A look at the changes to the starting 11 David Moyes could make for the first-ever Merseyside Derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium as Everton prepare to face Liverpool at their new home
Tyrique George had contrasting fortunes after coming on as a substitute for Everton in their 2-2 draw at Brentford to give manager David Moyes food for thought ahead of the historic first Merseyside Derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Speaking in his post-match press conference at the Gtech Community Stadium, the Blues boss said: “I was pleased. I’ve liked Tyrique and we’ll try and get him the minutes and opportunities when we can.
“He’s got good control, he wants to score, I like that, and you saw that today. He wants to try and score and that was important for me because I think wide players nowadays, we’re asking [a lot of] them.”
Magic man Iliman Ndiaye, last season’s top scorer, will surely start on one of the wings against Liverpool if fit, but it remains to be seen whether on-loan Chelsea prospect George’s cameo in another corner of west London at the weekend, where he looked bright going forwards but failed to track Michael Kayode in the build-up to the hosts’ second goal, is enough for Moyes to take Dwight McNeil out of the side.
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After his own proposed move in the opposite direction on deadline day of the winter transfer window – to Crystal Palace – fell through, the £20million signing from Burnley has worked hard to reinstate himself in the team.
McNeil was not in the squad for Everton’s first two matches after the transfer to Selhurst Park collapsed but after being named on the bench against Manchester United, he has subsequently started the last five games as an inverted right winger.
When the Rochdale-born player went off against the Bees after 74 minutes on Saturday, Ndiaye switched over to the right flank with substitute George, who appears to have moved ahead of £35million summer purchase Tyler Dibling in the pecking order, on the left.
Up front, Beto, who like McNeil has been in the starting line-up since the 3-2 win at Newcastle United, would be expected to keep his place after netting his fourth goal in that period, ensuring that Thierno Barry remains on the bench.
The same goes for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the number 10 role after he struck for the seventh time this season to secure a point for the Blues in stoppage time.
Idrissa Gueye and James Garner remain very much the first-choice combination in central midfield, ensuring Tim Iroegbunam – who got on as a late substitute for the former at Brentford – and Merlin Rohl are both stuck on the bench while teenager Harrison Armstrong was not in the matchday squad in the capital and it remains to be seen whether there is a place for the Scouser against the neighbours.
In defence, Moyes named what looks to be his current first-choice back four against the Bees of Jake O’Brien, Vitalii Mykolenko, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite.
There were a couple of right-backs among the unused substitutes in club captain Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, but neither look likely to be recalled unless there are injuries elsewhere.
A more likely switch could come if Michael Keane is restored to centre-back with the potential for Branthwaite to move in at left-back to provide more height to the backline.
However, the Ukraine international has done well against Reds star man Mohamed Salah in the past and taking him out of the side and deploying a team-mate out of position might be a risky strategy in what will be the Egyptian’s final derby outing.