Premier League preview - Everton must make use of favourable start to crack top six
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Updated 06/08/2019 at 16:27 GMT
Everton finished eighth during Marco Silva's first season in charge, but a strong ending and summer of transfer business has left fans optimistic of breaking into the top six, writes Ben Grounds.
Marco Silva - Everton
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It was a somewhat eventful first season for Everton under Silva. After all the hoo-ha surrounding the club's pursuit of the Portuguese manager, there were often moments when supporters were left scratching their heads over what all the fuss was about.
Individual errors, chronic defensive set-piece issues and a poor away record were crippling his chances of mounting a top-six challenge, and after fielding a weakened team in the Carabao Cup shootout defeat at home to Southampton, some fans questioned whether Silva fully got Everton.
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Few Everton fans will have forgotten the madness of Millwall
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Winning a cup has become the chief target on the blue half of Merseyside since 1995, so what was then to follow during a filthy January evening in Millwall left the travelling Evertonians penned in the away end long after yet another late collapse staring at the prospect of another managerial change.
Leadership concerns, a brittle defence and a lack of cutting edge were among the issues of primary concern - but out of the despair at the Den emerged the Everton side many had tipped to flourish following a summer of yet more heavy investment.
Home wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United demonstrated the quality that lay within Silva's squad, and having spent over £80m on improving the squad again this summer, owner Farhad Moshiri will expect a more concerted top-six challenge - and domestic cup run.
How will they cope without Idrissa Gueye?
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The sale of Idrissa Gueye has left Everton needing a new protective shield
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Gueye was consistently Everton's best outfield player during his three years at the club. A snip at £7m when he joined from Aston Villa in 2016, Everton could no longer stand in the way of the Senegal midfielder when Paris Saint-Germain returned with a fee in the region of £30m.
The 29-year-old won 89 of his 142 tackles last season - no player in the division attempted more - while no player won more tackles per game (2.7) than the former Everton man.
Gueye's 75 interceptions placed him sixth across the Premier League last term, so it understandable why replacing him will go a long way to determining whether Silva can build on the growing sense of positivity around the club.
His predeccessors Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman were unable to sustain their bid to meet Moshiri's ambitions, but Silva has targeted re-energising his midfield with the arrivals of Fabian Delph, Andre Gomes on a permanent deal and Jean-Philippe Gbamin from Mainz - while he is seeking to prise Abdoulaye Doucoure away from Watford.
One of Europe's most vibrant attacks
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Moise Kean's arrival has been a long time coming for Evertonians
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Like their fellow challengers to the Big Six, Everton are keen to build an identity around giving youth a chance - a blueprint that is making Europe's most exciting young talent take note.
Wolves and Leicester are both going the same way under Nuno Espirito Santo and Brendan Rodgers and, for some, now represents the ideal time for Everton to break the glass ceiling that has impeded them since the latter days of David Moyes' reign.
Chelsea have an inexperienced manager operating under a transfer ban, Arsenal have focused on adding to their attack despite their acute need to improve the defence, Tottenham have at times represented a ticking timebomb in spite of their results on the pitch, and Manchester United are onto their fourth rebuild in the post Ferguson era.
Richarlison enhanced his reputation during Brazil's Copa America success, and the 22-year-old has now fully adapted to the rigours of the Premier League.
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Richarlison continued to score goals during the Copa America
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Moise Kean represents the coup of the summer - Everton capitalised on Juventus' need to balance the books to sign a striker who became the first player born in the 21st Century to compete in one of Europe's top four leagues.
Prolific at youth team level at Juventus, a run of six goals in six league games between March and April prompted a senior call-up from Italy coach Roberto Mancini.
Everton have been crying out for a centre forward since selling Romelu Lukaku. Were they to bring Wilfried Zaha to the club in the final two days of the transfer window, he would join Richarlison and Kean in being one of the most eye-catching forward lines not only in the division but across the continent.
Are they still reliant on Sigurdsson to sparkle?
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Everton were at times too reliant on Gylfi Sigurdsson last season
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Gylfi Sigurdsson underlined his importance to the side last season as he enjoyed a profitable second season at the club having been deployed in his favourable No 10 position.
The Iceland international scored 13 goals and laid on six assists, and when Sigurdsson was not on song, Everton tended to struggle.
With the midfielder turning 30 in September, Everton have been crying out for more productivty on the end of passes from the former Swansea man.
Sigurdsson created 74 chances last season, and with better players around him, this number is only likely to increase with greater mobility up front and on the flanks.
Creativity from full-back
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Lucas Digne was one of the signings of the 2018/19 season
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Djibril Sidibe has been lined up as competition for Seamus Coleman at right back after Jonjoe Kenny was allowed to go out on loan to Schalke.
Monaco look set to let the France World Cup winner join in a £2.3m loan deal with an option to buy permanently for a further £12.9m next summer.
Everton have been seeking the right player to challenge Coleman for some time now, while on the other flank, Lucas Digne enjoyed a superb first season at Goodison Park.
The France international produced four goals and five assists in his debut campaign, while he also created 71 chances last season, at least 20 more than any other defender.
Digne will once more be on set-piece duties alongside Sigurdsson, and Everton carved out 75 goalscoring opportunities from dead ball situations last season - more than any other side.
Case for the defence
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Yerry Mina must step into Kurt Zouma's shoes if Everton are unable to bring back the Chelsea defender
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Should Everton fail to sign another centre-half this week, their season might hinge on how well Yerry Mina does in his second season. The Colombian defender made an inauspicious start to his time on Merseyside - partly hampered by injury - but erratic performances left him as third choice behind Michael Keane and Zouma.
With Zouma returning to Chelsea following his loan spell, the spotlight will firmly be on Mina, and whether he can belatedly live up to his £30m price tag following imperious displays for his country at last year's World Cup.
A strong end to the season meant Everton kept 14 clean sheets, the fourth-best record in the Premier League, but without the safety blanket of Gueye and the presence of Zouma, Everton will need greater consistency from Mina and England No 1 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Can Everton capitalise on favourable early run?
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Everton face Crystal Palace on the opening day
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The Blues ended last season in superb form as they narrowly missed out on snatching seventh spot, and a Europa League qualifying berth, from Wolves.
Seven clean sheets in the last 10 league games has laid the foundations to an encouraging second season under Silva, and the club's director of football Marcel Brands has been busy seeking ways of improving areas of perceived weakness.
Everton have so far made five new signings, but a lacklustre run of pre-season results which saw the side score just three goals means they don't head into the new campaign under any sort of form.
The Blues only play Manchester City and Tottenham - both at home - out of last season's top six in their opening 14 games. After a string of false dawns, a fast start is essential.
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