advice I've ever offered ‘Woosha’ and he's given me a fair bit – and always good advice.

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"Watching the ball and keeping your eye on the ball is probably the most simple thing you can teach."

After luring star Dylan Shiel to join an engine room featuring Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell, Devon Smith and David Zaharakis, the Bombers were expected to be big improvers but have looked spiritless.

"They're so stagnant in the way that they play with each other, they're literally men on a ground that aren't moving for each other or aren't telling each other where to go," Kerr said.

"You can actually do that without actually saying anything, you can do that by the way that you run or the way that the ball moves." 

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Kyle Langford's brainfade against St Kilda has come to symbolise Essendon's muddled 0-2 start, with the young midfielder running to the interchange bench for his rotation instead of staying involved with the play.

"You have to know where the ball is at all times. I don't think that symbolises the problems with Essendon at all," Kerr said.

"I just think that they aren't doing the simple things well, which is easy to fix.

"I don't think Essendon is in dire trouble as is getting reported."

The Bombers rallied from a slow start last year, storming home from 2-6 and falling only a win and percentage short of finals. 

Kerr, who played 12 of his 13 seasons under Worsfold and twice finished runner-up in the Brownlow Medal, backed his 2006 premiership coach to resurrect Essendon's campaign.

"Woosha's the greatest leader of men I think amongst AFL coaches, but I don't think he's the greatest tactician," Kerr said.

"As far as things that are cutting edge and looking at your side and going 'well, this is the best way for this side to play', that's not his best attribute in my belief.

"If he can find someone to work that out, then teach him, he is the best guy to teach them (the players), because the players buy into Woosha.

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"They buy into everything he says and he leads them in the right direction.

"Essendon are just not in sync at the minute. 

"Woosha is the man to do it, but he has got to get the men to help him."