With the international duty in full flow, there are some Everton fans who might actually be starting to miss watching their team play football.
That is, despite a truly dreadful start, having lost their opening three Premier League games whilst conceding ten goals in the process.
However, such is the inexplicable nature of football, particularly on Merseyside, you just simply cannot escape the club you love from pulling you back in.
Even if a daunting trip to Aston Villa awaits this weekend.
With that game in mind, and with points desperately needed to solidify Sean Dyche‘s job, his team selection this Saturday afternoon will be crucial.
Inarguably though, where his decisions will count the most is in attack. He simply has to get it right.
Sean Dyche has so many attacking options
And, despite missing out on that coveted winger across the summer, the Everton boss is still blessed with a plethora of attacking talent to choose from as well.
Having welcomed Jack Harrison back to Goodison Park on another loan deal, this Dyche favourite is versatile and hard-working, despite his end product often leaving a little to be desired.
He and Dwight McNeil have struck up quite a solid partnership on the flanks, but the additions of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom have added some more food for thought in these positions.
That’s without even mentioning Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was once the club’s saviour, as well as the striking options including Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
There has to be some combination that gets the best four players to play their best football. So, with almost a free hit at Villa Park on Saturday, as few are expecting a result, perhaps now is the time to finally unleash a new-look front four to see how they fare.
The front four that Everton must play at Aston Villa
Although they lost against AFC Bournemouth, few can argue with the performance up until the 87th minute, dominating relentlessly.
They created chance after chance, with their attack actually spearheaded by the presence of McNeil behind the striker.
Moved infield, this seemed like a stroke of genius from Dyche, who saw the 24-year-old arguably have his best game in a royal blue shirt.
He assisted Calvert-Lewin’s goal with a perfectly weighted pass in behind, and should have had much more too, creating three big chances and making six key passes, via Sofascore.
Keeping him in that role is a no-brainer, as is retaining Ndiaye’s spot on the left flank too.
This position did allow him to drift inside onto his favoured right foot, but his pace, directness and trickery made it so defenders could not track where he might end up.
Calvert-Lewin is undoubtedly the best striker at the club still, so he should start up front, leaving that right-wing position curiously vacant.
Harrison was poor against the Cherries, and admittedly has not really hit the ground running since returning to Everton.
Therefore, perhaps it’s now time to see what Lindstrom can do from the start, having only been handed a single start in the EFL Cup up until this point.
The on-loan Napoli man has looked unfit since joining, but an extra two weeks of preparation should surely have him now up to speed.
He cannot offer any less than the Leeds United loanee has been, and could set the Premier League alight.
After all, Graeme Bailey even claimed that Dyche leaving out Lindstrom had been ‘criminal’.
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