EVERTON AND AC HAVE A LOTTI IN COMMON

Carlo says reviving the Toffees is like his work at Milan.. and they became Euro champs

CARLO ANCELOTTI believes he faces a similar revival job at Everton to the one he pulled off successfully at AC Milan.

Plenty of snipers have questioned whether the veteran boss is equipped for the task of building up a club from a humble position, after inheriting worldclass squads at a raft of big outfits.

But the 60-year-old is adamant the job is exactly the same no matter where a manager is. As he prepares for Crystal Palace and a meeting with his old friend Roy Hodgson, Ancelotti (above) said: “When you arrive in a new place the job is the same. First, you have to try to build a relationship with your players.

“You have to try to know them as a character and know their qualities, which are all different.

“That is the hard thing as a manager. It is hard to build a relationship – but you know football, you know your methodology.

“There are different types of challenges at different clubs but this really doesn’t change.”

Ancelotti has inherited an Everton squad that was good enough to reach Europe a couple of seasons ago, and one which currently lies only eight points off a Champions League place.

While he insists it is still premature to start thinking about a challenge for the top four this season, he still believes Everton are in a good position to advance.

And that reminds him in a way of the job he did at Milan. He took over a side there that had struggled badly in recent seasons, but which went on to win the Champions League within barely 18 months of his arrival.

Ancelotti said: “At Milan the moment was not good but they had ambition, the history and tradition to be at the top and slowly, slowly we got there.

“And, honestly, at Milan we did it quickly. We won the Champions League in the second year.

“It’s true I found fantastic players and a squad like Real Madrid, like Bayern. But it is not true that I only finish things.

“Usually when a club changes a manager it means something went wrong in the past.”

STRIKING IT RICH Ighalo with his coach Richardson