Reasons To STILL Be Cheerful (Part One)

Disappointed. 
Frustrated. 
Angry as... 

Well, a serious dent to the short-term and medium-term progression of the club's future prospects - failing to finish at least 7th. 


Many reasons, short-term and long, to explain yet another failure. 

Yet though I enjoy my team's football, I wouldn't be wasting my time commentating on Everton's future to the extent I have been lately 
if I didn't genuinely believe that Carlo Ancelotti is the best manager in the world, accepting by far the biggest challenge of his coaching career. 


In the following weeks, I'd like to take a little time to discuss how next season may be better - if COVID-19 doesn't rob Carlo of another full pre-season. 

Firstly, please may we cast our minds back to two very special games this past season - in cautious optimism for 2021-22. 


The first ever win at... to kick-start the season. 
The first win at... this century. 
The first ever win at... that should have given us enough to step-up and seal 7th. 

These three away wins all meant something very special to us. 

But many of these results, coupled with just about all the other 50pts we secured in the Premier League alone, could very much be credited to a manager working with a squad loaded with talent, but all-too-many one-trick-ponies. 

Many of these results secured more in line with nullifying the strengths of our opponents, rather than being our own team, meant that an attractive performance was regularly sacrificed to the requirements of every result possible. 

Against the best teams we've faced this season, this sometimes meant sitting back and waiting to pounce on counter-attacks. 

It sure worked when we got ourselves into an early lead. 

It's also very correctly pointed out by some that this method of play, whilst practical to circumstances, made the possibility of individuals hiding from responsibilities enough to preserve energy - or to simply suit player strengths as a luxury.  A luxury I for one don't see the funny side of, but this post is NOT about whom and/or where certain players need fresh starts.  It's about how Ancelotti managed to work magic in getting so much collective team contributions enough times, even in these very concerning circumstances (which will hopefully change sooner rather than later). 

Against weaker opposition, stay in the game as long as possible
and the substitutions Ancelotti makes would take care of the final 10-20 minutes. 

However one magical week in February would provide us two glorious occasions
where we would provide concrete proof that, if nothing else - we still belong as a club at the very top. 

Didn't those United and Spurs fans love every minute of it... Err...


Manchester United, hot off that midweek mauling of a very robust, hardworking, but limited Southampton team playing 80 minutes a man down. 

Two-Nil up at half-time; a scoreline generated through two teams performing very well, before Marcus Rashford found himself alone to place a perfect cross into Edisson Cavani's heading path.  They didn't screw it up, and whilst Bruno Fernandes isn't exactly the toast of Goodison - he too had an unbelievably excellent game throughout - against decent opposition. 

Opposition that would spring to life in the second 45.

First though, a team-talk masterclass. 

One minor flaw in that majestic united 1st-half:
their individual failure to hold a secure off-side line (which would be penetrated no less than three times). 

Whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of the greatest strikers to have played British league football, had spotted the weakness - 
or the players not take any notice of him - Carlo Ancelotti sure did. 

The 2nd-half instructions: get the ball to the best left-back in the Premier League, if not the world, and support DCL & Richarlison in the penalty area. 

Both goals needed to restore parity arrived in as little as seven 2nd-half minutes;
Doucoure scoring the first himself
and then salvaging an attack partially cleared, for James Rodriguez (not having a great game by his high standards) to equalise. 

Game on. 
'Game on' - against a team used to playing twice a week, every week, to the very highest standards and energy, something we've sadly deteriorated from, more-or-less since Rotterdam - we won't go there. 

But it meant we had to dig deep from now on, requiring something far more evident than mere instructions from a textbook.  Pure adrenaline suddenly took over and the game would remain very high in appeal to all watching on this February Saturday night. 

Another left-back (Luke Shaw) then put a superb cross into our penalty area.  Scott McTominay first to the ball, a slip from Robin Olsen 
and we had to show character again.  Would we collapse, or claw something back in the belief we could - and should do. 

The answer came in the 95th minute. A free-kick won on United's vulnerable right-flank. Another quality cross into the heart of United's penalty area, where this time centre-back Harry Maguire was too slow to play DCL off-side.  The right player in the correct place to tap the ball past de Gea. 3-3. 

Those United fans get irritated over this one.  Even though the result was only a draw, something that we rightly should acknowledge ourselves, it was still a heavyweight blow Solskjaer cannot ignore.  Nor can his players. 

So Tom Davies and Ben Godfrey have big games in them. 

Now let's see it happen - twice in one week. 

A Fifth Round F.A. Cup tie both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur really needed to win, not only to end trophy droughts.
Players want a reason for their efforts loyalty to be honoured.

Down 0-1 at home after less than 3 minutes, it wasn't exactly going to plan. 
DCL would have to withdrawl from play less than an hour played, but already inspiring his team to a 3-1 lead. 
Harry Kane, class act he sure is too, would effectively claw a 3-1 fightback, as a substitute himself, playing out the final half hour and the subsequent extra-time that followed. 

Despite signs to suggest Hugo Lloris is no longer the best goalkeeper in France, the fact that both Bernard and Richarlison managed to score from narrow shooting angles with their left feet suggested that confidence was starting to flow in our team's performances. 



Fans of certain clubs may well point out that neither Manchester United nor Tottenham Hotspur are the best team in England, let alone Europe and the world. They may also remind us we put four past United and City under previous managers. 

I hope though that restraint of expectation as the result of low financing for decades, lack of continuity, too many quick-fixes and most recently: COVID-19, can yet be held in perspective of what Carlo Ancelotti really could do - in the partial relaxing of FFP progress-ransoms, plus more transfer windows in tandem with Marcel Brands and a full, thorough pre-season like never before seen at our club. 

Balanced expectation I (again) would like to speculate on, in the near future.