Everton: 2019-20 season review part 4

In the final part of our comprehensive review of the 2019-20 Premier League season, we look at the post-lockdown matches as Everton returned to action.

June

After the Covid lockdown hiatus, Everton faced a Goodison Park derby in what was their first game back as the Premier League finally returned.

After succumbing in such limp and pathetic way to Chelsea in their last match before lockdown, another game against their neighbours didn’t seem the ideal way to restart the campaign.

Thankfully, after other results, Liverpool couldn’t win the title at Goodison Park, so at least Blues fans would be spared that particular horror.

Unsurprisingly given the length of time since anyone had played, the match was certainly not a classic and it finished 0-0. Liverpool had a lot of ball but the Blues defended well and had the best chances late in the game, hitting the post in the dying minutes.

The Toffees had kept their shape well in the derby and looked solid and well-organised, something that Ancelotti had certainly be working on developing.

After the progress that had been made during the second half of the season under the Italian, there was also renewed hope that the Blues could qualify for Europe after the restart.

Next, Everton traveled to relegation threatened Norwich City. The Canaries had struggled all season long and although the away team were hardly at their best, they secured a 1-0 win and another clean sheet.

July 

July opened with the Blues welcoming Champions League chasing Leicester City to Goodison Park. This was the team’s best performance of the post-lockdown period so far, as they scored twice early on and held on for a good three points against a confident and determined Foxes side.

With the defense looking solid, several new young players emerging, in particular Anthony Gordon, and talisman forward Richarlison scoring goals, optimism was high that a strong finish to the season was now possible. However that optimism was to be short-lived.

Everton now had a game away at Tottenham and that meant a return to the capital where the Toffees record has been so poor for so long.

After previously playing with what seemed increasing confidence and self-belief, inexplicably the Blues reverted back to early season type and produced a truly lacklustre performance that resulted in a damaging 1-0 defeat.

Yet again the team had shown an inability to raise their game away from home when playing a side competing at the upper end of the table.

With the games now coming thick and fast in the effort to conclude the season, the Toffees now faced another mid-table team, Southampton to the grand old lady. After the loss at Spurs, Everton had to get three points to have any realistic chance of securing a Europa League place.

But they proved unable to do that and instead they were outplayed by a team that had struggled all season long. After going one down and being lucky it wasn’t two or three, a Richarlison goal against the run of play secured an undeserved point for the home team.

At this point not only were serious questions being raised about the players’ mindset but also Ancelotti seemed to be unable to motivate them as well. In addition all the old problems finding the right balance in midfield and players who could perform consistently, had returned.

The draw with the Saints, combined with other results, effectively killed off any lingering hope of European football next season. Now the Blues were just playing for a top ten finish and pride.

But these players didn’t seem to have much pride at all as the next match starkly proved. Everton went to Molineux and faced a strong and confident Wolves team pushing not just for Europe but also possibly a top four finish.

The Toffees were simply ripped apart by the midlands club and after being completely outplayed were lucky to only lose 3-0. It was a simply disgraceful effort in every respect.

Not only did they suffer a heavy defeat but it was the manner of it that was most infuriating. At times the lack of effort and commitment form players was almost unbelievable. They seemed more interested in wandering around in the summer sunshine than playing for Everton.

Ancelotti now called out his players in public for that lack of effort and work rate and demanded a reaction from them. He was also experimenting with different formations from his usual 4-4-2 in the search for answers.

Would he get it when the Blues hosted Aston Villa in a match crucial for the Villans then slim chances of avoiding the drop?

Well the answer was no. Everton were a little better but even so in a poor game between two very mediocre sides, they struggled to eke out a 1-1 draw.

Next came a trip to Sheffield to take on a United team that had over-achieved this campaign and was chasing Europe as well.

After so many disappointing games, and now they had nothing to play for, the players finally started performing again and comfortably defeated the Blades although the score was only 1-0!

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It was just the kind of immensely frustrating game that we have seen so often. How can a team be so consistently inconsistent?!

Well that just left one more game of this strange and elongated campaign. Could Everton finish their fixtures with a positive performance and result?

Well unsurprisingly with this team, the answer was no they couldn’t. As if to underline just how poor and unmotivated this set of players are, the Blues slumped to a desperate 3-1 home defeat to a team that was already effectively relegated.

So that was the 2019-20 season. It was a season that posed more questions than it answered for sure. A dysfunctional midfield, constant and costly individual errors and too few goals scored and chances created. So then not much for Ancelotti to sort out then!

A campaign that started with the more optimistic Evertonians thinking maybe a good cup run and crack at the top six was just possible, ended with the Toffees stuck in the bottom half of the table watching Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy after another barren and wasted season.

I know this feels like deja-vu but please God please, let 2020-21 be a better one!