This hasn’t been the greatest of seasons for Everton. After the wonderful, inspiring football of last season and the challenge for a Champions League spot, they sit just six points off the relegation zone this time around and haven’t been competitive in either domestic cup.

No one is quite sure of the reason for this dip in form, but one obvious possibility is that their squad depth can’t handle the extra games, not to mention the travel to odd destinations that a campaign in the Europa League can bring. It would certainly explain why they have had such trouble getting going this season – each time they play well or manage to win a game, they can’t capitalise and build on it. That problem might just be the Europa League.

But if Europe is the problem, it may also be the solution.

For a start, the Toffees have very little else to play for this term. The club who finished fifth last season find themselves looking nervously over their shoulders rather than trying to climb the table. So the only competition left for them is also the only one they’ve managed to be quite impressive in.

They negotiated a tough group, including both Lille and Germany’s surprise package Wolfsburg, admirably and looked impressive as they disposed of Young Boys with a convincing aggregate scoreline (7-2) in the first knockout round. If they can repeat this form against Dynamo Kiev over the next two Europa League games, Everton might start to look to the competition as the chance of silverware to save their season.

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Yet victory in the Europa League would do more than simply save their season. If you look at the prize on offer for winning it, it would actually create the most successful season in recent Everton history!

The winner of the Europa League this season gets an automatic place in next year’s the Champions League. That’s the prize that’s tempting most of the clubs still fighting in the competition to fight that little bit harder. And there are some good ones left in it, too.

Inter Milan, Napoli, Wolfsburg, Roma, Fiorentina and last season’s winners, Sevilla, are all still in the competition and stand in Everton’s way (though Roma play Fiorentina and Inter face Wolfsburg, so they can’t all go through).

With a place in the Champions League, as well as a shiny new trophy for the cabinet – it would be their first since the 1995 FA Cup – on offer, Everton need to prioritise this competition above the league and see how far they can go. Even if it means taking them dangerously close to a relegation battle.

If Everton were to win the Europa League, then England would have another place in the Champions League, too. It wouldn’t, according to the Daily Mail, knock the 4th-placed team out of the Champions League, much to the chagrin of Everton fans if they did manage to win it and Liverpool finished fourth in the league! And should the Champions League winners also qualify through their league place, Everton would not have to go through the qualification rounds – they wouldn’t suffer the same agony as in 2005/06 when they were thrashed by Villarreal and knocked out of Europe before the season began in earnest.

It is also worth noting that England would get five Champions League entries next season too, should the Toffees win the cup – with Chelsea losing, City and Arsenal on the brink and Liverpool and Spurs already out, this could help the coefficient a great deal.

It may be a gamble, but like all good bets it has a healthy return: winning the Europa League and finishing 17th would mean a trophy and possibly automatic Champions League qualification. It is compelling to believe that even this would be a better season outcome than even finishing in 4th place would be for the Toffees.

The Europa League would not just save Everton’s season, it would make it.

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