In Everton’s penultimate home game of a busted flush of a season, one shot on target proved all that was needed to edge past Newcastle United on Monday night.
January-signing Theo Walcott’s shot into the roof of the net on the 50-minute mark managed to drag out one of the few cheers that have escaped the Gwladys Street this season and with it, the Toffees rose up to 8th in the Premier League table.
At face value, Sam Allardyce has done an impressive job guiding Everton into the top-half since being drafted in back in November.
Taking over an Everton side that was six points off of the bottom spot, Allardyce’s side now find themselves 20 points clear of the Premier League’s nadir and eight points shy of a European spot. From Allardyce’s first game in charge, Everton have gathered 30 points in 21 games.
With Allardyce unequivocally delivering on the original demands placed at his feet – to secure Premier League survival, onlookers have been left bemused at the incredulous nature of the Goodison faithful who have called for his tenure to come to a premature end.
Chants haranguing the club’s manager have already been a feature at two recent away fixtures and banners were unfurled against Newcastle tying into a recent club survey where the manager’s performance was asked to be ranked.
As is the case in most debates, however, those with first-hand experience tend to know best and Evertonians know that 12 more months of Allardyce would bring no tangible positives.
If Allardyce were to remain in the hot-seat, what would realistically change from what has been seen thus far on the pitch? Has Allardyce shown that he can help Everton’s majority owner Farhad Moshiri on his quest to break the top four? Has Allardyce shown that he can appease the fans with a better brand of football? Has Allardyce shown that he is helping to build Everton’s future?
The answer to all of those questions would bring negative responses.
Despite Allardyce’s past assertions that he could manage the likes of Real Madrid but for his plain surname, Everton’s defeatist attitude before a ball had even been kicked against the likes of a struggling Arsenal this year would only be a more expensive one the next if afforded the time to build his own squad.
With players brought in with the Big Sam seal of approval, would a more fluid style of football grace L4 next season and ‘The School of Science’ reopen its gates? Or would spending a small fortune for a man with 12 months left of his contract be another waste of investment?
At 63-years-old, this old dog simply can’t learn new tricks. With over 10 years elapsing since an Allardyce team has received a passing mention with the term ‘good football’, next season would simply be more of the same damning statistics that are uncovered when looking closer at Everton’s climb up the table.
Since his arrival at the club, Everton rank 19th in shots, shots on target, chances created and dribbling; they rank bottom for duels won and top for most defensive actions. Monday’s victory over Newcastle saw Allardyce’s points per game average climb from 1.35 to 1.43, David Unsworth’s tenure which was lambasted by sections of the national media oversaw a 1.4 PPG return. Everton’s youngest outfield player against Newcastle was £25m centre-half Michael Keane at 25-years of age, a less than warming return beacon to the likes of Ademola Lookman and Kieron Dowell.
Making note of the club’s own damning statistics, it has been 23-years since Everton last claimed silverware. With Allardyce at the helm, that number is guaranteed to reach 24. After all, his own 27-year managerial career has seen his trophy cabinet boast two play-off winners’ medals and a second division League of Ireland championship.
As work is supposedly already underway behind the scenes for next season, this is the time where definitive decisions must be made about the clubs future by Moshiri.
Is a foregone conclusion of a dull season with a manager who has publicly laughed at his own fans on the cards or do Everton be bold, valiant and spark a catalyst to get the fans pulling in one direction again?
In the words of an aforementioned banner: ‘Our Motto Is The Standard We Expect’. Hopefully, Mr Moshiri will attempt for only the best being good enough.
