Ex-Everton Star Tells Sean Dyche To Make ‘Ruthless’ Selection Decision Against Southampton | OneFootball

Carl Recine/Getty Images

Ex-Everton star Michael Ball has pointed towards the Reds’ rivals Liverpool to explain why Sean Dyche should make a specific selection choice against Southampton.

Everton were put out of the EFL Cup by Southampton last month and as a result are not in midweek action; Saints face Stoke City this evening.

Looking towards playing Southampton in the Premier League at the weekend, former Toffee Ball stressed that Dyche needs to pick Jarrad Branthwaite in the team.

Branthwaite has only played 94 minutes for Everton this season and he is in contention to start the game against Southampton.

Everton’s defence have been impressive without Branthwaite in the recent games, but Ball believes that Dyche has to be ruthless in his decision making to accommodate the centre-back in his starting line-up.

Ball pointed out that Liverpool would never pick a well performing Joe Gomez over a fit Virgil van Dijk and thinks that the Everton boss should follow the Reds’ approach while setting up his team for the weekend’s clash.

The former Everton man also believes that the real question should be how Dyche will be able to accommodate Branthwaite in his team instead of whether he should come back straight into the team.

“Everton are five unbeaten and have conceded just three goals in that period, so I could understand why some people might view a change as harsh”, Ball wrote in his Liverpool Echo column.

“You need to be ruthless, however if Virgil van Dijk missed a fortnight and Joe Gomez played well while filling in, would Liverpool hesitate over bringing him straight back? I don’t think so.

“For me, the question is not whether he returns but how his comeback is accommodated.”

Branthwaite featured for only four minutes in the game against Fulham last weekend after coming off the bench and he will be eager for regular football.