Everton supporters would be forgiven for carrying a sense of dread into their forthcoming Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, but there’s reason for optimism.
Three August defeats to start the campaign off did little to placate the anxiety surrounding Goodison Park at the moment, but Jarrad Branthwaite has yet to kick a ball as he recovers from injury and Sean Dyche’s side played well against Bournemouth two weeks ago, albeit capitulating late on.
Unai Emery’s Villa will present a stern test indeed, but Everton won their last trip to Villa Park (in the Carabao Cup last year) and will be headset to rectify their poor start.
Everton team news
Branthwaite, sadly, doesn’t look like he’s going to be fit for this one, but Michael Keane did well in his absence last time out, before that late-stage horrorshow.
Summer signing Orel Mangala could feature in central midfield, but the Blues’ defensive issues have been compounded by Seamus Coleman’s injury sustained against England during the international break. The veteran right-back is a major doubt with a feared Achilles-related injury, and Nathan Patterson is not yet ready to make his return.
Thus, Everton have a problem on the right side of their backline, and might need to think outside the box.
How Dyche could solve Everton's right-back issue
Let’s be candid, Ashley Young would enter the throes of despair if placed at right-back. He’s as experienced as they come, but the 39-year-old might have a tough task in containing the electric attack of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, and co.
Roman Dixon is an exciting teenage talent but he might struggle on such an occasion at a fiery Villa Park.
What Everton need is an alternative solution. With Patterson and Coleman expected to be sidelined, Dyche could turn his attention to James Garner, who is ordinarily a centre-midfielder but has played in right midfield for the Toffees and has been considered on the right side of defence by the club in the past.
He has the right kind of style. Garner is an athletic and dynamic player, and he ranked among the top 16% of midfielders in the Premier League last season for interceptions per 90 (1.35), as per FBref.
The 23-year-old missed Everton’s opening fixtures in the top flight this term but returned as an unused substitute during the defeat against Bournemouth. He did play during the Carabao Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers and further showcased his defensive merit and athleticism, recovering eight loose balls and winning 60% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
Defensive midfield
130
21
9
Central midfield
54
2
10
Right midfield
11
0
1
Attacking midfield
9
2
2
Left midfield
2
0
0
Centre-back
2
0
0
He’s tactically adaptable and drifted out to the right often last season. In the Premier League, across his 37 matches, Garner averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, winning 57% of his duels.
Defensively sound, the ace has also been praised for his “phenomenal” ball-playing ability by pundit Trevor Sinclair. He’s the complete package, and might just be the perfect option to slip into the right side of defence.
This is why Dyche should unleash him in this new role to deal with Coleman’s absence for their Premier League clash this weekend.
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