Michael Gray makes damning Everton prediction after Watford draw

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Marco Silva’s Everton were far from convincing as they drew 2-2 at home to Watford in Monday’s Premier League clash at Goodison Park.

Everton have shown a huge amount of ambition since Farhad Moshiri took over as the club’s majority shareholder in 2016.

The Iranian steel magnate has spent huge sums at Goodison Park with 11 of the club’s 12 biggest signings occurring in the last two years, including the club-record additions of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison.

But it will take more than this to smash through the glass ceiling. Monday night’s 2-2 draw at home to Watford highlighted the ongoing limitations in Everton’s squad with Marco Silva’s side indebted to a stunning, stoppage-time free-kick from Lucas Digne, whose moment of magic overshadowed a fairly dreadful second half performance.

And, speaking on talkSPORT (11 December, 12pm), former England left-back Michael Gray has made a worrying prediction about an Everton side who have made no secret of their desire to bring Champions League football to Goodison Park.

“(Everton) were really fortunate to get something out the game. Watford’s record at Goodison is not great but they showed more fight than Everton,” said the former Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers favourite.

“You could sense in the Everton crowd that they were getting frustrated a little bit. Is Everton a work in progress? When you look at where Everton are now (in seventh place) I think that’s where Everton are going to finish.

“They’re not a top six side. I don’t see Everton over the next four or five years getting into the top six. The giants are going to keep spending and spending, they’ll compete by sending £70m, £80m on transfers but so will the top teams.”

Gray might have a point. Despite spending huge sums on new players, there still seems to be a huge gap between the ‘top six’ and the rest with Everton right on the borderline.

The Toffees can justifiably hope to finish ahead of a stuttering Manchester United side but the chances to beating Arsenal, Tottenham and co to a Champions League finish look slim.