The Goodison Park is currently buzzing and why not. Although they did falter a bit after a solid start to the season, things are looking much rosier now with a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City the latest feather added to Ronald Koeman’s potentially record-breaking cap.
Everton are currently in the 7th position and it can be said that they are the best amongst the rest, with the other part of the table comprising of the Top 6 who are looking like being in a league of their own. But the heartening fact for the Toffees will be their displays against the clubs up there. They have mainly fallen behind due to slip-ups in matches which they should have won and Koeman is looking into that part of the bargain more closely.
They have an aggregate scoreline of 5-1 against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City while they have beaten Arsenal and drawn against Manchester United. This speaks volumes of the fruitful effort which has been put in by Ronald Koeman in his short time at the club. He has shown an admirable tendency to work with youth and come up with results while at Southampton and afforded a sizeable transfer kitty by the large-hearted Iranian Farhad Moshiri, his efforts are likely to culminate in Everton breaking into the Top 6 in near future.
Everton have a situation with their defence and it is a problem which has been well-documented. While they have strived to bring in more potency in their attack, it seems the defensive side of things has been compromised to a certain extent.
But it is not all to do with tactics. They currently have Jagielka, Funes Mori and Williams as their recognised centre-backs. Jagielka, 34, is almost certain to move on this summer and with Funes Mori not convincingly wholly, it is only Ashley Williams who looks like being the first choice for the foreseeable future.
While Koeman has been linked with a reunion with Virgil van Dijk, the absurd costs involved and the teams apparently after his signature makes the move almost redundant. And according to latest reports, Ronald Koeman is targeting Manchester City academy star Tosin Adarabioyo to bolster his options in defence.
The lanky England U-19 has been tipped for great things by the Catalan Pep Guardiola but having hit an impasse in contract negotiations with 6 months left on his current deal, there is a sudden buzz about the player leaving the club.
A strong ball-playing defender, he joined the Man City academy aged 5. He made his debut for the first-side in an FA Cup game against Chelsea when then-managed Pellegrini put in a heavily rotated side and paid for it. Adarabioyo, however, was one to come out of the game with some credit.
He is tall and quick and is a good reader of the game. It will be difficult for him to take quick strides at a club like City, with the competition and scrutiny at an abnormally high level. Under Koeman, he will get a more measured and patient guidance with the expectations perhaps not on the same level. City will loathe to let the youngster leave but with the absolute shambles that they are at the back, it seems unlikely he will be getting a look-in at the Etihad.
