After all, the Toffees’ recruitment team has largely ignored this role, settling on Nathan Patterson to replace Seamus Coleman in the long run, despite the fact that neither player has played a significant part in this campaign.
Rather, a number of players have shared the position, but none have been able to firmly establish their claim with any elegance or distinction.
Ben Godfrey filled in admirably for a brief period of time, but it was evident that he lacked offensive flair.
Ashley Young, on the other hand, has a nice whipped cross, but he is far too inconsistent as a defender to be trusted in this capacity.
So, who might Sean Dyche choose to address his problems at right-back?
Even though Vitaliy Mykolenko is not the most athletic defender in the team, he will always be there for Dyche because he is the only left-back on the team and he does have a decent delivery.
Therefore, whoever starts on the other flank needs to be a good match for him.
Considering his preference for playing defensively and as an old-school fullback, it might be wise to take a chance on the right side. James Garner could therefore be a surprise choice in the form of a curveball.
The fact that the £15 million midfielder did play in that capacity for the England U21s and did well only serves to support such a theory.
Being young, athletic, combative, and creative, he satisfies every requirement for a modern full-back.
Not to add, there would be minimal disruption in the engine room if he was moved out wide, as Idrissa Gana Gueye could take his place alongside Amadou Onana with ease. If anything, it provides even more balance, which will let the Belgian perform well in more advanced roles.
Even though his recent form has declined, Garner has made a huge impression for Everton this campaign. After all, according to Sofascore, he is logging an amazing 1.4 crucial passes and 0.9 successful crosses per game, in addition to contributing 2.5 tackles and 5.1 ball recoveries.
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