After a brief hiatus, our chats with the opposition return this week so ahead of Everton visiting Selhurst park this weekend, TEB had a chat with the team at Royal Blue Mersey on what has been a turbulent start to the season.
Q. What did you make of last season for Everton?
Last year was something of a roller coaster ride for Everton with a disappointing middle bookended by both a strong start and finish. The home form was particularly impressive as the Blues turned Goodison Park into a fortress once again, ending the campaign with the fourth best home record in the division. That sparked a lot of optimism heading into the summer transfer window, which was set to be the first proper one under owner Farhad Moshiri.
Q. What were your hopes for the new season before a ball had been kicked?
After finishing last season as ‘the best of the rest’ the hope was that Everton would further consolidate that position and in the process close the gap on the newly formed top six. At the same time, a strong run in Europe was hoped for, with the Europa League seen as the best way for the club to get themselves into the Champions League after finishing fifteen points outside of the top four last season.
Q. It has been a struggle for Everton so far this season, which Ronald Koeman has ultimately paid the price for. Was it the right decision to sack the Dutchman?
Ultimately, yes. Koeman was afforded more time to turn things around than others would likely have been given as a result of several mitigating factors. Chief among these was the ridiculous set of fixtures that Everton had been given by the fixture computer.
However, as the weeks rolled by there were very few signs of improvement in the performances and, even worse, Koeman didn’t seem to be learning from his mistakes. The latter in particular made his position somewhat untenable.
With no new manager on the horizon, though, doubts are being raised about the sacking. It now looks like the decision to sack Koeman was done off the cuff with no succession plan in place and as far as some fans are concerned, that makes the decision a wrong one in hindsight.
Q. Who would be your choice to take over the managerial position and is there a real fear that Everton’s proud record of never being relegated under threat?
First and foremost, it’s very unlikely that Everton will be relegated, primarily because there are at least three worse teams than them in the Premier League. As well as that, the squad is one that has enough about it to pick up points and sort the current mess out.
Marco Silva appears to be the man Farhad Moshiri has identified as his preferred candidate and it’s easy to see why. The Portuguese boss plays good football, has an eye for a signing and even utilises English talent so he could be a good fit at Goodison Park.
If he can’t be procured from Watford, a move for Thomas Tuchel would make a lot of sense. The German may consider himself above the Blues but throw enough money at him and he might be tempted into the move. Everton is an attractive job for any manager and it would be a smart move for him to make if he wants to work in England. If his times at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund are anything to go by, he’d be a superb hire.
Q. It was quite a hectic summer in terms of playing personnel during the summer but what did you make of Everton’s transfer activity?
At the time Everton’s summer transfer window looked like a superb one. It wasn’t just Everton fans who were saying they had won the window. Unfortunately, that summer of dreams has turned into a bit of a nightmare.
The failure to sign a replacement for Romelu Lukaku is likely to haunt the team for the remainder of the season, as is the failure to add another centre back. Meanwhile, signings such as Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez are yet to get going. All in all, it’s proved to be a little disappointing.
Not that it’s all negative. Jordan Pickford has proven to be good value, even at £30million, and Michael Keane will continue to improve in the centre of defence. Nikola Vlasic has also been a surprisingly good capture and one that could quickly become a bargain buy.
Q. Explain in no more than 140 characters how the last ten years have been for the football the club.
So-so. Everton have largely been the best of the rest, with an occasional strong cup run thrown in that ends in disappointment.
Q. What do you make of Palace’s current predicament?
It’s hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Palace. Sam Allardyce had gotten them firing and would have had them comfortably mid-table had he stayed past the summer. His decision to leave was one they shouldn’t have had to deal with.
Hiring Frank de Boer was a brave move that might have paid off with a little bit more time and backing; although there is no overlooking the disastrous start to the campaign. Now they’ve got Roy Hodgson to contend with, which is a fate no club deserves to have thrust on them.
Can they get out of this current predicament? It sounds crazy but they just might. There’s certainly enough quality in the squad with the likes of Mamadou Sakho, Yohan Cabaye, Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha all very good players. The latter in particular seems to have enough star power to drag the Eagles out of the mire all by himself.
Q. Name one player from EACH side that you think the opposition should consider a real threat.
The aforementioned Zaha is one Everton will not be looking forward to coming up against. Their ageing backline has been susceptible to pace on more than one occasion this season and if they afford him the kind of freedom they’ve given other players, he could end up having a field day.
It’s sounds ridiculous but Oumar Niasse is very much a player Palace should be wary of. He may not be the most technically gifted but he never stops running, constantly pressuring the defence and more often than not he gets rewarded for it. Just look at the goal he got against Watford last time around. Palace’s defence is unsure of itself at the best of times and if Niasse puts them under pressure, he could benefit.
Q. Your prediction?
It’s easy to see this being a close game throughout. Both managers will be keen to keep it tight at the back and try to sneak a goal on the counter. After winning last time around, though, Everton will be full of confidence and that should see them through. Everton to win 1-0.
Q. And finally, please tell us all about your fan group along with any projects that you may currently be working on.
Royal Blue Mersey is an American blog and part of the SBNation group. It is run by people from all walks of life, mostly American with a couple of English guys thrown in for good measure. One thing that unites us all and that is our passion for, and knowledge of, Everton Football Club.
At the moment we’re focusing on improving and growing our coverage on all aspects of the club, for example this year we’ve started to cover the ladies teams on a more regular basis as well as all the other on-going factors off the pitch. We’re also focused on growing our social media presence so we can reach out to as many global Evertonians as possible.
