Everton: £16m duo now a 'major area of concern' at Goodison Park | OneFootball

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Everton now have a major weakness in one area of the pitch, as journalist Paul Brown explains his concerns to GIVEMESPORT about Sean Dyche's trust in certain players.

Everton have managed to secure just one point since England's top flight kicked off back in August. In their latest game against Arsenal, the Toffees suffered their fourth defeat of the campaign out of five, with their only point coming away to Sheffield United. Of course, there's no shame in losing to the Gunners, who are likely to be competing for the title this term, but Dyche is now under immense pressure after failing to win some favourable games.

The former Burnley boss opted for a reshuffle at the back as Mikel Arteta's side came to Goodison Park, with Nathan Patterson dropping out of the side. Vitalii Mykolenko came in at left-back, with veteran defender Ashley Young slotting in at right-back. Although the Merseyside club only conceded once, there are clear flaws in Everton's system after losing four games, three of them coming at home.

Brown previously told GIVEMESPORT that Dyche could be under even more pressure over the next few weeks, with their next fixture being a trip to Brentford. Whether Everton will be sticking with Dyche through this difficult period remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that he's going to be considered one of the favourites to be sacked first in the Premier League.

Read More: Fans Vote On Which Premier League Manager Will Be First To GoThe recruitment at Goodison Park and the noise regarding investment behind the scenes is undoubtedly having a negative impact on what's happening on the pitch, but Dyche has to find a way of picking up results over the next few weeks. Everton have been involved in back-to-back relegation battles and a club of their stature has to avoid being dragged into the mix once again.

Sean Dyche now has a major area of concern - Paul Brown

Young and Patterson, who cost a combined £16m, have both struggled at times this season, and it's clear to see that Dyche is unsure who his favoured combination of full-backs is. It's certainly not the only area of the pitch where the Toffees have issues, but it's becoming a bit of a problem at Goodison Park.

Brown has suggested that Dyche doesn't appear to trust Patterson after he was dropped to the bench against Arsenal. The journalist adds that he wasn't particularly impressed with the performances of Young or Mykolenko either, so it's a major area of concern for Dyche. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said...

Outside of Patterson, Mykolenko, and Young, Everton have limited options in these positions. However, constantly changing the setup isn't guaranteed to bring the results and could cause problems, so finding the right formula needs to happen fast.

At 38 years old, Young isn't going to be the same player he once was. Patterson is still young and Mykolenko is taking some time to adapt to English football, so there's not an obvious, clear-cut answer to Dyche's defensive issues.

Sticking with the youthful Patterson and Mykolenko who have higher ceilings than an ageing Young might be the answer, but the reality is, the recruitment over the last few years has put them in this difficult position. Seamus Coleman will hopefully be returning from injury in the near future, which will give Dyche more defensive solidity.