Everton: this season and a tale of two forwards
I might be going out on a limb but I reckon most Evertonians cannot wait for the end of this horribly underachieving season. It’s been a turgid experience for Blues supporters made even worse by the renewed success of Liverpool.
That increasing divergence between the two Merseyside clubs is thrown into greater relief by the contrasting fortunes of the clubs’ top summer signings, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Mohamad Salah. Everton have certainly not had the best of this comparison!
Many thought, after a long-running and protracted saga, that the club had signed a player in Sigurdsson who could help the team raise its performances, despite the huge £45 million fee paid for him.
He had been a key player for Swansea last season, making and scoring goals and Blues fans were hoping he would re-produce that from for Everton.
But as we know it didn’t turn out like that. Sigurdsson struggled mightily at the start of the season along with just about everyone else it has to be said.
And although he had shown signs of coming into better form before his injury against Brighton, this has been a hugely disappointing campaign for him.
In contrast Salah, who cost Liverpool a similar fee of around £40 million, has had perhaps the best season for a new club in Premier League history. No one predicted he would explode onto the scene again the way he has.
Nothing in his previous Premier League incarnation at Chelsea indicated this would happen although he had enjoyed a couple of fine seasons at Roma.
He has this term scored a league-leading 29 goals and added another team-high 9 assists.
He has made a massive 39% contribution to Liverpool’s goals this season. Only Harry Kane at Tottenham has been similarly important for his team.
In fact I would go as far as to say that Liverpool would not be competing in a Champions League semi-final or be a virtual certainty for a top four finish without him. Yes they’ve got other fine players but his contribution has been colossal.
And it has allowed the Reds to sell the want-away Philippe Coutinho who has been so instrumental a player for them over the past few seasons.
Liverpool’s team has become increasingly dependent on Salah; the derby last Saturday underlined this point. Without his pace, movement, ability to take on defenders and finishing Liverpool looked a far less threatening side.
The contrast with Sigurdsson’s impact for Everton could hardly be more telling. He has managed just 4 goals and 3 assists. Although it’s a bit simplistic, in one sense this contrast seems to parallel the clubs’ overall fortunes.
For Evertonians all this doesn’t come as a surprise in a way. They are used to Liverpool seeming to always get it right while the Blues manage to mess up almost as often! It’s seems to be a Yin and a Yang thing at times.
More from Prince Rupert's Tower
- Everton 0 Arsenal 1: Blues fall to third home defeat
- Further chaos in Everton takeover as other lenders not keen on 777 Partners
- Everton need repeat of Arsenal win to kick-start their season on Sunday
- More madness at Everton as Moshiri now agrees to sell club to 777 Partners
- Everton takeover talk cools after UK govt doubts and further questions
But beyond any black humour, it underlines the changing nature of the game and how far Everton are behind the curve at the moment.
We’ve discussed this a few times before and the evidence becomes clearer with every passing week.
The most successful sides are playing positive, attacking football and trying to win games, home and away. They look to control possession and the pace and tempo of matches.
The tactics of managers like Everton’s own boss Sam Allardyce are increasingly outmoded in this climate.
With the rule changes of the past few decades and the influence of managers like Guardiola and Klopp playing such possession-based and pressing tactics, this is the future it seems.
While it’s true not everyone has the financial resources of Manchester City, nevertheless the right coaching and astute, effective transfer dealings can still make a significant difference.
Everton have, so far, palpably failed to do either of these things and that has to change next season.
Yes sound defending as a team is still important, no team not even City this season wins the title on goal scoring alone.
But if Everton want to compete again at the top table they have to start playing some more creative, positive football and look to win matches, not just avoid defeats.
Next: Everton looking at Watford star
The next summer’s transfer dealings and the following season are going to be an acid test as to whether the club can still make that transition. That surely can’t happen with Allardyce in charge.