David Moyes to already regret summer signing, he has only exacerbated key Everton problem
David Moyes has yet to get all of his new arrivals firing despite a fantastic start to the campaign for Everton.
Against all odds, Everton beat Crystal Palace 2-1 before the international break, bringing an end to the Eagles’ incredible run of form, which also saw them rise to eighth in the Premier League table.
Jack Grealish has played a big role in Everton’s form, as has Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but the talented winger will be unavailable when the Toffees travel to face Man City on Saturday, 18 October.
One of the main issues going forward has been finding a dependable striker, with neither Beto nor Thierno Barry holding down the position with their early performances.
There is another area of the pitch that has plagued several managers over the season.
David Moyes still has problems to address with his full-backs
While Vitaliy Mykolenko and Jake O’Brien have done very little wrong this season, the depth at full-back continues to be a concern. Neither Nathan Patterson nor Seamus Coleman can be relied on anymore.
O’Brien cannot be a long-term fix at right-back, and if the Ukrainian left-back gets injured again, it is very difficult to see who could fill his shoes for the season ahead.
One player who is unlikely to make much of an impact this term is 19-year-old Adam Aznou, who arrived from Bayern Munich on an £8million deal, with the hope of helping the Toffees’ issues at full-back.
There is no doubt that the Moroccan international is a very raw talent, but Moyes needs players who can make an instant impact. After what he did for the Under-21s, the manager may already regret his arrival.
Adam Aznou makes the wrong impression for Everton Under-21s
In an attempt to give the youngster some much-needed game time, having yet to make his senior debut for the Toffees, Aznou was thrown into the U21’s lineup to face Bradford City in the EFL Trophy.
| Adam Aznou vs Bradford City | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Passing accuracy | 78% (28/36) |
| Errors leading to goal | 1 |
| Successful dribbles | 25% (2/8) |
| Dispossessed | 2 |
| Dribbled past | 2 |
| Ground duels won | 41% (7/17) |
Although he completed 90 minutes, it was a night from hell for the full-back, who was dribbled past twice, barely made an impact going forward, and gifted the League One side a goal in the 5-1 defeat.
It is unlikely that anyone in the club currently has the confidence that he can turn his fortunes around anytime soon, and that will be a major concern for Moyes. Who does he turn to in the event of an injury crisis?
If Aznou is unable to perform well against League One opposition, maybe the Toffees chose the wrong signing this summer.