Our Everton writers select their line-ups for Saturday's Premier League clash against Newcastle United at St James' Park
Nathan Patterson battles for possession with Callum Hudson-Odoi during Everton's win over Nottingham Forest
Nathan Patterson battles for possession with Callum Hudson-Odoi during Everton's win over Nottingham Forest(Image: (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images))
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Everton travel to St James' Park today (Saturday) to take on Newcastle United (3pm kick-off). They will be aiming to continue their excellent Premier League away form and bounce back from further home frustration.
While the Blues deserved more from their 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Monday, it ultimately proved to be another night of disappointment at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Indeed, Everton have now failed to win any of their last seven matches in all competitions in front of their own supporters. In contrast, their record on the road is superb, and they head to the north east today looking to extend their unbeaten away run to six games.
But how should David Moyes line-up for what will be a very tricky test against a strong Newcastle side who are showing signs of getting back to their best? Our writers have their say...
Joe Thomas
Trying to work out what to do against Newcastle is a challenge. David Moyes is definitely using square pegs in round holes. But he has also been vindicated in some of his selection decisions - particularly away from home.
The big issue for me is less ‘why did he play Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner at full back against Man United’ and more ‘why hasn’t more been done to strengthen those areas to avoid playing two of his best players out of position?’
Whatever the answer, the situation isn’t going to change before the summer. So how do you deal with it?
I’m going to suggest something out of the box, not because it is perfect but because I think it might make the best use of the players Everton have available right now.
In the absence of Jack Grealish, Moyes only has one experienced winger in Iliman Ndiaye. So why play with them at a side that will provide tough opposition but has plenty of vulnerabilities, especially given some of their injuries?
I’d start three centre backs - with Branthwaite and Jake O’Brien alongside James Tarkowski. Michael Keane was excellent in this game last season and is unfortunate to miss out, but I think that is a formidable back line that allows Tarkowski the opportunity to be aggressive and have pace to help cover wing-backs when they push forward.
This would allow Nathan Patterson to play his natural right wing back position and actually push forward. It is far less natural for Vitalii Mykolenko to attack but I would start him on the left because he should keep things tight and can tuck in to allow Patterson more freedom down the other side, or Branthwaite the chance to step forward.
Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Merlin Rohl would be my midfield trio - some strength and guile there with Dewsbury-Hall essentially my number eight.
I would then throw Ndiaye just off Thierno Barry and give him absolute freedom to wreak havoc in a move that would also give the lone striker someone to feed off anything he wins in the air.
Maybe this sounds like I have lost my marbles but to me as I write this, it makes sense! I wouldn’t replicate this at home against Burnley - absolutely not - but I think it could work today.
My line-up (5-3-1-1): Pickford, Patterson, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall; Ndiaye; Barry.
Chris Beesley
Everton manager David Moyes insists that Jarrad Branthwaite is as comfortable at left-back as he is at centre-back, but his display against Manchester United suggested otherwise. The Blues boss was defiant that he’d use his four centre-back defence again after deploying it for the 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, so perhaps we could see the system in place at opposite ends of the country for the trip to Newcastle United?
However, while Branthwaite looked pretty solid on the left down in Sussex, the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Amad gave him something of the run-around at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The ‘Carlisle Kaiser’ became Everton’s most valuable player on the back of his displays as a ball-playing centre-back who was such a special commodity because he combined ease in possession and an ability to carry the ball out from defence with a towering physical presence.
While the 23-year-old is gifted enough to fill in at full-back, it’s probably best for all concerned to get him back in his natural role as soon as possible so I’d recall Vitalii Mykolenko as both he and James Tarkowski have benefited in the past from having Branthwaite in between them.
What I’m more resigned to is having another natural centre-back in the opposite full-back berth, as the Manchester United selection suggested Nathan Patterson really is a last resort now, so with Jake O’Brien’s suspension lifted, he comes back in, allowing James Garner to revert to central midfield, so at least one of the square pegs in round holes goes back to his preferred position.
This is because I can’t see anyone out of the trio of wide men Tyrique George, Tyler Dibling or Dwight McNeil getting the nod from the start for this assignment, which means another outing as a nominal winger for Harrison Armstrong, who has impressed his Glaswegian gaffer with the way he takes on instructions, showing maturity beyond his tender years combined with his precocious potential.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Armstrong; Barry.
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