Garner & Gana Midfield

[hetion]

Seen a lot of people talking about Garner and Gana not working anymore as a duo in midfield, and felt like something that matched up with what I was watching. Maybe they're too similar now Garner is also a very mobile ball-winner? Either way it seems to really diminish both of them, and yet Moyes returns to it as soon as he is able every time. I believe it's been the chosen midfield every time they've both been available. Had a look at all the games we've had this season split up into whether we've had that midfield, or any other (because Gana wasn't been available, or Garner was playing fullback):

With a Garner/Gana pairing:
11 games, average of 0.9 points per game

With any other midfield:
15 games, average of 1.9 points per game

For reference, a 1.9 points per game pace would have us in 4th, one point behind Villa. An 0.9 points per game pace would have us 18th, one point behind West Ham. The quality of opposition has been almost identical too - for the 'with' games, their average current league position is 11.6, and for the 'without' games it's 10.9.

Is it time to change the midfield? What would people choose instead? Will Moyes ever voluntarily make a change to his starting lineup? Would we win the quadruple if he just changed the midfield and stopped playing O'Brien at RB? Am I bored at work and reading too much into this?

(slight caveat: I'm counting the Utd away win as 'without' that pairing even though they started together, for obvious reasons, and also the Palace home win because we were losing 1-0 until Garner moved to RB)

 

[blue to the bone]

BAN ALL POLLS !

 

[Groucho]

Garner is now the superior player.

We have had more than our money’s worth from Idrissa. He’s been excellent.

 

[Nymzee]

They should never, ever be played as our two pivots unless medically necessary

 

[MikeH72]

We should be looking to move away from
36 year old central midfielders as nailed on starters in my opinion.

 

[MikeH72]

Also it doesn’t really matter what we suggest because I think Moyes would rather lose a game than change it up and be proven wrong.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I'd prefer Garner with Dewsbury-Hall.

 

[jtl60]

Garner/KDH should be the base moving forward, I'm a huge Gana fan and there will still be matches when his experiance is needed, but not week in week out

 

[blue61]

Gana has been a good servant, but there are other players who offer more. Dropping Rohl after the Villa game was a typically daft Moyes move.

 

[Amokachi1995]

Villa away and the two Notts Forest matches gave us a view of what life without Gana could look like. Villa in particular was physical, flexible and technically competent.

I'm boring myself with it now but we should be using the rest of the season to establish next seasons starting 3 (with Gana increasingly a bit part player).

 

[ChesterBlue]

The balance is just off when they play together - Gana’s been a good servant but it’s time to phase in Tim - that or play a midfield three of KDH, Garner and Armstrong

 

[Nymzee]

I'd prefer Garner with Dewsbury-Hall.

 

[MACCA75]

Interesting.

Should be a midfield 3 IMO. Garner central, KDH left and one of Rohl/Armstrong/Tim on the right.

 

[NeilMorepies]

I'd prefer Garner with Dewsbury-Hall.

We’ve had worse Full Back combinations.

 

[jazzy]

I'd prefer Garner with Dewsbury-Hall.

So would just about every Evertonian , shame Davy is so intransigent