Ronald Koeman will begin his Everton tenure on Saturday when his team welcomes Tottenham to the Goodison Park for an afternoon kick-off. The former Southampton manager will be looking to improve on the 11th place finish from last year. This week the Merseyside club lost their star defender John Stones to Manchester City, however, the loss was somewhat compensated for by the arrival of Ashley Williams from Swansea. Only time will tell whether Koeman’s arrival will bring a change in fortune for the blue half of Liverpool but one thing is for sure that Southampton’s loss is the Merseyside club’s gain.
Ahead of the new season, the major issue to clear up is the future of Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku, who has been strongly linked with a move back to Chelsea. The match against Tottenham will be very important in setting the tone for the remainder of the season after a very disappointing last season. There are major doubts regarding the fitness of Lukaku after the striker picked up a cut last weekend, however, Phil Jagielka could make it to the starting XI after returning from injury last week. Here is the predicted Everton starting XI for the match against Tottenham.
Goalkeeper: Stekelenburg
Stekelenburg became Everton’s first signing of the summer when they landed the Ajax academy product on July 1st. He is a guaranteed started on Saturday, given his quality and vast experience. The 33-year-old will have huge shoes to fill following the departure of Tim Howard.
Defenders: Seamus Coleman, Ashley Williams, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka
The Everton defense line won’t change much from previous season except the inclusion of Ashley Williams in place of the departed John Stones. Willians was a rock in Swansea defense last season and will look to form an understanding with Jagielka as soon as possible. Coleman will slot in at right back. The Irish football was a target of much speculation this summer after reports emerged of his moving away from Goodison Park. Baines will play as the left-back.
Midfielders: Barry, Gueye, Lennon, Barkley and Mirallas
New signing Gueye is expected to start in central midfield on Saturday after moving from Aston Villa this summer, he will play alongside Gareth Barry who was one of the standout players for Everton, in what was a dismal last season. Once rated as the most talented youngster in England, Barkley’s form has dipped since then. Koeman will be hoping his star midfielder soon finds his form, which once made him a target for all the big clubs in Europe. He will be flanked by Lennon on the right wing and Miralles on the left.
Striker: Arouna Koné
With Lukaku doubtful for the match on Saturday, Koeman will turn to Kone to lead the line. The Ivorian international has set the stage on fire with his performances since moving to Merseyside in 2013 but still is a quality cover for Lukaku, something most teams in the first division don’t have.