1 week Ago By Jonathan Burnett
(12 November) in the wake of their 0-0 draw with West Ham, Tarkowski said that while he’s been laying through injury this campaign, he is now back to full fitness. The centre-back in the early stages of the season , 30 October], but his readiness for the busy winter period, as well as Jarrad Branthwaite’s return, is a huge boost for Dyche. Tarkowski said: “I’m back to the way I want to be now.
It’s took a bit of time, a frustrating period for the first few months. “It’s not easy playing with niggles and injuries and not being at full fitness but it’s part of the game – I’m feeling back to the level that I want to be, and I want to continue that. “Get away refreshed, rested up and ready to go for that busy period but it’s a good time of year to play football.
It’s my favourite time to get out there.” Last season’s 15th-placed finish (which would have been much higher if not for two points deductions) was built on a rock-solid defensive foundation at Goodison, which has been hard to come by this term. Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford gave the Toffees the foundation for the Premier League’s fourth-best defence in 2023/24, but this season, Dyche’s side are joint-12th for goals conceded.
have been far more well-documented than Tarkowski’s and , but he is also now back and likely to start every week. Finally, Dyche has the central-defensive partnership he used to huge success last season, and with at least 18 uninterrupted games to come before the next international break, the timing couldn’t be better. Having Tarkowski and Branthwaite at the back gives Dyche the best possible foundation for the hectic period ahead, and it’s something he’ll hope can provide the impetus to help them climb up the table.
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