Everton had an extra-man advantage for almost an hour on Saturday. Brentford had been reduced to ten after Christian Nørgaard was dismissed for a high challenge on Jordan Pickford.
Three Premier League games have come and gone since Everton last scored a goal, albeit Sean Dyche's side have kept clean sheets across their past two matches too.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford complaining
Things need to change, and with The Friedkin Group looking to take over the Merseyside outfit, change is certainly going to be afoot. What, though, needs to happen for positive growth?
The things TFG need to change at Everton
While Everton's defence is largely up to scratch, the frontline has flattered to deceive all season. Dwight McNeil is the shining light in terms of potency, and the electric Iliman Ndiaye has proved to be a promising signing, but still, the Toffees fail to bring it all together.
McNeil-Everton-Premier-League-Palace
The tactics and attacking intent (or lack thereof) have led to an incensed fanbase that demand change. The board will point toward a steelier recent record that has bred just one defeat from eight matches, but the discerning supporters will reject any notion of tangible progress, and rightly so.
The manager, then. Dyche is losing more of Goodison Park each match, and you have to wonder how much more bland football needs to be played out before the bullet is bitten and the wheel is turned.
Premier League: Least Goals Scored (24/25)
Rank
15.
15=
17=
18.
18=
20.
Stats via BBC Sport
The goals are not coming, and while Dyche must take the responsibility, he's being let down by his star centre-forward. Indeed, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is struggling, and though he's out of contract next summer, perhaps it would be wise to get rid of him this winter.
Why Everton need to get rid of Calvert-Lewin
Everton have enjoyed Calvert-Lewin's talents for many years, joining as he did from Sheffield United for just £1.5m in 2016. The 27-year-old striker has had his share of injury troubles but has spent most of the past two seasons fit, albeit lacking a clinical edge.
Calvert-Lewin-Everton
This season, his inefficacy at number nine has been emblematic of Everton's struggle, of Dyche's rust-spreading system. He's started each of the Blues' 12 Premier League fixtures but has now blanked across eight games, failing to assist too, having missed seven big chances and completed a rather shocking 59% of his passes, as per Sofascore.
It would appear his head is elsewhere.
It's time for Everton to get rid. As per Football Insider, Everton are getting ready to peruse the market for a striker this January, and this might mean that the England international needs to be sold for a small sum before he can leave on a free.
AS Roma and Juventus are interested in a potential January deal, according to sources relayed by Sport Witness, and he's clearly not going to hit his erstwhile heights again at Everton this season.
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First Impressions
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It was once so different. Talent scout Jacek Kulig had hailed Calvert-Lewin as an "absolute monster" during his free-scoring exploits of the past, with his former teammate, Richarlison, even heralding him with the loftiest of praise.
Having been called up to the Three Lions squad in 2020, Calvert-Lewin's efforts led Richarlison to make quite the declaration: "He must be a nightmare to play against and he has an incredible leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Ronaldo-Portugal-2024
Transfermarkt record that Ronaldo has scored 120 headed goals at club level, which makes up about 15% of his career total (excluding Portugal). Calvert-Lewin, conversely, has only scored 22 headed goals at club level but then has bagged far less than one of the greatest forwards of all time, with his own headed strike rate equating to a rate of 0.25.
Oh, look at that. Stay in line, Cristiano.
Just kidding. But it does show why Richarlison made that remark once. Unfortunately, Calvert-Lewin has lost his way on Merseyside, and must be sold promptly to help TFG rewrite the narrative at Everton.
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