Everton’s disappointing form continued yesterday, as they twice threw away their lead to share the points with Nottingham Forest.
Although it was a spirited and much-improved display on the road, it marked a fine chance to propel themselves out of the relegation zone had they won. Yet it seemed like as the match wore on the hosts were far more likely to go on and claim victory, as the Toffees looked physically spent.
The midfield had become ragged, and the usual workmanlike trio of Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Amadou Onana found themselves wildly overran.
However, throughout the game the latter of these became more and more anonymous, with his previous “immense” displays – as dubbed by pundit Matt Holland – eluding him. Indeed, he offered little in the way of going forward whilst hardly dominating defensively in the heart of the pitch.
It has arguably now been some time since the hulking Belgian has performed to the levels expected of him, and his place in the squad could come under scrutiny with James Garner’s imminent return.
When will James Garner be back for Everton?
Having also signed in the summer, the Manchester United academy graduate joined Goodison Park as part of Frank Lampard’s vast midfield overhaul. It was expected that the £15m man would provide ample backup for the more established members, whilst developing alongside them.
However, it quickly became clear that the energetic youngster boasted far more attacking impetus than the usual starters.
Last season the 6 foot 1 gem scored four and assisted eight from a deeper midfield role, but in his cameos for the Merseyside outfit had shown his penchant for a crunching tackle and a lung-busting run. During that campaign, Statman Dave took to Twitter to brand the 21-year-old “special”.
Having seen his progress cut short due to a back injury just before the World Cup, Sunday’s draw marked his return to the squad since as he watched from the bench.
This was a huge step forward for Garner, who Sean Dyche had revealed was nearing a return to regular football.
It will leave the £100k-per-week Onana now sweating over his place in the side, as his last five performances have failed to surpass a 6.7 Sofascore rating.
Meanwhile, it will be refreshing that the former Burnley boss now has a new profile of midfielder to deploy. Lampard himself even outlined how big of an asset this could be: “He looks a bit different to our other midfield players in his attributes; his passing, his delivery of set-pieces and shots he can get away. He is a really clean striker of the ball in a sense of his passing.”
This fresh attacking input from deep could be imperative in thwarting the offensive issues plaguing Everton, and given Onana’s recent form, he could be the one to make way as Garner makes his triumphant return.
