Everton host Bournemouth in the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend and then welcome Liverpool to Goodison Park in a crucial Premier League clash.
Were the Toffees to arrive at this juncture in the shape of two months ago, it’s probably fair to say that the prevailing atmosphere would be one of gloom and anxiety.
David Moyes has changed that. Everton are riding a three-match winning streak in the Premier League and have rediscovered their attacking identity, putting plenty of space between themselves and the relegation fodder.
The player driving the new narrative forward? Iliman Ndiaye, fast becoming a sensation in Blue.
Iliman Ndiaye is Moyes' main man
Everton signed Ndiaye from Ligue 1 side Marseille for a £15m fee last summer and has proved to be one of the more astute pieces of business over the past dysfunctional years, firing eight goals home across his opening 26 appearances.
He stood out as a shining light throughout the dreary Dyche-led months of the campaign and has now scored in each of Everton’s three victories under Moyes’ wing, with BBC Sport’s Oluwashina Okeleji even pronouncing him “Everton’s standout performer this season.”
As per FBref, Ndiaye ranks among the top 8% of Premier League wingers this season for successful take-ons and the top 17% for tackles per 90, as well as the top 19% for pass completion.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
The left-sided forward has instantly established himself as a fan favourite, making a mark under Dyche’s wing and now flourishing with Moyes at the helm. The future is bright, and The Friedkin Group will be desperate to keep him in the ranks over the coming years.
Interest is inevitable, but Everton will hope to strengthen their more stable conditions so as to avoid a repeat of the Anthony Gordon sale.
When Everton sold Anthony Gordon
In January 2023, things were not well in the blue half of Liverpool. Frank Lampard would be dismissed from his manager’s seat after less than a year in charge, with Everton 19th in the Premier League.
One week later, on the eve of deadline day, Newcastle United would succeed in their fight to sign Gordon, who forced his way out of the club that handed him his senior debut, moving to Tyneside in a deal worth £45m.
Before his departure, James Tarkowski came to Gordon’s aid: “He has been different class. All the paper talk and all the speculation, to be fair he just cracks on. Whatever comes will happen, but I love having him on my team. There is a reason why teams are after him.”
Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard also hailed Gordon for his “frightening” talent and speed after one FA Cup fixture, preceding the English winger’s sale, and many of an Everton persuasion knew that the potency would come, that Gordon was destined for a top role in football.
Well, he’s hit his stride and then some at St. James’ Park, now a nine-cap Three Lions international and the recipient of Newcastle’s Player of the Year award last season.
Nidaye is a fantastic player, but he’s not on Gordon’s level, not yet. Looking at the players’ statistics in the Premier League this season, it’s clear to see exactly why there was such resentment over his decision to flee Goodison Park at that fledgling phase.
Matches (starts)
23 (21)
23 (22)
Goals
6
6
Assists
0
5
Shots (on target)*
1.1 (0.5)
2.2 (0.8)
Pass completion
84%
79%
Key passes*
0.7
2.2
Dribble (success)*
2.5 (51%)
1.4 (48%)
Ball recoveries*
6.2
3.7
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.3
Total duels (won)*
6.3 (50%)
4.9 (52%)
Curiously, though, Ndiaye isn’t actually outstripped across many underlying metrics, owing to the Senegalese winger’s combative and committed nature.
But it’s safe to say that Gordon, aged 23, has grown into one of the most talented forwards in English football, coveted by some of the Premier League’s most impressive outfits.
Ndiaye lacks the creative side that his Toon counterpart boasts, who is shaping into the complete winger. This is indeed reflected through the intrigue of top clubs such as Liverpool, with Newcastle offering their one-time youth prospect, who left and joined Everton when he was 11 years old, to Anfield last summer so to placate PSR concerns.
Ultimately, Newcastle managed to circumvent the financial issue by parting with some younger, less significant members of the squad.
It’s believed that Gordon’s worth was determined at £75m, a figure that Everton could have benefitted immensely from, had he remained on the books for longer.
Perhaps, for example, if Moyes had been re-appointed to the Goodison Park dugout earlier, as Farhad Moshiri had attempted prior to the Scotsman’s illustrious second spell with West Ham United, Gordon wouldn’t have felt the need to move away.
Market Movers
He could have fostered his qualities on Merseyside, stretching from the excellent £45m fee that was claimed for his sale and hitting something in the ballpark of his current market value, boosting the Everton cause on the pitch all the while.
Ndiaye is a terrific talent, but he hasn’t yet reached such heights and the jury is very much out as to whether he will. As per Football Transfers, he’s currently valued at just £19m, a figure that is incrementally rising, month by month, but remains roughly two times less valuable than the £38m-rated Gordon.
Ultimately, the conditions surrounding Gordon’s sale mean that supporters issue boos whenever he returns to his former stomping ground.
There is, truly, no love lost. However, we’d better shelve this one under ‘what could have been’, for Everton could have reaped so much more both on and off the field.
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