Louis Saha reckons his former club Everton have the quality to challenge the top four next season.
It might sound a bold prediction from the 43-year-old given that Frank Lampard’s side finished 16th last season and only secured their Premier League status with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win in their final home game against Crystal Palace but such claims do have a historical precedent.
Everton finished 2021/22 with just 39 points, the joint lowest equivalent points total in the club’s history, but the only other time they had such a paltry haul (in 2003/04), they recovered to rise to fourth place the following year in what was their highest Premier League placing to date.
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And a hopeful Saha believes that the Blues might be able to achieve something similar next term and, when speaking to BoyleSports Premier League, said: “A lot of teams in the Premier League can be in the top six and become the challenger to the top four and Everton can be one of those teams, it just depends how you start the season and how well you manage the confidence within the team.
“I think Lampard has managed the situation of injuries and fixture congestion really well and I believe if they play with confidence and emotion, Everton can do amazing things next year. The Premier League is so tough. It’s not just about whether you have the quality, it’s also about communicating and having that team spirit that you build throughout the season and emphasise with the fans. Those are the things that make a strong side.
“Frank Lampard has a lot of quality players in his team, especially the strikers so the fans should have hope, but they have to fix the defence.
“In the last three or four years I’ve seen a change in Everton, they’ve become easier to beat and I think that Frank Lampard has the experience from his time as Chelsea manager to make Everton hard to beat again. Lampard needs to stabilise the club and bring new confidence to the team. Everton need to establish a certain level of consistency during games because we've seen games before where they’re in control and then for 20 minutes they just disappear.”
Richarlison’s future has been under repeated scrutiny in recent weeks with Chelsea now understood to be the latest side considering a move but while Saha believes the Brazil international is not indispensable, he thinks he should stay put.
He said: “Everton can afford to lose Richarlison. They will always be able to find new talent whether they’re from the academy or not.
“Richarlison is a massive talent and I understand if he wants to leave Everton but the mission of Everton is to improve on last season and if he stays, Richarlison could be a massive asset for the club. Richarlison would adapt at any club he’s at because he's a quality player, can play in a few different positions and he’s a very exciting player so fans always love him straight away, but I would like him to stay at Everton.”
One player Saha remains unsure about is Dele Alli, who became Lampard’s first permanent signing on the final day of the winter transfer window. As recently as 2018, the England star was calculated as being the most valuable midfielder in the world by the prestigious CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland but he didn’t start a game for Everton until the 5-1 thrashing at Arsenal on the final day of last season after the club's top-flight status had finally been secured.
Saha said: “It’s up to Dele what direction his career goes in from here but I still believe a player of his calibre can change things in an instant and he can be a different player, only time will tell.
“I don't understand what’s happened with him, I know he's suffered from a lack of confidence but physically he's still the same. I wish Dele the best because he’s a very positive guy and doesn't make a lot of noise and he seems like a really terrific person.”
