Everton analysis after the friendly with AS Roma at Hill Dickinson Stadium
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley has covered Everton and Liverpool both in the Premier League and abroad since 2005. He cut his teeth in professional sports journalism at the Ellesmere Port Pioneer and then the Welsh edition of the Daily Post, where he also covered Manchester United. Prior to that he worked on the student newspaper Pluto at the University of Central Lancashire, a role in which he first encountered David Moyes. Chris is well-known for his sartorial elegance and the aforementioned Scottish manager once enquired of him at a press conference: "Is that your dad's suit you've got on?" while the tradition continued in 2023 with new Blues boss Sean Dyche complimenting him on his smart appearance.
David Moyes, Head Coach of Everton looks on prior to the pre-season friendly match between Everton and AS Roma at Hill Dickinson Stadium on August 09, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Left-back loss
Ironically, the best Everton left-back of the Premier League era was starting for the Blues in the legends game that followed the main event with a Leighton Baines turning out for Peter Reid’s wizened warriors, but the 40-year-old looked like he could still do a job for David Moyes, the manager who signed him for the club back in 2007, in the Premier League.
Instead, the Scot is now facing a dilemma for the opening day as Everton head across the Pennines for what promises to be a white-hot reception against newly promoted Leeds United. Fortunately, the Blues have more or less been able to get by for the past couple of years with Vitalii Mykolenko as their only recognised senior left-back, but as soon as the Ukraine international had genuine competition for a place, he goes off injured just 10 minutes into the team’s inaugural fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium in front of fans.
The enforced change saw recruit from Bayern Munich Adam Aznou thrown in at the deep end and while there is hopefully a big future ahead for the teenage prospect, he sank rather than swam on this occasion. After the Morocco international made his debut off the bench against Manchester United in Atlanta six days previously, Moyes said: “Obviously, his levels of physicality and what not, he’ll have to get used to that over the next year or two, but I thought he was a bit of a positive when he came on and there were some good signs from him.”
Will Aznou be required in West Yorkshire though and will he be ready if so? It seemed quite damning that on this occasion, the substitute was substituted as Everton ended the game with club captain and natural right-back Seamus Coleman, now in his 37th year, out of position at left-back under Moyes, just as he’d been on his own baptism of fire debut at Benfica, almost 16 years ago.
Striking a balance
Beto has been promoted to wear the number nine, the most coveted of Everton jerseys, but it was new signing Thierno Barry who got the nod to spearhead the attack from the start on this historic occasion.
Whether or not it was a sign of things to come – Beto has led the line for most of pre-season without much to show for his efforts – but in truth, the £27million recruit from Villarreal showed that he is still very much a work in progress. As we’ve seen already from the France Under-21 international, who joined up with his new team-mates in the USA for a trio of cameo appearances off the bench in the Premier League Summer Series, at 6ft 5in he is in many ways a physical centre-forward in the traditional Blues mould, and after giant Ivorian Lacina Traore who was restricted to a couple of brief outings in a loan spell and stood three inches taller, the biggest of the lot.
While Barry, who caught Manchester United’s Ayden Heaven with a flailing elbow last time out, once again looked a handful, he spurned the opportunity to score what would have been a landmark goal here by putting Everton head in the first half. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who pulled the strings for the hosts, especially in the opening 45 minutes, put a chance on a plate for the number 11 but rather than showing a clinical finish, he almost tripped over the ball. It felt like a wasted opportunity to hit the ground running and build up some early momentum but hopefully it was a case of getting such mistakes out of your system before the competitive action ahead.
Midfield mix
As Tony Hibbert alluded to in a pitchside interview with stadium announcer Simon Ross during the second half of the old boys’ kickabout, the only true legends involved where the management duo over his shoulder of Peter Reid (who at 69 came on to play) and Paul Bracewell, who patrolled the centre of the park in Everton’s most successful side of 1984/85. On the way into Hill Dickinson Stadium, this correspondent made his way through the Everton Way, a collection of commemorative stones for supporters and former players alike that featured ‘The Holy Trinity’ of Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall and Alan Ball.
That trio will forever be the benchmark for Blues midfields, but what about the current crop? While Idrissa Gueye and James Garner remain the incumbent pair in the deeper roles, Moyes is shuffling his pack further forwards. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, perhaps as fit as anyone in the squad given his recent exploits helping Chelsea to win the FIFA Club World Cup, took up the mantle of the ‘number 10’ role, and already looks far silkier successor to Abdoulaye Doucoure whose hard running made him so effective as a hybrid ‘advanced six’ in that area in recent years.
Iliman Ndiaye remained in the left wing berth that brought him so much joy last season but while the Senegal international often plays on the right for his country, it was Charly Alcaraz who moved over to Everton’s ‘problem position’ here in an area of the pitch where they don’t have any orthodox options. It makes you wonder where Dwight McNeil fits into it all, but what remains clear is that the Blues need fresh blood on that side of the pitch, whether it’s Southampton’s wantaway wonderkid Tyler Dibling or someone else.