EXCLUSIVE: Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs believes David Moyes shouldn't be tempted to move midfielder James Garner to right-back against Manchester United
It would be “wrong” to take James Garner out of midfield to fill the void in Everton’s problem position of right-back against Manchester United. That’s the view of former Blues captain Alan Stubbs as David Moyes ponders an enforced change to replace the suspended Jake O’Brien.
The Republic of Ireland international is not a natural right-back either, but having failed to make a Premier League start under Sean Dyche, despite his £16.43million fee from Olympique Lyonnais making him the club’s most expensive signing of 2024, the Scot has integrated him into the side by mostly being deployed in that role rather than his preferred centre-back position.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference for the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, Moyes revealed that Everton have been “actively looking for a right-back for over a year,” but with O’Brien serving a one-match ban, his options include club captain Seamus Coleman, who has started just one Premier League game all season – in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford; Nathan Patterson, who was close to joining Genoa on transfer deadline day of the winter window, and Garner, who is naturally a central midfielder but has been used in both full-back berths this term.
Stubbs, who made 193 appearances, scoring seven goals across two spells for Everton, told the ECHO: “What we’re definitely going to see of course is a change at right-back with Jake O’Brien suspended. Nathan Patterson can go in there and the only real alternative is putting James Garner in that role, which for me would be a negative.
“James Garner has been holding his own and for me he’s our best midfield player right now. To take him out of the heart of it would be the wrong thing for me.
“I think Patterson comes in and then the manager has a decision to make. At centre-back it’s Jarrad Branthwaite plus another.
“I would have thought he’ll go with James Tarkowski and he and Jarrad have had a partnership that’s been good. At times this season, the centre-backs have been inconsistent and that’s down to not having a stable partner next to you.
“I don’t think James Tarkowski has had his best season and while I think he’s had some good games, I think there’s been an inconsistency there compared to previous seasons when he’s been so reliable and so solid. Similar with Michael Keane.
“It’s an area that you’d normally put your hat on in terms of ‘what’s Everton’s strongest part?’ You’d say defensively, but this season, it’s not been as consistent.”
Stubbs, who as a manager steered Hibernian to their first Scottish Cup in 114 years in 2016, reckons Moyes’ men need to keep it tight if they’re to record a rare ‘double’ over Manchester Unite, who have sacked Ruben Amorim since Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s strike condemned them to defeat in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford on November 24.
Speaking courtesy of William Hill, the lifelong Evertonian said: “If it is an open game, I think that suits Manchester United completely because of their pace in attack. They’ve become a counter-attacking team with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and I think the strongest part of their team is in forward areas.
“Our defence is going to have to shore up. If you look at the goals against Bournemouth and I think defensively, we were a little bit naive.
“As a defender, I thought they were two very straightforward balls to deal with, and we didn’t deal with them. You saw the face on David Moyes afterwards in the press conference, he didn’t want to be there.
“He didn’t want to answer questions and was very short in his answers. I think that’s because as a manager, David Moyes would always pride himself on being a team that’s hard to beat, but on the night, I thought we beat ourselves more than anything because of the manner of the goals that we conceded.
“I think a lot of work will have been done since that game in terms of dealing with straightforward balls into the box and dealing better with crosses. United have got a big striker in Benjamin Sesko and they’ve got a different type of striker in Matheus Cunha who goes deeper.
“Everton are going to have to be at their best to get a result. United look like they’ve turned a corner under Michael Carrick and they’re pushing for a Champions League spot, which nobody would have given them a chance of just six weeks ago.
“United are coming into the fixture in good form and if Everton do have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, the one thing that they have to correct is their home form.”
In terms of improving their home form, the 54-year-old from Kirkby reckons the Blues – who haven’t won in their last six matches by the Mersey waterfront – have to maintain their focus because lapses in concentration are costing them dearly.
Stubbs said: “Because of the form away from home, I think it makes it more frustrating. As any fan, because you are at home, most fans would love to see the team win at Hill Dickinson Stadium with only a small percentage getting to see them away.
“There have been lots of times in the games that we’ve lost at home where there have been defining moments. They seem to have happened in a quick space of time.
“If you look at the games where we have lost, there have been 10-minute windows where the games have gone away from us. It’s nothing that can’t be corrected but I think the players have to manage the games better at home.
“I think at times we’ve got caught up in the games being too open and I think teams have capitalised on that.”