The first anniversary of a high point in Rafael Benitez’s ill-fated reign at Goodison Park does not fall until 25 September but, in one respect, a year is already up. Since Everton beat Norwich 2-0 to go fifth, they have played 38 league games. And over the equivalent of a full campaign, they have won just seven.
None of those victories have come this season and, as they meet a West Ham team furnished with Moyesian stubbornness, they may complete a calendar year with a mere seven triumphs. If football is famously a results business, it may not explain why Everton, often a byword for impatience and unhappiness in recent years, seem strangely united and optimistic.
