After six weeks of preparation Everton hoped to hit the ground running when they returned to action following the World Cup break.
Instead, just four games later, the Blues have dropped into the relegation zone and have been knocked out of the FA Cup after a traumatic fortnight. A battling draw at the home of the reigning Premier League champions amid those three defeats only muddies the water further when trying to assess just *where* Everton are at.
But two things appear clear - firstly, they need attacking options and, secondly, they are in a relegation battle for a second consecutive season unless progress can quickly be found. As the club enters the second week of the transfer window Lampard's squad has only been boosted by the recall of young striker Ellis Simms from a loan deal at Sunderland. Meanwhile, his position is under scrutiny and the wider management of the club is the subject of growing discontent. The past fortnight has been a troubling platform for Everton's entry into 2023. Against that backdrop, the ECHO's Everton writers discuss the coming 12 months.
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Joe Thomas
January 2022 was about as chaotic as they come as Everton entered the month without a director of football, made decisions in the transfer market with one manager in place, dismissed him and then ended the transfer window with Frank Lampard as boss. Preventing a January as turbulent as that should have been a key aim of this season and yet this month has already been one of crisis and it is not even two weeks old. It looks increasingly like Everton are going to be involved in a relegation battle and, at this stage, communication is vital.
The club is stronger with the fans on board - as we saw so clearly last year. Yet the silence around Goodison Park after Brighton's fourth goal betrayed a frustration that the club could once again be forced to draw upon the same people to keep them up. Everton need to communicate with those fans if they are to be able to convince them to join them in this battle as valiantly as they did last season. This month presents the biggest opportunity for Everton to take the action that will help them survive another relegation fight. That includes responding to the growing concerns about the management of the club and work in the transfer window to provide Lampard, whose position would be strengthened if Everton can beat Southampton, with the tools he needs to help the side get out of trouble. Money may be tight but the issues on the pitch have been clear for months and so the preparatory work for this window should have been completed well in advance of January 1.
If Everton can draw on the fans and move in the transfer market they can still pull clear of trouble and set themselves up for a headstart on the planning for next season. One of the biggest positives off the pitch has been the rise of Everton Stadium. The club need to make sure it is a Premier League stadium upon completion and the best way to do that is to make sure the club stays up so the last full season at Goodison Park is spent in the top flight.
That season is likely to be spent with Conor Coady still at the club. Everton have an option to buy the centre back and while they are under no time pressure to trigger it, the Blues and Lampard would like to do so when the time is right. Getting the contracts of Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon and Jordan Pickford over the line is also key - talks have been ongoing for some time with all three. If Everton are really lucky, something Lampard has not been since moving to Merseyside, 2023 may even see an opposition player or two sent off against them. 2022 was a year of frustration on that part and ended with a reasonable argument Erling Haaland should have seen red on New Year’s Eve. He joined a long list of players Blues fans were left scratching their heads over how they avoided a red card last year, one that features the likes of Jordan Ayew, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Virgil van Dijk.
Matt Jones
As much as none of us want to or are ready to delve back into a world of bus welcomes, blue flares and nerve-shredding tension, it does feel that is where Everton are headed in 2023. With no attacking signings imminent and the team in a spiral, the Toffees are in desperate need of something to arrest the slide. The fans look to be their most likely saviour - again.
On Saturday against Southampton a bus welcome has been planned, which is in itself remarkable given the horror show against Brighton the last time the team was at Goodison Park. But it goes to show that even if supporters shudder at the thought of events similar to last term playing out again, they will dig deep to try and save this malfunctioning football club. With no Richarlison to provide a talismanic figure, that alone won't be enough to save the team this time though. Goodison could be the most hostile stadium on the planet, but that won't conjure the extra attacking potency Frank Lampard needs. If they get it right in the market - which is in itself a huge assumption given the results yielded by the summer spending - then they should survive again.
But what comes after will be crucial. Some fans would favour a full sale from Farhad Moshiri, having presided over a disastrous seven-year tenure, new stadium aside. Others will point the finger at the boardroom, with a recent letter from fan groups to the owner calling for chairman Bill Kenwright, chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and others to be replaced. The manager also needs to improve his record. Regardless of the undesirable circumstances he has had to deal with, three wins from 18 Premier League games would have been enough to see any of his predecessors get the chop - that is relegation form. There has been a vacuum of competent leadership at Everton for a long time. And while the clear focus for now has to be on on-pitch matters to prevent Goodison's final season being one in the second tier, fresh faces and new ideas are required to get the Blues back on an upward trend.
Connor O'Neill
After a year of frustration, it is hard to believe that Everton once again find themselves in the position they do as they start 2023. On the pitch, things are looking pretty grim at the minute. Defeats to Wolves and Brighton have left supporters fearing the worst. The dreaded R-word is again being used.
This month is massive for the Blues. Not only do they need to pick up points against Southampton and West Ham United, but off the pitch Kevin Thelwell needs to work some magic. Frank Lampard has spoken about his squad needing help since November, but yet here we are in the second week of January and no new signings have arrived. As well as new signings it is also important that Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon and Jordan Pickford sign new contracts with the club in the coming weeks, and Conor Coady joins on a permanent basis.
Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock continues to be built at pace. The progress made over the past year has been nothing short of incredible. And there isn’t a Blues supporter out there who isn’t looking forward to watching the site continue to take shape over the next 12 months. But once again all thoughts are on on-field matters as the Blues face a huge two weeks that could go a long way to defining their season. Yes, they really are that big.
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