Dominic Calvert-Lewin wants to play up front with Beto in change of tactics for Everton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suggested he is looking forward to playing in a two-striker pairing with new signing Beto at Everton, claiming they could bully their opponents after conversations have been had about the potential.
Since Beto’s arrival, Sean Dyche has preferred to start one or the other of the two frontmen, but Calvert-Lewin has now revealed he has spoken to him about how they could play together and benefit from each other’s games.
The English forward claimed he has struggled to lead the line in the past, but feels if he is paired with Beto it will enable them to share the workload and both players will benefit.
Speaking to Everton’s official website on 25 September, the striker stated: “He [Beto] has been excellent since he’s come in.
“He’s a physical presence and I’ve really enjoyed training with him. We’ve had a few conversations between ourselves about us being on the pitch at the same time and how that will look, and how we can make that work.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had someone as physical as myself to be up there at the top of the pitch and to share the workload. A lot of the time, I’ve had to be a battering ram and that sometimes takes away from other parts of your game.
“I think he’s been top. It’s not easy leading the line for the Toffees. I think other strikers who have come in the past have realised that. I think Beto has got what it takes, and hopefully, we can see ourselves both on the pitch at the same time, bullying teams.”
Dyche should experiment
As mentioned previously, Dyche has preferred to start one or the other of his two strikers since Beto’s arrival, largely due to Calvert-Lewin’s fitness struggles, but even when he returned from injury, Beto started up front with Abdoulaye Doucoure sitting behind him.
Everton had struggled for goals up until the 3-1 victory against Brentford, and if those struggles return it may be worth a tactical tweak from the boss to deploy both of his physical strikers together and watch the havoc they could cause.
Calvert-Lewin’s excitement at finally having a striker partner that is on his level is apparent, after previously being relied upon as the main, if not only, source of goals at Goodison Park, he now feels that some of that burden has been lifted.
With the League Cup clash against Aston Villa coming up this week, perhaps it could be time for Dyche to roll the dice and try something new this season.
In other Everton news, James Tarkowski has tipped one teammate to go “to the very top” in his career.