his final game at Everton following a poor performance against Brighton
Time is running out for Ashley Young to prove he has an Everton future beyond this season after yet another woeful display against Brighton at the weekend.
Young’s 84th-minute own goal rescued a point for Brighton as the Toffees were denied back-to-back Premier League victories in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday (4 November).
Before the game, Liverpool ECHO journo Joe Thomas, sharing his prediction (4 November) for Dyche’s starting eleven against the Seagulls tipped the Everton boss to axe the 38-year-old after recent performances.
Thomas admitted he is worried by the way Young has been beaten by forwards in the past, not least in the 1-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool where he was sent off for a challenge on Luis Diaz and that Dyche should now be thinking about starting the youthful Nathan Patterson instead.
With a player blessed with his experience and know-how, Young’s decision-making throughout that game at Anfield was of a player who may have been playing the first top-flight encounter of his career.
As per SofaScore, Young won just one tackle, was dribbled past twice, gave away two fouls as well as the needless red card, completed just six of his 13 passes at a disastrous success rate of 46% and failed with all of his long balls.
Young did look particularly improved against Burnley in the EFL Cup in last week but it was another performance which his influence in possession and in the final third may well have been called into question again, successfully completing just 60% of his passes, losing possession of a whopping 23 times, completing three of his eight long balls and failed in 100% of his dribbles [SofaScore].
Dyche stuck with the veteran for the Brighton fixture, but another woeful display may now have to force Dyche’s hand in the long term.
As per SofaScore, Young won just one duel throughout his 89 minutes on the pitch, was dribbled past a whopping four times, lost possession ten times, touched the ball just 38 times, successfully completed just over 60% of his passes again and was handed the worst score of any player to start the match at Goodison Park at 6.1/10.
With Seamus Coleman nearing full fitness and Patterson languishing behind the scenes on the bench, Young may well have started his last game at the club.
It’s got to be a point now where experience and know-how should not be the factors which guarantee starts under Dyche’s management, especially where Young is concerned. It’s clear he isn’t good enough at this level any longer.
