Giving others an opportunity

What puzzles me is the likes of Stephens, Romeu, McQueen, Gunn, Yoshida and Bednarek are not getting any game play whatsoever.

One, why are they not playing for the under 23’s which is basically the young kids.

Second, how do they get match fit?

Third, how do they knock on the managers door to say they can do a job for the first team?

Ps I know they will probably play tonight in the cup match but the whole team are hardly going to put in a performance if it’s their first game in 4 odd weeks?

It's hard to experiment and blood players when you're in a relegation scrap. Hughes is under pressure to pick who he thinks is his best each game, which includes his best bench who need to be fresh in case they come on. It's not working though so it's probably time to try someone new

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Agree that the centre of defensive isn’t working and could do with trying someone else.

And maybe try 3 at the back while we’re at it. Seems we played that all the way through preseason and then changed after 45 mins of the season which doesn’t make much sense. Both current CB’s are too slow to play in a flat back 4

McQueen is on loan at Middlesbrough.

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I'm usually in favour of giving players, especially in partnerships such as at CB, a chance to develop and succeed. If you change things too quickly you'll never give players a chance to form a partnership, which is really important in some positions. We have all moaned at former managers making too many changes, not knowing their first choice 11, or not having a settled team. But there comes a time when you have to admit it's not working, which is where we are now, IMO.

Hoedt needs to be replaced with Yoshida. We need some pace and EPL experience alongside Vestergaard.

Austin needs to be replaced by Gabbi, with Gallagher coming off the bench for a while. Austin was OK doing nothing for 89-mins and scoring in one minute of greatness, but without scoring he gives us nothing. Gabbi is a clever player and the rest of the squad need to get used to playing with him, as his runs and movement is so often ignored.

I'm hoping to see Gunn, Targett, Bednarek, Yoshida, Romeu, Ward-Prowse and Gabbiadini all come in. Possibly Stephens at right back (in the absence of any other right backs, unless Valery plays!) and hopefully Gallagher too. With the amount and quality of signings Everton have made, I fully expect their second string to be a fair amount stronger than ours, but there's some good players in there who could make it a decent match. Hughes needs a win quickly, or can see the fanbase turning on him and his excuses pretty quickly...