The Toffees must hand their £22m general one final chance to impress.
Everton’s start to the season has been a disappointing one despite some admittedly good performances, but in the end, they will need to start picking up more points in order to survive in the Premier League for another year.
The current squad has its weak spots, but this was well-known before the campaign began. The exit of Demarai Gray had left them slightly light on the ground in the winger spots, and should James Tarkowski or Jarrad Branthwaite get injured, the next line of replacements would see the quality drop at centre-back dramatically.
Fortunately, one of their strongest areas is actually in the midfield, where they boast a wealth of stars all with varying skill sets. Sean Dyche, for all the troubles he has faced during his time at Goodison Park, is surprisingly blessed with his engine room options.
Therefore, perhaps in an effort to inject some added creativity into that area, helping them add to the two goals in four games that they have scored – both of which were in just one match – one of the more defensive-minded players in Idrissa Gueye could be swapped out.
How is Idrissa Gueye playing?
If anyone was to be a victim of such a move, it would have to be the 33-year-old Gueye, who despite remaining as relentless as ever, has become somewhat of a liability with his questionable decisions and limited passing range, which often sees him dispossessed in areas of danger.
| Idrissa Gueye’s Premier League Season’s | Average Rating | Errors Leading to Goals & Shots |
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 season | 6.95 | 0 |
| 2022/23 season | 6.90 | 3 |
| 2018/19 season | 7.09 | 1 |
| 2017/18 season | 7.00 | 1 |
Despite this, he has still maintained a 6.95 average rating in the league thus far, which is mainly upheld by his three tackles and 9.3 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore. However, with Amadou Onana in that area too, who has managed to record 1.8 tackles and 4.3 ball recoveries alongside 1.3 key passes per game of his own, Dyche can surely afford to sacrifice one of these stalwarts in search of added goals.
Even if it is just for a few games, he could experiment with one of their forgotten stars in Andre Gomes, handing him one final chance to impress before he is shown the exit door.
How good is Andre Gomes?
The man who could come in is one who has truly seen a rapid decline into relative obscurity on Merseyside, despite being one of the most well-loved characters not so long ago.
Signed back in 2018 from Barcelona, Andre Gomes’ initial loan deal was so successful that Marco Silva saw fit to unload £22m to bring him in permanently.
After all, he had impressed with his silky play style and elegant demeanour, both of which captured the imagination of the fanbase. And, given he was joining from a club that had invested heavily into his future, it marked a huge coup for the plucky Toffees to pry the “midfield maestro” from their hands, as branded so by writer Andrew Gaffney.
https://superssport.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/images-2.jpeg
Although never truly outstanding with his tangible figures, his recent loan spell at LOSC Lille offered a glimpse into the creative gem he could now be in Dyche’s midfield.
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson had praised his tenure with the Blues though back in 2018, writing after his horrific injury: “He’s a good player. He’s got vision, he’s comfortable on the ball and he’s always trying to make things happen. He’s also not a dogger who has to win every tackle and that will help him. He’s only 26 so he should still have his best years ahead of him.”
In the French top flight, the Portugal international would score three, assist two, maintain an 89% pass accuracy and also record 0.5 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game, per Sofascore. For comparison, this goal tally would have made him Everton’s third-top-scorer in the Premier League, with only Abdoulaye Doucoure from the midfield having netted more.
Although he is unlikely to set the division alight, given the investment made across his spell on Merseyside, it is surely worth handing him one last chance to prove his worth and add the attacking impetus they have been lacking.
Leave a Reply