Manchester United legend, Gary Neville has stated that a club’s greatest investment should be in the coach, and it appears the Toffees hierarchy got it right this time around by going for a tactician like Carlo Ancelotti.
This is because he has made Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is now is thriving under him look like a top player.
Under the Italian tactician, Calvert-Lewin has taken his game to new heights, scoring six goals in five Premier League games as Everton secured a valuable point in the 2-2 draw against fellow Merseyside club, Liverpool in the derby on Saturday.
This makes Everton and Aston Villa remain unbeaten in the topflight so far, keeping them on top of the table.
The former Manchester United captain, who was speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, believes Ancelotti deserves plenty of credit for his influence on the in-form striker.
While noting that Pep Guardiola also turned Raheem Sterling into a top-class player, Neville said this is a good development for the club.
The fans had over the last two to three years felt he is not good enough, calling for the signing of another striker. But now they have been signing his praise.
Everton patience paid off after sticking with Calvert-Lewin
Since he joined the club, Everton had Sandro Ramirez, who now plies his trade with Huesca, Cenk Tosun, and Moise Kean, who recently left the club on loan to Paris Sainte-Germaine. But they all failed to sparkle.
Despite all these signings, Everton never got it right and they stuck with Calvert-Lewin.
After playing under three separate coaches at the club, they couldn’t get the best out of him, but all thanks to Ancelotti.
Ancelotti is already a veteran in the game who knows how to utilize his resources. When the Italian tactician took over the reins, he identified the signings he needed to make in the summer and briskly concluded his deals.
Everton is now looking like a balanced team that can give the big six a run for their money.
The signing of Abdoulaye Doucoure, James Rodriguez and Allan has brought solidity to their midfield, making them a compact side.
Interestingly, Ancelotti didn’t sign a striker, relying on Calvert-Lewin. He even decided to loan out Kean and the gamble paid off. This according to Neville demonstrate the ability of a great coach.
“But all of a sudden, a manager has come along that can really get performances out of him that is 20 to 30 percent higher than the previous managers have.
“You wonder what might have happened if the next manager hadn’t fancied Calvert-Lewin or didn’t have the same quality as Carlo Ancelotti. It really does demonstrate the point of having a great coach. We’ve got great coaches in this league with Jurgen Klopp, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Ancelotti and more.
“They really do improve players and they improve players all the time. A club’s greatest investment should be in the coach. The coach should be your best paid person in the club. It’s something Sir Alex Ferguson always said as they have the biggest influence.
“Calvert-Lewin now is thriving under Ancelotti and looks a top player. I thought he looked fantastic last week against Belgium for England in the way he handled that game. Now, he’s convinced his own people – which is something you have to do as a young player,” he added.
Signs of improvement in Everton
After being issued the marching order, Everton will be without Richarlison for the next three games. This will afford Ancelotti the opportunity to demonstrate his qualities as a manager in the forthcoming games against Southampton, Newcastle, and Manchester United.
If the tactician can pull through these fixtures without the Brazilian, who was the club’s best player last season, then there is something big coming up at Godisson Park. The ground could turn to a fortress as seen during the time of David Moyes,.
Notably, Everton has improved, looking at the caliber of players they attracted and their investment. The level of confidence in the squad has now grown with Ancelotti running the affairs.
This could be traced down to the win at Spurs in the opening day. It has been a starting point for them to have a go at any team.
Such a performance against Liverpool showed the stuff that Ancelotti’s men are now made of.
