Premier League teams’ performances: Everton with an interesting squad can entertain, but can they do it without Ancelotti?

He’s hidden in the background of the big six, but he’s a force to be reckoned with. Everton are one of the teams waiting for Arsenal or Tottenham to fall out of form to take their places. This year they will attempt to do so with new coach Rafa Benítez.

Everton cannot rate last season as a success. Yes, it finished only three points behind seventh-placed Tottenham, but on the other hand, after an excellent start to the season, tenth place is a big disappointment.

It looked like Carlo Ancelotti could take the Caramels to the very top of the competition by buying James Rodriguez and others, the agile Colombian was everywhere, scoring goals, assisting, but over the winter he ran out of juice. So did the rest of the team.

Everton’s season is beautifully summed up by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal stats. He scored eleven goals in his first eleven games, but since round 24 he has only scored three times. Despite this, he remains Everton’s mainstay.

The Brazilian Richarlison, the team’s most expensive player, is also an important offensive figure. He plays four positions and has a flair for goals, which he proved at the Tokyo Olympics. No wonder Barcelona and Manchester City are interested in him.

But Rafael Benítez and his assistants are not very active in the transfer market. Or at all. The only reinforcement is the ailing Demarai Gray, and the experienced winger Andros Townsend came for free, but even he is not a player who should immediately go into the starting line-up.

On the positive side, the skeleton of the team is basically unchanged. The departures of Bernard, Robin Olsen, Theo Walcott or Joshua King do not worry the fans too much, yet the one million euros earned for all four players combined is a smile.

The atmosphere around the club is lukewarm. Part of the supporters disagree with the involvement of Benítez, the other part is asking for reinforcements. Moreover, according to English servers, James has lost his desire to play for Everton after learning about the departure of his favourite coach Ancelotti.

Yet there is not so much reason for the negatives. Everton have at least the starting line-up to finish in the top 6. For example, you won’t find many better midfield trios than Allan, Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodriguez in the league, not to mention Gyfli Sigurdsson or André Gomes who can come off the bench.

In defence, alongside experienced captain Seamus Coleman, England international Michael Keane, young all-rounder Ben Godfrey (who has also already made his debut in the England A-team) and the excellent left back Lucas Digne.

In the attack, alongside the two battlers Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean or one of the summer reinforcements could come in.

So, is the fans’ clamour for a proper transfer in place? It looks like no. Rather, it’s important to bring in a few players to expand the squad, that should be the main task for the Spanish coach for the rest of the transfer window.

8th place