Everton: Dyche now has 'headache' involving £31.5m duo at Goodison Park

GiveMeSport

·26 September 2023

Everton: Dyche now has 'headache' involving £31.5m duo at Goodison Park

Highlights

Everton boss Sean Dyche faces a selection dilemma between Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto as his starting striker for the team's next Premier League game.
Journalist Paul Brown suggests that Calvert-Lewin's goal in their recent victory could earn him a starting spot, but Beto's price tag may influence Dyche's decision.
Everton's recent improved form comes at a crucial time amid an ongoing takeover situation, with a potential delay expected in the approval of the takeover deal with 777 Partners.

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Everton boss Sean Dyche now has a team selection 'headache' ahead of their next Premier League game, with journalist Paul Brown revealing to GIVEMESPORT which of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto he thinks should start for the Toffees.

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The Merseyside outfit enjoyed a confidence-boosting 3-1 victory over Brentford over the weekend, but the result has thrown up some team selection dilemmas for Dyche.

Finally, some positive news for the Everton faithful. After weeks (and in some cases months) of misery, the Goodison Park loyal were able to celebrate their first victory of the new campaign away at Brentford on Saturday evening. A gutsy performance which saw Dyche's side net twice in the second half to secure the three points, one of the main talking points post-match was about the club's striker situation.

Since joining from Udinese for £30 million in the summer transfer window, Beto has been favoured as their starting striker, with his performances having yielded one goal from four outings. However, with Calvert-Lewin - who cost £1.5 million back in 2016 - coming off the bench to wrap the victory up for Everton on Saturday by scoring midway through the second period, there is a school of thought suggesting the Englishman should instead be favoured from the start.

Journalist Brown told GIVEMESPORT earlier in the week that Calvert-Lewin's performance would've put him front and centre of Dyche's plans heading into the autumn fixtures, but the price tag over Beto's head could force the former Burnley boss to play him instead. With plenty of questions left to answer before Everton next take to the Premier League field on Saturday, Brown has once again had his latest say during an interview with GIVEMESPORT.

What has Paul Brown said about Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Beto?

When quizzed on the striker situation at Goodison Park, the reliable reporter admitted it would be causing Dyche a 'headache', but suggested it's a better problem to have than the recent ones which have been plaguing his thoughts. Hinting Dyche had a major decision to make ahead of their next league outings, the reporter told GIVEMESPORT:

“It's a really nice headache for him to have. And there's an argument for saying that now Calvert-Lewin has scored, he deserves to start. I think it ultimately comes down to fitness. “I mean, the counterargument to that would be that, you could start with Beto and let him wear defenders down and then bring Calvert Lewin on for a bit of dynamism towards the end of the games, as they did in this one against Brentford. Especially if Calvert-Lewin is not maybe 100% match fit yet, so he could go either way with it.”

What else is going on off the pitch at Everton right now?

Everton's upturn in form has come at a good time for the club, given the ongoing takeover situation which was starting to garner headlines off the pitch. It was reported earlier this month that the club had agreed a deal with 777 Partners to become Everton's new majority shareholder, taking over from the much-maligned Farhad Moshiri.

The controversial investment group hold stakes in a number of clubs across European and world football, with their practices having been criticised in the past. As a result, it's expected the takeover could take some time to be approved by the Premier League, with Brown telling GIVEMESPORT he suspects a hefty delay could be on the road ahead.

A special report in the Liverpool Echo detailed the concerns surrounding 777 Partners' methods, with claims they've borrowed money in the past to fund their sporting ventures. A dicey strategy, if true, but one which is bound to cause panic among the Everton fans, given their recent relationship with owner Moshiri.

It's impossible to tell what might lie ahead for Everton and 777 Partners, but given their previous and current affiliations with big-name clubs on the continent, it's difficult to imagine the Premier League not approving any prospective takeover deals.

What's next for Everton in the Premier League?

Regardless of who is in charge at the boardroom or managerial level, the primary focus for the Toffees this season is to stay in the top flight. Everton face a potentially season-defining clash this weekend when strugglers Luton Town travel to Goodison Park, with the newly-promoted side chasing their first win of the campaign.

The pressure had been mounting on Dyche prior to the victory over Brentford, with some suggestions he might be sacked if results don't improve. While the three points last weekend would've given him some breathing space, anything but a comfortable victory on Saturday afternoon against Luton is likely to cause the panic alarms to start ringing again.