Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has seen his call to return to centre-back ignored by David Moyes in his latest press conference.
Despite having Vitalii Mykolenko fit and available, Moyes decided to start Branthwaite at left-back on Monday evening against Manchester United.
Moyes admitted Branthwaite offers physicality that Mykolenko cannot, with Jake O’Brien’s presence missing on the other side of the pitch.
Can we do it again… what’s your score prediction? 🤔
The Ireland international remains unavailable at right-back for the game at St. James’ Park, as Moyes admitted he’s more than happy to have Branthwaite playing left-back again.
David Moyes isn’t hearing Jarrad Branthwaite’s Everton demand
Earlier in the week, Branthwaite admitted he prefers to play at centre-back following two starts at left-back since returning from injury.
However, Moyes responded to his decision to play the centre-back at full-back during his pre-Newcastle United press conference.
What changes would you make? 🤔
“Jarrad Branthwaite’s just as comfortable at left-back as he is at centre-back,” Moyes said at Finch Farm.
“When you’re a young centre-back, quite often you find your way into the team by starting at full-back because that’s where you’re put if you’re not physically and all the levels ready to do it in the big positions.”
There’s a belief that Thomas Tuchel is overlooking Branthwaite at Everton in his search for England’s centre-back pairing ahead of the summer.
Of course, the defender’s injury history has not helped his chances, but playing out of position is not allowing Tuchel to scout Branthwaite properly.
The 23-year-old sent a clear message to Moyes over returning to his natural position after the United game, but that has fallen on deaf ears.
Everton’s centre-back pairing undone for Man United’s winning goal
James Tarkowski and Michael Keane have proven a solid pairing for Everton over the years, but their age showed at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday.
Benjamin Sesko raced past Tarkowski, with Keane unable to deal with Bryan Mbuemo, which begs the question how Branthwaite would have potentially prevented that goal from being scored.
| Jarrad Branthwaite for Everton | Centre-back | Left-back |
| Appearances | 84 | 3 |
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Assists | 3 | 0 |
Branthwaite believes Everton have the quality to qualify for Europe, but Moyes must play his players in their best positions if this is to happen.
Adding a player with Branthwaite’s pace at centre-back could offer an instant improvement for Moyes, but the 62-year-old seems to be stuck in his ways.
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