GiveMeSport
·31 October 2023
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·31 October 2023
Everton secured three points away to West Ham United on Sunday, and journalist Paul Brown has discussed an 'interesting' decision from Sean Dyche with GIVEMESPORT, but insisted that it's something the supporters shouldn't be reading too much into.
The Toffees are starting to turn a corner having won four of their last six games in all competitions, and Dyche has had some big decisions to make. The former Burnley manager almost has a fully fit squad to choose from, meaning some senior players aren't receiving the game time they might be expecting.
During the summer transfer window, Everton made five signings to help strengthen their squad after enduring back-to-back relegation battles. Youssef Chermiti, Arnaut Danjuma, and Beto are three attacking options that Dyche and his recruitment team secured the signatures of, but the Everton trio are struggling to break into the starting XI so far this season.
Dyche is known for his rigid style of play with even his attacking players playing a key role defensively, which is why the likes of Dwight McNeil and Jack Harrison are regular starters, due to their work rate at both ends of the pitch.
Beto and Chermiti are currently competing with Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack, but the English forward is in fine form after overcoming his recent injury struggles, so it's not going to be easy to displace him in the starting XI. Danjuma, as mentioned, has Harrison and McNeil in front of him, but journalist Brown has recently told GIVEMESPORT that he expects the Dutch forward to find his way into the side in the near future.
Against West Ham, Dyche was acting cautious on the sideline as he failed to make a substitute until the final minutes of the game, with the 11 players on the pitch performing well to help secure the three points. Young striker Chermiti was brought on in place of Calvert-Lewin in the final few minutes of the game, with £30m striker Beto failing to get any minutes - a decision which left some Evertonians scratching their heads.
At the age of 19, it was a bit of a surprise to see Chermiti brought on ahead of Beto in the final few minutes of the game. Beto is the more experienced of the two strikers, but Dyche opted for the youthfulness of Chermiti.
Brown has suggested that he doesn't have a problem with the decision made by Dyche, but admits it was an interesting choice from the former Burnley boss. The journalist adds that clearly the manager trusted him in that situation and it will hopefully give the young forward a bit of confidence after struggling for game time since arriving at Goodison Park. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown said...
"You'd have to ask Sean Dyche. I think he probably looked at the situation in the game and saw something that he thought might be useful in Chermiti in that situation. I don't really have a problem with it. I think it was interesting, but I don't think we should read too much into it and the guy needs minutes and chances. So I think it will do him the world of good that the manager trusted him in a situation where the game was far from over. And it's not like he was getting garbage time minutes, he was expected to put a shift in for the team that was trying to see out a very important road win. That should give him some confidence and I think it was a good move."
Everton host Burnley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night at Goodison Park, and it could be a perfect opportunity for Dyche to give minutes to those who have been watching from the bench in recent weeks. Calvert-Lewin has endured a difficult few years with injuries, so there's a strong chance that he will be given a rest with Beto and Chermiti needing game time.
Although Chermiti needs to build up his match fitness, Everton invested a lot of money in Beto and is more likely to be relied upon if Calvert-Lewin is unavailable throughout the season. It could be an ideal time for the former Udinese man to stake his claim and heap some pressure on Calvert-Lewin's shoulders.