Our Everton writers select their starting line-ups for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage
Everton look to return to winning ways today (Saturday) when they travel to former manager Marco Silva’s Fulham (3pm kick-off). The Blues have drawn their past two matches.
But last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion felt almost like a win given super-sub Beto‘s equaliser came in the 97th minute. That left manager David Moyes dancing for joy on the pitch and the good news kept coming this week when his ranks were bolstered by the arrival of Tyrique George and the return to training of Vitalii Mykolenko.
That means Moyes should every member of his first-team squad fit for the showdown with fellow European hopefuls Fulham bar Jack Grealish, who sadly looks unlikely to play again this season.
READ MORE: David Moyes explains what Tyler Dibling should be thinking after Tyrique George Everton transfer
OPINION
Joe Thomas
What, then, is the Blues boss to do? Our writers have their say…
Joe Thomas
This is what I would do at Fulham. I’d keep Jarrad Branthwaite at left back. He did fine there last week and I want him on the pitch to build his match fitness, even if it is out of position.
On the right, I would bring back Nathan Patterson. The team looks better balanced with him there and I would give him freedom to push up and cover him with Branthwaite sitting back so the defenders can move across if needs be.
In the middle, I would put Jake O’Brien alongside James Tarkowski. Michael Keane did well last week but those two formed a nice partnership over new year, O’Brien provides recovery pace and I think he (and Branthwaite) are the future of Everton’s central defence.
I wouldn’t play with a No.10 at Craven Cottage. I’d play an experienced three across the midfield of Idrissa Gueye, James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Garner can sit deepest and the other two can go hunting for the ball. They can also provide protection for the Blues to attack down the wings through Iliman Ndiaye on the left and Tyler Dibling on the right.
At Brighton, Everton provided zero attacking threat in the first half and while I’m happy for the team to be solid in the middle, I want the wide players to have the freedom to attack because of the solid base behind them. N
ow is the time to go all in on Dibling and give him a run of games in the hope the faith will lead to a breakthrough, just like it did for Thierno Barry.
Dibling and Tyrique George have the potential to dovetail well and hopefully they can support and push each other. Barry starts up top.
My team (4-3-3): Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, O’Brien, Tarkowski; Garner, Gueye, Dewsbury-Hall; Dibling, Barry, Ndiaye.
Chris Beesley
Vitalii Mykolenko is back fit but speaking in his pre-match press conference for Everton’s trip to Fulham, David Moyes insisted he’d always felt he could field his four centre-backs together and would have no shame in doing it again.
Neither would I, as despite the Ukraine international’s return to fitness, the quartet of Jarrad Branthwaite, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski and Jake O’Brien are the Blues’ four best defenders.
If we’re discounting Adam Aznou’s credentials, Mykolenko is the only natural left-back in the squad, but in truth he struggled in his last outing against Leeds United and the deployment of the system used at Brighton enables Branthwaite to continue to build-up his match sharpness while continuing with the centre-back partnership that has been used for the lion’s share of the season.
Up front, Beto – who netted five times in February last year – will be pushing for a recall after his last-gasp leveller at the Amex Stadium, but Thierno Barry still gets the nod.
There is also a dilemma over the right wing and while Harrison Armstrong did nothing wrong there against the Seagulls and indeed has done a good job wherever he’s been deployed by Moyes over the past month, hopefully a more natural option can now go on that flank.
In that respect, I’m looking forwards and not backwards, so it’s not a recall for Dwight McNeil but rather a debut for new recruit Tyrique George, who is used to performing in west London, on the left, with Iliman Ndiaye reverting to the right.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Branthwaite; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry.