Everton supporters have someone to whisper about – although he has never convinced me

Despite the time of year, the sun still shone down on Portman Road as Evertonians ventured south to a ground they hadn’t visited in just over 23 years and watched their team comfortably dispatch a newly promoted side thanks to two really well-taken goals.

The ease with which Sean Dyche’s side acquired all three points on Saturday is an extremely positive sign, and the team as a whole is looking far more like their usual selves after another shaky start to the campaign. The 2-0 win means the Toffees have picked up eight points from the last possible 12, and the distance between themselves and Crystal Palace in 18th place is now five points.

Everton look good value for extending that gap in the next few weeks with some favourable fixtures coming up, starting with Fulham at home this coming Saturday. While the Cottagers have made a decent start to the season under former Everton manager Marco Silva, they will travel to Goodison Park having lost their last two league matches, while the Blues are now playing their football with a sense of rejuvenation.

Much of the credit for that has to go to two specific players. Iliman Ndiaye has already proved to be an outstanding summer acquisition and has quickly won over the fans thanks to his ability to get them off their seats. His name was continuously being sung in the Portman Road away end throughout Saturday’s win, which included a third Everton goal for the Senegalese international. Meanwhile, Dwight McNeil is looking like a new man in his central role and weighed in with another goal contribution on Saturday in the form of an excellent assist for Michael Keane’s expertly-taken goal.

The Blues look far more potent in front of goal than they did last season. Conversely, there were worrying signs from a defensive point of view after the first few matches of the season, but Dyche’s side have now recorded two clean sheets in a row and still have the outstanding Jarrad Branthwaite to reintroduce to the first-team fold, most likely at the expense of Keane, who (whisper it) has actually been one of Everton’s best players this season.

After another difficult start, there is suddenly far more on the field for fans to be positive about, and a Goodison game under the lights awaits this weekend. A second win on the bounce would only serve to enhance the sense of optimism around the club heading into November.

Paul McParlan – A long-awaited away win!

Everton’s failure to win away from Goodison Park had lasted for ten months, so it was encouraging to see the team end that run with a convincing victory at Portman Road last Saturday.

It is never easy going to face a newly promoted side seeking their first win of the season in front of a passionate crowd, but the Blues took control of the game from the start and, with better finishing, could have earned a more convincing victory.

It was uplifting to see Everton playing with ambition and adventure from the first minute and creating chances with an array of skilled passes and crosses. Iliman Ndiaye showed that, in addition to his nimble footwork, he has an eye for goal, and his powerful shot gave the team a well-deserved lead.

The swivel and pass from Dwight McNeil that took four Ipswich defenders out of the game was exquisite, and the thunderous blast from Michael Keane that met it was simply superb. Sean Dyche is not someone who receives many plaudits for his tactical innovation, but his decision to play McNeil as a deep lying forward is reaping rewards.

Jack Harrison also had a far better game, delivering his crosses early rather than trying to beat a man and losing possession. It was the type of performance that the travelling Blues who made that arduous cross-country trek to East Anglia deserved.

Michael Keane has never totally convinced me as a defender, but I have never doubted his abilities as a striker. Once again, on Saturday, he showed that he has an unerring eye for finding the net, and his shots are always powerfully struck and placed.

Give him a chance, and he generally takes it. His crucial goal against Crystal Palace on May 22 that started the comeback that kept us up still lives on in my memory. The last time we won away was at Burnley on December 16, and who scored our second goal? Michael Keane. Under Sean Dyche, we have never lost an away game in which Keane has scored! And anyone who remembers either Joleon Lescott or Derek Mountfield knows how important it is to have a goal-scoring defender in your side.

Fulham have become somewhat of a bogey side to Everton in recent seasons. They have won on their last four League and Cup visits to Goodison Park, and their manager, Marco Silva, always seems determined to prove a point against the team that sacked him in 2019. Nevertheless, Everton are on a decent run of form at the moment, unbeaten in four and with a defence that even without the Carlisle Kaiser, Jarrad Branthwaite, has not conceded in the last two fixtures.

Momentum is so important in football, and the Fulham game is an opportunity to pick up another three points and continue to climb the table. And who knows, Sean Dyche might yet be a contender for the manager of the month award!