After Phil Jagielka was given his marching orders early in Everton’s opening Premier League fixture against Wolves at Molineux, I didn’t expect to consider the Blues unfortunate not to claim all three points come the full-time whistle.
With the away side leading 1-0 at the time, Everton’s proclivity to crumbling under pressure seemed like the most likely scenario, especially considering how well Wolves had strengthened over the summer – a team of stars with a point to prove.
But ultimately, Everton’s performance with just ten men was far more representative of how poor Sam Allardyce’s reign was than I could have expected. Without further exploring that fractured relationship, Everton’s free playing style and confidence on the ball reflected how things have already changed under Marco Silva, and suggest how bad things were under the previous regime.
Richarlison undeniably introduced himself to the Everton supporter base in the finest fashion imaginable. Branded by far too many in mainstream media as overpriced, while many others still incorrectly record his transfer fee at being around £50million, the Brazilian winger did more for the team than just simply scoring two goals.
The 21-year old injected Everton with direction and positivity on the field, and as many have I predict already read online, lead Everton to have more shots on target (5) with ten men that Allardyce could muster in 21 of his 26 games at the club’s helm.
Seeking to avoid delving into each individual players performance, a number of the Blues line-up proved beyond reasonable doubt that with the correct tutelage and effective tactical arrangement, the club certainly have what is needed to secure European football this season.
Everton’s result could have been even better if Jagielka wasn’t incorrectly sent off. While I can acknowledge that it was a controversial decision, in my eyes Jagielka won the ball, and a three-game ban is an excessive punishment for being marginally too slow.
Still, it does allow Everton to now usher in a new centre-back partnership. Michael Keane seemingly cemented his position in Silva’s line-up for Southampton with a career-best performance in royal blue, and the Portuguese man at the helm will now be forced to choose between Mason Holgate and new signing duo Yerry Mina and Kurt Zouma, to partner the England man.
Both new players will be itching to get started for their new club, while Richarlison will also be eager to get back out on the field, with the knock that forced his substitution against Wolves not serious enough to deny him a Goodison Park debut on Saturday.
Silva and new Director of Football Marcel Brands have operated on the down-low this summer. Much fanfare was made of the latter’s appointment, and while he has done exceedingly well to land several high profile targets, he has appeared to quietly go about his business to bring in the men Silva wants.
In the long-run, that’s a practical and effective business model. Aside from the long-running and overly tiring pursuit of Yerry Mina, most deals have been done on the quiet, and discretion goes a long way in business to protect Everton’s own interests – saving the Toffees from falling victim of auction sniping from other high profile clubs.
Against Southampton, Everton will be looking to firmly kick-off their league campaign. Without any unexpected absences, Silva’s task will be to ensure Everton complete the full capture of all available points this time around, and hopefully keep a full team on the pitch for the duration.
Everton’s summer transfer business has once against filled the air on Merseyside with optimism, but as we saw last season, that air can quickly dissipate and be replaced with negativity and gloom. Cautious optimism is key, and I for one, will be carrying that with me against the Saints this weekend.
