Sean Dyche must axe liability Ashley Young for good – Three things learned from Everton v Liverpool
Everton returned from the international break with a lacklustre 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on 21 October, as their rivals put a dent in the Toffees’ good form.
It was a closely contested fixture until Ashley Young was sent off for two bookable offences, and the game was decided by the referee in the end who also gave a penalty which saw Liverpool open the scoring.
Salah scored the penalty and then killed the game off with a late second in the 97th minute, with Everton never looking like winning, particularly after the red card.
Here are three things we learned from the Merseyside derby defeat…
Dyche needs to axe Young for good
The seemingly bizarre loyalty the boss has shown Young despite some awful displays so far this season has been baffling, and while he did impress with a key block to prevent Luis Diaz from scoring, the 38-year-old ultimately let himself down in typical fashion.
He was silly to dive in on the Colombian winger when already on a yellow card and gave the ref no choice but to dismiss him. Having been booked in four of his last six games, it’s becoming a recurring theme that Young can’t keep up with the current pace of the game.
Letting himself and his side down by getting sent off should be the last straw, with Nathan Patterson waiting in the wings to pluck the starting spot in the coming weeks.
You’ll never get the rub of the green at Anfield
Ultimately, there is no world in which Everton get any favour from the referee at Anfield. The red card to Young was not debatable, but in that case, Ibrahima Konate’s foul on Beto as the forward looked to break free shouldn’t have been either.
Such was the level of the offence that Klopp immediately dragged Konate off to avoid a red card, while Dyche and Jordan Pickford both hit out at Craig Pawson after the game, labelling the decisions as “bizarre” [Dyche via TNT Sports] and “no shock”.
Tarkowski and Branthwaite are excellent
In a game which was expected to weigh heavily in favour of the hosts, Everton’s defensive duo shone and kept the scoreline as low as it was.
Five blocks, ten clearances, four interceptions, three tackles and eight duels won between them, the pair in the middle of Dyche’s defensive line were as imperious as ever and, despite the result, put in yet another impressive display this season. [Sofascore]
Branthwaite in particular received praise from Henry Winter, who hailed his “superb” performance as he was put under plenty of pressure.
In other Everton news, Andy Gray sent Richard Keys a warning from the new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium.