Danny Murphy says Marco Silva must change one thing at Everton

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Everton are not going to finish in the Premier League’s top six if they continue to play like they did away at Bournemouth on Sunday.

Danny Murphy believes Everton have no chance of finishing in the top six of the Premier League this season after Saturday’s horror defeat at Bournemouth, while speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (16 September, 10.50am).

The Toffees failed to put even the slightest crack in the glass ceiling during Marco Silva’s debut season at Goodison Park.

But after beating Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea at Goodison Park in the early months of 2019, and with their squad strengthened by the big-money signings of Andre Gomes, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi, Everton have been tipped to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding three Premier League giants and force their way into European contention.

Five games into the new season, however, the Merseyside giants are 11th after picking up one point from three away games, the latest an error-strewn performance on the South Coast against Eddie Howe’s all-action Bournemouth.

“Everton is still a work in progress and we haven’t seen Everton’s best XI yet,” said the former Liverpool midfielder, who believes Leicester are the only team capable of finishing ahead of Arsenal, Chelsea and co.

“They’re not going to break in (to the top six).”

Murphy believes that Silva needs to release the hand break on the road too if he is to pick up some much needed points away from home.

“He tries to be solid. He’s quite a defensive coach, he generally plays two defensive midfielders. But because the run (away from home) is so bad and because of the players he’s got in attacking areas, maybe he’s got to change that philosophy.

“They’re a bit predictable at times.”

The likes of Kean, Richarlison, Gomes and Lucas Digne are only going to get better at Goodison Park and Everton fans certainly have plenty of reasons to be excited going forward. But maybe expecting a top six place is too much too soon.