Michael Ball: Selecting Branthwaite is a 'no-brainer'

Just the same as his reluctance to play two actual strikers up top together – yet he will throw a centre-half up there to partner Beto in the dying embers of games.

The decisions Dyche is making are just plain weird, and you can arguably say the beginning of the end is usually in sight when the turning tide becomes irreversible.

It seems to me now that there aren't many people left who still think Dyche is the man for the job. His days are numbered.

Well, after Saturday, it is surely inevitable that Dyche will be going once TFG take over, be that now or at the end of the season.

We all know it is imperative that we go to the new stadium as a Premier League team but, with 10 games gone and only really two of which (Spurs and Villa) were against “better” opposition, maintaining our status playing Dyche's predictable hoofball is not guaranteed, so I suspect his removal may be imminent.

There are now rumours of player unrest, worryingly including Branthwaite, which is usually the prelude to a sacking. Whist I haven't endorsed our merry-go-round of managers (I think we should have given Silva more time), I think this one is inevitable because of the mind-numbing playing style.

Unlike others' oft-quoted retort of “Who would go to that basket case?” – I think there are other managers who would be delighted to come to Everton and who would produce better football and results with the current squad. However, I would also hope that, rather than going for another big name manager as touted on many sites, that we actually appoint a young forward-thinking coach.

Many of us had never heard of De Zerbi, Iraola or Hurzeler before they came to Brighton and Bournemouth respectively. Similarly Regis le Bris at Sunderland, and to a lesser degree McKenna at Ipswich.

All of these coaches appear to be tactically astute, have no issues with introducing and playing young players if good enough, don't play “favourites” over what their teams need, and are unfazed in changing the shape of the team during a game by introducing substitutes.

I hope that TFG have already identified a number of suitable candidates and have started to put plans in place because, with our fixture list in December, I fear we will enter the New Year in the relegation spots.

It's worrying if it's true he never played Jarrad because he felt that Keane and Tarkowski have been playing well, because our performance against Fulham was absolutely dreadful looking at it from an offensive perspective and it was very evident that the whole team's starting position was at least 15 metres too deep to begin with.

Goodison closes its doors in 7 months and with it being very obvious that Everton cannot play on the front foot with our current defenders, then it won't be long before I start looking at the team-sheet before I leave for Goodison, (something I never do, because we always get beat if I know the team...Superstitious? We usually get beat anyway, I know!) and if it's going to this pairing, then I probably won't even go to the game.

It makes me angry when people say we only win trophies with ex-Evertonians (even though it's true) because it's fucking obvious that Everton, have only ever won trophies when we have played on the front foot. (We were lucky at Bristol City – I know!)

If Everton play on the front foot, then they always have a very loud and passionate crowd behind them, and when they don't (we are not fools, sometimes just digging in makes us even louder) the crowd becomes very quiet and flat, before the angry exasperation sets in!

Football has always been full of different opinions and different strategies, but when it comes to Everton, then playing on the front foot is definitely the most important thing, especially at Goodison. It is the one thing I've learned above anything else in my near 50 years of attending.

Sorry for boring everyone but look at Moyes. He couldn't win away against the top teams but his record against them at Goodison was always respectable, I don't believe any other club would have survived the turmoil that Everton have encountered and still survived, if it wasn't for our exceptional support.

Please give these exceptional supporters a bit of excitement at Goodison Park before she closes her doors for good.

Taking an unknown now would be a risk; survival this season is all.

I think we go with David Moyes until the end of the season as the safe call and then reset with the younger more progressive shout. Corberan or Iraola for me, in the summer, with a full pre-season to work with.

I did say that in my own write up, that if Branthwaite was fit, why did he not start? Instead, he comes on late so Michael Keane can be pushed up front and taking our main striker off.

It baffles me.

I also don't think we would have thrown it away against Bournemouth if Branthwaite had been fit to play. Not Dyche's fault, that I know, but just highlighting how important this guy is.

He's crucial to our whole defensive solidity, he's the first name, when fit, on the team sheet… or at least he should be.

Let's see what we get served up on Saturday.

This goes back to when he had a minor operation before the season started, and on 18 July, after his operation, Branthwaite said on social media that he would be back training in 2 weeks.

As we know, he didn't appear for months. Was Branthwaite being over-optimistic in thinking he would be back training before the end of July? Or did the offers from Man Utd turn his head? Something has definitely changed.

I also find it puzzling that most supporters think it's a straight choice between Keane and Branthwaite but surely our worst defender this season has been Tarkowski and he has admitted he has played with an injury. Yet Branthwaite has been left on the bench; Why?

I find I agree with everything Michael Ball has been saying in his Echo column since the season started. A must-read for me every Monday. He sees what us supporters see and what needs changing yet the only person who doesn't seem to notice these deficiencies is Dyche.

The one truth is that we could be better in every department, both on and off the field, which, hopefully, will be corrected when the leadership is changed – and that starts with team management.

What we are currently getting is unacceptable, fans are quiet and bored rigid and the atmosphere is one of dread. Dyche doesn't use the fans or the atmosphere to his advantage.

I don't mind if we lose as long as we're having a go. That display last week against Fulham was turgid and dull.

Come on, Dyche, for fuck's sake, get Branthwaite back in the side ASAP and let's start on the front foot from the off.

But I see no reason why we cannot do it against teams of a similar level. Why did we play like we did against Southampton? We lost anyway playing that way. Why not go out with intent and intensity? What's the worst that could happen? Lose? We lost anyway.

All teams from a decent level upwards have a playing style. However, the successful ones adjust it depending on the opposition. The Moyes example that Dave makes above is bang on. Think of how many games we took to better opposition at Goodison.

My lad is now playing semi-pro at 17 and we were talking on the way back from his game on Saturday, listening to Everton. His first-ever game was the 1-0 win against Man Utd Fellaini header. He asked why we can't have that type of performance anymore.

Even he, in his youth, understands that teams adjust, take on different methods in different games. Try different things. He's getting coached that now 7 or 8 levels down the pyramid. Like me, he can't understand the rigidity of our approach (it's so basic, I can't even call it a tactic).

He's a half-decent player, my lad, but miles away from league standard. Still, he said to me on Saturday about Everton, "Dad, I'd be embarrassed to be asked to play like that!" It made me wonder how our players feel. Are they embarrassed or does the wage packet simply override it all?

Agree Mick, Goodison is miles away from being a fortress, rather a liability nowadays. It's got to be one of the easiest aways for the opposition. Not the fans' fault, it's packed out every game.

For every game, the team is set up to defend with the hope of snatching a win, or even a draw. Once we do score, it's shut up shop time and try to survive.

He won't play two forwards, he won't leave out Keane or Tarkowski ( unless they are injured) and he won't play attacking football.

Now they have a new manager that wants to bring his own centre-half to Utd! Who knows how that affects Branthwaite, we don't know what goes on behind the scenes.

I know it's de rigueur to slag Dyche off for his style of play but we have scored 1 goal more than Man Utd, the same number as Newcastle Utd, and Nottm Forest in 3rd have only scored 4 more than us – and that's when we have missed a good few chances to make our total goals more.

"The performance at St Mary's really wound me up as a fan and it would have wound me up as a player if my manager didn't have enough trust in my team-mates and myself to go toe-to-toe against Southampton."

This is why Calvert-Lewin is wilting because he is just about done with Dyche-ball (nothing to do with – yawn – "protecting himself" or not caring or being lazy) – and he is not alone.

The less-talented journeymen don't mind it – Keane, Tarkowski, Harrison – but it must eventually become frustrating, then annoying, then maddening, and then soul-destroying if you have footy nous and talent and you play under Dyche.

Dyche seems to be alienating a good section of the fan-base (including, Rob and others report, a significant number of the 3,000). He appears to be – "appears to be" – alienating some players. He is Nebraska for our east-coast/west-coast buyers.

I have a horrible feeling that things might unravel by Xmas Day and that we are in a false position today because, in most of our games so far, we could have reasonably expected to win.

Anyone else not looking at the December fixture list and hiding behind the sofa as the cybermen or sea devils go to work on Dyche-ball?

2025 can not come fast enough.

We'll be lucky to see 6 wins at Goodison this season. I understand the defensive attitude away from home but I can't accept it at Goodison.

The fans just need a bit of bite to get them involved.

Now it may not turn out the way we dread it will, but there is the good chance that we are comprehensively beaten by Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City if they hit the peak of their powers.

We have a horrible looking away fixture at Old Trafford, a place where no matter how much dogshit United are in they always get an easy ride from us.

I think we've got two hard home games against a improving Chelsea side and high flying Nottingham Forest.

There are three monumental games on the near horizon now though in West Ham, Brentford and Wolves. I'd suggest nothing less that 9 points would be seen as a good return.

If Dyche makes it to the end of the year, then it will either break him or make him by the time Big Ben strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.

No nonsense says it how it is as a fan, I just wish we could have someone copy and past the link each week to his weekly story, well worth a read for our oversea fans and to be honest Evertonians everywhere near and far.

Ball, Stubbs and Southall are certainly no yes men, proper Evertonians, say it how it is, speak up for the fans.

His latest read is bang on the money again, haven't a clue how to add the link here but certainly worth a read.

Look up top for the missing link!