Everton will host Brentford at Goodison Park in their Premier League clash this afternoon and Sean Dyche will be hoping that his team can use the boost of home support to secure their first victory in four.
The Toffees are currently 18th in the league table only in the relegation zone due to their goal difference matching Leeds United for 22 points, so it will be important for Dyche to pick up crucial points in their battle for survival over their remaining 12 fixtures.
Indeed, it won’t be an easy meeting with Thomas Frank’s side when they make the long journey to Merseyside today as the Bees are unbeaten in their last 12 games and in formidable form at the moment.
As a result, the Everton boss must do everything he can to bring that impressive run to an end and making significant tweaks to his starting eleven could be the key to doing so.
One player who could finally get an appearance in the XI at Goodison Park today is James Garner after the former Manchester United academy graduate made a return to the bench last week against Nottingham Forest following his recovery from a back injury.
Should James Garner start vs Brentford?
It is no secret that fellow summer signing Amadou Onana has been struggling over the last few fixtures and his most recent performance against Forest last weekend was another reflection of the midfielder’s lacklustre form.
Over his 90-minute performance at The City Ground, the 21-year-old only completed 13 accurate passes, lost six duels, and failed in 100% of his dribbles, as well as losing possession of the ball every 3.6 touches.
This drop in form for Onana could be a golden opportunity for Dyche to finally unleash Garner against Brentford, giving the youngster the opportunity to show exactly what he can offer in the centre of the pitch for Everton over the remainder of the season.
In the Premier League, the 21-year-old ace – who was signed for £15m last summer – has only made six appearances and has never featured in a starting eleven so far, averaging just 23 minutes per performance.
The talented midfielder captured the attention of Everton following his impressive season with Nottingham Forest on loan last season in the Championship and was hailed by his former teammate Jack Colback for his impact on the side in their successful chase for promotion:
“Technically, he is really good,”
“Jimmy has made a difference because, when he is on it with his delivery, it is obscene how good he can be.”
His four goals and eight assists, including two key passes per game, in the Championship last term show that the gem has the potential to be a match-winner for the Toffees as his quality in possession, from open play and set-pieces, could punish the opposition.
With that being said, there is no doubt that Garner should be deployed in the heart of the team against Brentford and could be the secret weapon for Dyche who could terrify his opponents at Goodison Park this afternoon as they do not have much footage to judge him off from this season, which could allow him to surprise them with his ability on the ball.