What alternatives do Everton have at right back after failure to sign player

As the dust settles on the transfer window and we look at the business Everton did, the obvious glaring issue was the absence of a new right-back signing.

Everton failed yet again to find and bring in a new player in this position even though it should have been an absolute priority in this transfer window.

As we reported attempts were made to sign someone on deadline day but those efforts failed and the club had again left it very late in the day to do something about it.

It is a major worry that there is still no established back-up or long-term replacement in this position and I can’t help thinking that there should be some form of accountability for the consequences of this. Toffees fans are entitled to ask how has this been alllowed to happen?

So, manager Rafa Benitez has been left with a major problem to try and resolve, something he has in common with many of his predecessors.

Hopefully, the almost unreal injury problems in the last campaign were at least in part a consequence of the uniquely condensed season and lack of recovery time with almost constant back-to-back games at some points in the season.

But Benitez has got an ageing injury-prone full-back in Coleman and so how then can the Blues boss find a way to solve the issue if, or perhaps more likely when, his first choice right-back option is unavailable for a period of the season?

The obvious alternative is Jonjo Kenny but he’s not shown the ability to perform up to standard in the Premier League, although he’s still relatively young so might improve. But I’m not sure Benitez would trust him to fill-in for any length of time.

However, that leaves him with no other specialist right-back alternatives in the current squad after the club’s failure to bring in another player.

One defender who could do the job is Ben Godfrey. Ideally, we’d probably all like to see the Toffees manager being able to regularly partner Godfrey and one of his other centre-backs perhaps Yerry Mina given Micheal Keane’s lapses this season.

The former Norwich City player is nominally a centre-half of course but he can also play full-back as he proved so well last season when he filled in for the injured Lucas Digne.

By the way, with Niels Nkounkou having been allowed to leave in this transfer window he might have to reprise that role anyway at some point this season.

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One other possible option to drop in at right-back that I think could be considered, is using new summer signing Andros Townsend in the position.

Townsend has the pace and ability needed to provide that overlapping outlet required of modern full-backs. And he also is a very solid defensive player who works really hard for the team as he has shown since joining Everton.

So Townsend could possibly fill-in at that position and I think he would do a pretty decent job.

Finally, there is Mason Holgate. Before any Evertonians throw their hands up I’m simply saying that given the lack of new options, in an emergency Holgate could possibly reprise his role in that four centre-back defence that Carlo Ancelotti adopted in December of last season.

Benitez might be reluctant to return to that formation, which was anyway a last resort for Ancelotti when results were poor, but again injuries might force his hand.

To be honest none of these options is ideal for sure but in this situation it will be necessary for Benitez to be creative if he is to effectively cope with likely injuries and absences during the course of the Premier League campaign. He wouldn’t have been left in this position though if the club had got this problem sorted out.