During the November international break, our series of 2015-16 team progress reports continues with an examination of Everton’s season so far.
What has gone right?
A fair bit has gone right for the Toffees so far. Unlike last season, they have been a picture of stability and the signings Roberto Martinez has made – Gerard Deulofeu, Aaron Lennon and Ramiro Funes Mori – have all performed when called upon.
What has impressed, above all else, is the style of football Martinez and his troops have adopted. A complete contrast to the slow, haphazard tiki-taka game of the season just gone, the Blues have employed a more direct approach that plays into the hands of their great asset, Romelu Lukaku, allowing for the brilliant counter-attacking play that was on show in Martinez’s first campaign in charge.
The 2014-15 league season saw Lukaku become a victim of the snail-paced play where he scored just 10 goals. This campaign, however, Lukaku has already scored seven times and has been evidently more dominant in dangerous areas, in particular in the air.
What has gone wrong?
In truth, not all that much. However, the Merseysiders have not been free of fault. Wastefulness has been a concern in the opening stages of the season, particularly in matches where they have dominated and dropped points due to profligacy in front of goal.
League fixtures against Swansea, Liverpool and West Ham United could easily have racked up nine points instead of the three that were actually gained with better finishing. That would see Everton sit fifth on the table, one point behind Manchester United, rather than an indifferent ninth.
Best player so far – John Stones
One of the best things about Everton’s opening three months is that the team has enjoyed an even spread of contributors at all points of the pitch; name a player and he has done his job more often than not.
Above all else, however, is the young man marshaling the back four alongside captain Phil Jagielka: John Stones. Chelsea’s interest in Stones in the summer transfer window was well documented and turned into the year’s longest-running transfer saga, though no move eventuated after the Toffees stood firm.
Rumours emerged that the 21-year-old was growing increasingly unhappy, though if that was the case, one would hardly know. The England international has performed admirably since the move fell down and has shown a level of professionalism not usually synonymous with a young player, helping guide the team through displays which have been much tighter defensively.
A special mention must go to Ivorian forward Arouna Kone, who has dragged a seemingly doomed Everton career from the ashes to score five goals, including a hat-trick against Sunderland, and three assists.
What’s next?
The next month is one in which Everton can begin to assert themselves on the league table after a difficult period. Home matches against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace should be approached with a cautious confidence but an expectation to win, so too away matches against promoted duo AFC Bournemouth and Norwich City.
Entangled in that is a Capital One Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough at the Riverside on 2 December. This fixture presents a huge opportunity for the Toffees given their trophy drought and one would expect this fixture to be approached with the utmost respect and seriousness.
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