David Moyes, it's time to shake things up at the back. Everton's defensive struggles have been a recurring theme all season, and the partnership between James Tarkowski and Michael Keane is simply not working. In fact, it hasn't worked for much longer than that.

Let's look at the numbers. Since the start of last season, Keane and Tarkowski have started 34 Premier League games together. In those matches, Everton have lost 15 times and conceded an average of 1.4 goals per game. That's a worrying stat for any team aiming to stay competitive in the top flight.

Compare that to when Jarrad Branthwaite partners Tarkowski. In 29 games together, Everton have lost just eight, with the goals-against average dropping to 1.0 per match. Even more impressive is the pairing of Jake O'Brien and Tarkowski, who have won three of their four starts together while conceding a mere 0.25 goals per game. That's the kind of defensive solidity Everton fans crave.

This isn't about singling out Keane, who has arguably outperformed Tarkowski at times this season. The issue is that the pairing exposes both players' weaknesses, leaving the defense vulnerable. It's frankly surprising that Keane, who stayed on as fourth-choice center-back last summer, has racked up 31 league appearances this season.

Meanwhile, O'Brien continues to be deployed out of position on the right flank, despite delivering strong performances when played in his natural center-back role. The root of the problem lies in Everton's ongoing issues at right-back and, perhaps more critically, Moyes' reluctance to trust his available options.

It's clear that Tarkowski and Branthwaite are Moyes' preferred center-back duo. But Branthwaite's injury struggles have exposed the club's failure to address the right-back position during the summer and January transfer windows. More than that, though, it has highlighted a frustrating stubbornness in Moyes' thinking—the kind that can test even his most loyal supporters.

We may look back at Branthwaite's season-ending injury, suffered late in the Merseyside derby, as the moment Everton's campaign unraveled. Since then, the defense has lacked the same stability. For fans hoping to see their team climb the table, the message is clear: Moyes, please mix it up at the back.