David Moyes simply can't stick with current preferred XI after watching Everton drop yet more points against Premier League newboys Sunderland.
The Scottish boss returned to the Stadium of Light, where he was manager in the 2016/17 season, only to leave with a single point. The Black Cats battled back from being a goal behind at half-time after Illiman Ndiaye netted a superb opener for the visitors.
Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka thundered in an equaliser at the beginning of the second period to level the score, and that is how it would end. Despite surviving a late flurry of Sunderland attacks, the Toffees have now just picked up 12 points all season from 10 league matches.
Moyes Must Drop Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall After Sunderland Struggle
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
One of the stranger decisions Moyes made was to keep midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the pitch for over 80 minutes. The Englishman has struggled to have an impact playing just behind the lone striker in recent weeks after a promising start to life on Merseyside.
The former Chelsea man has registered just one goal and an assist in the Premier League season, both of which came in the third game of the season at struggling Wolves.
To put it plainly, he isn't a number 10. Dewsbury-Hall emerged at Leicester City, where he was utilised mainly as a box-to-box player, rather than an attacking outlet. His performances, including the display against Sunderland.
He lost the ball 10 times and only completed 19 out of 24 passes on the night. This shows he wasn't involved enough, and when he was, Dewsbury-Hall didn't show the required quality to make things happen.
That lack of creativity compared to the electric Ndiaye and Jack Grealish to either side of him sticks out like a sore thumb at times. If he's to get back into form, Moyes should drop him back into a deeper role and give Charly Alcaraz a run in the number 10 role.
Everton Fans Baffled by Moyes' Use of 'Passenger' Dewsbury-Hall
David Moyes
Supporters of the club took to social media to express their concerns over Dewsbury-Hall's lacklustre performance at the Stadium of Light. One user was particularly frustrated by the amount of times he lost possession: "KDH is having a stinker! He’s given the ball away about 6 times in 40 mins ffs!"
Another disgruntled supporter decided enough was enough and the 27-year-old should be taken out of his unnatural position, saying: "Get Dewsbury Hall out of that position. He just doesn’t have the ability to find players quick and on the move."
Before finally making the decision to replace the midfield player with Alcaraz in the 83rd minute, Moyes' decision-making was questioned. One fan asked: "Can’t Moyes see Dewsbury-Hall is just a passenger?"
Others were more concerned with how the player signed from Chelsea in the summer looked to regress as the game went on, with one saying: "KDH has gone off the boil as this has gone on." A final irked supporter added: "Dewsbury Hall not done enough for me. His final pass has been really poor."
Statistics in this article are courtesy of SofaScore. Correct as of 03-11-25.