Joe Thomas - Four four two has to be ditched
Four four two has to be ditched, it hasn’t worked. Sean Dyche’s hand was forced, Abdoulaye Doucoure’s suspension meant he had to change a formula that was working.
But the initial Plan B was shown to be unsuitable 30 minutes into the game with Fulham. Five in midfield, staying competitive and giving Everton the best chance of something today is a necessity. James Garner starts for me.
I liked his busyness against Fulham. A fit Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye alongside him would give him more time and freedom to be expansive.
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Demarai Gray has been the most effective option up top under Dyche. With Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to be back in the squad this will hopefully be the last starting XI of square pegs in round holes - particularly with Doucoure’s return in midweek.
Nathan Patterson has to start at right back. Does Yerry Mina come in? I give a different answer every time I am asked. I would try it today. He is a player who isn’t playing but who we suspect could improve the side.
Everton don’t have many options that could be said of. Michael Keane has done OK recently and I think he will be part of whatever rebuild Dyche can undertake in the summer.
But while Mina is available I would give him one last opportunity to make an impact before his contract expires. I am open to arguments for Mina and Keane to be paired together, having formed a partnership in the past.
My team: Pickford; Mykolenko, Mina, Tarkowski, Patterson; McNeil, Onana, Garner, Gueye, Iwobi; Gray
Connor O’Neill - Time for changes
After last weekend’s horror show against Fulham, the time has come for changes.
Starting at the back, I would replace James Tarkowski with Yerry Mina, with Nathan Patterson, Michael Keane, and Vitalii Mykolenko making up the back four. Dropping Tarkowski might seem harsh, but I didn’t think he covered himself in glory last weekend and has looked a bit ropey in recent weeks.
While in midfield, Amadou Onana, if he is fit, should replace Idrissa Gueye and partner James Garner and Alex Iwobi in the middle of midfield. Gueye is another who has struggled in recent weeks, and now feels like the perfect time to try something different.
Dwight McNeil and Demarai Gray should start out wide, with Ellis Simms tasked with leading the line in place of Neal Maupay. Dominic Calvert-Lewin does look set to return to the Everton matchday squad, but a cameo off the bench seems the most logical approach.
My team (4-5-1): Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Mina, Mykolenko; McNeil, Onana, Garner, Iwobi, Gray; Simms.
Chris Beesley - Midfield is also an interesting one
Dominic Calvert-Lewin himself has proclaimed "bring on Saturday" while manager Sean Dyche has admitted "The game (a behind closed doors training match against Chester at Finch Farm) the other day was all about him really" so surely the time has come to throw Everton's number nine back into the side.
Calvert-Lewin's last two goals were both against Crystal Palace, in the 3-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season and the dramatic 3-2 comeback victory that secured the Blues' top flight status last May. Here's hoping he can make it a hat-trick at Selhurst Park as Everton search for their first away win under Dyche at Selhurst Park.
In defence, with the manager insisting that captain Seamus Coleman "won't be right for this one" and Ben Godfrey struggling at right-back against Fulham last time out before leaving the field with concussion, Nathan Patterson comes in while Vitalii Mykolenko is fortunate to keep his spot after also enduring a difficult afternoon, saved only by the lack of viable alternatives.
Centre-backs James Tarkowski and Michael Keane hardly covered themselves in glory either when allowing Daniel James to run between them for the Cottagers' third goal but they also get the benefit of the doubt given that between them, alternative selections Conor Coady, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate failed to keep a clean sheet against National League North opponents in the aforementioned friendly.
Midfield is also an interesting one given that Everton struggled when playing 4-4-2. Therefore, let's keep our fingers crossed that Amadou Onana is fit to return with James Garner retaining his place to keep a third player in the middle with Demarai Gray missing out along with Neal Maupay given Calvert-Lewin's potential return.
My team (4-5-1): Pickford; Patterson, Mykolenko, Keane, Tarkowski; Gueye, Garner, Onana, Iwobi, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin.
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