Everton v Bournemouth: Blues to finish with a flourish

Everton face Bournemouth in their final fixture of the 2019-20 Premier League season on Sunday. So can the Toffees finish the campaign with a flourish?

In truth, this has been a dreadful season for Everton. I thought at one stage a few weeks ago, that there might be something that could be salvaged from this campaign. But it’s hard to see now.

To be honest I’m happy that this protracted season is finally drawing to a close. Everton’s problems, topped off by watching the Blues haughty neighbours lifting the title makes this one I’ll be happy to forget! I want to see the club now finally moving in the right direction this summer to solving the team’s chronic problems.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he wants evolution and not revolution in the team. I do agree, but that shouldn’t preclude radical surgery as that’s certainly needed.

The fact that the Blues performances fell of a cliff as soon as the prospect of European football became possible, and with a certain finish in the bottom half of the table, make this a truly disastrous season.

The chronic lack of energy, work rate and commitment to the cause together with so many under-performing players have once more sabotaged the Toffees hopes this season.

How many times have we said that at the end of past campaigns, although it feels as if this season has been particularly difficult.

Everton are facing a bottom-half finish for the first time since the last term of Roberto Martinez time as manager. Even at the end of last season, the Toffees managed to finish in eighth.

There are so many problems with the team and so much to do to improve it, that it seems sometimes as if the Blues are actually going backwards.

Three different managers, a hugely dysfunctional midfield, defensive inconsistencies and a chronic lack of creativity and goals from the team’s attack. That is Everton’s 2019-20 campaign.

The only pluses to come out of this season, is getting a high-profile manager with genuine top quality CV, and the emergence and/or continued development of several young players; Mason Holgate, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

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So the Toffees go into tomorrow’s final set of Premier League games with a lot to ponder and much work to do in the summer.

The match at Goodison Park is a game that has very little significance for the home team but a great deal for the visitors.

Bournemouth must win tomorrow to have any hope of staying up this season. Given their situation and the goal difference, they would probably need to win by four or five goals to have any chance of avoiding the drop. That seems very unlikely to happen.

Tomorrow’s opponents have been on a terrible run since the season restart and they have become stuck in the relegation zone. Recent games and results form their rivals, especially Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal, certainly haven’t helped.

I don’t know what team Ancelotti will pick tomorrow but I suspect that at least a few of the players who do turn out for Everton probably won’t be at Goodison Park when the new season kicks off on 12th September.

So it might be the last time we see a few of these individuals pulling on a royal blue shirt. As to a result I’m going to be optimisitic and go for a Blues win 2-0 to conclude this season.