10/04/2024
Sean Dyche clearly does not agree with me but I think we have the perfect pair for the right-hand side of the team. Coleman right-back with Patterson right-midfield.
With Coleman behind him, we will see the best out of Patterson, defensively and going forward. You can even play them the other way around. Either way, I am sure it would make us defensively more solid and much more convincing in our forward play. I also think there would be a good knock-on effect for the rest of the team.
I think the formation of the team is correct, I just want to see an improvement in the team’s play.
Doucouré is the big dilemma for me. I like his workrate, he can score, but he too has the annoying habit of making too many fouls and his passing is his weakness.
With that in mind, I like the idea of Gueye and Garner as the defensive pair with Gomes operating as the attacking playmaker. I know many people prefer Onana, and sure, we keep seeing glimpses of real talent but, for me, he just doesn’t do enough and, when we are really up against it, we don’t see him. I like the idea of him coming off the bench. When we got those 4 great wins on the bounce, I thought Gueye and Garner were playing great together and I would like that partnership restored.
The frustration with Dyche is that I think we can all see better options but he is unwilling to try anything different. I do not want wholesale changes now – just tinkering around the edges that I think can make a big difference.
A team of Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Patterson, Gueye, Garner, Gomes, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, looks pretty solid to me with hopefully a more pass-orientated look.
Hopefully complemented by subs like Danjuma, Dobbin, Onana, Harrison, Beto, Chermiti, Onyango, Okoronkwo.
I wouldn’t hesitate to bring Okoronkwo on for the last 10 minutes. We need something different up front and he could be just the player we need.
We cannot keep playing as poorly as we have been since the Palace 1-1 or before. We were playing well in the run-up before Christmas and then the fixtures (Man City and Spurs twice in quick succession) combined with Dyche being clueless on how to deal with Doucoure’s and Gueye’s abscence sent us in freefall. We need to start playing more football with purpose and who knows where we will be at the end of this horrible season.
To all Evertonians, I just want to say let’s stick together, keep backing the players on the pitch the best we can, and thanks to ToffeeWeb and everyone on here. It keeps me going as I’m sure it does for you.
Everton has been my life and I know I just have to keep picking myself up from the next blow and keep hoping the gods will always help us out in the end.
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