Frank Lampard must drop Andre Gomes in Everton v Man City
Everton will face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday at Goodison Park, and it’s going to be a big challenge for Frank Lampard.
Since Lampard took charge of the club, Everton have played arguably their best football at home this season in the 3-0 win against Leeds United.
At the same time, the Toffees have also faced back-to-back away defeats against Newcastle and Southampton. Lampard is still in the process of getting a fair idea about his players, and this transition phase is bound to have ups and downs.
However, the league position is such that it doesn’t offer Lampard a breathing space, a preparatory ground for experiments, as Everton are perilously close to relegation. Their survival is at stake here, and every point matters.
City, the Champions, will start as favourites but the Toffees can give them a tough fight at home. Staying resolute at the back remains a challenge while the Toffees must look for opportunities to score as well.
With that in mind, Lampard should drop Andre Gomes. The Portuguese had cut a sorrow figure in the previous game against Southampton, where it became very clear that he is not the right fit for this system.
On the commentary for the Premier League world feed, Garry Birtles slammed him.
He said, “Ridiculous decision to give the free kick away. He’s not been good since coming on, has he?”
This week, Everton got a huge boost with Abdoulaye Doucoure returning to full training. With him back in the side, Lampard must look for a three-man midfield set-up alongside Donny van de Beek and Allan.
City are expected to retain a lot of possession but it will be a disaster to allow them to take control of the midfield completely. Gomes is a creative playmaker and Lampard should look to use him from the bench.
In other Everton news, a Super Computer has made Everton’s relegation prediction after their shock loss v Southampton
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