Ancelotti: Richarlison can do better

Everton head coach Carlo Ancelotti wants more from forward Richarlison after a return of only six goals this Premier League season.

The Brazilian forward, who has been at Everton since 2018, is preparing to make his 100th appearance for the Toffees on Saturday against Aston Villa.

Richarlison scored in four consecutive league games for Everton in February and March but has otherwise had a lean campaign by his standards.

During Richarlison’s first two seasons at Goodison Park he produced back-to-back 13-goal campaigns for the Toffees, with 2020-21 representing a significant drop in output despite the side’s rise into the top eight.

“Not so consistent for the quality he has,” Ancelotti said. “It is acceptable that he has not been at his best.

“He had problems at the beginning of the season. He started well but was then suspended, travelling with the national team and then was out for personal reasons.

“From a physical viewpoint he was not always at the top, and this affected his technical performances.

4 – Richarlison has scored in four consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time, becoming the first Brazilian to do so in the competition. JogaBonito. pic.twitter.com/2c6iJSTid8

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2021

“He had a good spell when Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] was out but he can do much better next season for sure, and I hope he can do better at the end of this season as well.

“He is a young player with a strong motivation because he wants to play for us, for the national team, and he wants to play in the Olympic Games. But we must not lose sight of the fact he is still a young player.

“When I say he can do better, it is not because he lost confidence or is not good enough. He is a fantastic striker, a top player, and he has had a normal season. But for the quality he has he can do much better.”