Frank Lampard may have overseen a successful survival bid last season, but it quickly became apparent that he would be dragging the Toffees into another. Step forward Sean Dyche as the man to breathe new life into an inconsistent outfit that was crying out for stability.
Anxious
Progress under a new management team is steady, rather than spectacular, and it won’t have gone unnoticed to those betting on Premier League markets that those on the blue half of Merseyside are shooting anxious glances over collective shoulders.
The battle to avoid tumbling through a trapdoor into the Championship has become tighter than ever, with Everton priced at 2/1 in Premier League relegation odds to slip out of English football’s top flight for the first time since 1951.
If they are to avoid suffering that fate, then Dyche will need to build on solid foundations. He is famed for making his teams tough to break down, and he currently has the perfect last line of defence at his disposal.
Jordan Pickford is an established England international and a man that would not look out of place as the first name on any team sheet.
Fortunately for Toffees fans, he has committed to a new contract that is due to take him through to 2027. He has said of those terms: “Everton is a massive club. The past few seasons have not been what we wanted but we now have a manager who I believe will point us in the right direction and get us up the table. It’s definitely my aim to be successful at this club.”
Pickford has been a mainstay at Goodison since 2017, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in British history when a move from Sunderland was made, and he remains fully committed to the cause despite obvious difficulties.
Pickford added on future ambitions: “This contract will take me to more than 10 years at Everton and I want to build a legacy here to put myself up there with the likes of Neville Southall to be one of the best keepers to have played for Everton.”
That will be music to the ears of Toffees followers everywhere, but it remains to be seen whether such dreams become a reality. If Everton were to lose their Premier League status in 2023, would Pickford stick around to help them bounce back?
Transfer
Hugo Lloris is slowly edging his way towards the exits at Tottenham, and there has been plenty of speculation to suggest that Pickford figures prominently on recruitment radars in north London and may become the subject of another big-money transfer at some stage.
Spurs’ cause would certainly be aided if they were trying to do business with a second-tier club. Everton supporters will, as they continue to clutch at any straw which falls within reach, want to give no thought to losing their No.1, but will Pickford’s new deal end up lasting four years as intended or a mere four months?
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