Michael Keane must stop being “a nervous wreck” if Everton are to improve in defence, according to Andy Townsend.
Speaking on talkSPORT (15 September, 09:27), Townsend said that he couldn’t recall a time at which he’s seen Keane look calm and composed in the heart of the Toffees’ defence.
Keane was beaten in the air by Ollie Watkins in the Blues’ 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa, allowing the hosts back into the game as Sean Dyche’s side lost from 2-0 up for the second Premier League game running.
Townsend said: “Michael Keane, whenever I’ve seen him playing in an Everton shirt, I don’t think he’s really had a spell there where he’s really looked on top of his game, confident and comfortable.
“He’s often looked like a bit of a nervous wreck to me, and it’s difficult – when you’re losing matches and you’ve got people in there that are fighting with their own game a bit, (it’s) not easy at all.”
Sean Dyche has to drop Michael Keane amid Everton debacle
The Blues’ four back-to-back losses at the start of the new Premier League season have come amid an injury crisis at Goodison Park, with Dyche forced to utilise several players out of position.
On the flanks of his defence, Dyche was dealt a new blow as Vitaliy Mykolenko was forced off early at Villa Park, and he’ll likely join right-backs Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman in the treatment room.
However, in the middle, the Toffees boss does have other options at his disposal, making his constant reliance on Keane alongside James Tarkowski all the more baffling.
Granted, star man Jarrad Branthwaite’s absence has been severely felt at the back, but Dyche has also spent £16.9million on a brand-new central defender this summer in the form of Jake O’Brien.
While still raw at 23-years-old, O’Brien is never going to get up to speed if he’s not playing, and with Keane showing no signs of improvement, this change is one Dyche must make sooner rather than later.
