Dyche Needs to Cash in on ‘Unreliable’ Everton Star who Costs him £100k Each Week.
Everton endured a galling 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park on the opening day of the Premier League campaign, bringing expectations back down to earth in what could once again turn out to be a long season for the Toffees.
Keeping the fourth-best defensive record in the division last season behind only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, Sean Dyche was able to turn this Everton side into a defensive unit that is very tough to break down. However, finishing 15th in the league after a points deduction, it was clear that the issue Dyche faced was the attacking side of the game, as his side amassed a mere 40 goals in 38 league matches, which was the second-worst record in the division behind Sheffield United, who finished bottom.
One of the long-standing issues that the club has faced is recruitment in forward areas, as they have been dependant on striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who had an excellent goalscoring run in the 2020/21 campaign, dispatching 21 times in all competitions, and looked like one of the most promising prospects at the club, but ever since, has struggled to recapture form that even resembles that term.
There is no doubting the 27-year-old’s quality in certain aspects of his game. He’s strong, likes to battle with the opposition centrebacks, and has a leap on him that is reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo in his prime days, but unfortunately for Everton and himself, he has failed to display the same form before breaking his toe in the following campaign, which saw him miss 125 days of action.
Since then, Calvert-Lewin has been plagued with injuries, sustaining four separate hamstring injuries keeping him out for a total of 19 matches, a knee injury in the 2021/22 season that saw him miss 12 games, and last year he suffered a broken cheekbone, keeping him out of action on four occasions for the club.
On talkSPORT, former Premier League striker and England international, Darren Bent, describes why he believes Everton have a difficult decision on their hands, saying:
“I am torn on Dominic Calvert-Lewin because, on the one hand, when you look at his numbers, you go, no. On his day, when he is fit and firing, he is unplayable.
“He is big; he is strong. He is good in the air. When he is at it, no one is outjumping him. He is one of the best in the air. Unfortunately, he can’t stay fit. Whatever that is, you can’t rely on him.”
Another major issue that Calvert-Lewin has faced in recent times is an inability to be clinical in front of goal, which is not only represented in his low goal tallies but also by the sheer number of big chances missed and his expected goals (xG) ratio.
Simply put, 15 goals in 74 appearances over the last three years is extremely concerning, especially considering that in the season beforehand the Englishman had scored 21 times in 39 matches in all competitions. Last campaigns numbers provide a bleak reading, as according the FBref he held the worst record in the division for underperforming his xG, scoring 7 goals from an xG of 12.9, meaning he missed the equivalent of 5.9 goals. Further compounding this statistic, he also missed 16 big chances while having a shot conversion rate of 9.6%.
The season beforehand, Calvert-Lewin was again not far off the top of the list for underperfoming his xG, missing the equivalent of 3.8 goals this time, scoring twice from an xG of 5.8.This time around, he would hold a record of six big chances missed in the league and a shot conversion rate of 4.4%.
Due to having a relatively poor record in front of goal in the past few years and with the forward costing the club £100,000 a week, it may be time for Everton to reconsider their forward options ahead of the new season. However, with not long in the transfer window, that may be a tricky ask. Among possible options that Everton could explore is Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran, who almost signed for West Ham United this window.
Duran has shown plenty of promise at Aston Villa since making an impact last season off the bench and has become a player that is showing enough promise to be starting more regularly in the Premier League, though he sits behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order.
Scoring in the opening game of the season, funnily enough against ‘the Hammers,’ the 20-year-old is still relatively raw but tenacious, likes to get involved in the play, and is clinical in and around the box, picking up eight goals for Villa last term. Considering that the Everton crowd have had little to roar about in the past few seasons, they have certainly still made plenty of noise, and signing a forward who will work hard, be aggressive, and possesses a goal threat could make a perfect fit at Goodison Park.
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