An Everton that fans can finally relate to was on show against Chelsea.
A passionate manager with a solid plan, only beaten by a world-class goal. For two-thirds of the game, Everton were by far the better side, with chance after chance being denied. The returning players looked motivated, none more so than James McCarthy who put in a brilliant performance.
Beyond this, Unsworth’s system, after a day of work, had more pattern and purpose to it than Ronald Koeman’s Everton had all season. It was a more aggressive Everton, a more positive Everton and most importantly, a more recognisable Everton.
Players who had been in poor form as of late also enjoyed an upturn in form and this was the case with Phil Jagielka, who was a different player compared to Sunday’s game.
All in all, Unsworth’s first audition to be the next Everton boss ended in defeat, but the result most definitely did not reflect the proceedings.
Here’s how I rated the Toffees:
