Richarlison is high-risk high-reward for Everton

What to expect from Richarlison at Everton

Make no mistake; Richarlison is a dynamic player. The 21-year-old is incredibly direct. He shoots frequently, and is more than happy to take on defenders.

However, the caveat of this style comes in his poor playmaking. Richarlison averaged just 21.16 passes per game, and 0.2 crosses per appearance (WhoScored). Comparisons to Yannick Bolasie, Nikola Vlasic and Ademola Lookman, when taking minutes played into account, do not demonstrate the Brazilian as an indisputably superior player.

In fact, his profile parallels Bolasie in many ways – albeit Richarlison is a far better shot. If the former Watford man does not develop, Everton will be left with another frustrating winger. This would constitute incredibly poor business and only exacerbate the logjam of useless contracts in the forward corps.

I am certain that Richarlison could offer something different at Everton. The question is whether he will be able to reach his potential with the Blues. Clearly, he needs to make huge strides in his playmaking and decision-making. If Richarlison cannot improve these quickly, I cannot see him staying in Merseyside for the long haul.

However, it is worth pointing out that the Brazilian’s play last season suffered greatly when Marco Silva left Watford. Whilst Silva managed the Hornets, Richarlison played a far more well-rounded game. According to The Guardian, he averaged a handy 1.0 chances created per game.

Now that the two are reunited on Merseyside, it seems possible that Everton’s new signing can rediscover his scintillating form from early last season. Under the watchful eye of Silva, Richarlison could be able to iron out his weaknesses, without losing his goalscoring touch.

In sum, Richarlison is a costly gamble. He is a flawed, raw young player – who by some metrics was incredibly unlucky last season, and begged to deceive according to other measures. He is by no means a sure bet. But, a friendly face in the manager’s office, his expected goals last year, and his dynamism makes a bright future feasible.

The priority in 2018-19 should be to bed Richarlison into the Everton starting 11. As an individual, we should reasonably hope for around eight goals and four or five assists in the league next year. Anything less would be a regression.

Looking forward though, the Blues must focus on rounding out the Brazilian’s game. He is a long-term project – with some glaring weaknesses. But, if Richarlison can achieve his potential, Everton fans should get very excited indeed.