Seasons 2020-21
Opinion & Articles
Contributions from our editorial team, featured columnists and readers.
Moshiri's Big Gamble
Lyndon Lloyd
30/06/2021His prior association with Liverpool and diminished reputation mean the appointment of Rafael Benitez is fraught with difficulty and he will have very little margin for error with many Everton fans. It's either a hugely courageous or tone-deaf decision by Farhad Moshiri that could be mad enough to work or go the same way as his last four managerial appointments
Moshiri' Everton Less a Museum Than a Hall of Mirrors
Lyndon Lloyd
18/06/2021Things may be under control behind the scenes with Marcel Brands assessing a list of managerial candidates but the impression from the outside is of a club wracked by indecision and internal conflict. Either way, in the vacuum of communication, frustration is mounting, with the Rafael Benitez speculation adding fuel to the fire of discontent
NES: Seal of Mediocrity or Hero-in-Waiting?
Lyndon Lloyd
12/06/2021With his seemingly imminent appointment as Everton manager, Blues fans are having trouble seeing past Wolves' sorry 2020-21 season under Nuno Espirito Santo. Worrying metrics thrown up in this past campaign are definitely pause for thought but observations from students of the game reveal a more complex, astute and driven man than his reserved demeanour suggests.
Christophe Galtier — A Gallic Gamble Worth Taking?
Lyndon Lloyd
10/06/2021Untried in the Premier League but with demonstrable success under his belt with Saint-Étienne and Lille, the 54-year-old with the piercing eyes has been described as France's hottest managerial property. In a field devoid of exciting candidates, might he be the outsider option to ignite Everton's revival?
Carlo, We Hardly Knew You
Lyndon Lloyd
01/06/2021Carlo Ancelotti appeared for all the world as though he had found home with Everton but, less than 18 months into a 4½-year contract, he is gone. Whether he's not the honourable elder statesman he paints himself out to be in his book, or is simply the embodiment of pragmatism, his departure might not be the worst thing for Everton.
Progress Stalled Again — 2020-21 Season Review
Lyndon Lloyd
25/05/2021A season hugely affected by the pandemic petered out with Everton winning just three of their last 12 matches and ending the campaign on the flattest of notes with a dispiriting defeat on the final day
An Ignominious End to a Failed Campaign
Lyndon Lloyd
23/05/2021This was less Black Watch and more the death watch as the last breaths were extinguished from European-qualification hopes that had been on life support for a few weeks and effectively died a week ago with that horrible defeat to Sheffield United
It's not home without Everton fans
Lyndon Lloyd
19/05/2021Confidence and belief are vital ingredients in football. So, too, are home supporters and nowhere does that seem to be more true than at Goodison Park
Evolution 2021, Part I: The Saleable Asset
Lyndon Lloyd
18/05/2021Moise Kean arrived at Everton as a symbol of a new transfer strategy focused on signing hungry, young talent that could form the bedrock of a new squad. All the signs are now that he has played his last game for the Toffees as they stand to make a tidy profit on a player who, ultimately, wasn't the right fit
Season Appears Over for Embarrassing Everton
Lyndon Lloyd
16/05/2021When you look back on it, there was a horrible inevitability about this result; the kind of predictability that makes you faintly embarrassed to have instilled any faith that it might have ended differently
Europe Slipping from Everton's Grasp
Lyndon Lloyd
13/05/2021Is there an opposite to ‘The School of Science'? Everton seem to be trying to answer this question with a succession of tedious displays in their waning quest for Europe
It's Still There If They Want It
Lyndon Lloyd
09/05/2021Just when you think you're done with them, they pull you back in, eh? Thanks to one more of those dogged and disciplined performances away from home, Everton are firmly back in the hunt for Europe
A Colossal Waste of a Gilt-Edged Opportunity
Lyndon Lloyd
02/05/2021From the players to the manager
One rule for some and another for the rest. End the hypocrisy and penalise England' Shameless Six
Lyndon Lloyd
29/04/2021Docked points, hefty fines and governance changes should be on the cards at home but Uefa hold the greatest power
Sometimes it Doesn't Matter How You Win
Lyndon Lloyd
23/04/2021In the Premier League era, this fixture has ranked up there among the most miserable on Everton's calendar. So forgive Evertonians for revelling in a first win at Arsenal since 1996, one that provides another platform from which to resume the push for Europe
A Battle Was Won but the War Against Greed isn”t Over
Lyndon Lloyd
21/04/2021On a night of high drama that saw the proposed Super League topple, euphoric victory for supporter power and the pressure of the "left-behinds" was claimed but without a co-ordinated, unflinching and punitive response from the Premier League and Uefa against the rebel clubs and their naked money-grab, it won't count for much
Disgusting but inevitable, the Super League money grab shows too much is never enough
Lyndon Lloyd
19/04/2021Will Fifa, Uefa, the Premier League and governing bodies of the Continent's other big leagues stand behind their threats? Will they even be able to in the face of legal protections boasted by the Dirty Dozen? Modern football faces its biggest crisis
Everton find their fight but shoot themselves in the foot
Lyndon Lloyd
16/04/2021It was cruel on the Blues because this was almost everything that many of their recent home displays weren't. They were were energetic, purposeful and stylish at times but crucial errors at the back cost them dear
Guileless and Goalless
Lyndon Lloyd
12/04/2021Brighton will feel they should have won based on the pattern of play. For Everton, just desperately disappointing overall and worryingly threadbare in terms of personnel, the European dream is fading
A Tough Ask and an Unsurprising Outcome
Lyndon Lloyd
08/03/2021This was always going to be a tall order and, ultimately, it felt like a stretch too far for the players. In that context, the result wasn't the end of the world; it's the run of four games coming up that will be more important
Razor-Thin Margins But Ancelotti's Men Forge On
Lyndon Lloyd
04/03/2021In terms of statistics, almost nothing separated these two sides at opposite ends of the table but once again Everton ground out a win with maximum efficiency thanks to a Richarlison winner and a key Jordan Pickford save
Not that pretty but ultimately effective
Lyndon Lloyd
01/03/2021From an entertainment perspective, this game won't live long in the memory at all but if the result does indeed end up being the catalyst that turns around the Blues' home form and helps propel them into Europe, Evertonians may look back on it as a vital game in the season.
Mentality Shift: Derby Milestone Can Define Everton's Season in the Right Way
Lyndon Lloyd
23/02/2021As momentous as it was, the triumph over Liverpool can't be the be-all and end-all of the Blues' season. Rather it should be used as the catalyst for a decisive change in the players' belief against lesser sides, particularly at home
It's Finally Over!
Lyndon Lloyd
20/02/2021This time it was different. It's finally bloody over. 21 years and five months since Everton last won at Anfield, the most depressing sequence of results in the club's 143-year history was shattered as Carlo Ancelotti's team beat Liverpool 2-0
A Depressing Gulf in Class
Lyndon Lloyd
17/02/2021Guardiola's side are pretty irresistible when they're at their best but even in second or third gear they were too much for the Toffees who have a long way to go in terms of quality and sheer footballing ability before they can even hope to match them.
Just Dire
Lyndon Lloyd
14/02/2021The sense after the cup win over Tottenham was that, perhaps, Carlo Ancelotti's gradual shift in the mentality of this squad had finally reached a tipping point where the psychological block of “Everton, that†might finally be consigned to history. But, no — collectively, this group of players remains prone to shooting itself in the foot. Champions League? For now, you're definitely having a laugh.
Everton dig deep to vanquish Spurs in nine-goal Goodison thriller
Lyndon Lloyd
10/02/2021A sumptuous goal by Bernard settled this sprawling odyssey of a cup tie in extra-time with Everton triumphing over Tottenham by a score of 5-4
When a Draw Feels Like a Win
Lyndon Lloyd
06/02/2021Sometimes, it's all about taking your chances. It's also about tempo, belief and courage, qualities that are going to be vital if Carlo Ancelotti's team is to achieve its European dream this season
Life on the road continues to suit erratic Everton
Lyndon Lloyd
03/02/2021Everton held on through the second half to ensure they beat Leeds at Elland Road for only the second time in 40 years as goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were enough to earn the points
James strikes a beauty but Everton otherwise disappoint
Lyndon Lloyd
27/01/2021This was a potentially massive game for Everton, one in which a win would have been another “statement†result but the Blues often lacked fluidity and cohesion going forward
James the Maestro Sets the Tone for Handsome Everton Win
Lyndon Lloyd
24/01/2021The Colombian looked right at home on a frigid Merseyside night against lower-division opposition, putting in an excellent display as the Toffees beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup Fourth Round
Ancelotti employs a very different attacking masterplan
Lyndon Lloyd
13/01/2021Shorn of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison from the starting XI and with Ancelotti opting to leave Tosun on the bench, this called for a more fluid and considered type of performance and the Blues came through with an unexpected victory
Quality rescues Everton from complacency
Lyndon Lloyd
09/01/2021The 70 minutes that preceded extra-time in this tie were pretty grim but James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucouré combined to send the Blues through against Rotherham
Another New Year' Day Hangover
Lyndon Lloyd
01/01/2021Having won four straight and with the chance to pull within one point of the top of the table, Everton go and lose at home to a David Moyes team for the first time. It's absolutely maddening and it also didn't help that it was New Year's Day — the Blues have now lost their last five matches played on the first of the year
Depleted but not to be denied
Lyndon Lloyd
26/12/2020There were plenty of “Everton, that†omens about this game just waiting to trip to the Toffees up but they negotiated them all and won their fourth successive League game
Cup dreams crash headlong into brutal reality
Lyndon Lloyd
25/12/2020While the result was depressing, it wasn't entirely unexpected and merely underscored the work that is still required to get this squad strong enough to compete for honours.
Efficiency and Resilience
Lyndon Lloyd
19/12/2020The performance may have betrayed some fatigue and a lack of depth of quality in midfield but Carlo Ancelotti will be toasting a third victory on the spin as his defence dug in to shut Arsenal out in the second half
Another tactical success has Everton looking up once again
Lyndon Lloyd
16/12/2020Two games against teams sitting in the top four with aspirations of moving back to the top of the table, two wins, and six valuable points — the complexion of Everton's season has changed again
Blues gut it out to claim important Chelsea scalp
Lyndon Lloyd
12/12/2020Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ben Godfrey shone in an all-round impressive team performance that saw Chelsea's much-vaunted attack shut down at Goodison Park
Passion Play — Can Carlo Provide the Spark to Ignite Languid Blues?
Lyndon Lloyd
09/12/2020Coming close to a year to day since Chelsea's last visit to Goodison Park, this weekend's clash with Frank Lampard's team offers an interesting contrast between the personalities in charge of Everton and, perhaps, the performance from the team
Round pegs, square holes and a general lack of desire
Lyndon Lloyd
05/12/2020Carlo Ancelotti's selection decisions continue to mystify but are his players also taking too much of a cue from the manager's laid-back air?
Muddled and Unconvincing
Lyndon Lloyd
30/11/2020Individually, Leeds aren't any great shakes but they're superbly coached. Everton are a team of individuals with questionable fitness, playing on this occasion in a dubious lineup who lacked conviction and that clinical edge
Spirit Crushed
Lyndon Lloyd
08/11/2020Everton go into the latest international break without a win in four games and having to pick the pieces up following three straight defeats, with very little to draw from any of them by way of optimism
Dire Blues can't escape the ghosts of Everton past
Lyndon Lloyd
01/11/2020This was Marco Silva's Everton and the worst of “Project Restart†reborn… from the team that began this round of matches sitting on top of the table.
Review: A Grand Old Team To Report
Lyndon Lloyd
29/10/2020As a slice of Everton history, David Prentice's new book is a fascinating and frequently humourous skip down memory lane; an insider's insight into the way football used to be recounted with the enthusiasm and love of a devoted Blue.
Saints defeat and selection problems throw up early-season issues for Ancelotti
Lyndon Lloyd
27/10/2020Injuries, suspensions and, perhaps, an emerging dilemma over how best to accommodate James Rodriguez are some of the things that will be on the manager's mind as he prepares for Newcastle
Everton given bracing reality check as Saints burst early-season bubble
Lyndon Lloyd
25/10/2020Richarlison's unnecessary sending off against Liverpool last week felt like it was going to be costly and, in combination with the loss to injury of Seamus Coleman and fitness concerns over James Rodriguez, that proved to be the case as the Toffees put in their worst performance since the final day of last season
The Loosening of the Devil's Red Pact
Lyndon Lloyd
17/10/2020Despite being well below the best of what they've shown this season and never seeming to get out of second gear, Everton managed to grab a draw against what Klopp described as his side's best away performance of his tenure, even it needed an intervention from VAR in the final reckoning.
Short-sighted and hubristic, the Cabal's grand plan would kill the goose that lays the golden egg
Lyndon Lloyd
13/10/2020The "Project Big Picture" proposals cooked up by two of the big six and their Trojan Horse in the EFL, Rick Parry, would slowly and ironically erode what has made the Premier League the exciting competition it so often is today
Shrewd moves and decisive action: Everton can view summer window as a big success
Lyndon Lloyd
08/10/2020Everton have emerged from the close season with an impressively upgraded squad and go into the international break sitting on top of the pile having far exceeded expectations and infused long-suffering Toffees with overdue optimism
Everton press on with another goal glut
Lyndon Lloyd
03/10/2020Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James will have grabbed the headlines but this was another game that featured strong performances in almost every part of the team
Everton Show Grit to Maintain Winning Start to 2020-21
Lyndon Lloyd
26/09/2020The decision for the penalty that ultimately proved to be the difference in terms of the scoreline has dominated the post-match discussion among pundits but there is no question that the better team won on the day
Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
Lyndon Lloyd
19/09/2020Dominic Calvert-Lewin may have flown under the radar a bit despite scoring the winning goal against Tottenham but he grabbed the lion's share of the limelight with his first hat-trick to bury a spirited West Brom
Transformed Everton Deliver a Statement of Intent
Lyndon Lloyd
14/09/2020A trio of unwanted statistics tumbled in North London with a victory founded on a completely revamped midfield and an eye-opening team performance.
Summer 'Evolution' Primes Everton for Better Things
Lyndon Lloyd
10/09/2020After last season, Evertonians have been understandably cautious in their optimism and outlook for the new campaign but with a significantly strengthened midfield and Ancelotti at the helm, there is hope that 2020-21 will be a season of marked progress
Ancelotti Sprinkles Some Colombian Stardust with a Point to Prove
Lyndon Lloyd
07/09/2020As signings go, James Rodriguez is arguably the most high-profile and glamorous acquisition Everton have ever made. He arrives on the back of a frustrating season at Real Madrid looking to revitalise his career under the man who has now managed him at three different clubs
Brazilian dynamo Allan promises to be Ancelotti's midfield linchpin
Lyndon Lloyd
05/09/2020Allan Marques was unveiled as part of an anticipated £70m worth of incoming midfield talent today, with James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucouré expected to follow shortly — a trio of moves that promises to radically overhaul the Blues' massively under-performing mid-section
Brands's Challenges Make for Slow-Motion Summer
Lyndon Lloyd
26/08/2020Where recruitment is concerned, the buck stops with Marcel Brands but, ultimately, his efforts will continue to be hindered by a number of factors, some of them beyond his control
Another Season Wasted Amid Continuing Instability at Goodison
Lyndon Lloyd
08/08/2020Marco Silva became the latest casualty of Everton's managerial merry-go-round, Carlo Ancelotti arrived before historic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic ensured that fans just wanted 2019-20 to be over as quickly as possible
Fan Articles and Talking Points posts are authored by outside contributors. Their views may not represent those of the site owners and their publication does not constitute an endorsement of the views held therein.
