Everton FC had a rough preseason. Manager David Moyes was very open about the fact that his club wasn’t bringing in all the signings he needed to makeover the squad. Well, at least they have Jack Grealish now, and that’s a start.
Everton participated in the Premier League Summer Series, where two of the three Toffees opponents were clubs that were previously managed by Moyes.
Premier League Season Opener FYIs
Everton FC at Leeds United
Kickoff: Monday August 18, 8pm, Elland Road, Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Preview Material for Both Sides: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Google’s Result Probability: Everton FC 31% Draw 28% Leeds United 41%
They looked the worst of the four teams in the field, for what it’s worth. It is just preseason, but hey, you can understand why Leeds might be expected to win this one on Monday night.
So with all that said, let’s get to the first team projections.
Starting Lineup Predictions
Everton FC
Jordan Pickford; Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Mykolenko; Gana Gueye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner; Iliam Ndiaye, Jack Grealish, Beto
Leeds United
Lucas Perri; Sam Byram, Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach; Daniel James, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Wilfried Gnonto
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter