Toffees manager Ancelotti predicts summer shake-up at Goodison Park
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti admits that he will have to use the summer transfer window to make the necessary adjustments to the weaknesses in his squad.
The Italian has been left frustrated by inconsistencies in performances which has seen them swing from good to bad depending on whether they are playing away or at Goodison Park.
Everton have the fourth-best away record in the Premier League heading into the weekend, with only Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester City better.
At home, however, it is a different matter as they are 15th in the form table having taken just 19 points from a possible 51. Ancelotti will not admit it publicly, but he knows some of the players he inherited from predecessor Marco Silva 17 months ago are not up to the task.
“Of course, we have to analyse the season and after that put the right adjustment in the squad to avoid the limits and the weakness we have had this season,” he said.
He still has five matches remaining in the current season, though, only two of which are at Goodison, and he remains optimistic he can get enough out of the players to secure qualification for European football.
Today’s opponents, West Ham, just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, have shown what can be done with more consistency, and Ancelotti has to find a way of getting some short-term gain in the next month.
“It is a vital game against West Ham.
They are in a better position than us at the moment,” he added. “We don’t have a lot of possibility, but we want to put all our energy into a game we can consider vital for the end of the season.
“We are frustrated about the performance against Aston Villa (a 2-1 home defeat last weekend).
“All the time you have problems you have to move on, move forward, to give confidence to players after a bad performance, a defeat.
“Usually the history of this season says after all the time we had problems we have moved on with a fantastic result. There are a lot of examples.
“At the start of the season we had problems against Southampton and Newcastle and injuries but then we were able to beat Chelsea.
At the same time we lost at home to Fulham and one week later we won the derby.”
West Ham boss David Moyes admits he has mellowed on the touchline this season. The Scot says his positive Covid19 test and enforced absence from the club in September gave him a new perspective on management.
Moyes missed four matches while he self-isolated, leaving assistant Alan Irvine and coach Stuart Pearce to hold the fort.
The 58-year-old’s new-found calm is likely to be tested over the final four matches, with West Ham firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place.
“When I had Covid and was watching games from the house, I found that I couldn’t be emotionally connected,” he revealed.
“I had to sit back from it and make the calls, but my TV feed was a minute or so behind the game so I couldn’t have any real massive effect.
“So I have tried to think about it and try to be a bit calmer and not so noisy and get caught up – but I don’t want to lose that.
“I don’t know sometimes what people look for in a manager. Do they want someone who is bouncing up and down the touchline?
“Over the last couple of years we have seen the likes of Jurgen Klopp and many others doing that, and prior to that we used to see Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson sit on the bench calm, so there are many ways to manage.
“I don’t think it should be one way fits all. I just think you have to be yourself. Personally, I feel I will settle down a bit more and try to be a bit calmer than I was when I was younger.”
Midfielder Declan Rice is back in training after five weeks out with a knee injury but Moyes has yet to decide whether he is ready to be pitched straight back in.