Goodison View: Exit of below-par Everton star surely a must
Sunday’s hugely dispiriting defeat to Liverpool’s reserves/youth team will have taught Carlo Ancelotti a lot about the Everton squad he’s inherited.
It was a desperate performance from a full strength Toffees team against a Reds side packed with teenagers. This was a 1-0 defeat which should have severe repercussions.
One of those repercussions should be a referendum on the centre of the team’s midfield. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Morgan Schneiderlin were absolutely woeful at Anfield.
The latter, in particular, wholly failed in his defensive duties. He’s supposed to be a midfield destroyer, yet he’s shown no ability to provide a solid wall in front of the Blues’ defence.
With that said, it’s high time the club looked to move him on, either this month or come the end of the season.
Fortunately, the Liverpool Echo expect that to happen. They claimed on Wednesday that the Frenchman’s time on Merseyside is certain to end within the next 18 months, at the end of which his contract will expire.
The club should be looking to secure a transfer fee for him if they can, though, even a much-diminished one. If they can get £10million, say, it would represent a good deal for them.
The statistics from the 30-year-old’s season so far demonstrate his struggles at Goodison Park.
He’s committing an average of 1.5 fouls per game, while he is being dribbled past 1.2 times an outing. Plus, he’s contributed no goals or assists, and averages only 0.3 key passes a match. All this has contributed to an average WhoScored rating of 6.26.
However, with Andre Gomes out for the long-term, and with Fabian Delph having his own injury problems, the former Manchester United man will continue to be called upon.
That’s just not good enough, and so Ancelotti should look to offload him as soon as possible and use the money to find a truly top class replacement.
In other Everton news, the Blues boss has reportedly told Marcel Brands to find a replacement for a key player.