Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson are helping transform Everton’s season.
Not so long ago it seemed as though Everton was not big enough for both Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Ronald Koeman had a difficult time getting the best out of his two major summer signings, who are both most comfortable in a No.10 role and were victims of the departed Dutchman’s overcrowding of this area.
Now the marquee pair are transforming Everton’s season, with the help of Sam Allardyce’s stabilising influence, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The attacking trio have 10 goals and five assists between them in five matches.
Sigurdsson has had to be content with a place on the left wing, but his consistent selection in this position after constant chopping and changing by Koeman and David Unsworth is allowing him to build a relationship with Rooney.
Rooney, as he always has done throughout his career, is dropping deep to collect the ball and this is affording Sigurdsson the space to drift into the central areas from which his pinpoint shooting can be so dangerous.
The pace and willingness to run in behind of Calvert-Lewin is stretching Everton’s opponents a lot more since Allardyce’s appointment and this also creates room for Sigurdsson and Rooney to arrive late in the box.
The ex-England captain is key to everything the Toffees do, and his passing range means that Everton can counter on teams quickly, as they did for the Merseyside derby penalty and Calvert-Lewin’s goal against Huddersfield Town.
If Rooney doesn’t look long to the young striker, he can feed Sigurdsson on the left, as he did for the Icelander’s strike against Swansea City. Suddenly Everton have various outlets, and all of them are providing a goal threat.
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