Richard Dunne criticises Marco Silva’s usage of Everton summer signing

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Everton suffered a 3-1 loss to Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime.

Richard Dunne has told BeIN Sports that he reckons Marco Silva is ordering Everton summer signing Yerry Mina to do something he is not comfortable with – playing possession style football.

Everton suffered a 3-1 loss to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday, with Gabriel Jesus scoring an excellent brace before Raheem Sterling came off the bench to get his name on the score sheet.

Dom Calvert-Lewin had scored before Sterling’s goal, but the England international put the game out of sight. Everton had tried to stop Pep Guardiola’s side by playing three centre-backs in Michael Keane, Kurt Zouma and Mina.

Former Everton defender Dunne reckons Silva’s possession-based ethos does not suit Mina – especially when he’s playing on the left of a back three. Dunne even claimed the former Barcelona star was not a “comfortable footballer”.

“I can understand it [Silva’s ball-playing style], the aim is obviously to try and keep the ball,” Dunne said. “But you have to understand what players have got. You’ve got Yerry Mina, a right-footed player, on the left-hand side of defence.

“He’s not a comfortable footballer. He’s in there to make tackles, win headers. They’re asking him to do something he doesn’t want to do [playing possession football]. As footballers you have to take responsibility yourself though.”

Mina joined Everton in the summer from Barca after starring at the World Cup for Colombia, even scoring against England in the last 16 before the Three Lions won on penalties.

Silva reverted to a normal four-man defence when he removed Seamus Coleman, and Everton looked much more comfortable. They really should have scored more than one, with Richarlison, Theo Walcott and Gylfi Sigurdsson all having chances.

The loss leaves Everton with just one Premier League win from their last six games, ahead of an important clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on Sunday.