Everton take on Sunderland in the Premier League at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon
Nathan Patterson will be eyeing a rare start
Nathan Patterson will be eyeing a rare start(Image: Simon Traylen/ProSports/Shutterstock)
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Everton round off their first season at Hill Dickinson Stadium with a visit from a side who inflicted one of the lowest points of the campaign upon them.
It was back in January when Sunderland knocked the Blues out of the FA cup with a penalty shootout victory in the third round, but now comes the chance for revenge in the final home match of the season.
David Moyes will know that a win is vital if his side are to keep alive faint hopes of European football next season, but who should the Scot select to take on the Black Cats? Here's what our Everton writers would do if they were in Moyes' shoes this Sunday.
Joe Thomas
The value of pace was clear against Man City but I would use it as justification to start Tyrique George over Merlin Rohl. David Moyes likes the loanee and he unlocked Crystal Palace to give Iliman Ndiaye the chance to win at the death last week.
Everton need a win and will want to be positive in their final home game of the season, I’d have him on the left and Ndiaye on the right.
Brian Brobbey has bullied a few defences this season and I would use that as the reason to bring Jake O’Brien into the middle and, on the right, I would start Nathan Patterson. Maybe that sounds wild but if would be a pacier back four and Patterson could provide Ndiaye with support on the wing he scored that brilliant goal from back in November. In the middle of midfield I would keep the James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tim Iroegbunam dynamic.
Part of of me wants to move Garner to right back but I think that would be a waste of his talent in midfield. I want Iroegbunam for his size and athleticism.
Beto keeps his place up top for me - if he could get a tenth of the campaign that would be some achievement given his start to the season.
My team: (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Iroegbunam; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Beto
Chris Beesley
Seamus Coleman has played more Premier League games for Everton than anyone else – but he should only get to add to that total if three points have been sewn up against Sunderland.
Unlike the Blues’ final fixture at Goodison Park a year ago when they faced an already-relegated Southampton after their own Premier League safety had been secured under David Moyes with five games to go, this match to bring the curtain down on the inaugural season at Hill Dickinson Stadium is no dead rubber with the chance of European football still not out of sight. If only Everton hadn’t conceded stoppage time goals in three consecutive games against Liverpool, West Ham United and Manchester City then surrendering the lead twice at Crystal Palace last time out, then loyal but long suffering Blues supporters would already be dusting off their passports for the first time since 2017.
Instead, despite a maddening five-match unbeaten run when top teams turn up the heat during the run-in, Moyes’ men are now among the chasing pack of outsiders when it comes to securing a place in continental competition, but the dream is not dead just yet, so this is no time for sentiment. Captain Coleman broke the Everton Premier League appearance record because he was a durable performer who was the club’s best in his position during the competition’s history, but unfortunately, despite the fact the Blues have been crying out for a suitable successor for far too long, in his 38th year, his body can no longer be trusted not to let him down.
Some 12 months ago, his Glaswegian gaffer handed the man from Killybegs the accolade of leading Everton out for their final game at Goodison Park after 133 years at the first purpose-built football ground in English football and venue for the most top flight matches. He lasted 18 minutes.
When handed his next Premier League start – on the back of supposedly proving his fitness with 151 minutes operating in the energy-sapping wing-back role for the Republic of Ireland in a brace of World Cup qualifiers the previous week – Coleman managed a mere 10 minutes before he was forced off again. All being well, he can come off the bench at get a final run-out on home turf in a royal blue jersey, but only if the circumstances are right.
Given all that and Moyes saying that fellow veteran Idrissa Gueye is not fit to return, it’s an unchanged starting line-up from myself.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Iroegbunam, Garner; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto.