Your morning Everton headlines on Saturday, December 31.
When Ellis Simms can play for Everton again after recall decision made
Everton have taken the decision to recall Ellis Simms from his loan spell at Sunderland.
Frank Lampard revealed at his Friday press conference the Blues were considering bringing the 21-year-old back to Goodison Park in a bid to bolster attacking options, made possible by a clause in his contract enabling Everton to cut short his stay on Tyneside.
Simms joined the Black Cats during the summer transfer window and has played a key role in the club's climb up the Championship table, having scored four times in his last six appearances. This follows two other successful temporary stints at Blackpool and Hearts respectively.
The Blues have struggled for goals this season, manging only 12 in their opening 16 Premier League matches, and have been hit by the summer sale of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's repeated injury setbacks. Salomon Rondon's recent departure has only added to the need for reinforcements in this area of the pitch, having left the club short of another attacking option.
For the full story, click here.
Everton board masterplan set for biggest test yet as Frank Lampard faces January challenge
Everton's much-vaunted strategic review could be set for its biggest test yet.
Launched 12 months ago, as the club began an astonishing descent towards a relegation battle it only just overcame, it has been heralded as the answer to the question: How is this prevented from happening again? Its findings, collated over the following weeks, placed value on unity, strategic thinking and patience.
Everton enter 2023 in a similar fashion to the way the club began 2022 - on a poor run of results and with an important but financially challenging month ahead. But behind the scenes at Finch Farm, much has changed under the leadership of Frank Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell - two key appointments said to have been inspired by the review's findings. Much of the work linked to that project makes sense. However, it would feel largely superficial if this January end up as chaotic as the last. Everything, within reason, surely needs to be done to avoid that.
The programme for the home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers contained the notes of Everton chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale. Her thoughts on 2022, including on the strategic review, pointed towards the past 12 months as being tough but ultimately positive. It included this extract: "Without doubt, 2022 brought unprecedented challenges for this football club. However, I strongly believe it was also a year of resilience and progression. On and off the pitch, vital groundwork has been laid through hard work, collaboration, and unity to set us on a more positive path driving forward. The rewards for some of that work will take time to materialise, but we are confident we have put in place building blocks for a more stable, robust future."
Joe Thomas has the full story, here.
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