Everton did not have the best of season’s last year, which saw Sam Allardyce replaced by Marco Silva in the summer.

The Portuguese manager has made a number of changes to the way the Goodison Park outfit operate on the pitch and has also brought in some new additions which has certainly freshened things up.

That arrival has seen a renewed optimism surround the club of being able to achieve some of their short-term aims, with the club getting back into European football likely being one they want to be able to do.

Everton have had a number of players put in a bunch of impressive performances for the club in 2018, however, without these two at Goodison Park, who knows where they would be.

Jordan Pickford

Despite his horrifying gaff against Liverpool in one of the biggest games Everton will play all season, Jordan Pickford has no doubt been a star for the club.

The goalkeeper joined the club from Sunderland in the summer of 2017 for a fee believed to initially be around £25million and that now appears to be a bargain for the Toffees.

Without his performances in goal, there would be a concern that the club could have had a tougher campaign under Allardyce than they previously had as he continued to make vital saves and performed heroics that allowed him to go to the World Cup with England.

Following on from his superb performances with the national side, he has come back stronger and better and is certainly one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.

Richarlison

Richarlison may have only joined in the summer, however, he has quickly proven to have become one of Everton’s best players under Silva.

The former Watford man was reunited with his manager at Goodison Park for a mammoth fee, which had initially been surrounded by scepticism.

However, the majority of his performances have already gone a long way to justifying the amount paid out for him and has become an important member of the squad.

In his 13 Premier League appearances so far, he has netted seven goals and has become a focal point of the Toffees’ attack, as has Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Should the Brazil international, who earned a call-up to the national side for his performances, keep producing as he has, then he and Everton will surely have a great 2019 ahead of him.

Everton fans – thoughts?