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Everton 2019-20 Season Review: “Evolution” not Revolution for Ancelotti

Everton's dismal 3-1 defeat at home Bournemouth on the final day summed up a Premier League campaign that fans will be glad to see the back of.

The result left the Toffees 12th in the Premier League standings — the club's worst finish in the top flight since the 2003/04 season.

Carlo Ancelotti's team picked up just five points from their final six matches to end the season behind the likes of Burnley and Southampton.

Read on as look at the latest state-of-play at Everton and assess some of the key issues the club must address if they are to improve next time around.

Big Summer Ahead for Ancelotti

Everton's decision to sack manager Marco Silva after the derby humiliation at Liverpool during early December was undoubtedly the right one to make.

Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as is his replacement generated plenty of excitement amongst the club's fans and the Italian did spark an upturn in the team's fortunes.

However, things tailed off towards the end of the campaign and Everton will once again be amongst the also-rans in the Premier League betting next season.

Ancelotti says the team will attack with more ‘quality, ambition, motivation and passion' and it will be interesting to see how he plans to implement his vision.

Squad Requires a Makeover

As befits a club that finished 12th in the table, Everton's squad is in need of a makeover if things are going to improve next season.

Defensively, the likes of Michael Keane and Yerry Mina simply haven't performed well enough on a consistent basis and no-one would shed a tear if they were moved on.

Injuries to key players haven't helped their cause in midfield, but this is another area that needs quality adding to it this summer.

Richarlison aside, Everton's forward players have also failed to deliver the goods on a consistent basis and this is a further issue that needs to be addressed.

Pickford Under the Spotlight

Jordan Pickford has come under fire this season, with some of his performances failing to reach his usual high standards.

The 26-year-old has made a few high-profile errors that have cost Everton goals, but he has also made numerous saves that have kept them in games.

Bournemouth's Aaron Ramsdale has been linked with a move to Goodison Park, but it is debatable whether he would be an upgrade on Pickford.

A move for Watford's Ben Foster might make more sense, giving Pickford the opportunity to work with and be challenged an experienced goalkeeper.

Evolution not Revolution

In addition to promising a more dynamic style of play next season, Ancelotti says that he will be looking for ‘evolution' rather than a revolution this summer.

Signing Allan from Napoli would be a good place to start, with the midfielder familiar with Ancelotti's methods from their time together in Serie A.

However, the key to whether the Italian will succeed at Everton is likely to be determined by whether he can get the best out of players already on the books.

Moise Kean, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and others must start to prove that they are capable of being part of Ancelotti's evolution over the coming months.

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