Everton at West Ham: Predicted Line-Up | Dele, Patterson to Get First Starts?

After 5-0 and 4-0 defeats in Everton’s last two visits to London, the Blues really need to turn a corner when they pay David Moyes’ West Ham side a visit.

The international break came at an ideal time for the Blues. Hopefully Frank Lampard has had a chance to press the reset button and Everton can start anew.

So how will the Blues line up?

Who’s Out?

Nothing’s really changed regarding absentees. Allan serves the second of an undeserved three-match suspension, Fabian Delph is a week away from being “fit” (i.e. back for a week then out for the rest of the season), while Yerry Mina is still “a couple of weeks away”. Andros Townsend and Tom Davies are out for the rest of the season.

Lampard said DCL has had a “really productive” couple of weeks during the international break, so hopefully he can get back up to speed quickly now and help the team for the rest of the season.

EVERTON SQUAD AVAILABLE VS WEST HAM

Goalkeepers: Pickford, Begovic, Lonergan

Defenders: Keane, Mina (INJURY), Godfrey, Holgate, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Coleman, Kenny, Patterson, Holgate

Midfielders: Allan, Doucoure, Delph (INJURY), Gomes, Alli, van de Beek, Onyango, Davies (INJURY)

Wingers: Gray, Gordon, Townsend (INJURY), Iwobi, El Ghazi

Attackers: Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Rondon, Tosun, Dobbin

Tactics and Formation

I’m a bit conflicted between deciding what I would like to see and what is more likely to happen here. For me, it’s time to roll the dice and freshen things up as possible – and that means giving January additions Dele Alli and Nathan Patterson their first starts.

Patterson started two games for Scotland in the international break (draws against Poland and Austria) and put in a scintillating first half performance against Poland which won him man of the match honours.

Clearly Seamus Coleman’s experience and leadership is rightly valued – but he’s well off the Premier League pace these days and it’s costing us valuable points in the hunt for survival.

It’s time to give us – at least a glimpse – of the future and so the time has come for Patterson. Likewise, let’s at least see if Dele can impose himself on a game from the start rather than thrusting him into difficult substitute appearances and expecting a miracle.

I’d love to see a 4-2-3-1, with a backline of Patterson, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey (or Mykolenko, with Godfrey moved centrally), Doucoure and van de Beek in the middle, and Gordon, Alli and Richie playing off DCL.

But I worry we’ll see another 5-2-3, with Coleman and Kenny on either flank.

For the purposes of this predicted line-up, though, I’m being unEvertonly optimistic.

Starters (likelihood of starting rated out of 10)

Jordan Pickford – 10/10

Nathan Patterson – 6/10

Hopefully Frank was watching Scotland intently and realises it’s time.

Michael Keane – 8/10

Ben Godfrey – 9/10

Vitaliy Mykolenko – 6/10

Donny van de Beek - 7/10

Abdoulaye Doucoure – 9/10

Anthony Gordon – 8/10

Dele Alli – 5/10

Again, wishful thinking.

Richarlison – 10/10

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 8/10

Bench

Asmir Begovic

Seamus Coleman

Jonjoe Kenny

Mason Holgate

Jarrad Branthwaite

Andre Gomes

Alex Iwobi

Demarai Gray

Salomon Rondon