The day which for so long seemed far away has finally arrived, as Everton prepare to bid farewell to Goodison Park, their home for 133 years. The news that the Everton women’s side will play at the old stadium from next season, rather than it being demolished as per the original plan, is most welcome and will serve to maintain the club’s connection with the local area, but for many, this will be the end of an era.
In the opposing corner for this historic occasion, albeit at an unfashionably early kickoff time, will be Southampton, long-relegated and propping up the table on 12 points, having narrowly averted the ignominy of being considered the worst side in Premier League history by virtue of an unexpected draw with Manchester City last weekend.
Form
The Saints returned to the top flight last summer, via the playoff route and spent a fair chunk of change in reinforcing their squad ahead of what would prove a huge challenge: just staying in the division. The club raised over €41m from the sales of a number of players, — most notably one Carlos Alcaraz, to Flamengo for €18m. They spent more than €117m on new additions, spread over 16 signings, of whom less than half have featured significantly.
Most notable - in terms of playing time - have been midfielder Matheus Fernandes (€15m, Sporting CP), centre half Taylor Harwood-Bellis (€23m, Manchester City), goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (€21.4m, Arsenal), midfielder Flynn Downes (€17.9m, West Ham United), midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu (loan, Chelsea) and full back Yukinari Sugawara (€7, AZ Alkmaar). Many of the new players have made no impact.
What can be said about this campaign? Southampton have looked out of their depth from the very beginning, in which they picked up just a single point from their opening nine games — until Sean Dyche’s Everton tripped over their own feet at St Mary’s in early November, in somehow contriving to hand the hapless hosts a 1-0 victory, in what was a shameful episode for the Blues. After that aberration, the Saints carried on being awful, dispensing with possession-happy manager Russell Martin following a 5-0 slaughter by Tottenham Hotspur in December.
Leicester City FC v Southampton FC - Premier League The Saints were handily beaten by a dreadful Leicester City side in their last away match
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
The more pragmatic Ivan Jurić arrived, but was unable to salvage what was a rapidly sinking ship. The losses continued to pile up at an alarming rate. A second league win of the season, against fellow strugglers Ipswich Town in February was a false dawn, the club following that up with five straight defeats and suddenly the Croatian was gone — coincidentally after another loss to Spurs. Since, caretaker Simon Rusk has overseen five games, losing three and picking up two draws, including last time out against City.
Style of Play
There’s not a lot of insight to be found here! Unless Martin was working to a fiendishly cunning plan of playing in vogue possession football, determinedly out from the back, regardless as to whether the players were capable of such efforts, thinking that it had worked for Vincent Kompany at Burnley, who somehow landed the Bayern Munich job by doing similar, then his persistence was baffling. But hey, the ex-Saints boss was doing match analysis on the BBC last weekend, so who knows, maybe he’ll end up at an elite European side in a couple of months and then I’ll look a bit foolish.
Joking aside, Jurić fared no better with a more conventional approach. The Croatian, briefly one of AS Roma’s managers during the Italian club’s chaotic start to the campaign, was hardly an inspiring choice of replacement, given his generally unimpressive track record to date, but realistically they were pretty much doomed by the time they finally sacked Martin. Rusk has merely tried to avoid the club being routinely humiliated: they barely got out of their own half against City last weekend, in a game which resembled an elongated attack vs. defence training session — though played out in front of more than 30,000 fans. They will set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Player Assessment
The competent Ramsdale will line up in goal, but having played for England only eleven months ago, he must be wondering what’s gone wrong in his career. Benched at Arsenal last season and having shipped 62 goals in 28 outings for an abject Saints side, surely he’ll be hoping his luck turns at some stage. A centre back trio of Harwood-Bellis, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens have combined to contribute to 13 errors leading to an attempt on goal. The Pole leads the team in interceptions (1.99) and clearances (6.76) per 90 minutes.
Southampton FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League Southampton somehow held City at bay last weekend in a rearguard action
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Rumoured Everton target Kyle Walker-Peters may miss the game with illness, but if he can’t go then James Bree will continue at right wing back. On the left, January loanee Wellington may keep his place following the draw last time out. The midfield pairing will be Downes and Ugochukwu. Neither offers much going forward and the Chelsea man has looked positionally suspect, but is athletic and committed in the challenge. Downes has simply not looked like a Premier League player.
Leading the line for the visitors will either be Ross Stewart, or winger Kamaldeen Sulemana. The former offers a target man profile, whereas the latter is fast and direct. The two have one league goal between them, though Sulemana has interested the Blues in the past. The 23-year-old leads the team with 6.67 dribbles and 1.77 carries into the opposition area per 90, but loses possession a lot. Fernandes, operating as an advanced midfielder, has caught the eye, with 3.70 combined tackles and interceptions and 5.58 recoveries per 90. If Sulemana is up top, then teenager Tyler Dibling will play alongside the 20-year-old Portuguese.
Prediction
This is on paper the ideal opportunity for the Toffees to sign off at Goodison in the right way — with a victory, and preferably a decisive one. Southampton are one of the weakest sides the top flight has seen in recent years, having endured a truly miserable campaign, which has yielded just two wins and six draws against 28 defeats. They’ve scored a puny 25 goals and conceded 82. Everton are no powerhouse, but they simply must dispatch the visitors today.
However, the hosts should have beaten the last already relegated side to show up at Goodison two weeks ago, in Ipswich Town, yet somehow squandered a two-goal lead to find themselves hanging onto a draw at the end. The Saints are an even worse side than the Tractor Boys, but if Everton throw in a similarly lacklustre performance, then they could end up suffering the ignominy of failing to beat a very poor side in their last ever appearance at the Old Lady.
Everton v Southampton - Carabao Cup - Third Round - Goodison Park The Blues were dispatched from the EFL Cup by the Saints at Goodison in September
Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images
We have to hope that none of the players are prepared for that to happen. We know that David Moyes will be sending the team out to command the game and to win it and he can’t tolerate any lack of effort — from anyone. As far as the team goes, I expect Seamus Coleman to make his first start since Boxing Day, in what may be his last appearance for the club, alongside fellow Irishman Jake O’Brien, who should come in for Michael Keane. Beto and Alcaraz will retain their places and Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil should come back into the side. I feel Abdoulaye Doucouré could replace James Garner in midfield.
In what will be an emotional day for the tens of thousands in attendance and for the many more watching from a distance, those who have played a part in some tumultuous recent seasons at the club, such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Keane and Doucouré will be given meaningful game time, in which to say a proper farewell, whoever ends up starting. The game could be a anxious affair, or a blowout; either way I don’t see it being a conventional one, but the Blues will sign off in style.
Score: Everton 3-0 Southampton
Statistics provided courtesy offbref.com and transfermarkt.com