It happens every year. More or less. Everton started poorly in the Premier League once more in 2024/25 but stretched their unbeaten run to three matches in a drab draw against Newcastle United before the October international break.
The series pause is now upon us, and though some Toffees fans might anticipate watching Lee Carsley’s England – and whoever else they support – in action, it’s fair to say that the majority simply wish for Everton to get back in action and continue this budding resurgence.
Many a team’s momentum has been curbed by mid-season pauses, but with an ostensibly favourable run of fixtures up ahead in the English top flight, Sean Dyche will be confident that his team, 16th in the standings after seven games, can make headway.
19/10/24
Ipswich Town (A)
17th
26/10/24
Fulham (H)
8th
02/11/24
Southampton (H)
19th
09/11/24
West Ham (A)
12th
23/11/24
Brentford (H)
11th
The Blue, however, will be desperate for the return of Jarrad Branthwaite, who has only made one appearance this term as he battles against a groin injury that sidelined him for the opening weeks before a recurrence pegged him back after his sole display, the turning point victory over Crystal Palace.
The importance of Jarrad Branthwaite
Last season, Branthwaite was awarded Everton’s Young Player of the Season after a titanic year in the Everton rear, blending youthful exuberance with the experienced iron of James Tarkowski.
Hailed as “a monster” by pundit Ian Wright for his performances, Branthwaite, still only 22, was courted by teams such as Manchester United during the off-season, with the Red Devils failing after a series of bids, not meeting Everton’s £75m valuation.
There was just cause. The heavyset defender kept 13 clean sheets across 35 matches in his first full year in the Premier League, also winning an extraordinary 68% of his total duels contested, as per Sofascore, averaging 5.3 per game.
It’s clear that he’s been missed this year, although the fact that he has barely played does count for something: Everton have a real chance of rising to new heights upon his return, which should be imminent – a positive to take from this wretched international break.
Everton have had to make do with Michael Keane, who has long been tagged with negativity, but rightly so, he’s not good enough.
Michael Keane's season in numbers
Keane has entered his eighth campaign on Merseyside, having joined from Burnley for a club-record-equalling fee of £30m in 2017 under the management of Ronald Koeman. The centre-half’s efforts in Lancashire had earned him acclaim, earning a Three Lions call-up to boot.
He’s now completed 224 appearances in all competitions for Everton, scoring 14 goals and adding ten assists, but has fallen down the pecking order over the past several seasons, playing 14 Premier League matches from the outset across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.
There’s a reason for this. He’d been noted to be “always struggling”, according to talkSPORT’s Perry Groves, and has continually been culpable for porous performances, lacking the resilience and crispness that is required in a Dyche system, which is ironic, since he starred under the craggy-faced manager at Burnley.
This season, the 31-year-old has obviously been called upon due to the injury issues that have plagued Branthwaite, and although he kept a clean sheet against Newcastle last time out, covering for a struggling Tarkowski in several instances, it’s worth noting that he lost both of his ground duels.
Dyche employs a defence-heavy system and it’s simply not going to work out if he doesn’t get his act together. Indeed, across his six appearances, Keane has actually only won 38% of his ground duels – harking back to Branthwaite’s 68% average last year, and the polarity is stark indeed.
He’s a fierce and capable competitor in the air but Keane has flattered to deceive on the ground, with FBref even recording that he ranks among the bottom 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles won per 90 (0.45), which affirms the contention that he is not fit for purpose in Dyche’s team any longer.
Of course, Branthwaite will supersede him instantly upon being handed the green light, but with Keane out of contract at the end of the campaign, it’s unlikely that he will be rewarded with fresh terms. All told, Everton haven’t got their money’s worth.
Michael Keane's market value in 2024/25
Keane’s once eye-catching market worth has plummeted off a proverbial cliff, with that £30m figure looking some way away at this point.
As per Football Transfers, the veteran is currently worth just £1m on today’s market, and though his imminent contract expiry will have something to do with this, he was worth merely £5m one year ago.
Contextualising this further, teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose deal runs up at the same time, is still worth £9m, emphasising the gap that has seen the centre-back’s value drop by some £29m, or, to put it another way, 97%.
That’s without even addressing the defender’s £80k-per-week salary, something that sees him take home a pay packet worth over double what Branthwaite, for example, earns.
With The Friedkin Group on the cusp of purchasing Farhad Moshiri’s majority stake in the club, some impactful changes are going to be required in 2025 – and getting rid of Keane must be one of the priorities.
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