Everton season preview: Rafael Benitez faces tough task to win over fans and improve inconsistent side
Can the new appointment turn around the club’s on-pitch fortunes and the off-pitch antipathy toward him?
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Your support makes all the difference.Last season
A wild mishmash of giving the fans huge – and ultimately utterly unfounded – hope, and the all-too-familiar failings and falling short when it really mattered. A crazy FA Cup win over Spurs in the fifth round briefly gave rise to the notion they might finally end a trophy drought which now stretches 26 years, before going out in the very next round. Similarly, a fast start saw them top and dreaming of Europe just five games in, before they won only three of the last 12 matches to finish 10th – and then saw manager Carlo Ancelotti quickly poached by Real Madrid.
Transfer window so far
A couple of low-cost additions have been smart squad boosters, if not signings to get fans tremendously excited. Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend add attacking options, with Gray in particular being a low-risk, high-reward signing if Benitez can harness his undoubted quality. Consistency and decision-making have been his biggest issues so far. Asmir Begovic is in as back-up goalkeeper too, while Bernard, Theo Walcott, Joshua King, Yannick Bolasie and a host of other reserves and youngsters have been released. Very little money in or out, in contrast to a net spend of around £70 million across each of the past four seasons.
Manager
Rafael Benitez is back on Merseyside, but it’s an uneasy arrangement so far. The supporters made it clear they didn’t want a former Liverpool boss in charge, but he’s in the Goodison Park dugout and is tasked with improving on a mid-table finish under Ancelotti last year. There is no question Benitez – who has won 13 trophies with Valencia, Liverpool, Inter, Chelsea, Napoli and Newcastle since Everton’s last piece of silverware in 1995 – has the ability to do so, but the backing is not yet there for him in the market or in the stands.
Key players
A smattering of talents from back to front, but they’ll be particularly keen to see Ben Godfrey build on an outstanding debut season, Allan to hold the fort in central midfield and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to produce back-to-back 20-goal seasons for the first time. But above all else, Richarlison is surely the one forward capable of being the most consistent match-winner and the player who can elevate Everton from also-rans to potential surprise package. If he fires, and Jordan Pickford reproduces his Euro 2020 form rather than his calendar year 2020 form, there’s scope to improve.
What would be success?
A return to European football. New boss Benitez left rivals Liverpool in 2010; Everton have managed just two seasons in the Europa League since then, only getting out of the group stage once. Obviously, a trophy is the other alternative, but both look out of reach for the club right now without a little more investment before the transfer window shuts – and it will likely take a good start to the season too to avoid supporters immediately getting on the boss’ back. Right now, it’s hard to see anything much more than another mid-table campaign of anonymity.
August fixtures
(h) vs Southampton, Saturday 14 August, 3pm
(a) vs Leeds United, Saturday 21 August, 3pm
(a) vs Brighton, Saturday 28 August, 3pm
Bookies’ ranking
11th (200/1 for the title)
Predicted first XI line-up
Pickford; Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Digne; Allan, Doucoure; Richarlison, Rodriguez, Townsend; Calvert-Lewin.
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