Three ways to back your team: Everton
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Will summer spending spree pay-off?
Everton have been, by far, the busiest Premier League side during the summer transfer window, and probably one of the busiest in Europe. They have brought in a host of new faces, with each signing more ambitious than the last.
A few players who enjoyed a bit of success last term and suggested they would leave the club, now wish they had kept quiet. Everton are building an impressive line-up, and we’re interested to see how boss Ronald Koeman will fit them all in. Could they break into the top-four? Here’s three ways to back Everton this term.
Top-four would be a dream
A top-four finish would be a dream come true for everyone connected to the Goodison Park club. They weren’t a million miles away from it last term, pushing hard in the early part of the year before losing to Spurs in a cracker. Finishing seventh, well clear of Southampton in eighth, there’s no doubt they have a better side now than then, and will be eager to prove it by finishing higher up the pecking order. With five of the six sides above them playing Champions League football, if The Toffees’ newbies can hit the ground running, they’ll have every chance of putting pressure on the big boys. A title win is out of the question at 80/1, and we’re saying that keeping what happened at Leicester in mind, but a top-four will appeal to fans at Coral’s 8/1. The fact our traders have them at single-figure odds to bag a Champions League finish shows just how far the club have come in recent years.
Rooney’s winning mentality will inspire success
The League Cup will be known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, but no matter what the tournament goes by, it’s an ideal opportunity for clubs to lay down a marker for the season ahead, and pick up silverware at the first opportunity. Winning the League Cup often gives those outside of the division’s major names a shot at glory, with the big-spenders distracted by European football. The Toffees don’t have the best history in this format, but surely it rates as their best opportunity at winning something this year. Southampton got to the final last season, beaten by Manchester United, and there’s nothing to say Everton can’t make a dent in it this time. Again, that’ll require their new faces adapting to English football quickly, but in Wayne Rooney they have a player who breeds confidence and a new way of thinking in the dressing room, demanding success. That’ll rub off on his teammates, and Coral’s 16/1 looks huge. That’s our pick of the season bets on Everton as they have the squad numbers to compete.
Europe a luxury this season
Manchester United won the Europa League last term, opening-up a new way of thinking about the tournament in this country. It’s no longer an inconvenience, but Mourinho used it as the easiest route into the Champions League, bypassing an ultra-competitive top-four. Arsenal are favourites to win it this year, with Everton at 25/1. A nice price, and it would certainly be The Toffees’ easiest route into Europe’s elite, but it’ll rank way down their list of priorities this term. The Everton board have invested a lot of cash in the team and want to see progress made at home. They want to win a cup and finish higher up the table than last season. Europe is a luxury, and there’s better bets out there for fans. Those who dream of big European nights back at Goodison can have a go at Coral’s big price.
