Match Preview
Everton will play their final match of 2023-24 in front of the home faithful this weekend when they face Sheffield United in the first Goodison finale that hasn’t had anything riding on it since May 2020.
The Blades’ demotion back to the Championship was confirmed a fortnight ago, on the same weekend that the Toffees secured their safety from relegation with victory over Brentford, which means Everton and their fans can enjoy a weekend free of stress from on-the-field matters even if matters off the pitch remain desperate.
It promises to be a close season of upheavel and plenty of departures from the Club but Sean Dyche says that this weekend’s game is unlikely to be Seamus Coleman’s last at Goodison Park because his “thirst” is to keep playing for Everton.
With the end of the season nigh and thoughts turning towards contract extensions and the summer’s transfer business, there has been talk of Coleman hanging up his boots and calling time on a 15-year playing career with the Toffees.
However, despite the injury problems that have dogged him this season, the Club skipper is keen to keep playing amid reports that he is to be offered another one-year deal by Everton.
“There are another couple of weeks left, and I said, ‘Reflect on where you’re at,’ but I think his thirst is to keep playing, so we’ll be looking into that’,” Dyche said at his press conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Blades.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to wonder about his last game – or not at this stage – and certainly, that’s his words and not mine. He’s made it clear that, at this stage, his mindset is to keep playing.”
Given Coleman’s standing in the dressing room and the example he has set for years at Goodison, it has often been said that the Irishman would make an excellent coach and even manager one day.
Dyche says that the experience he has gained with the Toffees through years of different managers and coaching styles will stand him in good stead should that be his chosen route after he calls time on his playing career.
“I think he’s learning to have that in him,” Dyche said. “He’s absorbed a lot from a lot of different experiences here.
“The good side of all the turnover of managers, is you can learn a lot from the varying input, the varying styles, and the varying ways of working. I think he’s like that, and I think he will absorb that. He certainly knows the Club like the back of his hand.”
Regardless of his intent to stay, Coleman could well start this one after coming off the bench at Luton last Frday to replace Ashley Young and, if so, it’s a toss-up between the latter veteran and Ben Godfrey over who starts at left back in place of the injured Vitalii Mykolenko.
Few other changes are expected in the starting XI, with Dyche no doubt looking to sign off the home programme with a win that could, depending on how Brentford fare at Bournemouth, secure 15th place.
Idrissa Gueye and James Garner will likely keep their places in central midfield but a number of players will be hoping to make an appearance off the bench, particularly André Gomes and Arnaut Danjuma who will almost certainly be leaving at the end of the season and Amadou Onana who is the subject of significant transfer speculation.
In terms of the younger players, Youssef Chermiti and Lewis Dobbin will be itching for more minutes while the likes of Jenson Metcalfe, Lewis Warrington and Mackenzie Hunt will be hopeful of inclusion in the squad in case Dyche is moved to hand one of them a Premier League debut.
Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday 11 May, 2024
Referee: Stuart Attwell
VAR: Graham Scott
Last Time: Everton 0 – 1 Sheffield United
Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Godfrey, Gueye, Garner, Harrison, McNeil, Doucouré, Calvert-Lewin