Everton Team Preview

Everton

Everton are coming into this season with a fresh start looking to bounce back from a very poor season last year. Everton at one point were threatened by relegation, but eventually turned it around and finished 8th but it just wasn’t good enough considering how much they spent and still failing to get European football. Everton have had a very eventful summer especially at the deadline completing 3 good signings whether on permanent or loan. Main additions being the new coach Marco Silva who will look to hang around longer than at his recent stints at Hull and Watford and of course the main signing by Everton has been the young Brazilian winger Richarlison for £50m. The young winger has been Watford’s best player last season and has peaked playing under Marco Silva as Everton fans expect this new player to help them get European football again. Also Everton signed a left back to compliment Baines in Lucas Digne from Barcelona who is quite likely going to take the ageing Baines starting spot and finally at the deadline day Everton completed three more signings in Bernard, Andre Gomes and Yerri Mina. With the signing of Bernard they add more depth in the attacking department while Andre Gomes will help them sure up the midfield and finally the addition of Yerri Mina should help Everton improve defensively which is something they were really poor at last season and after a good world cup from Mina he will be expected to put in those shifts week in week out. Overall a very good transfer window for Everton, but we said that last year so we’ll have to wait and see if they can click as a team. On paper this team is capable of causing anyone problems, including the top 6.

In terms of players leaving, not many key players have left other than Rooney. Ashley Williams, Funes Mori, Klaassen and Mirallas are also gone but they haven’t really been playing many important minutes last season or were just very unsuccessful and didn’t make much impact so they can’t be considered as huge losses for Everton. Everton’s biggest problem last season has been their backline as mentioned already and with the additions of Digne and Mina, they definitely strengthened a little, there will be more competition ar LB and CB positions now and hopefully these acquisitions help Everton sort out their defensive problems. Everton conceded 58 goals last year and they were quite leaky at the back in pre-season still and it may still be the case with the additions they made, but we’ll have to wait and see. Going forward they have more than enough creativity and finishing with Walcott Sigurdsson Richarlison Tosun Bernard etc. But defensively there still is a question mark even with the improvements.

Transfers

In – Richarlison, Lucas Digne, Joao Virginia, Bernard, Yerri Mina, Andre Gomes(Loan)

Out – Joel Robles, Jose Baxter, David Henen, Ramiro Funes Mori, Wayne Rooney, Luke Garbutt(Loan), Henry Onyekuru(Loan), Shani Tarashaj(Loan), Davy Klaassen, Ashley Williams(Loan), Antonee Robinson(Loan), Kevin Mirallas(Loan), Callum Connolly(Loan)

[size=130Expectations and Results

Last Year’s Finish – 8th

Target for 2018-19 – UEFA Europa League Qualification

Key Players – Jordan Pickford, Yerri Mina, Idrissa Gueye, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Cenk Tosun.

Manager – Marco Silva