Here are your Everton morning headlines for Friday, 25 September.
Ancelotti proves pundits wrong
Carlo Ancelotti’s free-scoring Everton side have vindicated the disillusionment shown by supporters during previous management regimes.
Everton played dour football in order to get results under Sam Allardyce, prompting BBC pundit Garth Crooks to have a pop at Blues fans.
"Sam Allardyce has come in, steadied the ship, got them winning football matches, going up the league and Everton fans have got the gall, the brass neck to complain?,” he said.
However, as explained by ECHO Everton reporter Adam Jones, Ancelotti’s side are a thrilling departure from Allardyce’s style of football.
This term under Ancelotti, they have registered 85 shots in just four games having managed 65 in their first nine under Allardyce.
With Ancelotti at the helm, overlooking a new-look Everton, the Blues no longer look like a negative side as the feelgood factor continues to grow around Goodison Park.
Hodgson praises Everton’s transfer business
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admits he is wary that Everton’s attacking threat has been enhanced by their “excellent” new signings.
Palace host Everton at Selhurst Park on Saturday with both sides having won their opening two Premier League games of the season.
And while Hodgson is looking forward to seeing Ancelotti, who he knows from his time in Italy, he is not keen on trying to stop Everton’s in-form attack.
"He is a friend from my Italian days, and I am looking forward to seeing him, albeit not so much looking forward to the challenge his team are going to present on Saturday,” said the Eagles boss .
"I thought they were a little bit unlucky last year not to finish higher than they did, because last year they were a good team, too.
"But there’s no doubt that the players that they’ve brought in this year have made a considerable difference. And of course, getting [André] Gomes back from injury has probably helped as well.
"But I think the signings of Abdoulaye Doucouré, James Rodríguez and Allan are three excellent signings.
"They’ve added to their attacking threat. Certainly, [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin gets better every year. Richarlison, of course, another one who gets better."
Davies can still shine in Everton midfield - Osman
Everton legend Leon Osman believes Tom Davies can still be an asset in Ancelotti’s midfield despite a difficult start to the season.
Davies’ only involvement in the current campaign so far was as a late substitute in the opening-day win over Tottenham Hotspur, with new midfield signings having pushed him down the pecking order.
However, Osman feels as though he is still to realise his full potential and expects the 22-year-old to eventually come good for the Blues with the club’s midfield reinforcements having taken some of the pressure off his shoulders.
"Tom's a strange one,” Osman told the ECHO. “Tom came through so young, you forget how young Tom Davies was when he came into the first team.
"A really young man, certainly not finished in the development of the player he's about to become. And yet, because of a great start, the expectation on his shoulders was huge.
"Then you look at our midfield last year with having no Gbamin and Fabian Delph missing large parts, suddenly we're expecting Tom Davies to do all of the jobs and to do them at a top class level.
"The young man is still developing, I do think he's a good player. He's a player that will still improve and I would like to see him stay at Everton long term."
