Sean Dyche’s decision to give Roman Dixon his Premier League debut against Tottenham Hotspur was a bold one. To an extent, it paid off. Dixon’s debut ended up being one of few bright spots on what was another difficult day for Everton in north London.
The 19-year-old acquitted himself well and won his battles against Spurs winger Wilson Odobert.
He can take immense pride in his display and Dyche can take credit for giving him an unexpected opportunity.
It was a move that will have immediate, perhaps unintended, consequences that go beyond Everton’s search for an answer to the long-term issue on the right side of defence, however.
If Dyche is willing to overlook in Mason Holgate a defender with 137 Premier League appearances in favour of a teenager who had not played a single minute of senior football, the next question is how long can he continue to use a lack of Premier League experience to delay the integration of the club’s summer signings into a first XI in need of a boost after two chastening defeats?
This summer felt like a positive one at Everton and the potential remains for it to be one in which genuine progress has been made. A
As challenging as the transfer market is for the Blues, early and progressive business hinted at the creation of a side that, for the first time in several years, has the attacking weapons to hurt opponents.
That is one of the reasons there were so many empty seats in the closing stages of the home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Dyche’s pragmatism has been central to his ability to keep Everton in the Premier League these past two seasons. It has not always produced the most enthralling displays - the most high profile example the grinding win over Burnley in April that Dyche later celebrated as three points that were ugly by design.
He had every right to celebrate those points - they were hard-earned and a major step toward survival for a team hit by wave after wave of turmoil, most of which was the making of neither the players nor the manager.
Such an approach was easier to accept when it was understood Dyche had no alternative. This time, he does.
Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye are a significant upgrade on anything he had available to him last year - at least if you work on the basis that, for whatever reason, Arnaut Danjuma’s loan move was not destined to work out. Both may have suffered disappointing seasons last year - there is a reason such talent has come into Everton’s orbit this summer.
Yet a Europa League winner and a player who was one of the outstanding attackers in the Championship give Dyche new options.
That much was clear when Lindstrom helped to transform the attack against Preston North End in pre-season, and when Ndiaye injected an energy and flair that swung momentum in Everton’s favour in the final half an hour against Roma.
Dyche has a real dilemma on his hands. He has an injury-hit squad that is already under pressure as it fights rivals with superior budgets.
His natural instinct may be to approach games with caution while players improve their understanding of each other and influential figures return to the side.
But if Everton’s current plight means they cannot rely on defensive solidity to keep them in games - and seven goals being conceded across 180 minutes suggests it cannot - then it is not unreasonable for supporters to clamour for some of that caution to be sacrificed in the hope of giving the team a better chance. Sometimes, attack is the best form of defence.
The game on Saturday was essentially lost by this point but, at Spurs, the best passage for the Blues came after the introduction of Ndiaye and Lindstrom - the latter quickly getting Everton’s first shot on target, one of just two from the side so far this season.
A major theme of pre-season was Dyche’s message of patience over new signings - including centre back Jake O’Brien. Their lack of Premier League experience was an issue that needed to be managed carefully, he repeated.
That approach would be fair in normal circumstances, but this Blues side is in need of an injection of positivity and, with performances and results having been so difficult to date, citing the lack of experience of players that have played senior football outside the Premier League for years as a key reason for their lack of minutes so far is becoming increasingly problematic.
An important week lies ahead for Everton and now may be the time to consider tweaking the approach ahead of the visit of Bournemouth.