Several of Everton's summer signings have remained on the periphery of David Moyes' plans this season - whether he looks to provide new opportunities again Fulham is a source of intrigue
David Moyes applauds the travelling fans at the end of the English Premier League football match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images
David Moyes applauds the travelling fans at the end of the English Premier League football match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images
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All eyes will be on David Moyes’ starting line-up when Everton host Fulham on Saturday. The Blues have entered both international breaks off the back of morale-boosting wins and making that a hat-trick at the weekend would be a welcome development.
How the Blues can place themselves in the best position to do that is unclear though.
They excellent in the first 30 minutes at Sunderland, taking an early lead and they should have doubled. Had they done that, a big win was well within reach in the north east.
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Instead, as has happened on several occasions this season, a good spell could not be converted into a match-winning performance and Sunderland bit back. Not only did they grab an equaliser, they dominated the second half and looked the most likely to find a winner.
All of a sudden, Moyes and Everton are under more scrutiny than at any other point this season. A clear first choice XI has emerged this season - at least a preferred 10, with Thierno Barry and Beto alternating, neither with great effect.
The Blues could opt to continue with the status quo. There is an argument that can be made along the lines of this group having created good chances at big moments in each of the last three games - even though none ended in wins and all were against tough opposition.
Moyes would be justified to bemoan the missed chances between Beto and now, after Sunderland, Barry. Had some of them gone in, the Premier League table would make for happier reading. Instead, none of those have ended up in the back of the net and consideration needs to be given over whether a different approach is needed.
For Moyes, it may be that he seeks to remain consistent and then reassesses his squad during the international break. If Iliman Ndiaye, who limped off in the second half at the Stadium of Light with what Everton hope was just cramp, is available then that is a possibility.
But he is now under pressure to explore his squad in more depth - or at least explain why he has not done so to date.
Merlin Rohl has been hampered by injury since signing on deadline day but after rave reviews from the training ground and several promising cameos, the decision not to introduce him from the bench on Monday was a surprise - particularly given his stature and the Blues' struggle for authority in the middle of the pitch.
That Tyler Dibling, the most expensive signing of the summer, did not come on is another perplexing issue.
It was hoped the teenager would solve the right-wing issue but instead Ndiaye has been given that slot and the call to introduce Dwight McNeil ahead of Dibling at Sunderland was peculiar.
Left-footed and without Premier League exposure since August, the decision to bring onMcNeil out-of-position ahead of better-suited alternatives was strange and can only partially be explained by Moyes’ answer - that he is training well at Finch Farm.
Then, there is the situation around Carlos Alcaraz. A match-winner on several occasions while on loan last season, making his stint on Merseyside permanent was a no-brainer.
Yet the length of his deal, initially just for two years, felt unusually short and Moyes appears reluctant to use him despite the impact he has had - the playmaker did not have the best cameo at Sunderland but the away end was calling for him for a long time before he arrived because they have seen him change games before.
Should Ndiaye be fit then Moyes is likely to have a full squad to choose from on Saturday, minus the long-term injured Nathan Patterson and Jarrad Branthwaite. Whether he sees Fulham as the time to stick or twist feels like a defining moment in this first quarter of the season but right now there are big questions around the use of Rohl, Alcaraz and Dibling - players who should be able to help Moyes if they are given the right opportunities.
With the looming Africa Cup of Nations - and with it the loss of Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye - and with a fanbase left frustrated by recent results, Fulham may be a good time to start exploring the squad assembled in the summer in more detail.
If he does not do that, then that first choice core will need to justify its continued selection with a good display and, preferably, three points.