Everton will take part in their first all-Premier League clash of pre-season at the unusual time of 5:15pm on Wednesday evening, facing up against an unstable Newcastle United at the Murrayfield Stadium in Scotland. Everton slumped to 3-1 defeat in Stuttgart last weekend, proving that the Toffees are still far off the pace in terms of competing with established Champions League sides.
Saturday’s defeat felt like more of the same which we, as fans, have come accustomed too throughout the last 18 months. Yes, you need to take pre-season results with a pinch of salt, but you cannot simply ignore them, either. The same question marks around the centre-back partnership of Keane and Tarkowski arose again, which David Moyes immediately resorted to following a 16th-minute injury to midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, as did the positioning of Jake O’Brien at right-back. Overall, Saturday was a disappointing yet expected performance, which, in all honesty, feels like it foreshadows the rest of the season.
Wednesday’s opponents, however, make Everton’s problems seem miniscule in comparison. For Newcastle, it has been a nightmare summer to say the least, following the departures of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and even manager Eddie Howe. The instability off the pitch seems to have shown on the pitch, too, in a pre-season which has included a 1-1 draw with Gateshead and a 4-1 defeat to Bristol City.
Everton and Newcastle – History
Everton won the previous match between the two sides in a five-goal thriller back in February.
Everton have only lost one of their previous six matches against Newcastle.
Of the 58 matches these two sides have contested since 1995, Everton have won 24, whilst Newcastle have won 21.
Team News
Tim Iroegbunam is unlikely to feature after being substituted off with an injury on Saturday, with the extent of it not yet known.
Jordan Pickford remains unavailable after his extended World Cup break and James Garner continues his recovery from surgery.
Everton Key Player
Merlin Rohl – Despite Tyler Dibling impressing on Saturday and putting in what was comfortably his best performance in an Everton shirt, David Moyes simply cannot be relied upon to consistently start him enough to consider him a key player. Instead, a player who quickly seems to have become a shoe-in in the Everton side in the absence of James Garner and following the departure of Idrissa Gana Gueye is Merlin Rohl, who has proven his worth in multiple different positions over the last few months. Whether that changes during the new season, with more experienced players being preferred, remains to be seen.
Rohl started just seven games for the Blues last season, putting in a top performance in a 1-0 win away at Villa Park before inexplicably being forced to sit on the bench for the following four months. He did, however, start Everton’s final four league games of last season, scoring his first goal for the club in the process. He has carried on this consistency into pre-season, starting all five of Everton’s games so far and even managing to find the net against Hamburg, suggesting that he could be a big part of Moyes’ plan for the upcoming season.
Newcastle have lost two key midfielders this summer in Guimaraes and Tonali, and will be expected to lose the midfield battle more often that not this season. Whilst they have signed some promising youngsters in the middle of the park in Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, they will, no doubt, take time to gel and adapt to Premier League intensity. Therefore, playing against someone with the intensity of Rohl could provide them with the test they need.]
One To Watch For Newcastle
Harvey Barnes – After three seasons of playing second fiddle to Anthony Gordon, whether it be as his backup or forced onto the right wing, Harvey Barnes will, most likely, be one of very few people associated with Newcastle who are looking forward to the upcoming season. Barnes has always impressed in his time in the Premier League, tallying up multiple double-digit campaigns from the left-hand side; he even managed to net 13 goals in the season Leicester were relegated!
I have always been a fan of Harvey Barnes – he has always felt too good to be a backup, and the difference between his performances on the left compared to the right are night and day. His positional data shows that, whilst on the left, he surges into the box and down the line far more than when he is on the right, where he tends to be more defensive and precautious. After already having found the net once already this pre-season, the sale of Anthony Gordon could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Newcastle. This could be the season where Barnes explodes as he reaches his prime years.
Final Thoughts
If you could compile a list of teams to play against in pre-season to get some minutes in the legs against a Premier League outfit, Newcastle in their current state would be near the top of that list. Whilst I do not think they will struggle this season as much as we have seen before the Saudi-led takeover, it feels like the inevitable has happened with the project crashing and burning. In terms of Everton, they will see this as a huge opportunity to get some confidence back into the squad, just ten days before the season commences.
I expect David Moyes to go back to what he knows in this match, with it being so close to the start of the season. He has not ‘experimented’ much in pre-season regardless, outside of testing Merlin Rohl at full-back, but I can see a typical back four of Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, and O’Brien starting out here. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how that defence fares with Christian Norgaard in front of them, for a change.
In terms of a prediction, I will go for a 2-1 win for Everton. Newcastle have not become a Championship team overnight and still have some firepower up front with Barnes, Osula and Wissa to name a few, as well as a fairly solid defence but I think Everton might have a bit too much for them at this point in time. Both teams, however, will be looking forward to this one and will see it as a chance to get one over Premier League opposition for the first time this summer.
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