---
title: "Nicol believes Ancelotti needs time at Everton to make changes"
canonical: "https://readeverton.com/nicol-believes-ancelotti-needs-time-at-everton-to-make-changes/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Elliott Cuff"
section: "Feature Writers"
published: "2020-01-08T06:00:00Z"
modified: "2020-01-08T06:00:00Z"
---

# Nicol believes Ancelotti needs time at Everton to make changes

Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol believes that Carlo Ancelotti must be given time to turn Everton’s fortunes around at Goodison Park.

The Toffees fell to a crushingly humiliating loss to a severely weakened Liverpool team in the FA Cup on Sunday, and many of Everton’s senior players have subsequently been put on blast.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Morgan Schneiderlin and Theo Walcott and just three of the many squad players that have found themselves in the firing line, with the trio adjudged to have not been up to the required standard.

![Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readeverton.com/readeverton/2020/01/1197672220.jpg)

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Everton and January spending, with Ancelotti set to be backed by the club in the transfer market.

Nicol though claims that the Blues need to get rid of “six, seven, eight” players before they can expect to compete, which he says cannot be done in a short period of time.

Talking to ESPN ([via The Daily Star](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/carlo-ancelotti-outlines-how-plans-21233117)), Nicol said:

> Problem is, you’ve got too many \[senior players\]. If I’m a manager going to a team struggling, clearly there are problems but when you’re looking at your starting XI and there’s what? Seven of them that you can’t rely on… Seven.
>
> How do you go and get seven players? You can’t get them in one window. And then you have to get rid of players as well. You know, Ancelotti absolutely has to have been guaranteed a certain amount of time because otherwise I don’t care who you are, you can’t do this in a short space of time.
>
> Not with the amount of players Everton have to get rid of. Listen, Walcott’s a great example, he’s already showing why over a decade he hasn’t been playing on the highest level.
>
> He has ability, no question, but he can’t produce – inconsistent. So when you have six, seven, eight maybe players like that the only way it turns around is by getting them out the door. And good luck with that.

Everton have now lost their last two games, against Manchester City and Liverpool, and they will look to get back on track against Brighton on Saturday.

### Read Everton Verdict

Nicol is right to demand time for Ancelotti, because the Merseyside Derby defeat ultimately did nothing more than prove how deep-rooted some of the problems are in this squad.

Too many players are not prepared to fight tooth and nail for the club, and the lax performances go to prove the overall lack of commitment of this squad. Players can be forgiven for lacking talent, but they cannot be allowed to be bereft of effort.

Ancelotti will need time to impose himself on this squad and make it his own, and as a result of that, he cannot really be judged over the next few months. It won’t be until the beginning of next season that we can really see how Ancelotti’s coaching pedigree will impact this club in a positive way.

Until that point though, personnel changes are needed. Those that can’t perform, or can’t put in the effort, need to be dropped. Youth needs to be promoted, and the few signings that can be made in January need to be made with purpose and intent. Everton’s season is over, but there is still plenty of work to be done.