The time of puppet football
Looking at the rankings, who could have imagined Manchester United only getting 7 points after 6 matches? In the previous 2 rounds, Aston Villa still won all but now lost 2 consecutive matches in the same scenario.
Or Everton themselves, before the losses to Newcastle and Southampton, they were still the winning team and held defending champions Liverpool to a draw afterwards. Now, everything has changed so much and nothing can be predicted. Every match is unpredictable, and the teams cannot calculate the long way.
Everton have "taken advantage" of the first confusion period to seize their own opportunities. The first 5 rounds were truly a dreamlike time that made The Toffees fans somewhat deluded about their true strength. Then it was not until they lost to Southampton and Newcastle that the game gradually returned to its true value.
Strong but weak squad
With enough players, Carlo Ancelotti can rotate his squad in many different options depending on the opponent. But once they lose players, from goalkeepers to the stars above for different reasons, Everton's strength decreases significantly.
Jordan Pickford, James Rodriguez, Seamus Coleman, ... are just three of many cases who cannot play for various reasons. The rest are on the bench, partly because of wrong positions, partly because of their low class to replace them.
In the season Liverpool are struggling with the absence of Van Dijk, how will a mid-table team like Everton lack many personnel to survive in this harsh playground?
"The warm shirt" James Rodriguez is too important
Before the match against Newcastle, Ancelotti received bad news when James retired due to injury in the Merseyside derby. As of early October, the Colombian midfielder has created the most chances in all competitions (15 times), more than any other player in the Premier League.
James is active, aggressive and can take on all roles. The image of the former Real Madrid star running on the pitch made Everton fans feel the heat spreading. He is considered the warm shirt worn by the entire team, giving his teammates enthusiasm and pride to the audience.
But then when James was out, Everton were a sloppy defeat. With the busy Christmas break approaching, The Toffees will take advantage of this cold winter.
James' injury is difficult to share as it is located in the testicular area. Initially diagnosed with a few days off, he did not even appear in the list of players registered to play in the loss to Newcastle.
If James' situation gets worse in the coming time, Everton is predicted to slide further on the rankings when their upcoming opponents are Man United, Leeds, Chelsea, ...
