ECHO Everton writers have their say on who should form the Blues' attacking quartet at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas is the Everton FC correspondent for the Liverpool ECHO. He follows the Blues home and away, providing match reports, analysis and insight into events at Goodison Park, Finch Farm and beyond. Joe spent more than a decade covering news on Merseyside, working on award-winning investigations and extensively covering matters related to the Hillsborough tragedy - including the recent criminal prosecutions. Always grateful for tips and feedback, he can be contacted at joe.thomas@reachplc.com and on Twitter via @joe_thomas18
Everton's options for their attacking quartet at home to Crystal Palace (from left): Dwight McNeil, Tyler Dibling, Beto, Jack Grealish, Thierno Barry, Iliman Ndiaye and Charly Alcaraz
Everton's options for their attacking quartet at home to Crystal Palace (from left): Dwight McNeil, Tyler Dibling, Beto, Jack Grealish, Thierno Barry, Iliman Ndiaye and Charly Alcaraz
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After three straight wins in all competitions banished memories of the disappointing opening night defeat at Leeds United, Everton's have hit somewhat of a dip. Monday's 1-1 draw at home to West Ham United means the Blues head into the visit of Crystal Palace to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday on the back of four matches without a victory.
Perhaps it is time to freshen it up. But with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall suspended after his second successive farcical booking, David Moyes will have to do just that.
But with the Everton manager alternating between his strikers, there is scope for further changes to his frontline.
And with that in mind, members of the ECHO sportsdesk have had their say on how the Blues’ attacking quartet should line up against the Eagles.
Chris Beesley
Given that neither of them are firing on all cylinders – and in their defence, the players behind them aren’t necessarily playing to their strengths – it remains quite the conundrum as to who should spearhead the Everton attack between Beto and Thierno Barry. My colleague Connor O’Neill suggested on the latest edition of the Royal Blue podcast that after the next international break, David Moyes should go with one of the pair and stick with them, regardless of form, for several weeks, but unless either of them starts hitting the net on a regular basis, the chopping and changing could continue.
Neither impressed against West Ham United but given that he has two goals so far this season and he also scored against Crystal Palace in the 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park the last time these sides met on February 15, I’d retain Beto up front. By the same token, I’d be inclined to bring in Carlos Alcaraz for the suspended Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
I know that given that he’s Everton’s most expensive signing of the summer, the pressure will be on Tyler Dibling to be given a start, but while Moyes might still ultimately plump on the former Southampton wonder kid, he won’t be swayed by the teenager’s £35million price tag and the decision will be made on merit.
Bringing in Dibling, presumably on the right wing would also facilitate further changes with Iliman Ndiaye moving positions and if the Senegal international returns to the left flank where he spent most of last season, that also means another switch for Jack Grealish to a central role.
All in all, Alcaraz, who could operate as the number 10, brings less disruption to the side and it must be remembered that he produced a sparkling man-of-the-match display in the most recent meeting of these teams, producing an assist and then a winning goal, so while Dibling hopefully has a big future ahead of him, the Argentinian deserves the nod this time around.
Joe Thomas
I've really enjoyed watching Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in Royal Blue and think he is hard done by with this suspension. The last two yellow cards, in particular, were astonishing.
What his absence does do is give David Moyes a chance to adopt a slightly different approach on Sunday and I do wonder whether that might be a useful opportunity. Things haven't quite been running as effectively up top as we would have liked since Everton returned to action after the first international break of the campaign.
I am interested in the prospect of Iliman Ndiaye leading the line. He can play that role and Moyes is aware of that. I do see it as a potential solution should problems persist because he has the ability to go both ways, play with his back to goal, run at defenders and the intelligence to link up with the creative players behind him.
For now, I would start with Barry, however. I think he needs games to adapt but he produced a good haul of goals at the top end of a good league last year and so is not 'that' raw. What he did not have at Wolves in the Carabao Cup was the first choice support network, so let's see whether the likes of Grealish and co can find a way to work with him.
While Barry would start up top for me, I would change things around behind him. Ndiaye has a few goals and an assist but he is being hindered out on the right. I would like to see him on the left, where I think he is best, and Grealish in the middle. Throw Tyler Dibling on the right and you provide Grealish with clever runs on either side which might open space for him and Barry to exploit.
One of the biggest hinderances for Grealish, to me, is the lack of overlapping run from his full-back to drag a defender off him and provide him more space to find an end product. Give him Ndiaye off his left and that could be an interesting dynamic.
Dibling and Barry still feel underused, as does Ndiaye in his better positions, so I would explore those ideas before putting Ndiaye up top.
But I am open to that if needed and on Sunday would throw Carlos Alcaraz on for Barry and push Grealish to the left if Everton were struggling to create.
I think Alcaraz has done well in the few opportunities he has had to date and think he could be effective this season if given more minutes.