Leon Osman has suggested there are only a few players capable of winning man of the match for Everton in any given game right now.
Everton lost 1-0 to Bournemouth at the weekend, with David Brooks scoring the game’s only goal.
The pressure is increasing on Sean Dyche, whose inability to get this team scoring goals is extremely alarming.
Chris Sutton described Everton’s goal tally of 15 Premier League goals as ‘unbelievable’, and many fans are very worried about the lack of bite in the final third.
The Friedkin Group are backing Dyche for the time being.
But the new owners may soon have to make the decision they don’t particularly want to, with Everton just a point above the relegation zone.
For Leon Osman, it’s all just too predictable right now, with the former Goodison Park midfielder dropping a damning verdict.
Osman says Everton are playing too ‘predictably’ as he picks out trio Dyche is overly reliant on
Everton’s way of playing these days is to essentially be organised and solid at the back, and hope to nick games by a goal.
But this is just not sustainable, with the forwards continuing to disappoint and the defence simply not able to keep clean sheets every single weekend.
One of the standout performers this season for Everton has been Jordan Pickford.
Pickford has regularly bailed Everton out, and that has been the case for the last couple of seasons.
Michael Owen recently named Pickford in his team of the season so far, which says it all.
He is one of three players Leon Osman feels actually does something in this current Everton team – the others being the two centre-halves in front of him.
He said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Everton are good defensively. Sean Dyche sets them up pretty predictably but well with Jordan Pickford, one of the two centre-halves Branthwaite or Tarkowski. One of them three will win man of the match.
“One of them will make an outstanding save or block, and you’re relying on the other one to score from a set-piece and it’s down to them three every single game to try and do something. I do think there’s a lack of quality in the squad.”
The sad truth
With the exception of possibly Iliman Ndiaye, Osman is right to suggest that Pickford, Branthwaite and Tarkoswki are the only Everton players capable of winning man of the match in any given game right now.
Ultimately, that suggests that they are too involved in the game.
You just don’t want the emphasis to be on your defenders.
Something is seriously wrong if the potential man of the match can only ever be between your goalkeeper and two centre-backs.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 17 |
Fans will have everything crossed that Dyche is relieved of his duties soon, and that a more attack-minded coach comes in.
Realistically, results and performances couldn’t get much worse right now, suggesting the risk is worth taking for TFG.
Graham Potter has just taken up a co-director job at the PFA Business School, and is linked with West Ham United. But many Evertonians are hopeful TFG will make him Dyche’s successor.
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