Everton face blunt Crystal Palace task with four key players set to miss out
Our Everton jury have returned to have their say on what is going at Goodison Park
Everton return to Premier League action on Monday night when they take on Crystal Palace at Goodison Park.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City last time out, with Erling Haaland scoring twice during the second-half. The defeat left Sean Dyche’s side inside the relegation zone.
Off the pitch, US investment firm 777 Partners is also still awaiting word from the Premier League on its proposed takeover. And with everything in mind, our Everton jury are back to have their say on matters on and off the pitch.
Last Saturday turned out the way most Blues had expected against Manchester City.
The side defended resolutely, but when Erland Haaland scored after 70 minutes, there was only going to be one outcome. And that was never going to be an Everton fightback!
Fortunately, defeats for Luton Town, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace last weekend meant the loss at the Etihad did not allow our closest relegation rivals to gain an advantage.
Although Everton were well organised and defensively disciplined, they never looked like grabbing a goal. This is proving to be a major problem for Sean Dyche. His default strategy is to contain the opposition, but if they score first, we are always going to struggle to respond.
The Toffees have amassed a paltry six goals in the last ten games, and we have a striker who has not found the net in 18 appearances and looks no nearer to ending that sequence.
One can have some sympathy for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who often finds himself isolated up front without any support.
Those days when Carlo Ancelotti told him to stay in the penalty area and wait for precision crosses from Lucas Digne and passes from James Rodriguez to arrive seem like a lifetime ago. But how much longer can Dyche persist with a misfiring striker?
The lack of a creative spark has plagued Everton throughout the campaign. A team of well-drilled drones can keep you in the game, but you need some ingenuity and inventiveness to win matches. How can a more attacking style be implemented that allows players to express themselves more?
