Everton line-ups as Branthwaite and McNeil replacement decisions made

Everton line-ups for Southampton as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dwight McNeil replacement decisions made

Our Everton writers have picked their respective XIs for the clash between the Blues and Saints on Saturday

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Everton have a fine chance to extend their unbeaten Premier League run on Saturday. They visit Southampton in their 10th game of the top-flight campaign.

The Blues were well below their best last time out as they salvaged a 1-1 draw against Fulham thanks to Beto's stoppage-time equaliser. Southampton were beaten 1-0 away at Manchester City last weekend, although they did earn a 3-2 win over Stoke City in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Joe Thomas and Chris Beesley will be in attendance to cover the clash for the ECHO. Here is how they would line the Blues up on the south coast.

Joe Thomas

Jarrad Branthwaite comes back in for me. I would have made this call last week and nothing has changed my mind since, and I tend to agree with Michael Ball, who this week was stressing to me that Everton have to have their best players on the pitch.

Branthwaite is one of those and so it is no sleight to Michael Keane or James Tarkowski to make way for him, but the 22-year-old is a key player for Sean Dyche and so getting him back into the team is a process that, for me, should start now.

I would not be against Tarkowski being pulled out if there are any lingering concerns over the fitness issues that have hampered him to date - if he could do with a rest then I think this is an opportunity to do that with Keane in form, Branthwaite fresh, Everton on a decent streak and a game against a winless Southampton side presenting a real opportunity for this squad. If Tarkowski is fit then I would take Keane out, who would be unfortunate to lose his place but could do so knowing he has emphatically proved he holds value to this squad.

I'm tempted at the prospect of moving Ashley Young to left back - firstly to give Vitalii Mykolenko a break, secondly to try and give Nathan Patterson a chance to see whether he can hold down the right back spot. Mykolenko struggled against Fulham and that left me wondering whether a break might be a good thing considering all of his injury issues over the past seven months.

But I would ultimately hold back on that call - Young has been great at right back and Mykolenko is the best left back, so why change things unnecessarily.

In the middle I would bring in Orel Mangala for Abdoulaye Doucoure, who has carried a knock this week. I like what Mangala can do in possession and I am interested to see Idrissa Gueye and Mangaka together.

Should Dwight McNeil be injured then I would not be surprised to see Dyche push Doucoure forward but for me it would be the perfect opportunity to try Iliman Ndiaye in a the central supporting striker role that I think should be his. Jack Harrison could have a try on the left and Jesper Lindstrom, whose pace was so effective at breaking the Southampton high line in the Carabao Cup game earlier this season, would get my shout for a start given the faults he exposed against the Saints. If only he could finished the subsequent chances.

Beto's stoppage time heroics last time out do not warrant a start for me but, say if Dominic Calvert-Lewin is struggling, I would certainly like to say Beto introduced far earlier.

My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young; Mangala, Gueye; Harrison, Ndiaye, Lindstrom; Calvert-Lewin

Chris Beesley

It would have been harsh in the extreme to have dropped Michael Keane for Everton’s previous match at home to Fulham after his colossal display at both ends of the pitch against Ipswich Town but the trip to Southampton is now the time to restore Jarrad Branthwaite to the starting line-up.

Maybe it will be Keane who makes way at St Mary’s or perhaps it will be his centre-back partner James Tarkowski, who has been captaining the side in Seamus Coleman’s absence and hasn’t missed a Premier League game since he came to the club in the summer of 2022 but either way, it should be a recall for ‘The Carlisle Kaiser.’

Manager Sean Dyche says that Dwight McNeil, is “touch and go” for this game but if the Blues are to be without the creative forces of the sweet left foot dubbed ‘The Paintbrush’ then it could be a case of restoring Abdoulaye Doucoure to the more advanced central midfield role he fulfilled for the best part of the current boss’ first year in charge, if indeed he wins his own fitness battle. That in turn would free up a space in the engine room for Orel Mangala to be restored.

My team (4-5-1): Pickford; Young, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Branthwaite; Gueye, Mangala, Doucoure, Harrison, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin

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