During the most recent edition of Football Daily’s Sunday Vibes, Joe Thomlinson, Patrick van Straaten and Chris Hamill discussed all things Premier League, spending some time talking about Everton and their chances of finishing in a UEFA Champions League qualification place this term.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have got their 2020/21 Premier League season off to a positive start by scoring the joint-highest number of goals in the league, conceding the joint-third lowest number of goals as well as winning all of their opening four Premier League games so far.
Following their impressive start to the campaign, the panel discussed the Toffees’ chances of finishing in a Champions League place this season, and Van Straaten explained why he isn’t very confident about Everton’s chances of achieving this in the 2020/21 campaign.
He said: “It’s probably just a bit too far, because while the squad is deeper than it’s been in the past, it’s still not that deep.
“There are still significant problems at certain positions, and I do think if James [Rodriguez] gets injured – that is the hub of that side; they’re going to be in serious trouble if that happens. I still think [their] midfield is kind of weak.”
Do you think Everton will finish in the top four this season?
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TIF Thoughts…
So, as can be seen in what Van Straaten had to say, it seems as though he believes that Everton’s squad depth is not good enough for them to succeed in a challenge for a top-four place this term.
It will be interesting to see how long Everton’s current form continues for and whether or not they are capable of mounting a top-four challenge this season.
While their start to the season has been positive, there is still a long way to go, so perhaps we will have to wait and see how the season progresses in order to really determine whether or not the Toffees have improved enough under Ancelotti – who only took the reins at Goodison Park last December – in order to make that much of a leap from their 2019/20 finishing position of 12th place in England’s top flight.