Can Everton finally compete for the top 4 next season after a disappointing run-in?
Everton are on the hunt for a new manager after Carlo Ancelotti left for Real Madrid but whoever replaces the Italian will be tasked with challenging for European qualification next season. The Toffees went into last season full of optimism and it was an encouraging start as Everton sat second in the Premier League table on 29 points on Boxing Day following the first 15 games. There was confidence the club were putting in a sustained assault on the top four and there was even talk of a potential title challenge at one stage. However, the wheels started to fall off in the New Year as disappointing home defeats to West Ham, Newcastle United, Fulham and Manchester City saw us crash down the table and we sat seventh by mid-February. Just two wins in eight games had derailed Evertons top four chances. Victory over Liverpool at Anfield in the Merseyside derby briefly restored some confidence but Evertons home form continue to undermine any progress as the club failed to beat Burnley, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Aston Villa or Sheffield United at Goodison Park during the closing weeks. A 5-0 hammering at the hands of champions Manchester City on the final day of the season consigned Everton to a 10th place finish. A once promising campaign had turned sour during the second half of the season and while we picked up 10 more points compared to the previous year, we only improved our final position by two places. After such a disappointing end to the 2020/21 campaign, whoever replaces Ancelotti is going to be under pressure to make a proper push for the top four next season. Everton are currently priced as the 11/1 ninth favourites to finish in the top four during the 2021/22 campaign. If you want to back Everton then make sure to look about for the best odds and some of our overseas visitors can use 22bet sports betting in Nigeria to place their bets. However, dont stake too much as its going to be a real battle once again next season. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and Everton will have to be consistent throughout the 38 games to stand a chance of finishing in the top four. Manchester City are nailed on so its really only three places up for grabs. Liverpool will be strong again as they wont suffer with injuries again like they did last year while Manchester United and Chelsea will no doubt invest heavily in the market again this summer. Arsenal and Tottenham cant possibly be as bad next year as they were last season and there is also FA Cup winners Leicester City to contend with so there are lots of top teams wholl go into the 2021/22 campaign eyeing a top four finish. As we discovered last season, fine margins make all the difference but one major thing that let Everton down last season was our home form. If the new boss can make Goodison Park a fortress, then it should be worth at least 10 points next season. We also need to make some smart investments in the transfer market but just as important will be keeping hold of our key players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. Its certainly going to be an interesting few weeks to see who the board bring in and how they approach the window but we need 2-3 top class players for a top four finish to be a realistic target next year.