Everton 2019-20 season review part 2

Continuing our review of the 2019-20 season, we look at the second part of the campaign as Everton struggled to find any momentum and the bad results just kept coming.

November

Tottenham were the visitors in the next Everton fixture, in a match that would prove infuriating and costly. The game finished 1-1 but that was almost incidental.

Yet another highly dubious VAR decision cost the Blues two points and a terrible tackle from Spurs striker Son, cost them Gomes, who suffered a dreadful ankle break that looked initially as though it might keep him out for the rest of the season if not some of the next one too. It felt like the season was already unraveling.

But as if to highlight the almost perverse nature of this team, the Blues then finally broke their duck away from home as they next went to St Mary’s and beat Southampton 2-1.

Having won away at last, the Toffees then collapsed to an embarrassing and dreadful loss at home to Norwich City. What was going on with this team?

Now the pressure was really starting to build on Silva as the Blues were languishing in the bottom half of the table and looking potentially at a relegation fight instead of competing for Europe, let alone any prizes.

December

The final month of 2019 opened with Everton losing yet again, this time at Leicester City, although the Blues might have got something from the game.

Then came a match that every Evertonian was dreading; the derby at Anfield against the runaway league leaders. Could the Toffees raise their game against their neighbours, the champions-elect?

Ironically Everton actually produced some of their best attacking football of the season so far in this game, scoring twice. But it wasn’t enough to get anything from the game as defensively they were abysmal.

Bizarrely in such an important game, not just for the team and fans but for his own future, Silva suddenly abandoned his cherished 4-2-3-1, decided to change his formation and went with back three – it totally backfired.

The Blues were ripped apart and conceded five goals in a derby for the first time since November 1982. Utter humiliation at the hands of their most hated rivals. That was how bad things had got.

There was now no way he could survive as the pressure was huge for a change in manager and shortly afterwards the club bowed to the inevitable announced Silva had been sacked.

So what now for Everton? Where was the club going to go for their next manager, and how could this awful season be turned around?

After Silva’s departure, there was uncertainty about who the Toffees would bring in as rumours were flying about potential candidates. In the end the club decided to give assistant Duncan Ferguson temporary charge of the team as they struggled to find a long-term successor.

After the derby debacle, there was understandable trepidation about the Blues first game under the big Scot, as they faced a high-flying Chelsea.

In the end Everton produced one of their best performances of the campaign as Ferguson got a new manager bounce and the team defeated the west London blues 3-1.

Ferguson adopted an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation, making Everton much more solid defensively and seemed to have instilled a much overdue urgency and work rate in players who just a few days earlier had been almost criminally inconsistent and lackadaisical in their effort.

The effort continued at Old Trafford when the Blues faced Manchester United in their next match. The Toffees eked out a 1-1 draw to continue Ferguson’s unbeaten start.

After a penalties defeat to Leicester in the League Cup quarter-final, Everton’s next game in the Premier League was against Arsenal at Goodison Park.

As that Saturday approached there had been strong rumours that the Blues were trying to clinching a deal to make Carlo Ancelotti their next manager after the hugely successful Italian boss was suddenly sacked by Napoli.

His departure had opened up a new and unexpected opportunity for Everton. Arsenal though were also in the hunt for a new boss and most people expected Ancelotti to go back to London.

But then the Gunners announced they were appointing Mikel Arteta and so as the game with Arsenal approached, there seemed a stronger chance Ancelotti just might come to Goodison Park.

Then on that bright sunny winter morning as Evertonians made their way to the grand old lady, the club announced that yes indeed Ancelotti had agreed to become the new Everton manager.

This was a huge coup for the club and seemed to beckon a new era as the Toffees had finally secured the services of an unquestionably ‘world-class’ manager with a glittering CV.

More from Prince Rupert's Tower

Despite a drab 0-0 draw with the Gunners in that day’s game, the whole feeling around the club was lifted by this headline grabbing move by Farhad Moshiri and the Blues board. Could that feeling be replicated by the players performances?

Ancelotti’s first match was against Goodison against Burnley. Everton won it 1-0 and the new boss was off to a perfect start. He stuck with a 4-4-2 and it continued to work.

Next the team traveled to the northeast to take on Newcastle United, and the question was would the teams be able to take this form onto the road. The answer was yes they could, as the Blues produced their best away performance so far winning 2-1.

Ancelotti’s man-management skills were it appeared already bearing fruit. Individual players were seemingly transformed under the Italian and the whole team looked much more focused, energetic and determined, although that had been seen at first under Ferguson.

The young players in particular seemed to respond well. Mason Holgate, who had been steadily improving all season long was continuing to make great strides. Up front Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were forming a strong striking partnership and scoring goals, so there was renewed hope that the Toffees could still turn this season around. Now for 2020…