Everton’s season has been full of positives and it could enlighten their path to the next campaign. The Toffees have failed to grab a spot in the top six but that doesn’t undermine Ronald Koeman’s achievements. The Dutchman was hired to give Everton the platform to shine so that they could use this to build their future resources.
Expectations were high from the gaffer as he just guided Southampton to a sixth place finish last season and the supporters would have been expecting some similar kind of performances from him. Well, he didn’t disappoint, to some extent, as he guided the team to a seventh place finish, much more than the Merseyside supporters would have expected. The Toffees will taste the environment of the Europa League as they will be plying their trades in that second-tier European tournament next season.
Koeman turned the Goodison Park into a fortress as under his tutelage there has been a spark in Everton’s home form. The Toffees turned their ground into a fortress as they have won 13 matches out of the 19 in the Premier League. Also, the gaffer introduced a number of youngsters who could turn into superstars in the future. Here are the stars and duds of their season:
Stars
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian was the main architect behind Everton’s superior season. Although his performances in the big matches have been heavily criticised, one cannot ignore his contribution to the side. Had it not been for Harry Kane’s late sparkle, Lukaku would have finished the season with the golden boot.
Tom Davies
The 18-year-old burst onto the scene this term and showed his urge to thrive in the midfield. He could be the replacement for Ross Barkley should the latter choose to leave the club. He might be one of Koeman’s dark horses who could emerge as the next superstar at the Goodison Park.
Idrissa Gueye
The arrival of this Senegalese midfielder has had an instant effect for the Toffees. The midfielder was among the top tacklers in the recent Premier League season and had a 76% successful take on rate in the midfield for Everton.
Duds
Maarten Stekelenburg
The veteran experienced keeper made some very common mistakes when he shouldn’t have. His performances paved the way for Joel Robles who later made himself the preferred choice on the Toffees goal.
Enner Valencia
He was supposed to be Lukaku’s strike partner but he failed miserably. He featured in 21 games and only found the target three times in a disappointing campaign.
Kevin Mirallas
The Belgian winger was not able to live up to the expectation, as much was expected from him. He seemed to have struggled a lot to find top gear this season.
