No permanent place for Harrison in Everton's future

We need the type of players who would be envied by other Supporters. We need quality on the field and on the bench.

Did anyone at Everton really watch him before he signed? He can't finish either. One game at Old Trafford, Leeds had a rare chance... the goal gaping, no-one near — he missed. How, I will never know!

And now, after the incident with his mum, there's no way back at Leeds. Nice lad, tries hard, looks terrific. But who needs a player who tries hard and runs a lot?

Where will he end up? Mad salary!

As you say, Michael, despite playing most games this season, he hasn't a goal or assist to his name, and the same can be said of Lindstrom: no assists, no goals. Given that neither of our wide players have contributed in scoring, it's a marvel that Moyes has us scoring on a regular basis.

I am sure, if Moyes keeps Ndiaye wide, then he will certainly go for at least another wide player, and preferably one who scores and assists.

I know many will say that both Harrison and Lindstrom certainly work hard, and there is no argument with that… but primarily, their job is to score and assist.

It's up there with Michael Keane getting an extension.

Those agents must have wet themselves after pulling off that type of heist.

He may be worth retaining as a squad player, perhaps on a cheaper contract, but as others say, if we want to be challenging for a better league position progressing in cup competitions, it may be better to look elsewhere.

Perhaps we retain Lindstrom as a squad player on loan for another season, but he's certainly not a starter.

We need some serious pace and he doesn't have any; pace should be a prerequisite for any wide players we buy in the future.

But, there's no point being sentimental. He hasn't performed consistently and we have to be thinking where we want to be, not where we are and most definitely not where we've been these past few seasons.

Show ambition, Everton. Be bold in the transfer market and for God's sake, get business done early, so the new players can settle in and enjoy a full pre-season. Not leaving it until 23:59 pm on transfer deadline day and then chucking them into the mix.

Harrison works hard and is a good guy to bring on to protect a lead, defending high up, but he rarely gets to the bye line to cross and, when chances have come his way, he has blazed them high.

I wouldn't keep him – there simply have to be better options out there. Lindstrom is much younger, and might come good.

McNeil, who I like, has been injured for some time now, so that could have been an opportunity. But the preference has rightfully been to play Ndiaye there, although I'd like to see him behind the forward. It's a rotational game now, so footballers will get moved around the pitch as needs must, especially in a threadbare squad.

If and when everyone is fit, it has to be Ndiaye, Alcaraz and another as the three behind the striker. Probably interchangeable thoughout the game.

He suited Sean Dyche's tactical set-up, where it was more important to cover wide positions defensively. But, even since he switched to the left, he has not really contributed massively in attack. Wide men need pace, or dribbling skills like Ndiaye; Jack has neither.

Technically, he is not top level and on £90k a week, I am not sure how anyone could claim he represents value.

Not for me, we should thank both him and Lindstrom for their service and look for better players. I like Fellows and think we should go for him, I would like to see Nuamah as well or a players of equal pace and potential.

We have McNeil coming back and him and Illiman could form an interesting partnership where they are interchangeable between left wing and the no 10 position. Don't forget Charlie too, a loan signing we MUST make permanent. One of us.

So if we go with the above suggestions then we would have Beto plus another new striker with 3 behind, Moyes could do alot with that for not a huge outlay.

I want to see us go in for Lennon Miller of Motherwell too, only 17 and one for the future but we need to think about that if Gana only gets a one year extension.

I keep wondering if anyone is seriously in for DCL? He could sign a pre-contract with someone abroad now but hasn't which makes me think he will stay in the PL.

However, I can see why we re-signed him: we were skint and there was no transfer fee (albeit wages), high work-rate, defensive discipline, fairly versatile etc. With Plan A presumably being that Lindstrom would take over the right-wing role once he had acclimatised. Which is broadly how it has ended up playing out.

I can't see why we would even consider signing him this summer though. He's contracted to Leeds for another 3 years so would cost £10M(+) and command a fairly high wage too.

As an aside, I can't see why we would take up the £18.5M option to buy on Lindstrom either. So far, he reminds me a bit of Bilyaletdinov – decent technical skills etc but lacks the intensity for the Premier League.

We probably need two fresh faces in the wing-forward positions – with Fellows and Nuamah being the most strongly linked. The change in DoF might change things – but the real game changer will be the size of our transfer kitty.

Based on activity in the past summer and winter windows, wing-forwards from the Championship and relegated Premier League clubs cost between about £20M to £30M. Ndiaye at £16M was an incredible bargain – and will be difficult to repeat in terms of low cost and value.

There are one or two free transfers looming – with the most interesting being the exceptionally talented 19-year-old Roony Bardghji of FC Copenhagen. There will also be other loans available. Hopefully we look much improved in this area next season, as it is the position from which goals are scored and created in modern 3-4-3 / 4-3-3 formations.

But would he get into an improved Everton squad? It's a lot to spend on a player who could be backup. But, as we've seen, depth of squad is important as suspensions and injuries kick in.

I'm still amazed you get to watch all of these players. I think I'm bad. You put me to shame.

I know what the stats say (or I think I do!) but that pass that Lindstrom put through for Beto on goal against United (when Doucoure scored) was possibly the best pass I've witnessed from an Everton player this season and is one of the reasons I still love watching football.

Perfectly weighted so Beto didn't have to break stride, I'm sure there's a player in Lindstrom, but I don't believe it's playing out wide.

Harrison is a good solid professional who was beginning to lose his way because Dyche only believed in him helping out his fullback defensively and this wasn't reciprocated when it came to him getting help off his fullback whenever Everton attacked.

I don't think I've seen a player crowded out more than Jack Harrison who was given a thankless task.

These are only starting positions after all and don't require players to run up and down the line like modern-day versions of Wilcox and Ripley.

What he lacks to make this work is a dynamic full-back running on the outside of him – so that he can be more of a playmaker in a front 3 (as Christian Eriksen often was for Spurs for example). So he's been disadvantaged by our problems at RB which O'Brien has done well with but hasn't solved. Whatever the case though, he doesn't yet appear to have what it takes as a Premier League player and may be better suited to a different league.

If we evaluate performance on effectiveness, as a forward its pretty much 3 out of 10, defensively 5 at best.

Increasingly we have to improve the quality of the squad. That also means O'Neil should go as well... interesting days ahead.

I don't mind him but just like I feel about Lindstrom, I don't think Dwight McNeil, offers enough threat playing on the outside, but I think he can contribute by moving inside like Robert suggests, with his example using Lindstrom above?

We have got a few players who quite a few of us feel would do better once they move inside, but at least we are hopefully going to be getting an intriguing summer, so let's hope we sign the right players.

McNeil has decent technical skills, but he is slow, one-footed and struggles to turn in tight spaces. Watching him play as a number ten under Dyche while Ndiaye was pinned out wide was hard work. Moyes made a immediate change getting Ndiaye to come inside as a false winger and it has had a big effect.

I would see McNeil as a reasonable sub if we can strengthen the squad this summer, but at £20M transfer fee I am not sure that represents value.

Lindstrom would contribute better behind the main striker than McNeil did when he switched inside. He did very well as a second striker for Eintracht Frankfurt.

I don't believe he lacks the physicality or intensity to prosper in the Premier League – he has improved a lot in this respect as the season has progressed. He has been working his backside off covering the whole right side himself, as O'Brien tends to step into a three when we attack.

I'm sure they are out there – the ones with skill sets and workrate. The problem is, either we never find them, or, if we do, we can't afford them.

I think we as fans are in a uniquely poor position to judge on the effectiveness of players, we just see the top of the iceberg. We are not privy to where the player should be standing as required by the system he is playing in.

A footballer could look completely anonymous from a fan viewpoint, but be delighting his manager cos he is positionally faultless. Alternatively, you can (and this is just my suspicion) have players like Tim who look impressive, but may have the manager tearing their hair out cos of where they are standing on the pitch.

So, given we need a lot of new players at this stage, I think it's too early to discount any of the existing squad. It's likely that we will have a limited budget so ultimately, new purchases will be dependent on what we can afford.

I go cold when I read the names of Dele Alli and Rodriguez hopefully those days are long gone. We need a good dose of realism, and although it's still early days, our most recent form has been very good.

Yes, we now have a completely different owner and management set up, but our history of buying players shows that it is no walk in the park.
Plus a decent amount of them cost a lot of money, I doubt if our new owners will be quite as ready as Moshiri was to put their hands in their pockets.

We are almost safe now and have positive momentum. Next season both these players should be nowhere near this squad, If we have to hit the ground running.

Christine #18, there is a massive difference between Harrison and McNeil and it's in attack. The latter is a cracking finisher. He scores some great goals. And he passes with purpose and intelligence. Where he plays on the pitch will be Moyes' problem to solve, but despite his obvious pace problem, he's definitely good enough in my view.

Tony #15, agreed, there is definitely a player in Lindstrom, but he belongs in the middle, not out on the wing. And I don't know that he'll get a chance there with Ndiaye and Charly around.

Patterson and Lindstrom are two. Chermiti also might get a chance. Beto has taken his chance and, if Calvert-Lewin was to stay, we would have enough up front to consolidate.

Should Branthwaite stay, we really need only a couple of new players to keep moving up. The new stadium is going to be a monumental change and I would suggest that, for one season at least, we keep the on field changes to what is necessary to strive for mid-table and a cup run.

We want/need young players alongside a few old heads. I would give Gana and extension, or if we could get Mangala at the right price. We have to avoid too many new faces at one go as it takes to time to gel and acclimatise to game plan/team-mates etc. Keeping Branthwaite too has to be a priority.

And that assume we retain Gueye, and sign Alcaraz, Broja and Lindstrom. Otherwise, it could be upwards of 10 players.

Broja hasn’t done enough, maybe Lindstrom will leave though I would take a chance. Mangala didn’t have a purchase clause plus his injury will be longer term.

Coleman’s playing days are probably over due to recurring injuries.

That's only 12 players – and 13 if Branthwaite stays.

I suspect Moyes and the new DoF will sign about 6 to 8 for the first team squad and hope they can manage with about 18 to 20 players – relying on the versatility of players like McNeil and O'Brien. I don't think we'll be able to sign more than that even if we sell Branthwaite.

As you say, some of the signings might not actually be new faces – although I suspect most will.

We might also give a few chances to someone like Braiden Graham and maybe others.

I suspect Armstrong, Chermiti and Dixon will all be out on loan though, because they're ready for (and need) games to develop, not 5 or 10 mins here or there.

The fans hated him and used to use the term Ricists, and I don't think the player himself enjoyed playing on the wing because he had no pace but he kept getting picked and Forest at the time were quite a successful team.

I heard it was because he took up some great positions and this enabled the very powerful Stuart Pearce, to constantly bomb on and create so many chances for the team, but not many people watching Forest had any real time for Rice.

Good point, Ossie was never quick enough for the wing but got played there a lot. He was always more of a No 10 for me which made it crazy that Moyes played him in the defensive midfield role like when we were dismantled by Wigan in the FA Cup.

Harrison does seem to play better when Garner is in the middle as per the decent run we had under Dyche last season. But I suspect he's not going to be used by Moyes.

Like Harrison, he is one-footed without any pace to beat a man out wide. With Charly and Ndiaye, we now have better options in the centre. Both are servants of Sean Dyche's methodology and frankly if we are to improve as a team, they both go.

Yeah, slow and one-footed but the man makes goals, and he can shoot the ball. He's levels of quality above Harrison.

It's a squad game and he'd be an asset until we can hopefully improve every position over the next few years.

The effect he has had on many under performers (with Dyche) is quite remarkable. So I would like to see what difference there is when he comes back in.

I reckon Harrison has one of the best touches in our squad and if he played a full season on the left under Moyes would probably end up with a decent number of goals and assists. But he's no Ndiaye.

If he was available as a squad player for a few million (and lower wages) I'd take him but I Imagine he'll be first choice for Leeds if they get promoted. Certainly he's always given his all in difficult circumstances.

Lindstrom I think is capable of more and though I wouldn't pay anywhere near £22m for him I'd be tempted to give him another season on loan (maybe with a £15m purchase option) to see what he could with a better squad and overlapping full back.

Ultimately there are a lot of positions to fill this summer and only so much money to go around so we will have to make some compromises.

Strange that the BBC doesn't give him credit for the assist, despite their report describing "McNeil controlling Jack Harrison's cross before volleying in from the angle."

Brings into question who makes these decisions. The BBC seems to be the worst for just dropping whoever contributed on the slightest pretext.

My definition of an assist would be the last Everton player to touch the ball or cause the play that sees the ball going to the guy who scores. That way, even if a defender gets the last touch, an Everton player still gets credit for their contribution.

And indeed, looking back on my stats for the Palace game, I did give the assist to Jack Harrison.

Unfortunately he doesn’t have the pace or strength over the first five yards to get past defenders so I think he will go back to Leeds. I am guessing Moyes will want to replace him with a big pacey wide man.

All the loanees (who arent injured) will have had 6mths to show their worth.

Hard decisions to be made and some on the receiving
end won't be happy.

Still, 90 grand a week is a decent pillow to cry into - nothing personal, thems the breaks.

You must have been a wonderful person

No disrespect to all three, but these are players of limited quality.
There are better players out there.
The Dynamics have changed in the last few months and we have been waiting years for this.
The Gods are now in our Camp.. ask Beto and O’Brien!

We now have got to be ruthless, in our quest for long overdue success.
We have eaten our stale Bread, now it’s time to expect what is emblazoned on the crest, that I had sewn onto my Blazer, by my Mum as a 13 year old, way back in 1970..
Nil Satiis Nisi Optimum!

With Harrison, though, I'm just not convinced. He's been asked to be a hard working defensive winger for much of his time at Everton and I suspect that role really maximises his qualities. Yet I think we've all witnessed how limited he is at even that role. I don't think I've ever seen a player lose the ball in more positions where it didn't look possible. He just has a knack for not coming away with the ball even when he's favourite.

If Everton were to say "ok Jack, you're now going to be freed up to run at the full back" I think we'd all expect very little out of him.

That feels pretty harsh because I find him a pretty likeable character. He's never hidden, he's never shirked and he's generally worked his socks off for the team. He's definitely contributed. But he's just not good enough. And I can't see any system that he would be good enough for in this league.

Paul #52, McNeil wasn't bought out of limited resources or desperation. Lampard really wanted him. Personally, I thought £20m was insane for a player with zero goals zero assists the previous season, but he has turned out to be quality.

Trevor #51, yep, Sandro actually scored in their shocking win at Barcelona a few months ago. He's even wearing their captain's armband these days. Who'da thunk it?

That has only improved since Moues got here and a handful of games is not enough to judge them on.

Let’s see what they can do when we get the likes of Ndiaye fit again.

But like many I don't think there will be wholesalers changes and loads of signings.

DCL will go for nothing but at least the wage will be freed up.

Broja will go back to Chelsea.

Its up for doubt whether Beto will remain, perhaps for half a season as a substitute striker, depending on us signing a new first choice which in all honesty and truth, we do most definitely need to.

I can see us maybe loaning out Chermiti to get him some football because this season has been ab absolute loss for him due to injury.

Harrison will go back to Leeds and probably end up in the MLS within the next two years it wouldn't shock me.

I do think with Lindstrom there is a player there that would have been a level up now if he'd worked under David Moyes all season but unfortunately Dyche stagnated him and strangled him from July to January and we are now playing catch up to see if we can get more from him in what's left.

With wingers and full backs likely the priority I’d not be surprised to see a cheaper striker bought in as back up to Beto or a younger player who could develop; perhaps Chermitti is already. Also possible we could try and get Broja or another striker on loan but I’d be surprised to see us spend £25m+ on a striker which is usually at least what’s needed for a goalscorer ready to hit ground running.

Harrison works hard but has no football brain. He won't be missed.

Everyone would agree we need to improve the quality of player available, and the size of the squad is inadequate already.

We have 13 permanent contract and loan agreements ending on 30th June. Looking at the list, I would only expect to see new contract offers for Gueye and Virginia (or Begovic), and we might attempt to sign Alcaraz.

That means DCL, Mangala, Harrison, Broja, Doucoure, Keane, Begovic (or Virginia), Young, Coleman and Lindstrom all departing - 10 players. I would consider Lindstrom but I know there are mixed views on him.

And, of course, most of the ground-work will need to be done by a DoF who also leaves in the summer.

Now he is back fit, I would like Moyes to try Patterson there. He has pace and it would be interesting to see if he could be a Seamus Mk II, albeit at a much higher price than £60,000.

When you look at the squad and see all we have going into 2025-26 season is:

Pickford
Patterson, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko
McNeil, Garner, Iroegbunam
Ndiaye, Beto, Chermiti

Then we have a team but a few contracts are needed as well as a few new faces, or existing ones signed up, either again or permanently.

We will need some loans and free's, if a striker comes in he will either be someone relatively cheap who might come good (ala Igamane et al) or on loan, a Tammy Abraham for example. Beto is likely to be our main man next year and he has my backing for that, love his work-rate and I think he is a cult-hero in the making.

Phil @63 i'd also like us to keep Patterson, his stock is low so we aren't going to get the money we'd want for him, I want him to have a real shot at a first team starting place. Maybe a free (Lamptey) or a loan to provide back-up and let them fight it out, healthy competition. Of all the players relieved to see SD go, I bet "Patto" is up there with Beto and O'Brien! Come on lad, let's see what you've got.

I really like Mangala but if we retain Gana for another year I don't see the need, especially after the injury. I mentioned on another thread I want to see us build for the future, even though we are well stocked in CM, Lennon Miller of Motherwell (maybe loan him back) would be good, astute business there.

A back up LB and a couple of forwards in the mould of Fellows. It's really exciting, thanks TFG and Moyes for giving us Evertonian's some positive ruminations about our club again.

I've nothing against the player and I've seen improvement in Jack recently, but don't think it would justify buying him, which it looks like we would have to if Leeds are promoted. I even went and rated him MotM against Brentford last week!!

We can spend our money more wisely.

If we are going to compete and challenge, it's not just a numbers game. We need to improve the quality.

And find a replacement translator for Alcaraz!! I hope the scouts are booking flights to South America and Spain.

I suspect he'll go back to Leeds. Fate will have it, he scores at the Everton Stadium!!

I believe there is a better player in there than we have seen but that he has been blunted by Dyche getting him to constantly double back and playing him on the wrong wing. He was far more effective in a more expansive Leeds side.

That’s not to say, I would pay to convert his loan into a permanent transfer. He’s been ruined by Dyche. I think his future lies elsewhere. He’s certainly burnt his bridges at Leeds.

I just think we shouldn’t be undermining the lad’s confidence and motivation at this point in the season.