Salute

Season Preview: Everton

The Toffees travel to Birmingham in their FA WSL season opener at the Damson Park on Sunday 8 September

As the 2019-20 season draws nearer, we’re taking a closer look at what to expect from each club, with Everton up next.

Willie Kirk’s side will be eager to overcome a difficult-looking start after a disappointing campaign in the Super League last season.

Everton finished tenth with just a meagre 12 points, saved only from relegation by Yeovil who suffered a ten-point deduction after going into administration.

But the Toffees have a daunting set of fixtures to kick off this year’s campaign, facing Birmingham and Manchester City in two of their opening three games.

The club have executed an innovative recruitment strategy, looking abroad for reinforcements in the form of Valerenga goalkeeper Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Ajax defender Kika van Es and FC 91 Fleury midfielder Maeva Clemaron.

💪 | “Pre-season is all about getting into habits - that habit of winning, scoring goals and creating chances.



“We’ve had seven pre-season matches and won six of them, and I think the players will be taking from that confidence every week."https://t.co/D1BSciv6fu — Everton Ladies (@EvertonLadies) August 19, 2019

Korpela is an experienced customer with 80 caps for her native Finland, while Everton will be hoping Van Es’s 57 appearances for the Netherlands will help shore up a fragile defence.

Meanwhile, Clemaron will bring considerable experience to an otherwise youthful midfield, making over 150 appearances in France’s Division One Feminine since 2008.

They have nevertheless also sought to bolster their squad through more domestic signings, with Lucy Graham, Molly Pike and England Under-19 captain Esme Morgan – on loan – arriving from Bristol City, Chelsea and Manchester City respectively.

The club have overseen a number of outgoings, with Angharad James departing for Reading and Siri Worm joining Tottenham while Rebecca Flaherty, Olivia Chance and Emma Brownlee all became free agents.

With Casey Stoney’s menacing-looking Manchester United replacing Yeovil in the league, the odds appear to be stacked against Everton, but their fans will be hoping their revamped squad will be capable of ascending the table.

There have been early signs of promise in pre-season, however, with Kirk’s side toppling Ajax 2-1 to win the NextGen Series in one of six victories in the space of just seven games.

The Toffees also undertook a successful tour to Kenya in July, an experience that was invariably beneficial in enhancing the unity among Kirk’s squad.

The team will be keen to take that summer momentum into the season, particularly given their new stadium – they have moved from Widnes to Southport – and a formidable opening set of fixtures that could prove confidence-denting if results don’t go their way.

If Kirk’s players fail to pick up points early on, it could turn out to be another difficult campaign for Everton.

🎶 I'm (still) blue dabadeedabadaa 💙 Really excited to join Everton on loan for the 2019/20 season #upthetoffs pic.twitter.com/4KNTLwwL8Q — Esme Morgan (@_esmemorgan) August 16, 2019

2018-19 Stats Watch

Finish: 10th

Top scorer: Inessa Kaagman (5)

Biggest victory: 3-2 (home to Reading)

Heaviest defeat: 4-0 (home to Arsenal and Manchester City)

Key Ins/Outs:

Ins: Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Kika van Es, Maeva Clemaron, Lucy Graham, Molly Pike, Esme Morgan (loan)

Outs: Angharad James, Siri Worm, Rebecca Flaherty, Olivia Chance, Emma Brownlee

Player to watch: Maeva Clemaron

After a difficult season for Everton last term, Clemaron’s arrival from FC 91 Fleury will have instilled fans with a much-needed dose of optimism.

Clemaron brings an experienced head to the side’s midfield, playing 128 games for Saint-Etienne between 2008 and 2017 and being capped four times for France.

The versatile midfielder was part of her county’s World Cup squad this summer and will be a player Kirk will hope can provide both stability and creativity to Everton in what promises to be a challenging season.

Everton struggled for goals last term – they scored just 18 – so Clemaron’s influence and role in providing assists for the likes of Inessa Kaagman, Hannah Cain and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah will be pivotal.

If the Toffees are going to enjoy any degree of success this season, Clemaron will need to perform.

✍️ | We have completed the signing of France international midfielder Maeva Clemaron from FC Fleury 91 on a two-year deal.



Welcome, @ClemaronMaeva! #COYBG — Everton Ladies (@EvertonLadies) July 11, 2019

What they said:

Gabby George

“I can’t wait to kick start this season – we’ve signed a few players from the international stage to help us progress forward which is really exciting for us.

“I think things can only get better from last season – obviously we didn’t finish anywhere near where we wanted to or achieve what we wanted to.

“Hopefully we can put a stamp on how we play and go out there and perform week in week out – we’re going to go out there and put in our best performances and see where that gets us at the end of the season.

“We’re implementing what Willie (Kirk) wants and how he wants us to play – that fits to a lot of the players we’ve got and that have been brought in so hopefully we can take that into next season and have a better season.

“We just want to get on the ball and play more than we have recently – a lot of our games we’ve just been defending but now we’re going to go out and show we can actually play.”

So excited for the start of the season !!! https://t.co/89nLmsvpz5 — Gabby George (@gabsgeorge) September 1, 2019

Chloe Kelly

“I’m really excited about the season ahead – we’ve got a new team now with new staff and new players.

“Obviously we didn’t do too well last year, but we’re really looking forward to getting going.

“We’ve got a new stadium to move into as well, so I think it’s exciting times for Everton as a whole and everyone around us is very excited at the moment.

“I think we need to finish higher in the table this year and do well in the cup competitions.

“We need to be better off the ball as last season we conceded too many goals – we also need to be more confident in possession and bring that confidence onto the field.”