Everton travel to Brentford badly needing points before derby clash

After a dreadful few weeks and with the club in crisis Everton travel to Brentford on Sunday in desperate need of vital points with a Merseyside derby next.

Everton cannot afford to lose this weekend as they take on a Bees side also searching for a win after four consecutive Premier League defeats.

If the Toffees’ lose in two days time, Rafa Benitez then faces a derby that could prove pivitol to his future. Although let’s face it it’s probably a write off and do any Blues’ supporters really expect anything other than a heavy defeat against Liverpool?

So, this fixture at Brentford is yet another in a seemingly endless list of ‘must-win’ matches with Everton surely at a very minimum needing to at least avoid defeat.

The Bees being a promoted side have as expected struggled recently after a bright start and they want to arrest a slide in form that has seen them beaten by Chelsea, Leicester City, Burnley and Norwich City.

Brentford though have some real threats up front with Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo who offer pace, power and goals and they’re dangerous players with the sort of skills to expose a creaking defence like Everton’s.

As for the Toffees’ Benitez has a very difficult task in trying to pick a team or even a full squad of senior players for this game as injuries continue to pile up with Allan the latest casualty. He’s even got two players suspended on top of all the injured absentees.

The only possible slender bright spots are the possible return of Abdoulaye Doucoure and even maybe Demarai Gray although the latter seems much more unlikely.

What sort of team then can Benitez select?

One other player he needs back is Yerry Mina. It looks like it will still be a week or two before he ready and without even the option of Mason Holgate as well, I guess he will feel he has little choice but to select the same defence he has played for the past two matches.

Midfield of course represents a particular headache for the manager. If Allan and Doucoure both fail to make it by Sunday, Benitez might have to take a chance on youngster Tyler Onyango alongside presumably Fabian Delph.

His only other option could be to perhaps try Ben Godfrey in midfield where he has previously played and revert to a back-three of Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane and Lucas Digne.

Both Coleman and Digne can play centre-back and so it might be worth a try, although there is a lack of pace there and Keane often looks far less confortable in a three.

Then he could provide a bit more support in the middle of the pitch with Andros Townsend and Anthony Gordon either side, both of whom will provide plenty of defensive spadework.

Another option might be Godfrey to play on the left of a back-three with Digne playing wing-back opposite Gordon, and Townsend playing with Gray up front, if he’s by some miracle fit. Or if not then the free signing from Crystal Palace could operate behind the strikers..?

Now we come to those strikers. Benitez again has very little choice here with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still injured and Richarlison out through suspension.

The obvious decision for him would be Salomon Rondon to lead the line, but he’s not exactly set the pitch alight since he joined and his lack of sharpness and mobility would make him a very static target-man.

I’ve argued that perhaps it might not be a bad idea to give Cenk Tosun another chance possibly on his own or alongside Rondon to provide a bit more chance of the ball sticking, better movement and goal threat and occupy the Brentford central defence. Hardly great options these, but as the saying goes beggars can’t be chosers.

He could be brave and give Ellis Simms who has just signed a three-year contract a chance but I doubt he will, at least I don’t think from the start of the match.

Anyway you look at it, and whatever you think of Benitez it’s a nightmare situation for any manager to have to deal with.

A side lacking so many key players, on a terrible run of form and with so little confidence as well needing desperately to win before a massive, high-profile clash against their far superior neighbours with whom he has a long, and controversial past.

I think Everton can win this game on Sunday. But, if they don’t and lose badly, you could hardly imagine a more toxic environment in the run-up to the Merseyside derby.