Can the big man reignite Everton season on Saturday

So, once again Duncan Ferguson gets a chance to lead Everton as he takes temporary charge against Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Saturday.

This is Ferguson’s second crack at the job of interim Everton manager after he took charge for four games in December 2019 before Carlo Ancelotti was confirmed as the permanent boss.

While most Blues supporters are glad to see the big Scot in charge at the moment, it reflects of course yet another cycle of failure as the Toffees have come full circle in just over two years.

Since the last time Ferguson was in charge for a Premier League match, Everton have seen Ancelotti come and go and the ill-fated Rafa Benitez experiment blow up in their faces.

It really is a dreadful legacy of frustration and failure, which has left Evertonians wondering how or maybe if, this club can ever recover from the mess.

And, we don’t know if the former centre-forward and talisman will still be in the dugout when the Blues next take to the pitch to play Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round on 5th February.

At the moment, that is still very unclear. Given all the uncertainty and the chaotic way things seem to be conducted at this club, who would bet on it, but it’s probably likely he will be in charge for that Cup game.

However, the rumour mill keeps churning out stories about this candidate or that to take over, with the latest stories claiming Fabio Cannavaro was now on the shortlist, only for that to later turn out to apparently not be the case.

Anyway, leaving all that distraction aside, lets look at what is just the latest crucial game in this club’s current season of chaos and underachievement.

There have been so many must-win matches over the past year or so I’ve lost count. Some of them might not have proved to be that critical, but Saturday’s crunch clash with Villa would seem to deservedly claim that title.

The Toffees are skating close to the relegation zone and in the worst form I can ever remember, and that’s saying something.

I don’t envy Ferguson having to take on this situation and having to try and arrest such a tailspin and improve confidence, which must be rock bottom.

I suppose in the worst case scenario a good, positive performance even if that only leads to a point would I guess be acceptable.

A defeat does seem very hard to contemplate because that would leave Everton in a really perilous position without a chance to improve the situation until the 8th February when they are away to Newcastle United.

When Ferguson took charge in early December 2019, after Marco Silva was sacked, he faced an even tougher test on paper with Chelsea coming to Goodison Park for his first match.

The response was a superbly robust performance and a fine 3-1 win. Obviously, a repeat of such an effort and result would be very welcome on Saturday.

Ferguson has been talking of how he is seeking to turn around the terrible run of results Everton are in. He’s been dishing out some home truths to the players, which is something most supporters would think is very much needed.

As for who he will pick to play and how he will set them up I have some thoughts. When he last took charge, Ferguson set the team up to play in an orthodox 4-4-2 and I expect he will return to something like this.

In terms of who might start I wonder whether he might return to a defence like the one Ancelotti adopted a year after he took over.

I think that has some merit although I know that some people might not be convinced about Mason Holgate for example returning to the team.

But, perhaps that four centre-back defence could work again and Everton desperately need some improved defending and greater solidity from somewhere. I’d also have Jarrad Branthwaite come in at centre-back in place of Micheal Keane if he is fit.

So, assuming no new injuries perhaps the team Ferguson could select is: Pickford and a back four of Holgate, Yerry Mina, Branthwaite and Ben Godfrey. In midfield a four of Anthony Gordon, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Demarai Gray. Up front Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

There’s no guarantee this would work as it did for a while last season when the Toffees also really needed to arrest a slide in results. I do think though that there is a need to go back to sorting out the basics and keeping clean sheets. A fluky one-nil win is all that’s needed on Saturday.