Everton's 4-0 victory over Dundee in a pre-season friendly looked dominant on the scoreline. But the margin owed more to tired opposition and substitute goalkeeper Harry Sharp's repeated errors than to tactical mastery. The real lesson from Dens Park concerned the gaps at right-back, where specialist fullbacks showed exactly what David Moyes must address before the season starts.
Dundee had played five friendlies and two cup games before this match. Sharp made errors directly contributing to each of the second-half goals, providing opportunities that masked the defensive stability Everton managed. This context matters because it explains the scoreline without claiming it as proof of readiness.
Specialist fullbacks showed the way
When George Finney replaced Merlin Röhl at right-back in the second half, the difference was immediate. Finney moved with confidence and whipped in several dangerous crosses, including one that nearly led to Braiden Graham's goal. Röhl, a converted midfielder, looked uncomfortable in the role, the kind of positional mismatch that has haunted Everton's defence.
Jake O'Brien was dominant at centre-back, his natural position, confirming he is a genuine contender for the starting XI. After a season where Everton finished 13th with just 49 points and a goal difference of minus 3, finding solutions at the back is essential. O'Brien looks like one of them.
Tyler Dibling grew into the match after a slow start. "For the first 30 minutes he played within himself, protecting the ball well but showing little ambition to drive forward," the Liverpool Echo's Joe Thomas wrote. "That changed when he sent Beto behind the Dundee defence with a clever ball just before the opening goal." After averaging just 33 minutes per Premier League appearance in his last five games, this platform mattered. By the second half, he was driving at defenders with increased positivity.
Academy prospects did more than participate. Harvey Foster rifled in a first-time finish from 25 yards to make it 3-0. Will Tamen made a brilliant last-ditch block to deny Dundee a consolation goal late on. Braiden Graham showed the goalscoring instincts that have made him prolific at under-18 and U21 level. "Everton looked far more coherent with specialist full-backs who were comfortable pushing forward, something they need to work towards having for the start of the season," Joe Thomas noted. The academy pipeline is delivering. The fullback problem remains.
Right-back is where Everton's rebuild must start. Moyes has until August to get it right.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
