Silva: It’s too early to panic

Everton manager Marco Silva said he refuses to get overly worried about his team despite their poor start to the season.

The Blues were handed a relatively kind opening six fixtures, but took only seven points from them, and were embarrassed at home to Sheffield United last weekend in a 2-0 defeat.

But with just one point separating the Blues in 14th and Tottenham in seventh, Silva said at his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Manchester City that, while he is disappointed, he is confident Everton can still make this season a success.

“Of course, we’re not happy, but it’s too early to look at the table and panic. If we won our last game, we are talking completely differently about the position in the table; everything is too close. If you ask me if I’m really concerned or panicking, of course not.

“We know what we’re doing, we know we should improve, and if we do, then the results will come, and after more games we’ll see a different position in the table, for sure. But if you ask me if I’m happy with our last performance, of course not. It wasn’t good enough. I shared our fans’ frustration after the match.

“We have a new challenge tomorrow. It will be a big challenge, but it is a challenge we want to face, at home with our fans, to try and get a good result.”

Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images

Everton have scored just once in their last two league games, with new signing Moise Kean yet to get off the mark and Dominic Calvert-Lewin facing a fair amount of criticism from supporters for his performances.

But after Calvert-Lewin scored twice in Tuesday’s 2-0 EFL Cup win at Sheffield Wednesday, and Silva veered from his typical 4-2-3-1 in the second half against Sheffield United by putting substitute Cenk Tosun up front with Kean, he was asked whether he sees starting two strikers as a possibility.

But he was coy over whether he would try this again, saying that putting more attacking players on to the pitch does not necessarily guarantee more shots or goals.

“Our philosophy is always the most important thing. We can adapt; I’m here to make the best of the players we have.

“The last home game, we played maybe 40 minutes with two strikers, and maybe we had less chances than in the first half with just one striker. Sometimes, if you put so many strikers in the side, it doesn’t mean you’re creating more chances or will score more goals.

“I think the last game [Sheff Wed] was a good example because, in the first half, we were more dangerous and created more chances than the second half, when we played almost 40 minutes with two strikers.”

During his press conference, Silva denied there being any truth in reports linking him with a former club of his, Sporting Lisbon.

Portuguese publication O Jogo (as cited by Sport Witness) suggested they would be keen on re-appointing him to replace the sacked Marcel Keizer, but Silva quickly quashed those rumours.

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s not true, for sure, but I’m not even thinking anything about it. I don’t read newspapers also, but it’s not true.”