Ancelotti:'I Can't Wait To Continue Building Special Supporter Relationship'

Good evening, everyone.

We want to create consistency in our team and today is an opportunity to show we are making progress towards this target.

It was important to win at Fulham on Sunday – this was our main objective, more than the performance – to leave behind our bad period.

The start of the season was a good surprise for us. We expected to play well and have a different mentality and attitude from last season – but nobody can predict you will win seven straight games.

The bad part was our defeats. Every team can lose, that is football, but our first reaction was not so good.

There were difficulties with losing some players but, honestly, we could have done better.

You have to keep trust and belief in what you are doing and that is something we can learn from those matches.

It was difficult to prepare for Fulham because after the Manchester United game most of my players went away with their national teams.

We wanted to change something in our system but had only two training sessions with all the squad.

When you ask for something different from players, you know the reaction will be good.

They are motivated because it is a new challenge and a chance to prove their quality in other ways.

We used Alex Iwobi and Lucas Digne as wing-backs and they gave us more players in front when we attacked.

Alex did really well and I was pleased for him. He stayed serious every day when he wasn’t playing and in that position could show his qualities.

Lucas and Alex both kept pushing in the first half and provided a lot of crosses.

This is a good plan for us because Dominic is so efficient in the box. He is smelling goals in this moment and consistently in the right positions.

It is a big advantage to have the Premier League’s top scorer in your team. Dominic has a fantastic attitude, he wants to learn and is always looking for the small details which can help him improve.

Our spirit was strong when the game became more difficult.

Some players were tired after travelling for international games and we lost energy.

The mentality changed to protecting our lead and we did this quite well.


We worked this week on our defensive process. It is important to be more compact in our backline but this issue is for all the players.

Everyone plays his part in defending.

It is an aspect where you can work mentally, too. To defend properly doesn’t require technical skills.

The teams who don’t concede many goals are focused and concentrated and really serious about stopping opponents from having space where they can hurt you.

To say you will score three or four goals in every game is impossible and for the consistency we want our defending must improve.

We welcome Marcelo Bielsa and the staff and players of Leeds United.

Leeds were away from the Premier League a long time but I know this is a proud club with history in the European Cup and Champions League.

Playing Leeds at home is a big fixture and in normal circumstances, this would have been a special evening, with Goodison Park full and the floodlights on.

Marcelo’s team has personality and this comes from the manager.

I have never faced Marcelo and I hope one day to sit with him and listen to him talk about football.


We have so many games coming and when there is the possibility to take a lot of points it is important to be ready and confident.

The chance is there today to make sure we enter this period in a good mood.

I was really happy this week with the announcement we can start having some supporters back in stadiums.

We have to wait for more information but seeing a possible end to playing in empty grounds will lift the spirits of everyone in football.

We continue to do our jobs and try our best because we are professionals and it matters to our lives that Everton win.

But it is the connection between players and fans that creates excitement and tension and adrenaline and so many other emotions we don’t get anywhere else.

I want to experience again that feeling in the ground of being part of this Everton family.

When we have our supporters at Goodison, or with us at away matches, there is a sense of us all being together.

I can’t wait to continue developing that special relationship.

For now, please take care and stay safe.

Carlo.