Stats show Sean Dyche must make brutal Everton decision and axe Ashley Young
Sean Dyche has got a difficult decision on his hands when he selects his Everton starting lineup to take on Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Toffees have lost four of their five Premier League games this season, with their only point coming in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United as they sit in the relegation zone at this early stage of the campaign.
That immediately suggests that changes are needed and as Dyche looks set to name his side, he has some big decisions to make in one area of the pitch in particular.
Full-back has been a serious issue in recent times for Everton, with Seamus Coleman out injured and all of Nathan Patterson, Vitalii Mykolenko and Ashley Young struggling to find their best form.
Ben Godfrey was an option at left-back at times last season and could be again if Dyche really wants to switch things up, but natural options are always better than square pegs in round holes in the long run.
So who are the best options? Which pairing of the three natural full-back options we have is the best?
According to WhoScored this season, despite the small sample size, it’s Scotland international Patterson and Ukrainian Mykolenko.
Young and Patterson have both played five games each compared to Mykolenko’s one, but the numbers are startling in favour of the 24-year-old.
His only appearance to date came against Arsenal where he made five tackles, one interception, three clearances, one block and completed two dribbles in attack too. So far this season Young has managed an average of 1.8 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 1.8 clearances and one dribble per game.
Young concedes far less fouls per game, but the running threat Mykolenko has is clear. Being naturally left-footed also helps, but going forward Young’s stats are more impressive.
He has managed 1.4 key passes per game, 39.2 passes per game with a 71.4% success rate and 2.2 crosses per game, compared with Mykolenko’s 0 key passes, 21 passes (with the exact same success rate) and zero crosses.
Patterson’s offensive numbers are better than both players as seen in the image below, and he’s also the only one with a goal contribution which shows he can deliver in the final third.
The real battle comes at left-back, and while Young’s attacking numbers are better they have come against far lesser opposition than Arsenal and been completely unproductive.
Brentford is a tough game undoubtedly, but Everton will feel that with a good performance there is a positive result that can be got from the fixture.
If Dyche makes the call to play his two best full-backs, then it will surely only increase the chances of taking all three points.
In other Everton news, big-money ace to be axed in predicted XI v Brentford.