Everton’s recent defeat at home on Saturday adds to a string of disappointing outcomes, a narrative that’s becoming all too familiar as the Premier League season edges towards its conclusion.
With the league drawing to its final three months, the Toffees find themselves precariously close to the relegation zone, just five points clear of danger. They have yet to secure a victory in the league in 2024, a concerning statistic for the club.
Manager Sean Dyche has been working tirelessly to field a team capable of turning their fortunes around, yet the results continue to elude them. While it’s common for the blame to fall on the manager, Everton’s situation suggests a different story, with the same set of players underperforming across multiple managerial tenures.
The issue at hand isn’t the players’ effort but rather their finishing ability, a problem that urgently needs addressing.
Gary Lineker recently shared his insights on Everton’s performance against West Ham, highlighting the peculiar trend that’s been haunting the team. On The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker, an ex-Everton player himself, criticized the team’s inability to convert their chances, likening their situation to Burnley’s known struggles with finishing.
This recurring issue is something Dyche must address. Despite Everton dominating in terms of opportunities, as seen in their match against West Ham where they only managed to score once from an expected goals tally of 2.73, they’ve consistently failed to capitalize on their chances. This underperformance in expected goals is the worst in the Premier League, with the team scoring only 29 goals from an anticipated 47.13.
Comparatively, Chelsea is the next team behind Everton in this unfortunate statistic, with an 8.03 gap between their expected and actual goals, underscoring Everton’s dire need for improvement in this area.
Dyche and his team cannot afford to wallow in self-pity over their lack of finishing quality. With the relegation battle heating up, it’s crucial for Everton to start converting their chances into points. Whether it requires additional practice or a psychological breakthrough to boost confidence, this trend of underperforming must be corrected swiftly.
