Prince Rupert's Tower
Fansided

Another massive game for Everton

By Matt Townsend

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Richarlison of Everton battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 30: Richarlison of Everton battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Premier League returns this weekend and the pressure is on Everton boss Marco Silva after a terrible run of defeats over the past few weeks.

As the game tomorrow against West Ham at Goodison Park approaches, Everton are undergoing a crisis in form and confidence and manager Silva is facing the possibility of the sack if results don’t improve very, very quickly.

This is perhaps the biggest match the club has faced in a long time. It could help define the season; will the Blues begin to turn things around or will it come to be seen as the game that signalled the end of the Silva era.

As I’ve said many times before, Silva should be gone already. I frankly don’t care if the Blues win their next three games handsomely, (which allegedly Silva has to do to keep his job), I still want to see a new manager in the Everton dugout as soon as possible.

And that’s the problem, I’m not sure I want the Toffees to win tomorrow!! In one sense of course I do and the team desperately need three points as they languish absurdly in the bottom three of the Premier League.

On the other hand, if the Blues do win and by two or three goals tomorrow and then go on to claim victory in their next few matches, then the board will have the excuse they seem to want to not make a decision on Silva.

I really don’t know what the Everton hierarchy are thinking. Failing to make a decision on Silva when they should have and with a two-week break to do so, has only upped the pressure on them and ironically Silva himself.

What will they do if the team get soundly beaten tomorrow lunchtime?? West Ham are a potentially dangerous side that possess some fine attacking talent and they haven’t won away and outside London for months – perfect background for playing an underachieving, anxious Toffees side!

Anyway, who do I think should be starting for Everton and how should that team line up?

The keeper and back four is pretty much going to pick itself. Although he’s always prone to a mistake, Jordan Pickford is the obvious choice in goal.

In front of him again there is little option and so Michael Keane and Yerry Mina are the starters in central defence.

Keane had a poor time when playing with England during the international break. Interestingly when the Three Lions played the Czech Republic and lost, they played in Silva’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and Keane had an erratic and flawed match, much like he so often done for the Blues this season.

Mina to be fair has actually been pretty solid most of the season and has been Everton’s best defender so far this campaign.

At full-back, I would like to see Djibril Sidibe start alongside his compatriot and fellow international, Lucas Digne.

Now it gets more complicated as we move into midfield.

Hopefully Andre Gomes is back, although he has missed a lot of football this season so I’m not sure what sort of form he will be in. But he is still a quality player who can change a game on his day.

I also hope that Fabian Delph isn’t still injured after pulling out of the England squad last week. With the continued and now long-term absence of Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Delph’s defensive ability and nous will be needed.

Alongside these two I would like to see Alex Iwobi start, nominally on the left of a midfield three. Although he might start on the left, I would ideally like to see him and Gomes interchange and link up with the forwards in a fluid and direct way.

More from Prince Rupert's Tower

Those forwards would be Richarlison, Bernard and Moise Kean. The two Brazilians would flank Kean who I feel must be given the chance to start and get a full 90 minutes in.

Giving Bernard a long overdue start would also allow him to re-new his partnership with Digne, whose own performances have been under-par recently, partly I think because he hasn’t had that link-up with Bernard.

Well there it is that’s my team for tomorrow. Is it likely that Silva will pick a side like this? I doubt it but we will see and we will also see where the result leaves Everton’s and his own situation at full-time..?