Everton’s ‘forgotten man’ Jean-Philippe Gbamin has been tipped to be their surprise star under new manager Rafa Benitez.
In an ECHO survey in which thousands of fans took part, 71% of responses went for the Ivory Coast midfielder – who has played just 157 minutes of football in two seasons so far for the Blues, ahead of Anthony Gordon (18%) and Jarrad Branthwaite (11%).
Unsurprisingly, last season’s leading Everton marksman Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who netted 21 times, was favourite to finish top scorer again, receiving 83% of votes, with 13% for Olympic gold medallist Richarlison and 3% for new boy Demarai Gray.
Lewis Dobbin, the 18-year-old striker, was tipped most likely to be the young star to watch, polling 43% of votes while Anthony Gordon received 32%, Jarrad Branthwaite 20% and Charlie Whitaker 5%.
As for where the Blues might finish in the Premier League under their new boss, fans seem inclined to believe it will be a case of ‘same again.’
Despite being second on Boxing Day and fifth in early March, Everton slumped to come 10 th in the Premier League last season and that was the most-popular response among fans again for 2021/22 with 14% reckoning the side will just creep into the top half.
Next up was eighth, followed by ninth with both positions polling 13% but the former having slightly more individual responses.
Some 11% envisage a 12 th place finish – where the Blues came in the previous campaign – while 10% are more optimistic and have gone for seventh.
There were 8% responses for both 11 th and sixth with slightly more plumping for the bottom half finish rather than breaking the dominance of the established big boys.
Just 1% tipped Everton to come fourth – the same percentage as those who said they’d finish bottom but nobody backed the Blues to pull off a shock title win.
