Premier League team introductions: Everton need to win back the fans after last year

Everton were the biggest disappointment of the Premier League season last year. They did bring in a few reinforcements in the summer, but Richarlison left and it doesn’t look like a cup fight. What squad will the Toffees enter the league with?

The management team

On the Everton bench sits Chelsea legend and one of the best midfielders in history, Frank Lampard. He took over the team at the end of January and although they eventually retained the top flight, much more is expected of him in his second season.

Goalkeeper

In goal, it’s clear-cut. Jordan Pickford has a solid position in the England national team as well and although he makes a big blunder from time to time, great saves at a crucial moment will definitely make up for it.

The role of the number two will be filled by the experienced Bosnian Asmir Begovic.

Defenders

Lampard’s three-man stopper defence will not be missing summer signing James Tarkowski. Long one of the most underrated footballers, he is expected to return to the elite after Burnley’s relegation and should play week in week out at Everton.

Ben Godfrey was a downright disappointment last season, but on the other hand he certainly has the quality to make the starting line-up. There will be a question mark hanging over the third man in the squad, it should probably be the experienced Michael Keane, who also played for the Albion national team.

Lampard also puts a lot of faith in club legend and captain Seamus Coleman, who can also aspire to be a right-back. Mason Holgate and the tall and combative Colombian Yerry Mina must also be mentioned.

Midfielders

Things are bad at the wing-back positions. Vitaliy Mykolenko is trying and working on the left side, but he won’t be able to play at least 32 games, on the other side Alex Iwobi is surprisingly preferred to young Nathan Patterson.

In the middle it should be the proven and defensively minded pairing of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucouré. The first mentioned is a classic six, the second can add an extra layer and an idea. Don’t expect extra creativity from them, but you can count on them.

Other alternatives are Portuguese André Gomes with Tom Davies, or a more offensive option with Dele Alli.

Forwards

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the obvious choice to spearhead the attack, even though he didn’t do well at all last year. On the left, Demarai Gray will operate, who didn’t do well at all last year and he ironically scored the key points to save the team.

The right side is the most evenly matched, the number one will probably be the offspring and youth England international Anthony Gordon. Lampard had a lot of faith in him and especially from the start of the spring, the skilful all-rounder did well.

The experienced Andros Townsend is also a decent prospect and of course also the summer signing Dwight McNeill from Burnley. He didn’t do well last year, but a new signing could give him a kick start. Salomon Rondon is also in the running

Ideal line-up:

Pickford
Godfrey – Keane – Tarkowski
Mykolenko – Allan – Doucouré – Patterson
Gray – Calvert-Lewin – Gordon

RankingTip:: 14th place

Source: Everton