Ancelotti Urges Richarlison To Improve Upon Goal Return

Richarlison is set to make his 100h Premier League appearance for the Toffees against Aston Villa later on Saturday since his move from Watford in the summer of 2018.

The 23-year-old Brazilian international has struck 32 times in the top flight since moving to Goodison Park but just six of them have come in the 2020/2021 season.

For a player of Richarlison’s quality, Ancelotti is expecting more from the 2019 Copa America winner and has admonished him to improve upon his numbers.

“Not so consistent for the quality he has,” the Everton manager said when asked to assess Richarlison’s season.

“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. 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.”