Everton boss Sean Dyche opens up on striker 'conundrum' ahead of West Ham clash

Sean Dyche admits he’s facing a conundrum on playing two strikers - but fears don’t have the players suited to the formation.

The Toffees boss has Beto pushing for more game time with Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling in front of goal as he has not scored since September 14.

Beto came off the bench to rescue a point against two weeks ago and the Blues thought he’d done the same against last week only for the front man to be offside by the tiniest of margins.

Now ahead of today’s trip to , knows Beto is pushing for a starting spot.

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“It is one of those conundrums I’m stuck in,” said Dyche. “Now people are saying to me why aren’t I playing two up front. For nine years, everyone saying ‘Goodness, all he ever does is play two up front!””

But the Everton boss fears he hasn’t got the players to play a 4-4-2 system having tried it against Luton last season in the when they were beaten 2-1.

“There is the conundrum of life as a manager,” he added. “The fact is you’ve got to suit what you’ve got. You’ve got to suit the players you’ve got. There is no players here who have played in two in midfield for a long period of their careers.

“If you look at all the midfield players here, they have virtually all played with three in midfield. Whereas previously I had two midfielders who were used to playing in two in midfield.

“And therefore you can operate differently with two strikers, one obviously dropping in from the striking role out of possession, joining in in possession.

“It is a different nature of the players here. They have been scouted for different reasons. Most of the managers here, for a fact this is, wanted players in a 4-3-3 so therefore they scouted players in a 4-3-3. To turn them into 4-4-2 players after playing their whole career in a 4-3-3 is difficult.”

Everton’s goal problems are holding them back with just 10 in the this season. Only , and have less. With the Toffees just four points ahead of the drop zone with a nightmare December to come that includes fixtures against United, , , and City, they need to get points against West Ham today.

Dyche added: “Scoring goals. It is as simple as that and has been since I have been here. It is the hardest thing in the to coach. At the end of the day, the cutting edge side of coaching and of players is the hardest moment because they've got to put it in the net.

“We could have easily delivered a performance at Southampton, once the goals go in, which changes everyone's thoughts. And then everyone says that was a really thorough Premier League performance.” Dwight McNeil is a doubt due to a knee injury.

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