The opening month of the new season and indeed the summer transfer window have represented something of a mixed bag for the Toffees.
First four games
Everton were presented with a tricky first month to the season but have dealt with it reasonably well.
An opening day home fixture against Watford promised to be a straight-up banana skin and that it was. The Blues were made to come from behind twice by the Premier League new boys to secure a 2-2 draw.
A trip to the South Coast was the assignment in week two. A Romelu Lukaku brace helped the Merseysiders to an emphatic 3-0 win in a master class of counter-attacking, quick football.
Manchester City visited Goodison Park on matchday three in an early test of Everton’s mettle. They succumbed to the might of the champions, losing 2-0 despite having a toehold on proceedings.
Tim Howard came to the rescue at White Hart Lane last weekend as Roberto Martinez’s side resisted a dominant Tottenham to claim a hard-earned point in North London and go into the international break with five points from four – a passable tally given the difficult fixtures.
Transfer window performance
‘Rollercoaster’ is an appropriate word to describe Everton’s summer dealings. Depending on your level of pessimism or optimism, this window was either somewhat successful or a complete disaster.
The club acquired Tom Cleverley (free), Gerard Deulofeu (£4.3 million), Mason Holgate (undisclosed), David Henen (undisclosed), Ramiro Funes Mori (£9.5 million), Leandro Rodriguez (undisclosed) and Aaron Lennon (undisclosed).
Players that were widely regarded as dead weight, namely Sylvain Distin and Antolin Alcaraz, were let go, while highly-rated youngster Luke Garbutt has joined Fulham on a season-long loan.
Much of the incoming talent address weaknesses that were exposed in the Toffees’ ill-fated 2014-15 campaign, but holes remain after the close of the window. Versatile Ukrainian attacker Andriy Yarmolenko seemed destined to be the man to add extra attacking flair through the middle, only for the deal to fall over. No real big-name additions were made.
Despite that disappointment, there were positives to emerge from the window. The Toffees managed to fend off interest in prized assets and tie them down to new deals; those players include Kevin Mirallas, James McCarthy and most notably John Stones.
Key player
The weight of expectation seemed to be weighing Ross Barkley down last season, but the youngster has entered the new campaign looking refreshed and recharged.
The 21-year-old has already matched his goal tally of the previous season with two, alongside one assist. Those strikes were from the top drawer too; a screamer against Watford the pick of the pair.
Barkley has pulled the strings as the focal point of the Everton midfield, often picking up the ball in deeper areas and creating from there. So far, the Englishman’s pass accuracy percentage sits at 86%.
What has gone right?
The dynamism with which the Toffees mounted a charge toward the Champions League places in 2014 looks to have returned to their game. A case-in-point was the performance at Southampton; each of the three goals came about through quick, crisp ball movement and playing to Romelu Lukaku’s strengths.
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What needs to improve?
Home form. They say home form takes care of itself, but that has not been the case so far for the Blues, winless at home in their opening two attempts. The success of the 2013-14 campaign was in part due to their winning form at Goodison, but that fortress-like feel has disappeared. An awkward draw against Watford, with respect to the Hornets, was dropped points for Everton, less so the defeat at the hands of the might of Manchester City.
Next four games
Confronting the Toffees after the international break is another tough period.
A home clash against the reigning champions kicks things off, followed by away trips to Swansea and West Brom. The season’s first Merseyside Derby on 4 October rounds out the month.
Grade – B minus
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