Three new year resolutions for Everton
We’re now into another year and so what should be the new year resolutions for Everton to try and achieve over the next few months.
This year kicked off with Everton producing possibly their worst performance of the season so far as a miserably limp effort resulted in defeat at home to West Ham United on New Year’s Day. Hardly a great start.
Maybe that was just one of those games and a blip that the Toffees can quickly put behind them. But what should be the key goals for this calendar year? Well here are my three things for 2021.
1. Proritise signing another attacking talent in the next two transfer windows
Everton are inevitably being linked with a host of new signings as the January window opens. The majority of those stories focus on forward players.
While there are several positions that need further, long-term reinforcement, particularly right-back and central midfield, I feel that getting a versatile and top quality attacking talent must be the number one priority.
If Ancelotti can get a player like Sami Khedira on a free transfer and reduced wages then ok fair enough if he believes the veteran German will add additional steel, nous and quality in the middle.
If the Juventus player joins and Jean-Philippe Gbamin does finally recover his fitness, then suddenly the Toffees boss has plenty of options in central midfield. With those two as well as Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure, the Blues have the depth needed and could look at shipping out a few of the other existing squad players like Bernard and possibly also Tom Davies.
Most of all though Everton need more pace, goals and options in attack. The first-choice front three of James Rodriguez, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a good and well balanced one, combining Rodriguez’s flair and creativity, Richarlison’s pace and power and Calvert-Lewin’s improved finishing.
However, Rodriguez has been absent often recently through injury, something that has occurred regularly in his career and Richarlison also spent time on the sidelines through suspension, while his form since he came back has been inconsistent too.
The other options don’t seem either good enough or aren’t yet ready. Cenk Tosun is obviously not a top quality Premier League striker, Yanick Bolasie is also a player the club are desperate to get off the books, while youngsters Ellis Simms and Anthony Gordon don’t appear ready yet.
The unexpected emergence of Alex Iwobi as a viable option on the right, does give Ancelotti another option. If he could add one more then the Toffees would have a strong attack.
What the Blues need is a player who can provide more pace, creative skill and finishing to supplement that attack. Hopefully he’ll also be versatile enough to play across the frontline and so give all three of the other players a break and cover for injury. Wilfried Zaha would fit the bill but there are others too like Leon Bailey.
While adding a player or two like Khedira would seem reasonable business in this window, finding such an attacking talent must be the main focus.
It’s a tough ask though and I would be prepared to wait for the summer to get the right attacking addition in rather than trying to rush through a deal this month for the sake of it. I’m confident that will be Ancelotti’s view too.