For decade upon decade, fortunes of Everton have been overshadowed by their larger than life neighbours, Liverpool. That’s not hard to fathom as the Reds are the second most successful side in English history. On the other hand, the Toffees have been in and around the country’s top flight, merely making up the numbers. However, those times could be changing.
In September, Everton’s major shareholder Farhad Moshiri increased his stake in the club to 68.6% with plans to take his ownership to 75% next July. Moshiri is a man that expects a return on his investment as he’s pumped millions into the club’s transfer dealings. With such backing in the bank, the Toffees are on course to reach that next level in the Premier League.
Here’s how Everton can break into the top 6.
Since 2010, the Toffees have only finished inside the top six on two occasions. Instead of making progress in the post-Moyes era, Everton has struggled to keep up with the biggest sides in the league. As we speak, the Toffees are 6th in league with Manchester United one point behind them. Everton want to keep it that way and once and for all break that top six status quo.
Tie down Marco Silva
Since bursting on the English scene, Marco Silva has proven himself to be one of the country’s most sought-after coaches. His daring and attractive style of play has made its mark on Hull City, Watford and now Everton. The Portuguese coach demands his teams be attacking-minded with a commitment to a high press.
At just 41 years of age, Silva promises to dominate the footballing world for decades to come. Unfortunately for Everton, it’s only a matter of time before one of Europe’s elites come calling for the charismatic coach.
Authoritative Style of Play
At Goodison Park, Silva has tried to get Everton playing like the big club they aim to be. However, the players haven’t fully assimilated to his philosophy. This season, the Toffees has averaged a possession rate of 51.2%, suggesting they are not dominating games like the clubs above them. The Toffees must impose themselves more on games, including the clashes against those with bigger budgets.
No one can accuse Everton of not having enough attacking flair. A squad filled with the likes of; Richarlison, Theo Walcott, Ademola Lookman, Cenk Tosun, Gylfi Sigurðsson & Bernard suggests the Toffees have more than enough attacking quality to trouble any defence in the league. So far this season, Everton have only scored 20 goals, less than all of the teams above them.
Record vs Top 6
To be a big team, you must perform against the big teams. Since February 2011, Everton has only won once away at the top six sides. With the aspirations they have, that’s simply not good enough, and it’s not just that they haven’t won, it’s the manner of their defeats too. The Toffees have regularly found themselves on the end of thrashings, a 5-1 to Arsenal, 4-0 to Manchester United are a couple of thrashings that come to mind. It’s imperative that the Toffees start giving the top six tougher games at their grounds if not, they’ll forever be a small club.
