Sean Dyche praised for ‘very, very brave’ decision in Everton win v Brentford
Everton manager Sean Dyche was justified for his “very, very brave call” to start James Garner instead of Arnaut Danjuma against Brentford, according to Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas.
Garner was brought into the Toffees’ starting line-up for Saturday’s [23 September] contest in West London in the only change from the side that lost 1-0 against Arsenal.
The 22-year-old was arguably Everton’s best performer on the day as they battled to a 3-1 victory – their first three-point haul of the Premier League campaign at the sixth attempt.
Discussing Dyche’s team selection on the Royal Blue podcast [25 September, 8m 57s], Thomas said: “I must admit, I was one of those who thought it was a very, very brave call from Dyche. I questioned it at the time.”
Thomas was responding to colleague Paul Wheelock, who said: “To be fair it was a brave decision. If Everton lost or had not performed, the manager would have come under a lot of fire.
“It looked from the outside that it was a defensive move. Danjuma was fairly quiet against Arsenal so can’t complain too much about losing his place.
“You saw it in the flesh on Saturday – it proved to be inspired really. A number of players stood out but Garner was right up there.”
Turning point
Garner more than caught the eye in Everton’s midfield at the weekend as he completed 92% of his passes – only Idrissa Gueye could better that (93%) among the visiting players – and registered a joint-high four key passes [WhoScored].
That includes an assist for Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strike to seal three vital points for Everton on their travels.
Dropping Danjuma did look like a defensive move on the face of it, but Garner – who prefers to play centrally than out wide – ensured the Toffees had a better balance to the side.
It now looks a certainty that Dyche will retain Garner in the side to face Luton Town next weekend in what is another huge showdown.
With doubts beginning to creep in with regards to whether Dyche was the right man for Everton, the decision to go with Garner, and subsequently the battling performance of those selected, the win at Brentford could prove to be a massive turning point.
In other Everton news, Richard Keys has shared a “simple” verdict on Dyche amid the recent sack talk at Goodison Park.