Lyndon Lloyd 26/09/2024 15comments  |  Jump to last
Match Preview

Jarrad Branthwaite is expected to be included in the squad to face Palace after completing his recovery from surgery.

Everton are back at Goodison Park to host Crystal Palace in the first of two back-to-back home games that they hope will finally yield a first Premier League win of the season.

The Blues have begun 2024-25 the same way they started last season, with a paltry point from the first 15 available but it was on match-week six that they belatedly picked up their first three points with a handsome 3-1 win at Brentford.

Sean Dyche will be hoping for a repeat against London opposition and he will be boosted by the return of at least one key player in the form of Jarrad Branthwaite who is expected to be included in the squad for this weekend's game after completing his recovery from surgery.

The 22-year-old spent the week before the draw with Leicester in full training and played the full 90 minutes of the Under-23s' 4-3 win over Sunderland last Sunday.

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Now, with another week's training with the senior side, he is ready to play his first serious minutes of the campaign.

Sean Dyche indicated in his press conference that Branthwaite will be in his thinking for Saturday but did not specify whether he would be ready to start and resume his successful partnership with James Tarkowski.

Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman, meanwhile, are unlikely to feature against Palace but the Scot could, perhaps, be considered for the squad to face Newcastle next week.

Patterson played just over an hour for the Under-23s, suggesting that he is not as far along as Branthwaite in terms of his match readiness.

"Jarrad is in front of the curve compared to Patto," Dyche confirmed in his press conference today. "He is definitely in contention. He has done a lot of background work, he is looking stronger and feeling stronger.

"Patto's had a much longer period out with quite a serious injury. He's doing very well at the moment but that's a longer recovery period.

"Seamus is a bit longer, so too [Armando] Broja. Youssef [Chermiti] is a bit longer too, but we are beginning to look more rounded as a squad."

Idrissa Gueye and Vitalii Mykolenko will return to the squad after missing the Leicester game due to compassionate leave and illness respectively, although Dyche cautioned that the Senegal international hasn't trained much during his absence.

That could see Orel Mangala continue in central midfield after an impressive first Premier League start for Everton at the King Power Stadium alongside Abdoulaye Doucouré, who also performed well in the 1-1 draw.

With Mykolenko likely to start at left full-back, Ashley Young is expected to shift to right-back which would free James Garner up to vie with Doucouré, Mangala and Gueye for a starting berth in midfield.

Wide on the right, Jesper Lindstrøm will hope that he has done enough in successive starts against Southampton in the EFL Cup and at Leicester to have convinced the manager that he should keep his place at the expense of Jack Harrison.

The Dane has looked lively and linked up well in attack with the other front three of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil but has lacked a cutting edge in front of goal, squandering some gilt-edged chances to have already opened his account.

Like Everton, Palace are still searching for their first win of the season. Under Oliver Glasner, the Eagles finished last season in blistering form but have found it harder going early in this campaign even of they’ve managed to take a point from two of the so-called “Big 6” already.

A creditable 1-1 draw was secured at Chelsea, they drew 2-2 with Leicester thanks to an injury-time penalty and held Manchester United goalless last time out at Selhurst Park.

Glasner will be without the likes of Cheick Doucouré, Matheus França and Trevoh Chalobah as well as long-term absentee, Rob Holding, but even having lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich over the summer, he has plenty of talent at his disposal.

At the back, Marc Guehi remains highly sought-after by bigger clubs, Jean-Philippe Mateta is in form and Eberechi Eze poses a constant threat.

Having seen his side humbled by Brighton and Tottenham, throw away points against Bournemouth and Aston Villa and only take one from last weekend’s trip to Leicester, Dyche is in dire need of a victory.

There have been signs that, from an attacking point of view, results shouldn’t be too far away but hopefully the return of Branthwaite will help shore up the defence.

Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday 28 September, 2024
Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Graham Scott
Last time: Everton 1 - 1 Crystal Palace

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Mangala, Doucouré, Lindstrøm, Ndiaye, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin

 

Reader Comments (15)

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Paul Ferry
1 Posted 26/09/2024 at 18:36:54
Thank Sheedy. Like ownership, this was the news that we were waiting for. He will not fix things completely as a number of us have suggested that he might. But the middle of our defence will be better if Branthwiate plays against Palace and better in the next game, and so on. Branthwaite & Tarkowski does make me feel so much better. It has a nice ring to it.

But as for those fecking full-backs ... Garner is not the answer. The number of times he has lost his winger this season and was responsible for crosses that then caused mistakes in the middle of the box can be counted on the fingers of my third hand. Garner is first cause too many times for comfort.

Mark Taylor
2 Posted 26/09/2024 at 18:44:52
I don't normally but I watched that entire presser.

What struck me most was the very awkward position Dyche finds himself in. Sure he is paid well for it but asking to comment on the feel-good aspect of new owners when he knows they might very well give him the flick is not easy. Nor can he entirely diss the present owner because as he says, this deal isn't done.

But I think above all else was the impression that he feels only he speaks for the club, not just about football, but everything else, because of the power vacuum that we have endured since the owner checked out. I thought he looked a bit punch drunk and I don't blame him for that.

Michael Fox
3 Posted 26/09/2024 at 18:45:46
Yea, funny enough Jarrad, puts me at ease when he's on the ball.

You can see by the way he seems to have all the time in the world, that he is quality.

Eddie Dunn
4 Posted 26/09/2024 at 18:53:03
Mark, I take your point but I have the impression that Dyche has used the problems off the field to explain football on-field issues.

However the players can concentrate on impressing one and all, current manager and future owners. And Dyche needs to up his game.

Neil Lawson
5 Posted 26/09/2024 at 19:01:59
If Branthwaite is 50% fit he has to be a 100% starter.
Paul Ferry
6 Posted 26/09/2024 at 19:10:31
And then Neil L (5), he misses the next game and the one after.
Ian Bennett
7 Posted 26/09/2024 at 19:17:43
Start him, but don't be expecting 90 minutes from him.
Dale Self
8 Posted 26/09/2024 at 19:20:53
It might just be me but I think Jarrad explains much of our on-field issues.
Annika Herbert
9 Posted 26/09/2024 at 20:33:54
Paul @ 1, but then Garner isn’t a full back. By all means criticise fairly, but not when the guy is filling in for a position he doesn’t normally play.

As far as I am concerned, he did his best and that all we can ask for at this moment in time

Anthony Jones
10 Posted 26/09/2024 at 20:40:35
Yes, but has he been ON THE GRARSE?
Christy Ring
11 Posted 26/09/2024 at 21:03:06
Dyche said Branthwaite is fully fit, so has to start, and Dyche has to play Garner in his proper position, he's not a fullback as we have seen, and hopefully Harrison on bench.
Martin Farrington
12 Posted 26/09/2024 at 21:53:58
Jarrad is such an enormous miss when absent and huge presence when present.
However he alone cannot be expected to turn our miserable fortunes around.
That responsibility lies firmly upon the shoulders of his under performing and goal scoring inept colleagues.
A now well known lack of quality, pace and resilience on both defensive flanks means that the expected attacks will mainly be down our right. Garner will be exposed and exploited.
We may have to go 5-3-1-1 / 5 - 4 - 1
Defensive with hoof ball from Pix is more than likely.
Stopping crosses will be vital.
For those we fail to prevent, we need Pix off his line and owning his
6 yard box. Defenders to hit the backpost and midfield to get their asses in front of palaces runners.
If markers cant win the ball be in the face of the opponent and stop him getting a header on target. The last few games have seen our concentration disappear for the final 15 (which has also been down to poor game management from Dyche).
This needs to be rectified.
Green shoots of recovery were shown at Leicester. This can continue so long as our infamous ability to bottle it and fail when easier to succeed the following game doesnt rear its usual self.
COYB

Tony McDonald
13 Posted 26/09/2024 at 22:19:24
There are five or eight of us who meet in the Brick before every home game and dissect the last match, comment on latest takeover rumours and finally get round to the team and the score. The first thing to say is that not one of us have ever got the score right. The consensus before the Southampton game was a high scoring win for the blues (!) Sometimes we have been close to getting the team right, but few and far between. Let’s try again.
As far as I can see, only Pickford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tarkowski and Mykolenko are nailed on. Everything else is up for debate. From listening to my drinking partners I can safely say that they would prefer Branthwaite instead of Keane, Dixon instead of Young. A defensive duo of Gana and Tim, with Dom leading the line, supported by Dwight. Iliman and Jesper on the wide outside.
However let’s see what SD might come up with. Although I’ve said mykolenko is nailed on, we mustn’t ignore the fact that Young had his best game for us last week. If not left back then maybe right back is possible. SD likes him.
It’s likely that Branthwaite will get game time, but don’t rule out SD starting Keane.
The defensive duo could be disrupted by Gana’s recent sad event and his lack of training. If so, expect Mangala in his place.
This leaves 4 places. Dom will start and I’m almost sure Dwight will support him in the number 10 role. Iliman on the left and either Jesper or jack on the right.
Well that’s my guess, but what do I know. Pop in the Brick and tell me what a pigs ear I’ve made of it. You’ll find us near the huge pile of losing betting slips.
Bill Gienapp
14 Posted 26/09/2024 at 22:56:07
As long as Branthwaite's legs are attached, he has to start.
Andy McNabb
15 Posted 27/09/2024 at 00:40:47

Mark Taylor #2, I keep trying to put myself in Dyche’s place.

In the current environment it wouldn’t surprise me to find that as well as choosing the starting 11, he is also working on the wage structure for the kitchen staff and buying the Happy Meal vouchers for the U-8s? Maybe he occasionally sits in the Board Room and talks to himself?

Given the circus going on in the background, we are somehow still in the Premier League. They have an expression over here about ‘not knowing if you are Arthur or Martha’. Dyche must wake up most days wondering which one he is and how to respond to the asinine questions in the latest presser.

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