The appointment of Ronald Koeman was met with great excitement and anticipation amongst the Goodison Park faithful and after just two games in charge the level of expectation is already rising.
A hard-earned point at home to Tottenham was backed up with Saturday’s come-from-behind victory at the Hawthorns. Former Everton winger Pat Nevin believes the Dutchman should be able to make Everton a top-six side within a couple of years, with his tactical nous and ability to continually rebuild and remould a squad notable during his successful stint in charge of Southampton
With a superior talent pool to pick from, it will be interesting to see if Koeman can make the sum of the Everton team greater than its parts.
Everton vs. Stoke Betting Tips and Preview
Last Saturday’s 1-4 defeat to Manchester City was slightly harsh on the Potters who are yet to pick up maximum points this campaign. This same fixture last season yielded seven goals – four in favour of Mark Hughes’ side which included a wonder strike from Xherdan Shaqiri.
This time round I am predicting that Everton will continue to build on their promising start under Koeman and win by the odd goal, with Bet365 pricing a home victory at 8/11.
Injuries
Seamus Coleman faces another two weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury and Muhamed Besic will miss the remainder of 2016 after suffering a knee injury in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United.
Everton’s Star Players
The 53-year-old was quick to utilise the £47.5 million brought in following the sale of John Stones, signing a trio of proven Premier League players – Yannick Bolasie, Ashley Williams and Idrissa Gueye.
Keeping hold of Romelu Lukaku will be crucial for Everton’s European aspirations. The Belgian international has netted 43 goals in 104 appearances for the club and is their most potent attacking weapon.
Time moves extremely quickly in football and Koeman has urged youngsters Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu to start delivering their unquestionable talent on a consistent basis week in week out.
Predicted Finish
I expect Everton to improve on last season’s 11th place finish. However, I see them just missing out a European place and finishing in eighth position. Koeman needs time to revive the blue half of Merseyside who ran out of steam under previous boss Roberto Martinez, but there are no doubts that this current crop of players are capable of leading the club to a top ten finish.
A flutter with Ladbrokes at odds of 10/3 for the Toffees to finish in the top six could prove to be a profitable gamble.
Top Goal Scorer
If Everton can waive off interest from Chelsea then Lukaku is a virtual guarantee to end the campaign as the club’s leading marksman. Over the past two seasons, the 23-year-old has scored 47 times in all competitions for the Toffees and in November last year became the fourth-youngest player to reach 50 Premier League goals before turning 23 since its inaugural season in 1992/1993.
History of Everton
Everton are part of an elite group, being one of just six clubs that have been ever-presents of the Premier League since its inception. Have won the old first division nine times and lifted the FA Cup on five separate occasions. The club have competed in the top division for a record 114 seasons, but have not won a major trophy since they ousted Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup Final thanks to a Paul Rideout header.
Managers
Joe Royle was the mastermind behind their 1995 triumph, although it was the legendary Howard Kendall who remains Everton’s most successful manager. With Everton he inspired two Football League titles, an FA Cup, three Charity Shields, and the 1985 European Cup Winners' Cup – he remains the last English manager to win a UEFA competition with an English club.
Key Games To Look Out For
The Merseyside derby against arch rivals Liverpool is one of the most fiercely contested matches in world football. December’s clash at Goodison Park is highly unlikely to evoke the spirit of Christmas as the Toffees go looking to avenge the 4-0 trouncing they took at Anfield in April.
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