A Gameplan Undone
Fans waiting in anticipation of Everton’s opening game of the new campaign, on Monday night against Leeds United, were confused - to put it mildly - when the team news broke 90 minutes prior to the big kickoff at Elland Road. Theories abounded as to how the Blues would set up, with no left-sided defenders at all in the lineup. Vitaly Mykolenko had appeared to be touch-and-go, as to whether he’s make the game, after having limped off more than a week earlier, during the preseason friendly against Roma, but it was assumed that either new signing Adam Aznou, or perhaps the more conservative choice of Seamus Coleman would fill the left back berth. It appeared that the young Moroccan international was slated to start, but picked up a late injury, throwing plans into chaos.
The most obvious move would have been to switch to a back three - which the Toffees had used on a couple of occasions during their United States tour - but clearly this had not been worked on in preparation for Leeds. David Moyes was left with the unenviable choice between switching formation to one which had not been practised, or to find a stop-gap solution. In this, he alighted upon deploying James Garner as a makeshift left-sided defender — a midfielder who had at least played a little as a full back, albeit on the right side. In Garner’s central midfield place arrived Tim Iroegbunam, alongside the ever-present Idrissa Gueye, with new signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall operating in a more advanced position, behind lone striker Beto.
Carlos Alcaraz continued to operate as a right winger, as he had in recent friendly outings. The visitors looked hesitant and uncertain right from the opening whistle, as Leeds put them under pressure, roared on by a raucous home crowd. Everton were penned into their own half for almost the entire first 45 minutes, unable to move the ball forward efficiently, often coughing up possession with poor, rushed passes as the hosts pressed relentlessly, and with purpose. It was apparent throughout that the Toffees had no confidence in what they were being asked to do, and had no way to adapt to events in-game. Things improved after the restart, with Leeds unable to press so relentlessly and Dewsbury-Hall dropped deeper into midfield, but it was still anaemic fare.
Jordan Pickford (Everton) punches the ball clear during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road in Leeds, England, on August 18, 2025. (Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jordan Pickford (Everton) punches the ball clear during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road in Leeds, England, on August 18, 2025. (Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
An Alternate Approach?
It’s easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback, but on balance perhaps Moyes would have been better advised to rip up the game plan and to switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation, bringing in Dwight McNeil (more on him later) as a left wingback, and fielding Garner on the right, with Jake O’Brien slotting in next to James Tarkowski and Michael Keane as one of the centre backs. The benefits could have been at least having some balance, in the left-footed McNeil, and in having wingbacks who could (in theory) offer some width in attack. It would also have served to hide the huge black hole which the team currently has on the right wing.
Negatives, I hear you ask? McNeil is not adept defensively, and Leeds do have pace in wide areas — though in Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto, we aren’t talking Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo in terms of threat, exactly. Garner would still not have been able to be used as a holding midfielder, a role he’s expressed comfort in carrying out - and in which he’d shown some capability - in preseason. And it’s true that Moyes had drilled the team in a 4-2-3-1 shape, rather than a back three, though it’s tough to imagine that Everton could have displayed less cohesion than was the case on Monday, even if they’d set up in something like the 2-3-5 Pyramid from a century ago! Now, there’s a thought for Sunday…
Worrying Signs
So, this was hardly an ideal situation for Moyes: losing key defender Jarrad Branthwaite last week, alongside the reliable Mykolenko, along with Aznou — who was brought in specifically to provide cover for a thin left side. It had been shown on Saturday, with Sunderland trouncing a lacklustre West Ham United, that a newly-promoted side could prove a tough opponent on home turf early in the campaign. It’s my opinion that Leeds are potentially a better proposition than the three hapless promoted sides from last season, though are nowhere near as good as the Black Cats, who’ve managed their recruitment in preparation for their return to the top flight impeccably. And yes, but for an oddly-called penalty decision, Everton would likely have take a point from Elland Road, but if the Hammers were a shambles at the Stadium of Light, what does this performance say about the Blues?
Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) takes on Daniel James (Leeds United) during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road in Leeds, United Kingdom, on August 18, 2025. (Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Iliman Ndiaye (Everton) takes on Daniel James (Leeds United) during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road in Leeds, United Kingdom, on August 18, 2025. (Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Even taking into account injury problems and an ad-hoc lineup, the team were bullied during that opening half, by a motivated, but mediocre outfit. The unbalanced setup certainly didn’t help matters, but it was alarming how easily Everton’s attempts to play out from the back could be disrupted. With the fullbacks incapable of getting forward effectively, offering no width, it was easy for Leeds to congest the midfield and to force the visitors to go back, or long. Beto, a strange pick to start given that new striker Thierno Barry had been preferred in warm-up games against Manchester United, over in the US and Roma at Hill Dickinson Stadium, was dominated by the home defence and it was a surprise that he was left on the pitch for the full 90. The €30m summer arrival from Villarreal was only introduced with five minutes left, which I found puzzling.
The McNeil Enigma
What is going on with Dwight McNeil? The winger was injured when Moyes arrived in January, and was eased back to fitness from a knee injury which had sidelined him for four months, making only two starts from eight appearances under the new boss. With Iliman Ndiaye a fixture in McNeil’s best position, on the left wing, he was used as a rotation option on the right. This continued in the second half of the preseason schedule, during which he didn’t feature too prominently, and his status as a starter in the team is further threatened by the arrival of Jack Grealish, who can be used on the left or as a central playmaker — a position which the ex-Burnley man has stated he prefers. Personally, I think that the 25-year-old looks awkward playing off the striker, is arguably worse on the right, and appears to be third choice in the only place he can play, on the left.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Everton FC - Premier League
Is McNeil’s time at Everton running out?
Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images
So, I was not surprised when McNeil did not make the starting team on Monday, but I can’t quite fathom why he wasn’t used at all. With the Blues operating with a measure of control in the second half, but struggling to create decent scoring opportunities, surely he’d have been worth putting on at some stage? After all, he managed a goal and three assists under Moyes last term, in eight outings, strikes the ball well from distance, can put in a good cross and is arguably the team’s best corner taker. Late on, with Everton trailing 1-0, McNeil remained unused. Moyes had few options on the bench, but certainly McNeil was a valid one, so this calls into question his future at the club. Is he frozen out? Is a late-window sale in the offing? Time will tell.
Time is Running Out
It’s hard to believe, after the club’s impressive end to last season, on the dawn of Everton’s bold new era under owners, The Friedkin Group, and in possession of its state-of-the-art new £800m stadium on the banks of the Mersey, that a few months later we’d be where we are now. Getting embarrassed by Premier League new boys Leeds is not the end of the world - it’s just one game - and Moyes and his side will have many opportunities to erase the bad taste left by that defeat. TFG are making great progress in growing the club commercially, which will aid the Toffees in various ways, including in transfer windows to come, but the current one is not progressing as smoothly as hoped. Everton entered the summer having lost a significant portion of a squad which was already lacking in quality depth, so much work was required.
So far, six new additions have been made (Alcaraz had already spent half of last season on loan at the club), and some necessary gaps filled: Barry providing competition for Beto, Aznou for Mykolenko and Mark Travers replacing the departed João Virgínia. Dewsbury-Hall has added a progressive central midfielder, which has been lacking for a long time and Grealish offers both star power and - more importantly - a genuine touch of class to what’s often been a moribund outfit in recent years. However, problem areas in the squad remain untouched, most notably the total absence of a natural right winger. A lengthy list of targets has been worked down, but ten days out from the transfer deadline, none has been secured. It seems that the club may be close to getting a deal over the line for 19-year-old Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, but there have been many false dawns in what’s developed into a tortuous pursuit.
LEEDS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Jack Grealish of Everton runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Daniel James of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road on August 18, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LEEDS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: Jack Grealish of Everton runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Daniel James of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road on August 18, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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O’Brien’s deficiencies at right back were finally exposed on Monday. The big Irishman did a solid job last season, but the ongoing fallacy that he would be fine as a starter in this position must surely be recognized by all. That the club has left it this late to bring someone in, following an early failed attempt to snare Fulham’s Kenny Tete, is mystifying. Equally, the balance in Everton’s midfield is off. The Gueye/Garner tandem was serviceable last term, but Iroegbunam is nowhere near being ready to step in at this stage, and it’s clear that a defensive-minded player is urgently needed — ideally offering a superior version of what Orel Mangala brought to the table. With all the focus being on securing a right winger, it’s unclear if the Blues have any definitive targets lined up for either full back or midfield, with the names for the latter position being bandied around in the media being unsuitable.
With time running out, we are seeing the limitations of Everton’s new recruitment structure exposed. An amusing recent article in the Athletic rated the club as top (or bottom) in the transfer window panic-o-meter rankings, which is hardly a ringing endorsement of its business so far. Several days on from whatever that was that took place at Elland Road, it’s been eerily quiet. Hopefully, there are deals nearing completion, but barring a fantastic final week or so, it’s difficult to see this summer as anything but a colossal failure. Whatever the mechanisms are at play within Everton’s nebulous “transfer committee” structure and - going off Moyes’ comments - the aim seems to be to aim high in terms of targets, taking to the pitch on Monday with that team was inexcusable.
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