When the Premier League season began, only one writer here at RBM predicted that Everton would finish in the top six.
The rest of us predicted a 7th-10th place finish for the Toffees this season, a small improvement under the last two seasons under Roberto Martinez. Those predictions tended to be the general consensus of Everton — probably a little better than last season, but not quite good enough to push into spot that would lead to European competition.
After five weeks of Premier League action though, the Toffees had picked up 13 of 15 available points, a remarkable feat even given the underwhelming nature of their schedule to that point. Confidence was at its highest since the team finished 5th in 2013-14.
Since then, Everton has lost to Norwich City in the EFL Cup, lost to Bournemouth away, and drawn Crystal Palace at home — not exactly the form of a top-six side.
Surely Ronald Koeman’s side is not as bad as the team we saw for three weeks before the international break, but what exactly is Everton capable of in 2016-17? Sitting in fifth place at nearly the quarter-mark of the season, the Toffees have put themselves in a good spot so far.
What do you think? Which Everton is the real Everton? And what, at this point of the season, is a realistic goal for Everton to achieve? To put it another way, what is the highest league position that is feasibly attainable for the Toffees this season?
Vote in the poll below, and let us know your thoughts on the first seven weeks of Everton’s season in the comments below.