We assess the performance of every Everton player who spent time on loan this season. In the final part, we look at the Blues’ centre-backs and Goalkeeper: Matthew Pennington, Tyias Browning and Louis Gray.
Everton sent a raft of players out on loan in 2017-18. In amongst this group, the most important to the big club were perhaps the centre backs. Simply put, the Blues’ defense was torrid for most of last season. And, as Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka get older, the situation will only get worse.
The Blues need some new faces in defence, and the management will have ran the rule over their loan stars to see if any are ready to step up. In the final report of this off-season we will do the same. Could any of these players excel with Marco Silva’s Everton next year?
Tyias Browning
Club: Sunderland
Appearances: 29
Goals: 0
Unlike his Everton team-mate Brendan Galloway, Tyias Browning enjoyed consistent first team minutes with Sunderland this year. He endured changes in manager and style, but held out at centre-back during a season to forget at the Stadium of Light. Browning was busy at the back with the Black Cats. He averaged 10 defensive actions per game according to Squawka.
Looking at the local press, Browning came in for some criticism this season. Some of this is unfair; he can’t be held solely responsible for Sunderland’s leaky defense. In fact, as Daniel O’Neill writes in the Sunderland Chronicle, Browning showed signs of improvement over the year. O’Neill said:
"His defensive stats have actually slumped … [but] Do not let these stats deceive you though, as this could show how much the player has matured since the start of his loan spell and how well positioned – and protected – he is now that he plays alongside two experienced centre-backs."
This is promising, although it begs the question of whether Browning will be able to flourish away from Sunderland’s veteran defenders Marc Wilson and John O’Shea.
Browning has featured for Everton a couple of times in his career already, and could stand to benefit from Ramires Funes Mori’s exit to Villareal. However, Browning may be one of the players earmarked as surplus in Marcel Brands’ clearout this summer.
If he stays, he will likely go out on loan again, or be a bit part player for the senior team. Overall this season was a step in the right direction, but not enough of a leap to force contention on Merseyside.
Performance on loan: 6/10
Likelihood of exit: 6/10
Likelihood of impact: 5/10
Matthew Pennington
Club: Leeds
Appearances: 24
Goals: 0
Matthew Pennington enjoyed a cameo spell with the Everton first team in 2016-17, even managing a goal at Anfield in the Merseyside Derby. This year though, he was sent out on loan. Leeds was his surrogate club for the duration of the season.
Pennington had a difficult start to his spell in Yorkshire. This wasn’t necessarily due to poor play. Rather an injury in the first game of the season, and a logjam in the Leeds defense stopped him from getting much of a look-in in the first team.
The situation changed in February though, as Leeds fired their manager Thomas Christiansen, and replaced him with Paul Heckingbottom. Heckingbottom played Pennington regularly, although the Everton man impressed inconsistently. As such, Leeds fans were split on whether to pursue Pennington come the off-season.
POLL: Should Leeds sign Matthew Pennington on a permanent deal from Everton this summer? #LUFC
— LUFCDATA (@LUFCDATA) March 11, 2018
A running theme in criticism was Pennington’s distribution. The youngster seems willing to block and fight for the ball but struggled to play creatively with it. This lack of ability in possession may hamper his ability to make an impact in the Premier League.
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Like Browning, Pennington’s place may be under threat at the big club. However, the BBC report that he signed a new contract with the Blues just days before Marcel Brands’ arrival.
This puts the young defender in a secure position this summer. If Pennington does leave Everton, permanently or on loan, he will likely return to the Championship.
Performance on loan: 5/10
Likelihood of exit: 3/10
Likelihood of impact: 4/10
Louis Gray (Goalkeeper)
Club: Carlisle
Appearances: 0
Goals: 0
Louis Gray arrived at Everton from Wrexham in 2015. Since then, the now 22-year-old has been out on various loan spells, mostly in the lower leagues. This year, he left for Carlisle in January. He did not play for the League Two side, and found himself benched as reserve keeper.
Next: Why Blues had to sell Funes Mori
Louis Gray’s contract with Everton expires in June 2018, and it will not be renewed. He will be a free agent next season.