James Garner could replace Demarai Gray as Everton wide option after Saudi Arabia transfer
Everton may be forced to use James Garner as a wide option after selling Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray without replacing them, says Joe Thomas.
Writing on the Liverpool Echo website (8 September), the journalist admits that the Toffees options in the wide areas are “limited” now that they have sold the Jamaica and Nigeria internationals.
With the transfer window closed they can’t replace they until January, but £15m signing James Garner has shown an ability to play wide in a deeper role and that could be Sean Dyche’s go-to for the first half of the season if needs be.
“The issue is what happens in the latter stages of games and, more pointedly, if players get injured,” he said.
“It is a danger the severity of which is heightened by the sale of Alex Iwobi. Everything points to Everton not wanting to sell both Iwobi and Gray for precisely that reason.
“So the reality is any problem will be dealt with exactly how it has so far this season – with James Garner slotting in on the right of midfield.
“Should Harrison or McNeil get injured then the most obvious solution would be to move to a 4-4-1-1, allowing Garner to play as wide midfielder rather than a winger, and with Danjuma playing off Beto or Dominic Calvert-Lewin.”
Trouble
Dyche was pretty clear when it came through that Iwobi had left the club that he didn’t want him to leave, but the money was too good to refuse considering the position that the club were in and the fact he was in the final year of his contract.
Gray was in a similar situation with his contract but once Iwobi left, it meant we were short on options if Gray left too because even though we had been planning for his exit we weren’t planning for Iwobi’s.
The money has made sense and the deals are now done, but it means the manager has been left in a position where he needs to adapt and pivot to find a solution for any potential problems with our squad.
Jack Harrison arrived already injured and is unlikely to be back any time soon while Dwight McNeil is only just on his way back from an injury, so our options are already limited as it stands.
Hopefully we won’t need to use Garner too much out of position between now and January when we can then sign a replacement, but it does seem likely.
In other Everton news, Dyche must stick to his guns as stats prove ace deserved to be axed.