Player Focus: Battling Besic Has the Chance to Establish Himself as Everton Regular

For any player arriving in a new league, the worst possible scenario is to succumb to injury. This denies the player in question the chance to form an understanding with their new teammates as they spend more time on the treatment table than  the pitch. While Muhamed Besic was limited to just 15 league starts last season due to the impressive understanding between Gareth Barry and James McCarthy, his career in England has been stop-start to say the least, particularly this term. 

Besic has made just one start in England’s top tier this campaign, that coming back in September against Chelsea, totaling nine minutes. The Bosnian succumbed to a thigh problem early on and was forced to the sidelines until December, finally making a return to competitive action for Everton in the Boxing Day 1-0 win at Newcastle. 

It’s been steady progress back into the team for the 23-year-old, who continues his return to full fitness in impressive fashion. His introduction with half an hour to go in the 1-1 draw with Spurs at the turn of the year swung the game back in Everton’s favour and he followed this up with a superb display in the 2-1 Capital One Cup win over Manchester City. 

A WhoScored rating of 8.21 was bettered only by Barry (8.30) in the encounter as he marshaled the midfield with aplomb, making more tackles (6) than any other player. Having played the full 90 minutes in the FA Cup win over Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday, it’s fair to say Besic has completed his return to fitness, which comes just in time for Wednesday’s meeting with City. 

Given McCarthy is currently ruled out until February, Besic’s re-emergence is crucial for the Merseysiders. Indeed he provides the necessary energy and tenacity in the middle of the park that Barry can’t provide, and this in turn frees up space for the former England international to maximise his passing ability. As a result, Besic’s importance is amplified in the wake of McCarthy’s prolonged absence. 

The Irishman’s injury provides Besic with the ideal opportunity to finally establish himself as a first team regular under Roberto Martinez. His performances for Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 2014 World Cup convinced Everton to part ways with £4m to secure his services. His no-nonsense approach to his midfield duties have quickly endeared him to the supporters. 

“Maybe they like players who like to tackle and who like to fight?” Besic said earlier this week. As a deeper-lying midfielder, he indeed carries out his necessary defensive duties when required. An average of one tackle every 21.7 minutes during his time in the Premier League has boosted his profile significantly, with the midfielder gaining a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘tackling’ in the process. 

Everton’s somewhat questionable defensive record means a player of his calibre improves the club’s solidity in front of the back four. Given the Toffees are without a natural right-back for the trip to City on Wednesday evening, Besic’s ability to cover ground in the midfield third will aid the team in their quest to upset the odds in Manchester. 

Young left-back-by-trade Brendan Galloway is expected to slot in on the right side of defence, meaning Besic’s importance at the Etihad Stadium is intensified. While this will only increase the defensive responsibility thrust on his shoulders, his performance against City last week suggests this is a duty he is more than capable of carrying out. 

With an average pass success rate of 86.6% during his time in the Premier League, the Bosnia-Herzegovina international is more than capable of successfully retaining possession, a much-needed trait of any holding midfielder, though it's fair to say Besic’s approach to the game will often than not land him in hot water. Only Oriol Romeu (129.8 minutes) and Liam Bridcutt (151.2 minutes) have been cautioned by the referee more frequently than Besic (168 minutes) of all players to receive five or more yellow cards since the start of last season, highlighting his WhoScored weakness of ‘discipline’. 

Nevertheless, this battling aspect of his game is essential and has helped his progression to something of a fan favourite with Everton. Provided he can keep himself fit now, there is no reason why he can’t begin to repay the faith and patience shown in him by the club. With McCarthy ruled out for the foreseeable future, Besic has the chance to nail down a regular starting berth for the Toffees and one would not bet against him grasping the opportunity with both hands.

Do you think Muhamed Besic can establish himself as a first team regular for Everton? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below