Widely considered as one of the disappointments of the 2017/18 edition of the Premier League, Everton’s season was indeed laced with mediocrity as the Merseyside giants failed to continue their development graph of the last couple of years.
Following a super impressive spell last season, where the Toffees finished seventh and were gearing up to participate in the UEFA Europa League, Everton were looking like a new giant in the making, largely thanks to coach Ronald Koeman and the deep coffers of Farhad Moshiri.
However, that being said, Everton failed miserably throughout the course of the 2017/18 season. Following an awful start to the season, which eventually led to the sacking of head coach Ronald Koeman, the Merseyside giants somehow managed to finish eighth this season riding on the now-sacked Sam Allardyce’s thoroughly unexciting brand of football.
Top three players
Jordan Pickford has definitely been the best performer for Everton this season. The English goalkeeper was brought in from Sunderland for a big money move and is actually one of the few signings which actually worked for Everton last summer.
Since making his move to the Merseyside, Jordan Pickford has quickly established himself as the first choice keeper for the Royal Blues of the Merseyside. The 24-year-old has often saved Everton’s blushes at key moments. His incredible 4.07 saves per game ratio coupled with his 97% success rate also makes him one of the best performing goalkeepers in the Premier League this season.
Pickford is highly preferred as the number one goalkeeper for England in the upcoming FIFA World Cup by many fans and experts alike. So it will be intriguing to see how the former Sunderland shot-stopper performs in the coveted tournament this summer.
The signing of Theo Walcott also proved to be a boon for the club in the January transfer window. The attacking sensation from England, who finally parted ways with his beloved Arsenal earlier this year, has been a huge success at the Merseyside.
Aside from being involved in six goals in just 14 Premier League outings, Theo Walcott has revitalized Everton’s offensive lineup and is one of few reasons as to why the Toffees have managed to make a decent comeback in the second half of the season.
Cenk Tosun also deserves a mention for his sweet cameo in the second half of the season. Despite the slow start to his life in the English top flight, the former Besiktas forward scored five goals in 14 matches, all of which proved to be quite important for Everton in the latter parts of the season. Although Tosun hasn’t been that great in the final phase of the season, the Turk still deserves some credit for being categorically better than some of Everton’s other attackers.
Three players to disappoint
Former Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen could make a strong contender for being the flop of the season in the 2017/18 edition of the Premier League. Initially brought in for a whopping €27m, Davy Klaassen’s struggles typified Everton’s season.
Since making his move to the Premier League, the highly talented Dutchman has struggled with regular game-time and has found it difficult to get into the starting eleven, due to his underwhelming performances. Klaassen made only seven appearances in the PL this season and is destined to make a move out of Merseyside this summer.
Another flop signing has been Gylfi Sigurdsson. The highly rated Icelandic playmaker, who was once deemed as one of the top playmakers in the league, is one of many players who failed to make an impact at Everton this season, providing just three assists in 27 games.
Last but not the least, Sandro Ramirez has also proved to be an awful signing for the Toffees. The Barcelona prodigy was thought of as someone who can add some real edge into Everton’s attacking lineup but has failed miserably in the Premier League, making only eight appearances before being loaned out to Sevilla in the January transfer window.
Season Rating
Overall, it has been a season full of mediocrity for Everton. Despite finishing at a respectable eighth position in the league table, the Merseyside giants seem to have little identity about them, which is definitely not a good sign as they gear up for an even tougher challenge next season.
Score: 5/10
