Ever since Marco Silva took over the reins at Goodison last May, it seems that there has been an endless procession of make-or-break games, weeks and months. Just as the club appears to have turned the corner, their form drops dramatically, and vice versa. But with the club marooned in mid table—the spectre of relegation far from an impossibility and the January transfer window looming—the coming few weeks look more and more like it will be crunch time for the Lisbon man. Cast your eye over the fixtures for December and suddenly it is hard not to think they will define not just his, but the club’s, short and mid-term future.
Six of the Best
The fixture computer was not in the mood for Christmas cheer—certainly not with the blue half of Merseyside, anyway. It would be hard to come up with six tougher tests, with The Toffees facing the top three sides (one of them twice) in the first six games of the month and the rest of those fixtures being made up from clubs from the traditional big four. However, when it comes to Silva’s longevity, what could be even more crucial are the final two games in December; these fall into the “definitely winnable” category and therefore would be seen as a good way to blood a new manager should they part company with the existing one.
Leicester City (away) 1/12
Brendan Rodgers has his team playing just as well as Ranieri’s title-winning side. Leicester are hard to score against and almost impossible to stop from scoring. They are without doubt a top-four side, and returning with anything from the King Power will be an incredibly tough ask.
Liverpool (away) 4/12
Everton will be hoping that one of the oldest maxims in football (that in derbies, the form book goes out of the window) proves true. Liverpool away is fast becoming the hardest game of the season for any club. Everton haven’t beaten Liverpool since 2010, but, on the plus side, of the last 13 games, 11 have ended with a draw. A share of the points under the floodlights in the first week of December would be seen almost as a win.
Chelsea (home) 7/12
Chelsea were tipped to struggle, especially with wet-behind-the-ears Lampard in the dugout; but it has all gone not far from perfect for the former England midfielder. They are vulnerable at the back, but the West Londoners are a force to be reckoned with going forward.
Manchester United (away) 15/12
This is a fixture that both managers and both teams will be needing to win for exactly the same reason. Despite it being a clash between two mid-table sides, the pressure will be equal to that of a top-of-the-table encounter or a relegation six-pointer, with the quality being somewhere between the two. It will be a tense, probably scrappy, affair that won’t make it onto too many both teams to score accumulators that weekend, but the prize for all three points for Silva, and indeed Solskjaer, would be priceless.
League Cup Quarter Final, Leicester (home) 18/12
It is hard to know if this is a distraction or a fillip. The answer more than likely depends on the outcome. Games are coming thick and fast, and a place in a semi-final of the League Cup could strengthen Silva’s hand slightly, though, of course, he will ultimately be judged on his league position.
Arsenal (home) 21/12
Everton’s last game before the festive period begins in earnest and is against another side that need things to improve or else they could see a change in the dugout before the new year. Arsenal at home are eminently beatable. Whether this Everton side can do it is another question entirely.
Burnley (home) 26/12
If Silva is given his marching orders, the board will want the new man in before the January window opens, so if those previous six games don’t go as hoped, this Boxing Day fixture could very well see the first game for a new regime. It is by no means a gimme, and Burnley are a side hard to look good against, but there is no doubting the fact that there are many harder games in the EPL.
Newcastle (away) 28/12
Newcastle under Steve Bruce finally seem to be finding their feet, and a trip to St James’— especially if the fans return in numbers—is a tough place to go. That said, if Everton are to start climbing the table, this is a game where at least one point is a must.
