No cohesion across the board

When looking at this roster it is clear that this team has talented players on it. Most of the players currently in this squad are an improvement over the player they replaced. This is not always the case, but largely the talent on this team has increased. But this new Everton, full of high-priced players, is seriously missing the cohesion and spirit that was abundant prior to Farhad Moshiri’s takeover.

Most people would rather have Richarlison over Kevin Mirallas, Michael Keane over Sylvain Distin, but despite the improvement in talent this team has seemed to get worse every year. There is usually one good season here and there that makes people think that things are going in the right direction. Yet for every positive milestone such as the Europa League or a cup semi-final it is swiftly met with serious regression soon after.

Simply put, this team is in shambles from the top down. It is hard to believe in an ownership group that brings in riches and promises stability only for it to go horribly wrong within a year. It’s hard to trust a management group that seems to be in constant turnover. And it’s hard to root for players that seem to only want to play for themselves and not the club.

Currently no solutions for Everton’s woes

With disarray across the board, it’s tough to pinpoint any one solution to Everton’s issues. The defence can’t defend, the attack is sporadic and Marco Silva seems in over his head halfway through his first season with the Blues.

At the start of the year there were enough wins scattered about that one could explain some of the bigger issues away. Maybe a new striker can set things right, or the team just needs time to settle in with a new manager. But it’s getting harder to make excuses for a team that is thoroughly terrible to watch. No matter what combination of defenders is played, they looked disorganized and prone to error. Despite having the most talented midfield in years they seem to be unable to create many goals or shield their struggling defense.

No outside help is going to fix these problems this season. The transfer window is closed and whether Everton keep or sack Marco Silva things likely aren’t going to change long term. It would just be yet another reset that would put the team where they were after Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman.

A long season ahead

If this is what the rest of Everton’s season is going to be like, then the spring will be painfully long. Silva, Brands and the players need to have a real conversation about how to make the rest of this season at least bearable for the supporters. Everyone needs to look deep inside and decide if they are really going to give their all or this club.

There may be a new manager and new players but they need to recognize that this type of play is not acceptable at Everton or any club for that matter. Whatever has worked in the past clearly isn’t working now and the club as a whole need to consider a new strategy going forward. This is a great club with great supporters and they deserve better than this.