Yerry Mina has kept Everton fans waiting for their first glimpse of him in action after arriving at Goodison Park already injured.
Marco Silva’s struggles to find a defensive formula that works and the natural anticipation that grows when a player must wait to make his debut have hyped up the Colombian’s bow.
But will he be worth the wait? There is surely a danger that he has become a projection of what the fans hope he will be; a commanding, physical centre-half. The kind that the club has been waiting seasons for.
It’s a similar situation at Manchester United; the fans are so desperate for Eric Bailly to take command of their defence that he has been overhyped to a level he cannot match when he plays.

We all saw Mina at the World Cup and there were some impressive qualities; pace, aerial prowess and physicality.
But he has had no pre-season, an injury and must adjust to life in English football. He is coming into a team that still needs to do a lot of gelling.
Expectations must be tempered. Mina may prove to be the answer to Everton’s defensive issues, but fans must not get too excited – yet.
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