In the inflated transfer market, the Everton board and Ronald Koeman brought in an arsenal of summer signings that saw Everton spend a net amount of £142.38m. However, the statement of ambition from the Merseyside club was short-lived.
In a summer that promised so much with the return of their boyhood star Wayne Rooney, things have gone horribly wrong. They have just collected a grand total of one point from their big matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, with the 1-1 draw at the Etihad the only positive result. While the results itself do not create much of an issue, it is the submissive nature of these defeats that have left the Everton fans devastated.
Fifteen matches into the Premier League season and the Toffees have already lost their influential gaffer Roland Koeman. However, the introduction of Sam Allardyce to the club has made the fans hopeful again.
The Everton squad hosts a team of players of great caliber. The squad has a good mixture of youth and experience. The likes of Rooney, Sigurosson, Schneiderlin, Coleman, Baines, Williams have a collective experience of 1000 Premier League games. Add to that mix the youthful exuberance in the likes of Pickford, Barkley, Ramirez, Klaassen, Keane, Calvert-Lewin and Everton have few of the brightest prospects of European football at the club.
With Big Sam looking to steady the ship at Merseyside, here are three young players he should use more often.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Sheffield United academy player was signed by Everton in the summer of 2016 for a fee just below two million pounds. Nobody expected the young Englishman to even make the cut for the Everton squad but he has been beyond impressive and has already scored six goals and set up another 5 this season for the Toffees. Allardyce must ensure that this talented forward lives up to his potential as he can add to their game the much-needed goal scoring factor, which has gone missing with the departure of Lukaku.
Jonjoe Kenny
An youth academy player from Everton, Jonjoe Kenny was not expected to be in the limelight so early. He has been able to secure a healthy position in the shiny Everton squad. The right back has made 16 appearances this season and what started for him as filling in for the injured players has now given him a chance to go on and become a regular at Everton, up to you now Big Sam.
Tom Davies
Another Everton graduate, Tom Davies has been trying to break into the scene since last season. Only aged 19, the central midfielder has a good ball control and sharp turn allowing him to easily evade on coming tacklers. He has been another consistent player in the failing Everton team this season, having made 23 appearances for the club and Allardyce should consider keeping the flair-filled midfielder in his team.
