Ambitious Blues find last piece of jigsaw in Ancelotti

INSTALLING Carlo Ancelotti as the new Everton manager feels like the last piece in their puzzle to gain long-term success.

Since February 2016, when Farhad Moshiri plunged his millions into the club, they have felt a little different from how they used to be. With the backing of a new owner who has serious financial clout, Everton came into this season with many pundits picking them as their dark horse for success.

The additions of Alex Iwobi (right), Andre Gomes and JeanPhilippe Gbamin, all for over £20million, were seen as good squad signings.

And along with bringing in Fabian Delph from Manchester City, they seemed well placed for the season ahead. The summer signing of real note, though, was the addition of Moise Kean.

He was lauded as one of Europe’s most promising talents after a number of impressive displays for Juventus.

The notion of the 19-year-old leaving Turin seemed unlikely, but leaving for Everton, as opposed to another Champions League side, seemed a bolt out of the blue.

While this season has not panned out for the youngster so far, moving to Everton, to be part of their project, was a huge indicator of the leaps they were making.

Soon to follow was an agreement in principle for a new, state-of-the-art, 52,000seater stadium to be built on the Liverpool docks – the application for which is set to go in to the city’s planners today.

Everton had their ducks in a row and remarkably quickly.

They had financial muscle, a new stadium looming and a re-energised fanbase.

They had everything surrounding them off the pitch to be successful on it.

They were though missing one thing – a world-class manager. Ancelotti (above) now plugs that gap.

He has managed and won in all of Europe’s biggest leagues with his last seven clubs – Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli – reading like a list of European footballing royalty. The man who is only one of three managers to have won the Champions League three times is now charged with making Everton a European force themselves.

If there is one risk to Ancelotti’s Everton appointment, it is that he doesn’t seem to stay at clubs very long.

However, even if his tenure is short, his name alone gives Everton modern-day global credibility which they will capitalise and build upon.

When news of Ancelotti’s appointment broke, I read on a Liverpool fan’s social media thread that the Italian taking the Everton job was like “De Niro taking a roll in Corrie!”.

While many – myself included – found that humorous, it may well be the blue side of the city which has the last laugh.