Lewis Dobbin must be starting over Salomon Rondon for Everton
Summer signing Salomon Rondon has failed to hit the ground running at Everton thus far and should be replaced by Lewis Dobbin against Watford on Saturday.
His arrival at Goodison Park wasn’t greeted with the loudest of cheers but there was a feeling that he had unfinished business in the Premier League.
However, when asked to step up in the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, the Venezuelan has failed to deliver.
Rondon’s former teammate Matt Richie on talkSPORT [18/03/19, 12:20 pm] labelled him “priceless”, but he does not appear to be the same player he was two seasons ago.
He’s become slower, isn’t as sharp and appears to have lost his positioning sense that made him a prolific penalty box striker.
This could be the perfect time for Rafa Benitez to hand Dobbin a start.
The 18-year-old has been capped for England at various youth levels and according to The Athletic, is tipped to reach the top of the professional game.
He has continually been making the bench for the first team, given the various injury concerns, and Benitez should take a punt on him and hand him a start.
Dobbin’s already made his debut against Norwich last month but is yet to start a Premier League game.
He’s also got the backing of academy manager David Unsworth who has waxed lyrical of the youngster’s “fantastic attitude” after he scored consecutive hat-tricks in pre-season. [Everton website]
Nothing gets the fans more excited than one of their academy prospects staring for the first team and even if it doesn’t pay off he can always bring him off at half-time.
Richarlison is back in training and it would be better to get him off the bench rather than throw him straight into the starting eleven.
In other Everton news, the club has been handed an injury boost with a ‘Fantastic’ player returning to training
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