Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie shares what happened this year that is ‘protecting’ Everton ace Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes the signing of Beto is “protecting” Everton ace Dominic Calvert-Lewin, even if the latter possesses “more quality” than his teammate.
Calvert-Lewin endured well-documented injury problems over the previous two seasons but has managed 13 Premier League appearances this term – 11 as a starter – and scored three league goals.
Beto signed from Serie A side Udinese in a reported £30million deal in August (BBC Sport) and has just a solitary league goal from 11 top-flight games, albeit only four starts.
But Hendrie, speaking on Soccer Sunday (17 December, 1:57pm), thinks the arrival of Beto is helping Calvert-Lewin this term.
“Even Beto when he comes on, he gives a similar sort of identity to Calvert-Lewin without as much quality,” he said.
“I think he’s one over the seasons he’ll start to fit more and he’ll start to get better. I think when you’re bringing on fresh legs you’ll know he’ll work that backline, he’ll try and protect the ball, I think having two very similar strikers to a certain extent, I think Calvert-Lewin is the more quality but I do feel like you can bring someone on who can do a similar job to what Calvert-Lewin’s doing and it’s protecting him a little bit from having them injuries.”
Good to have options
In a straight choice between a fully fit Calvert-Lewin and a fully fit Beto then right now you are always going to select the former, not least because he is a proven Premier League striker.
But Beto has added that much-needed competition up front and an option that the Toffees really lacked over the past couple of seasons when Calvert-Lewin was injured. Sure Neal Maupay was technically an option, but he was an abject failure in an Everton shirt.
Everton are in fantastic form right now, racking up four straight Premier League victories, and what Sean Dyche will want to see now is a bit more goal return from his strikers just to really help them kick on.
Calvert-Lewin is getting himself in the right positions to do so but at the minute just looks like he is still finding a little bit of confidence and a bit more assuredness. If Everton keep on winning that will undoubtedly come.
In other Everton news, Sean Dyche must be sick of the false narrative surrounding the team right now.