The 'first concrete steps' of Everton's season
One swallow does not make a summer and Everton fans certainly will not be getting too carried away with their first Premier League win of the season.
They also have good reason not to.
Their first-half performance lacked energy, drive and direction and Crystal Palace's one-goal lead at the break was scant reward for their superiority.
However, after the break, Everton were more aggressive and resilient with Dwight McNeil’s overall value highlighted spectacularly with two wonderful goals.
In the end, the Blues were good value for all three points, the win lifting them out of the relegation zone and providing the first concrete steps towards a solid foundation on which to build their season.
It will clearly take a little while for Jarrad Branthwaite to get back to his best form, but just his presence in the team was wonderful to see. After a prolonged absence with a groin injury, he understandably looked rusty early on but he soon brought his calm assurance to Everton’s defending. He reads the game exceptionally well and can react to danger in an instant. Quick, robust and good in the air, he also has something that underlines his star quality - like all the really good players do.
He makes his team-mates better too. It is no coincidence James Tarkowski, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Ashley Young all put in their best performances of the season. If he can stay fit, he will again prove to be a pivotal figure for the team.
Beyond Branthwaite, there was another who had fans off their seats at regular intervals. Blues supporters have really warmed to Iliman Ndiaye - why wouldn’t they? He has something this team have been short of for far too long. He makes things happen and quickly!
He is alert and fleet of foot, direct in how he runs at defender but with the skill to go either way. He will bring goals and creativity to Everton and hopefully this is the beginning of a long-lasting love affair with the supporters.
Newcastle come to Goodison on Saturday and they have enough talent in their squad to cause problems for the best teams in the Premier League.
However, Everton can have added confidence. There’s still a long way for them to go before they are back on an even keel, but at last they are up and running again.
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