The James Garner right-back experiment was successful

The likes of Kimmich, Laimer, Sergi Roberto have all successfully been converted to full-backs (and back) recently -- Lewis-Skelly and Alexander-Arnold closer to home -- so not an especially unusual move.

Ideally I'd like to see him centrally with Röhl but he gives us a much better shape when at right-back. He's a good player having a really good season.

He was excellent yesterday.

As it happens, I have wondered in the past whether it's a change Garner himself might consider. I like him as a player but I'm not sure how good he can be as a midfielder. With his attributes, it's possible he could be a very good right-back.

Nearly all the balls we played forward had to be accurate as there was a defender right on our player, yet any ball lumped up in the general direction of their left midfielder found him, as Garner was nowhere near him.

If that had been a top team, we would have been punished, repeatedly.

I like Garner, I like him in midfield.

Considering Moyes was mentioning him for a call up to the England team a few weeks back, I still think he's too loose defensively as a right back.

Now we've got to convince him that Dewsbury-Hall can play deeper and Alcaraz can make things happen in the Number 10 position.

After that, if someone can teach him about substitutions having a positive impact and managing the squad so that everyone gets game time, then we might be okay.

Hopefully the January window will address this along with a striker option.

Dewsbury-Hall will never get out of the Number 10 position because he sees him as a Doucoure-type player, runner, presser and that ugly stuff. Only injury or suspensions would change that... or maybe in the cup?

Garner is an outstanding player and there's no question that his skills add something to our attack when he's playing right-back. But he is a raw beginner in terms of positioning there. Five games with the U21s two years ago and four subsequent Premier League starts do not remotely make him a professional defender who knows where to be.

We've seen him searching the sky for the ball as it goes over his head, and searching in vain for runners going off his back shoulder. He struggles with decisions on whether to close down on crosses or hang back.

His tackling and ferocity make him able to defend one-on-one, but unlike Jake, he wins nothing in the air, and I expect he may well cost us goals at the back that Jake wouldn't -- both with his inexperience and with his crucial absence from midfield.

I'm not saying Moyes shouldn't play him at full-back. It's a calculation. Maybe he brings more to the attack than we lose defensively. But it sure as hell isn't a "no-brainer" of a decision.

My brother Ken was so good at analysing he would have liked to read it. Great Evertonian, he died recently, and so I can't share it with him (or can I???)

After his memorial, I'm on my way back to Adelaide in a place called Hay, in the middle of nowhere (okay, no one's bothering me!). Keep on keeping on with your TW comments.

I just omitted to add that my nephew, 77 like me, flew over from Colorado Springs. First time we've met. but not the last!

Having a full-back who can pass and run and overlap and be comfortable on the ball is vital in the modern game. Especially if you play wingers who want to drift inside at most opportunities! Priority position in January.

Tim Iroegbunam played okay on Saturday, but with all of his appearances, he tends to fade out after the first half.

I would like to see Röhl given an extended stint there, I think he has the look of a very good player for us. I feel for Alcaraz too, who must be thinking "What have I got to do to get a starting spot, or even a cameo from the bench?"

We did try to get Tete in from Fulham on a free (who I thought did a decent job on Grealish) but, apart from that, didn't seem to make any inroads.

We definitely need better in both full-back spots. Garner and O'Brien will get caught out over longer periods (Jake has looked jaded recently and James doesn't quite have the defensive nous).

This could be good against weaker teams but I'm not sure Moyes fancies the Argentine too much.

We’re a big Premier League club with proper owners - so we should just behave like one. Hopefully it all gets fixed in January.

Until then our RB may have to depend on the opposition. Fulham aren’t especially good away from home. If we’re away at a good side O’Brien may be a safer (but boring) bet.

Well said. Quite a few have forgotten just what a great job Jake has done since he got into the team. O.K. he's had a couple of dodgy games this season ( who hasn't?) but he gives 100% every time. Don't remember Doku causing him as much trouble as he gave the R.S. fullback yesterday.

I hope Moyes makes the decision he thinks is right for the match rather than the right political/reputational move. But you know if we lose, and that would be a betting favourite outcome, he'll then be criticised for doing the one thing that apparently beat Fulham.

There is no quick fix with this squad. We have some weak positions and you can't improve them without weakening somewhere else, such is the imbalance in the squad.

He's making do. In his typically conservative manner. By now, you'd be surprised to see him do anything else.

O'Brien in particular is being increasingly targeted as teams realize his limitations at right back -- I really hope he moves into the centre-back position and prospers there for us in the future.

Ultimately, the club absolutely has to buy a right-back. Tete on a free would have been decent business but that ship has sailed.

It perhaps does take a little from midfield but gives Iregbounam and Rohl, who I think looks a good prospect, an opportunity to develop. Next season, if we don't recall him earlier, Armstrong is also going to be looking to play in this area as well.

While Jimmy is a decent midfielder I think his importance to that area is overplayed and for example both Tim and Rohl add physicality, presence and are capable of running from deep offering us a better attacking threat.We are very wishy washy at times with all three of our diminutive midfielders.

It may be a coincidence but we have won two drawn one and lost one when Jimmy has played a full back. In three of those four games we certainly won the midfield battle.

Gueye goes to Afcon and on past record it is highly unlikely we will buy a suitable right back in January. I doubt Moyes will have both Gueye and Garner missing from midfield so it's most likely that O'Brien will be brought back in at full back and either Iroegbunam or Rohl will play alongside James.

Barry was better on Saturday but still hasn't scored. Keep him as a starter and hopefully he will bag one, and make sure we sell Beto in January for an upgrade.

Sorry to read about the loss of your brother. I hope you have him a send-off he'll be proud of.
Wishing you all the best. Safe trip back.

Ernie #19 and John #22, great points.

Sam #16, that's what I was advocating a week ago, but after watching him Saturday I'm not so sure. He had a hell of a game.

Moyes has played him a number of times at right-back, because no right-back is available. It is not a experiment, it is not even a hypothesis.

Incredible footballer and a joy to watch, but it's very clear to me that he's exhausted pretty early in the second half in most games. Possibly that can be fixed by changing his workload in the game or improving his fitness, or maybe we should just accept it and bring on the talented young winger on the bench who plays in his position.

I can understand the reluctance to take him off given his talent but he becomes much less of a threat after an hour.

The guy is amazing.

I think we dodged a bullet with Tete... he looked average last week against us. We should have plugged into the scouting system for Brighton or Bournemouth!.

If neither of them are signed up by Christmas, we need to cash in.