Legendary Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall is well placed to judge the start made to the 2018/19 Premier League season by Marco Silva’s Toffees.
What can Everton fans really expect from Marco Silva’s side this season?
The Toffees are certainly much improved after a dreadful 2017/18 season in which they flirted with relegation under Ronald Koeman and then bored fans to death during the reign of Sam Allardyce.
Summer signings like Richarlison, Bernard, Kurt Zouma and Andre Gomes have already improved Everton’s starting XI and the style of football is much more palatable too. But it seems that the top six is still some way away with Everton sitting ninth, having won four out of 10 Premier League games under former Watford boss Silva.
And, speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (31 October, 12pm), Everton goalkeeping legend Neville Southall has preached patience with the Merseyside giants.
“You can’t turn them into Real Madrid overnight. They’ve bought some decent players, but I do think it’s a changeover period. It’s going to take time,” Southall said.
“It’s going really positive at the moment (but) unless you spend, spend and spend you’re not going to get the top six.”
Southall established himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of British football during 17 stellar years at Everton so he is well placed to judge the current number one at Goodison Park.
Jordan Pickford has established himself as England’s number one since he joined Everton from Sunderland for £30 million in the summer of 2017. But former Wales international Southall believes Pickford still has plenty to prove.
“He’s done really, really well so far. But it’s so far. (In his) first season he was the busiest man in the world. Now he’s less busy. I want to see what his concentration is like over 90 minutes when he’s got nothing to do.
“He’s got all the hallmarks of a top-class goalkeeper.”
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