Everton 1-1 West Ham | Instant Reaction: Meh

Everton traveled to the London Stadium this afternoon, and didn’t do much of anything. Outside of a deftly taken set piece scored by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, neither Carlo Ancelotti nor his players were able to exert any sort of authority over a weakened and mediocre West Ham United.

There were a fair number of players who contributed to today’s malaise. Theo Walcott, Moise Kean, Bernard, Fabian Delph, Lucas Digne, and Tom Davies all looked a step off the pace (or several steps, depending on the player), and when at least 6/11 of your lineup is playing like crap, well, you get what you pay for.

While it is true that the Blues have earned a reasonable number of points so far under Ancelotti, it’s never really felt like a revolution. Injuries to key players have certainly contributed. Today alone, Don Carlo was without Gylfi Sigurdsson, Alex Iwobi, Richarlison, Andre Gomes, Michael Keane, and Jean-Philippe Gbamin. A veritable who’s who of big money signings, and regardless of what you think of them, it’s a lot of talent to be without.

The onus, then, is on the remaining players to step up and get stuck in, and other than Mason Holgate and Calvert-Lewin, most haven’t. Perhaps there are motivational issues in the squad. Maybe nobody gets along in the dressing room. It certainly shouldn’t be anyone unhappy with their wages.

Whatever the cause, this football club rarely looks like a team, and that has made this season drag on more than anything else.