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Christmas run-in crucial for Everton season

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 07: Paul Pogba of Manchester United is challenged by Allan of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on November 07, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 07: Paul Pogba of Manchester United is challenged by Allan of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park on November 07, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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As we now finally come to the end of the latest international break, the next couple of months are crucial in defining how the season will go for Everton.

The two international breaks have come at the end of two very different looking Everton sides and have book-ended the campaign so far for the team.

As we went into the first one, the Blues were top of the Premier League with a 100% record, playing great football and scoring goals freely.

Then after that break and coming into this last one, the Toffees stumbled to one draw and three straight defeats to see the team slide down the table to seventh place. It’s been a bit of a Jeckle and Hyde type of season so far.

I wrote at the time that I thought the first international break would damage Everton’s momentum and I think the subsequent games proved that was the case.

The massive improvement in performances and results seen in the first month or so of the season, proved to be largely superficial, or so it seems.

It was obviously hugely dependent on the form of the new signings James Rodriguez and the two midfielders alongside the best existing players such as Lucas Digne, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who have all been outstanding.

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The absence of some of those players through injury and suspension once again highlighted the lack of quality and drive in the squad players.

The injury problems suffered by key players like Rodriguez, Allan and Seamus Coleman are all very concerning as they struggle to overcome them and there is so little time for players to fully recover due to the fixture demands.

Added to those existing issues is the possibility of Richarlison also being unavailable for Sunday’s match, his first after his three game suspension, following a late tackle in his last international outing.

Now after this latest break the Blues have to raise their game again. The Toffees have three Premier League matches coming up (against Fulham, Leeds United and Burnley) before a massive test away at Chelsea. Those first three games are, or should be, winnable if the Blues play to the potential they showed in the first months of the season.

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If they are unable to reproduce that form, then I fear Everton’s season will start to come apart as confidence still seems fragile and we will be in for a long run-in to Christmas and a difficult second half of the campaign.

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