What Everton manager said about disappointing season proves contract decision is the right one

Everton boss Brian Sorensen recently described his team's attempts to generate some momentum as like "trying to build a plane while already flying."

Indeed, in a campaign that has been defined by injuries, departures and paltry finances, it is hardly a surprise that the Blues have, at times, struggled to navigate through the turbulence. But, after putting pen to paper on a new deal that will see him remain in his post until at least June 2026, the Dane will surely now be hoping the months ahead bring much clearer skies and far fairer winds at Walton Hall Park.

"I’m very happy - I really like it here," Sorensen told club media this week. "I like the club, I like the people in the club and I like the fans. There’s a plan in place, we have a good future and a good squad going forward. I think it’s important to show in the background there’s a plan."

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While one look at the Women's Super League (WSL) table will tell you that plan has failed to yield much success this term, there is certainly something to be said for managerial stability at a time when the wider landscape of Everton Football Club has scarcely been more tumultuous. The Blues' bruising 6-0 reverse against Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday night represented a sickening nadir in a season that keeps conspiring to find new ways to corrode expectations.

That defeat means Sean Dyche's side have managed just one win in their last 15 league games and currently find themselves only two points above the relegation zone. It is little wonder, then, that there is an increasing groundswell of discontent within a fanbase whose steadfast devotion has been one of the solitary highlights of a bleak few years.

But, while calls for Dyche's head are growing louder, there is a quiet recognition amongst the vast majority of Everton Women's fans that Sorensen's efforts in the most trying of circumstances merit the awarding of a new deal. The Blues are currently 10th in the WSL, nine points clear of the drop zone, with just four wins from their 18 league games.

The numbers do not exactly point to a club on the right path and yet there is a sense that, without Sorensen at the helm, Everton would find themselves in even choppier waters. When he arrived on Merseyside in the summer of 2022, the need for seismic change -both on and off the pitch - was glaring.

The Blues had finished the previous season in 10th place, having sacked both longtime manager Willie Kirk and his replacement Jean-Luc Vasseur during the course of the campaign. On Sorensen's watch, there was an immediate overhaul of the playing squad - with nine departures and 10 incomings - with an emphasis on recruiting exciting young talent with international pedigree.

The approach quickly bore fruit as Everton impressed during the early months of the season, with their stunning Merseyside derby win at Anfield seeming to encapsulate the extent of the club's radical transformation under Sorensen. Although the Blues struggled to replicate that scintillating form week in week out, the fact they finished the campaign in the top half of the table, with their second-highest WSL points tally, seemed to constitute enormous progress.

The big cost of that progress, though, was the departure of some of Everton's star performers. Loanees Jess Park and Aggie Beever-Jones both returned to their parent clubs after impressing on Merseyside. That the duo have both excelled this term, for Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, is a testament to Sorensen's ability to nurture young talent.

Meanwhile, centre-back Rikke Sevecke left for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) side Portland Thorns last summer and fellow defender Gabby George was the subject of a deadline day swoop from Manchester United.

"I don’t know if I was surprised because I know that United have the funds to do it," Sorensen said of the Reds' decision to activate George's £150,000 release clause. "When they came and asked, they said they wouldn’t (sign her) but they changed their mind and they did. That’s football."

Certainly, the Dane was right to point to United's superior spending power. According to Deloitte's Football Money League, only European Champions Barcelona recorded a higher revenue (€13.4m) than the Manchester club (€8m) in 2023.

Everton's reported revenue of €1.3m, meanwhile, was less than that of six other WSL teams, including city rivals Liverpool (€2.1m), who had only been promoted to the top flight the previous summer. Amidst the backdrop of the club's overarching financial difficulties, the figures hint at the uphill battle Sorensen has had to face in order to build a side capable of competing at the top level.

The 43-year-old admitted last year that Everton were aware of their place in the WSL's "food chain" - a fact which hit home again when Sweden international Nathalie Bjorn joined reigning champions Chelsea in January. Her exit meant the Blues were left with just one recognised centre-back - club captain Megan Finnigan - in their entire squad.

When she fell ill ahead of last month's clash with Manchester City, midfielders Justine Vanhaevermaet and Lucy Hope had to be relied upon in central defence. That there was no money in the coffers, either last summer or in January, to recruit another quality defensive option speaks volumes about the strict financial parameters Sorensen and his staff have had to work within over the past 12 months.

Life has been made even harder for the Everton boss by a near-incessant injury crisis that has, at times, made it difficult to even field a starting XI. That Everton have underperformed on their expected goals (xG) more than any other team in the division this term also hasn't helped with their erratic form.

Still, there is a sense within the Blues' ranks that this is a team that is headed in the right direction. Sorensen's possession-based, front-footed playing style - in part inspired by Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi - is often cited as one of the club's biggest draws, while the togetherness in the squad seems to have strengthened, rather than wilted, in the face of adversity.

“This is one of the best groups I have worked with, for sure," Sorensen said after penning his new deal. "They stick together and believe. In tough times, they've found the wins - games like West Ham away, Villa away - that really shows the character of the group. We’re all determined to keep moving forward with Everton."

With so much uncertainty surrounding Everton's near future, it would be naive and perhaps unfair to expect the club to suddenly catapult the women's team to the top of its priority list. But, while Sorensen's services are guaranteed for another two seasons, the Blues' success is not, and those holding the purse strings must do their best to ensure this disappointing season becomes an anomaly, rather than the norm.

Only then, when the manager is properly backed, will Everton truly have lift-off.