Everton star proved to Dyche why he cannot be a starter in 2024 after Spurs defeat

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Everton, on the whole, can feel very proud of their performance away to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.

Although they endured a rough start, crumpling into an early two-goal deficit, their reaction was extraordinary, and completely unlike anything the travelling fans have seen from their team in recent years.

They fought to come back, and in the end can feel aggrieved that they didn’t, with Andy Gray even weighing in on what he felt the Toffees ‘deserved’.

However, it was not a completely impressive afternoon, with the result obviously proving disappointing.

And yet, it could still be argued that the underwhelming performance of Idrissa Gana Gueye stood out further, even if he only spent 24 minutes on the field.

His culpability in the midfield, and ageing body, have perhaps proved to Sean Dyche why he cannot be a starter in 2024.

With their financial situation still somewhat cloudy, it remains to be seen whether that is a position that can be rectified in January or next summer.

How did Idrissa Gana Gueye play for Everton vs Spurs?

Although it might seem somewhat harsh to criticise the Senegal international for what was ultimately a brief cameo on the field, it was what he did during his short time playing that has led me to such a conclusion.

After all, he represents a huge worry in the engine room, always liable to lose possession in key areas. Even if he wins the ball with impressive regularity, it cannot offset his culpability at times.

Yesterday was no different, as the 34-year-old would actually only make five completed passes at a 63% success rate. This inaccuracy proved costly too, and found himself floundering for the second goal as Heung-min Son tapped in after Jordan Pickford’s poor save.

Whilst that kind of profligacy in possession is often offset by his defensive work, it was hard for Gueye to shine in that regard given his little time on the pitch.

And whilst he did manage a sole tackle, he was actually dribbled past once too, losing 50% of the two duels he competed in and enjoying less touches (9) than his goalkeeper (45), via Sofascore.

What really exacerbates his weakness though, and offers the proof as to why he shouldn’t start in 2024, is the booking he received. An unnecessary challenge which actually saw him injured and taken off, such unreliability cannot be allowed to remain in the starting line-up.