Michael Ball has urged Sean Dyche to keep playing James Garner in his natural position.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo, Ball claimed that he had been really impressed with the Everton midfielder since he had been moved back to the centre.
Garner joined Everton from Manchester United in a £15 million deal last summer, however he has rarely been given the opportunity to play in his natural position.
Following a period on the sidelines, the 22-year-old was forced to take up Seamus Coleman’s position at right-back last season as the Toffees battled relegation.
While he actually did a brilliant job in defence, Garner was moved further forward this term but still remained out wide.
The England U21 international has been one of Everton’s better players this season, however there has been constant calls for him to be pushed back into the middle of the park. Garner has since started in his natural position in the club’s last two wins in all competitions – scoring in both.
Ball has claimed that Garner really deserves the chance to continue in midfield after a brilliant start to the campaign.
Writing in his column for the ECHO, the former defender said: “One call he [Dyche] had no option but to make was the one to move James Garner into the middle of the pitch. It is a call plenty of fans have been asking for.
“But the most pleasing thing is that Garner actually took his chance to impress. He was superb and deservedly got his name on the scoresheet.
“In the past, we have seen plenty of players be handed a chance, but they have then failed to make the right impression. This was not the case here.
“James played with the type of aggression that we want to see from an Everton midfielder. His pressing was relentless, and he didn’t stop all game.
“My big hope for James now is that he gets a run of games in the middle because he certainly deserves the chance to continue there after his display on Saturday.”
A positive impact
It is definitely no coincidence that James Garner played out wide in one of their last three matches and that was the one they lost.
The 22-year-old certainly isn’t terrible on the wing, but that just isn’t his natural position. Garner is much more effective in the middle and it allows someone like Jack Harrison to work their magic from out wide instead.
I understand that Dyche hasn’t previously had the squad depth to play some players in the right position, but he does now. There is no point wasting the likes of Harrison or Arnaut Danjuma on the bench just so he can fit someone extremely ineffective like Idrissa Gueye in the midfield.
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