Michael Ball discusses Sean Dyche’s midfield conundrum, as well as Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as striker alternatives, in the second portion of his Everton column.
We now have options in the forward area, which is a great advantage for us. When we are working toward our objectives, we have options.
As fans, we’d like to see them all on the field at the same time; the opponent would be in disarray.
Beto has only been in two games, but his performances have impressed me; he is not Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He appears to like fighting and holding the ball aloft over anything else.
We merely shoot balls inside so Calvert-Lewin can attack and land a headshot—his leap is phenomenal.
Given his performance thus far, I’d want to see Beto start against Arsenal. Because he’s new to the opposition, he could bring some surprise, which we haven’t seen in a long time. Beto is a different animal than Calvert-Lewin, which will cause Arsenal problems.
Nonetheless, having Dominic and Beto up front at some point would be amazing. Is he going to use a 4-4-2 formation? I seriously doubt it. Danjuma, who plays off Calvert-Lewin or Beto, performs an excellent job at the No. 10 hole. Furthermore, McNeil and Harrison are yet to join the group.
If Sean Dyche starts one and substitutes the other for the final 20 minutes or so, you have fresh legs against tired center halves. That is exactly what Premier League coaches such as Dyche want to see.
Their skill levels will improve. They’ll be trying to figure out how to play together, exchanging high fives and seeing if they can find a rhythm.
Danjuma and Beto appear to have already bonded, as they seek each other out to establish opportunities. Is that what Finch Farm is all about? It will be more exciting to begin the season as a Blue because we will be.
Aside from those two, we’ve been lacking great players like James Rodriguez, who can contribute goals while also putting the ball in danger zones. You want Calvert-Lewin and Beto to be scored, but now that we have McNeil, Harrison, and Danjuma, can they start contributing as well?
There will be more enthusiasm and hope that we can win games because we have players who want to honor their country and fans by donning the royal blue uniform.
While Dyche has a good problem there, he must also fix the midfield. I don’t think either he or we, the supporters, are aware of his best midfield composition.
Onana is clearly a brilliant young man, but it’s also clear that he has his flaws. He has that youthful mindset, and Sheffield United is a good example of this. It’s not so much laziness as he doesn’t believe he needs to accomplish anything. The cross will not occur if you sprint two yards.
Since Gareth Barry may have left the team, I don’t believe we’ve sufficiently handled the No. 6 position.
We tried using Idrissa Gueye there, but he is unable to hold the ball. His play style is similar to Kante’s in that he likes to sprint in front of players, nip in front of them, throw the ball away, and play possession play too slowly.
Doucoure scores goals; he’s not a particularly good finisher, but something seems to happen when he’s in the opposition box. He has the legs to be a number in the box, but he also has the ability to spark plays. Can Onana play in the Premier League for ninety minutes like that? He could wind up as a No. 6, but I don’t see it happening.
Is it conceivable for James Garner to be inserted into the starting lineup for a few games?
Being a No. 6 takes patience, sticking to the strategy, and not racing after the ball. It may appear tedious, but it is necessary. Dyche has favorites, but they must share his temperament and way of thinking.
