Everton - The Beginning of a New Era

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

Everton - The Beginning of a New Era

New shareholder, new hope! Money to attract higher profile players, money for a new stadium? It's all happening at Everton FC, FINALLY!!

I can't honestly see any negatives. I've been saying to my Dad for the last few years that I'd hate a full takeover by foreigners that don't have any Premier League knowledge. Some consortium or whatever coming in and changing everything, slowly smudging the fantastic reputation we have as a proper football club who do things the right way. Throw tonnes of money at the club wanting instant success and having a hold over the club that they can pull the plug at any given moment. 

Well it seems to me from all the details we've all read to death, that this deal is the best of both worlds. Whatever anyone says about Kenwright no one can deny as a club we have a fantastic reputation and we are largely stable. Now don't get me wrong I know this doesn't exactly follow the club motto, Nil Satis Nisi Optimum but at least we aren't Leeds Utd for example. Having said this times run out on Kenwright delivering a glowing off the field operation in EITC and the 'It could be worse' view a lot of fans have been forced to have. It's now time that he indeed continues to prove we are 'The People's Club' in our off the field activities but now also delivers on the pitch and in that very dusty trophy cabinet! 

Spurs, West Ham, Palace and even Leicester are now looking likely clubs to move onto the next level and challenge for that top 4 on a regular basis. Money for players and new stadiums are proving their worth for these clubs. We've sat around for the last 6 or 7 years thinking, we're spending next to nothing and still competing with the other lot and Spurs for a top 6 finish. While we've been happy doing that, calling it some sort of achievement the others have been plotting their future and are now moving on a level. 

Farhad Moshiri has Premier League pedigree. He's been involved with a very good club in Arsenal. He's filthy rich! If everything we read is true..... Scrap that, if half of what we've read is true, which is more likely, then he's ticking all the right boxes. Mega deals for our current crop of stars mixed with £100M transfer kitty to bolster the squad AND even murmurs of a new stadium! If we're being realistic, this guy isn't throwing £200M at us and buying almost 50% of the club to sit back and let us carry on as we are in a stadium that is no longer fit for purpose. I love Goodison, you love Goodison, we all love Goodison.... But we're mad to think the Old Lady can last forever. A new mega stadium 50k+ capacity to begin with sounds alright to me. Moshiri in time will complete a full takeover you'd expect but for now I'm more than happy with the current deal. 

I play Football Manager, the amount of times I've jumped into the editor and given myself £100M and a new stadium at Everton is crazy... Now it's very close to becoming reality! If you're interested I always call the new stadium Goodison 1878. 

I guess that leads us nicely onto transfers. I put out this very question on my Facebook account. Name 3 players, realistically we could look to sign in the summer. Yarmolenko definitely had the most mentions, followed by Butland. Both realistic I think. I'm not totally convinced yet however about Yarmolenko, I know he's had a long-term contract and Kiev don't want to sell etc, but at 26 surely if he's that good someone could have stolen him away? Wouldn't say no though! One player that didn't get too many mentions was Payet. I think as direct competition for Barkley he'd be a fantastic signing. Unless of course he's a one-season wonder?! Yet to be seen. Mahrez and Vardy had a few shouts, Mahrez will be at a massive European club I'd bet and Vardy is already 29, Leicester would be wanting crazy money for him, is it worth it at that age to get probably a season or two out of him? Rooney, Rooney! As much as my heart tells me seeing Wayne Rooney scoring again in an Everton shirt would be fairytale stuff, my head say's it's not a deal I think will happen. Is he passed his best or has he had enough at United? Would a return home spark life into him and see us win a trophy? If the deal was there and money is no longer an issue you have to take a player of his calibre. Imagine the things the younger players could learn from him and you simply can't brush aside the experience of winning every major trophy brings to a squad. 

Yarmolenko Stats 2015/2016 - transfermarkt.co.uk

Competition
total: 15/16:		23	13	8	2	-	-	1.933'
	Premier Liga	15	8	5	1	-	-	1.285'
	Champions League	6	2	-	1	-	-	468'
	Ukrainian Cup	1	3	3	-	-	-	90'
	Ukrainian Super Cup	1	-	-	-	-	-	90'

There's a couple of foreign wonderkids who's names have popped up but, I think if we do get our current stars signed up and keep them, then this summer we need to make statement signings. If we say to Stones and Lukaku for example, sign a new deal, stay with us and promise big things, we can't go and sign a 19-year-old who's done well in Belgium. We must sign a player that's Premier League ready, first 11 ready. Maybe look towards a Bony, Oxlade Chamberlain, Payet or Butland. A couple of decent names that would stir up some real competition within the squad, players with winning mentalities. What about Ibrahimovic, free in the summer I believe. I think there's a few that aren't doing it at the minute but given a fresh challenge could become much more. Look at Lennon, he clearly needed some new scenery and he's looking as sharp as ever. I'm thinking of Bony, Walcott and maybe even a Chambers at Arsenal. Not quite working for these types at the minute but a new challenge and a club like ours where everyone is now filled with optimism could be win win. 

Asmir Begovic - Decent....

Homeward Bound?

Just writing this post and the fact we're finally playing again tomorrow night is getting me very excited about what's around the corner for our great club! If you're not sure about this new guy, if you're not sure about Kenwright's continued inclusion, if you're not sure about Martinez being trusted with a large budget, just sit back think about the last 30 years (That's my entire life by the way), a few too many relegation scares, an almost this, a nearly that and an, oh not quite this time, surrounding a single FA Cup trophy 20 years ago! For once, let your imagination just go, see what it comes up with, push out your chest a little, raise your chin... What if, just what if... Roberto's dream, our dream, the holy trinity's dream, the school of science's dream of Everton being once again a dominant force in the world of football is right around this very corner. 

Thanks as always for reading, really enjoyed the recent chat's thoughts and ideas on Facebook, Twitter etc... Keep them coming. 

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The Inconsistent View From My Seat

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

The Inconsistent View From My Seat

I started my blog all about Everton Football Club with thoughts of positive articles written throughout the season, mirroring a positive campaign for the Toffees. In reality the only consistency I can see in my writing is the inconsistency of my feelings to how our season is panning out. 

I'm 29-years-old so for me Everton battling relegation, selling on their best players and generally relying on underdog spirited performances to see the season through is normal. An FA Cup win in 1995 and a 4th place finish in 2004/05 are the only real highlights I've witnessed. As a born Evertonian of course I know all the history, League wins, European triumphs and Cup honours, but all of that is now well in the past.... Over 30 years in the past!! 

I'm hearing a lot of negativity this season...A LOT! I like to think I'm a positive person with a positive outlook but I'm also a big fan of facts and reality. David Moyes love him or hate him did prove that with next to no budget, hard work, determination, an eye for a top bargain and a solid foundation that you can be consistently in the hunt for European football. I know we didn't get much of it but finishing in the top 7 most of his time at Goodison now looks even more impressive when you think back to transfer budget allowed to him. I'm not saying I want Moyes back but Martinez is now in season 3, spent more money than Moyes could ever have dreamed about spending at Everton in the same time period and are we really looking like a consistent football team? 

As the title suggests, my views are becoming as inconsistent as our on the field performances. Some weeks I watch us and we look absolutely frightening. In the positive sense, attacking with purpose, Geri looks a world beater, Lukaku smashing in goals whenever he wants and Barkley running the show. Other weeks I watch us and again, we look frightening.... Frightening in the sense that once the opposition get hold of the ball and cross the halfway line I'm already head in hands wondering how many we are going to concede that day! We go from Barcelona to BarcaSundayLeague in the blink of an eye. 

Knee jerk decisions is the term branded around for when you sack your manager without giving them a decent amount of time. What is a decent amount of time? 1 year, 2 years or 3? Personally I think 3 full seasons is an adequate amount of time to have brought in the right players for your vision, to have implemented your philosophy and to be showing signs of how your vision is taking effect. So just over 2 and a half years in we've been treated to what now seems a shock one-off 5th place finish, a terrible one to forget 11th place finish and currently we're starring mid-table in the face once again! 

So if Martinez was replaced after just over 2 and a half years with the team still largely inconsistent and sitting in 11th, 12 points off the top 4, could this be classed as a knee jerk decision? I don't think so. At the same time is it the right time to be sacking our manager anyway? I think I'd give him the rest of the season. 

What I do think is happening at the club however which is the one single biggest issue that is holding us back.... The takeover! How can we be making decisions about Roberto Martinez's future when we have no idea what the future of the club is??!! Are these Americans taking over? If so will they have new ideas on who they want to manage the team? Do they have cash to throw at the team which will attract bigger name managers? Who knows?? 

Sat reading this article back I'm asking myself "What have we discussed today exactly? What have we resolved?" This is exactly my point, nothing really because the entire football club at the moment is in a state of uncertainty. We have potentially the best squad of players in the last 30-40 years yet the results show we are bang average. We've been led down so many garden paths regarding a takeover. We have a manager that show so much attacking potential it's exciting, yet so much defensive naivety it scares us to death when we give the ball away. We can't decide any future until the club has sorted itself out at the very top! Bill Kenwright has taken the club as far as he can go, the time is now for a big takeover and a plan for the future to be put in place to allow everyone to focus 100% on what happens on the pitch. 

More of a little rant than a well thought out article today but needed to get this written so I can try to get on with my life. . . :) 

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Everton FC - Transfer Window & Squad Review

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

Everton FC - Transfer Window & Squad Review

The transfer window has slammed shut and Roberto Martinez insists Everton's goal after each window is to exit stronger than they arrived. Let's review our squad and have a look and see if we are stronger now than when we started the season. 

This January we've brought in 3 players and lost only the 1 permanently. Matthew Foulds is one for the future, Shani Tarashaj again won't be in our first team plans anytime soon as he's back at Grasshoppers on loan and Oumar Niasse arrives with big expectations after £13.5M was splashed out on him. Steven Naismith has left to join Norwich, a great move for him I think and good business by the club. A shame he's left before the likes of McGeady and Kone but the £8.5M we received is very good business for a squad player. Aiden McGeady has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan, I don't think he'll be missed and really I'd have liked his wages off the books altogether. 

This January transfer window has then left us with only Niasse to get excited about. A little difficult to get too excited because if 99% of Evertonians are honest they will admit they've never even heard of the Senegalese striker. Niasse arrives with impressive stats, 12 goals and 10 assists already this season however that doesn't mean quite as much being in the Russian League. The Premier League in England is a completely different animal. However I like to be positive and you can only play who's in front of you. Looking at Niasse, his stats and a few YouTube videos he does look like he can play and let's face it, surely he's a better alternative to Arouna Kone. Kone had a decent spell early in the season but that now seems a very distant memory, another £40K a week we could do with moving on in the summer. Martinez likes to play with a right winger and on the left a roaming playmaker type. Niasse seems a perfect fit, he can play out wide and come inside to score and create goals. For the money we've spent I'd be putting him straight in depending on fitness levels against Newcastle United on Wednesday night. 

Not too much to talk about this January then so I thought I'd take a look at our squad and see how we can move forward during the rest of the campaign. 

Goalkeepers..... Tim Howard has been a major talking point pretty much all season. Apparently he's taken a knock in training this week and will need assessing before the Newcastle match. He's also destined for a return to the US in the summer, his Everton days are numbered for certain. With this in mind, whether he passes a late fitness test or not, I'd be saying to Joel Robles, "Listen Joel, you've improved dramatically over the last 12 months, you're going in goal as No.1 for the remainder of the season. I want you to prove you can be a Premier League No.1 and decide for me whether I'm shopping for a new No.1 in the summer or a back up for you". It is for me the perfect opportunity to give Joel this chance. Howard isn't playing well, he's made a number of mistakes that are unlike the Howard from previous seasons. He's going to be leaving in the summer so now is the time for Robles to be given his chance. I think it would be bad management to continue as we are and wait until next season to give Robles his chance to then be in a similar situation come January 2017 and having to scramble around for a new goalkeeper. Personally I don't believe Robles is the answer but will admit that he is 100% better than he was 12 months ago. 

Our defence is baffling! Say the names out loud to yourself now..... Coleman. Arguably the best right back in the league. Baines. Again, probably the best left back in the league. Stones. Chased by Chelsea and others for £50M plus. Jagielka. Great out and out defender and fantastic leader. Funes Mori, proving a quality acquisition at £9.5M, decent ball player and good in the air. Even our back up youngsters, Galloway, Browning and then add Oviedo. There are a lot worse in the division. Our first team defenders are top class and would individually walk into I'd say any team in the league. So why are we so dreadful at defending? I believe it's all about the tactics. Players are being asked to play a style they aren't comfortable with. Since Jagielka has been back from injury it seems to me he's decided enough is enough. He's rarely been playing around with the ball when under pressure and I've not seen him lump the ball up the field as much before as he has the last couple of games. John Stones is only young and is being asked to be a ball playing defender, which he is very good and capable of doing, however Martinez needs to teach him there's a time and place. 

Coleman and Baines like to play that ball directly inside either to Barry, McCarthy or a little more directly into Lukaku before making their moves down the flanks. Roberto seems to prefer the ball going short inside to Barry or McCarthy, but, Baines loves that direct fast paced ball fizzed directly up to Lukaku, he's does this often and I think it's a much better pass. It moves us up the field quicker and we can play from there rather than around the back four. All these things mixed with a clear low confidence in Howard's recent form means we're defending very deep and trying to defend space rather than attacking players. I've seen tonnes of examples of defending space rather than players and it leads to the majority of our goals conceded. The opposition get the ball down the sides and almost every ball from wide into our box you will see our defenders right on top of Howard and defending the 6-yard box and the opposition hold their run and end up with a free header or strike on goal after the ball is pulled back for them. Many of the goals we've conceded, our defenders have been there, but defending their areas of space as opposed to the attacking player. I've never seen space score a goal!!! 

So a few slight tweaks and I think this can be rectified. Defending the attackers as opposed to space, playing the ball further forward quicker and playing our passing game further up the field rather than deep in our own half. Roberto Martinez needs to show he can make these tweaks, his job for me relies on making some form of tactical changes to get us winning more games!

Midfield is an area where we are strong. Barry is proving that age is really only a number. He's been simply fantastic this season. We all know he has zero pace but that's why we have a McCarthy or a Besic sat in there with him. They dove tail perfectly. These players mentioned added with Cleverly and Barkley make us pretty strong in the centre of the park. Cleverly had a lot to prove for me when he arrived, I wasn't convinced but, his work rate has been excellent and now he's started passing the ball forward more often he's proving a decent squad member. Besic and McCarthy will be the main two I think when Barry does finally tire! McCarthy breaks down play better than most and Besic who also has this ability adds that extra bit where he can pick a pass and also has a trick or two also, he's been extremely impressive in my opinion, just needs to try and stay fit. 

Barkley is class. 12 months ago he dwelled on the ball more often than not, he made the wrong decision when in possession more often than not and he lost the ball a little too regularly. But had that magic and natural ability. Now however, when he dwells he does so with the strength of an Ox, he waits to make the right decision, he doesn't lose the ball as often at all and he sets up goals and now scores them regularly. Oh and he still has that magic and natural ability. For me, Ross Barkley is improving immensely and at the rate we should expect for a 22 year old. Yes please remember, he's 22. He has another few years before he should be at the peak of his powers and he's already this good!! Let's not spoil him, now is the time for making mistakes and learning. We can allow that in return for what he already gives us. 

Lennon, Deulofeu and Mirallas out wide are great attacking options. Lennon puts in a real shift going forward and tracking back. Mirallas can pull out a goal from nowhere and deserves more playing time than he's had this season. Gerard Deulofeu, he's magic you know! When Geri came back to us on a permanent deal I said he could be our Gareth Bale. By this I mean in previous years when we've been on par with Spurs but they've achieved that bit more, it was down to having a special player that in games was the sole difference. Spurs had Bale, we didn't have anyone. I really believe now however that Deulofeu is our star man. He's getting better and better, week by week. The amount of chances he creates and the fear he puts into the opposition is a great advantage to us. He needs to find the net a little more but isn't exactly doing bad in that department either. Again he's only a young player! 

Others in our midfield area such as Osman, Gibson, Pienaar and McGeady are at the end for me. Osman has been the most under-rated player in the Premier League for years, along with Mark Noble from West Ham. But he's finished now. Gibson is injured far too often and is taking up a wage we could re-invest into the squad and McGeady who is out on loan hasn't hit the ground running, he's a non-starter. Pienaar again like Osman has been a good servant to the club but doesn't quite cut it anymore and I'd have a couple ahead of him in the first 11. 

Up top Lukaku is proving every bit a £28M striker, nothing else needs saying here. Niasse, we've already discussed and are hopeful he can add to the team via goals and assists. That leaves us with Kone. Another that needs moving on in the summer. Leandro Rodriguez was brought in and has played a lot of development squad games but is yet to be near the first team squad despite being older than Lukaku! Interesting one he is, at his age you'd think he would be appearing here and there but hasn't....?  

So come the summer I'd be looking at quite a few to be on the departure list opening up spaces for a couple of prospects and several new signings. January is rarely the exciting window, I suppose we should mention the fact we have kept all of our star players this window, that's a positive! In the summer though I'm not even nearly as confident we will be saying the same thing. Let's hope by the summer there has been a takeover that appears imminent, that then attracts a better manager, should Martinez continue with only a Plan A, maybe Pellegrini? A Takeover may convince Stones, Lukaku, Barkley etc to stay and the transfer market could become a completely different place with a bit of financial backing from the possible new owners. 

Lots to discuss, many avenues Everton could go down in the next 6 months but for now let's be honest, we don't have a bad squad and a few tweaks and we could go on a great run and finish up the table and another cup run! 

As always thanks for reading, I'm on all the usual social media. My Blog has now had over 1000 reads which I'm really pleased with, feel free to share! I'm also now published as a regular on breadandbutterfootball.co.uk so check that website out too! 

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Mixed Results. Mixed Feelings.

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

Mixed Results. Mixed Feelings.

Well my previous article was only written the night before Everton hosted Swansea City at Goodison on the 24th January 2016. Well almost exactly 24 hours later this match has happened and I couldn't wait a week before posting my next piece. 

Am I writing this because I'm angry, frustrated, devastated, confused, slightly emotionally unstable currently....YES! I am all of these feelings right now. 

I've just watched Everton, the club I love get beat at home by Swansea City. No disrespect to Swansea, but they're currently having a terrible season and find themselves being pulled into a relegation battle. I think they will admit themselves and the facts prove that they just can't score goals. The commentator said something before the match that really should have told us exactly how today would go. "It's the team that can't score, against the team that can't stop conceding". So what happened? 

The team that can't score simply did.... Aided directly from the team that can't keep the ball out of their net! John Stones with a poor back pass and Tim Howard not reacting quickly enough saw Swansea awarded a penalty. 0-1. Gerard Deulofeu was like a conveyor belt of quality balls into the box today for us to only once supply a finish worthy of the cross. Gareth Barry 1-1. Tim Howard I think had one save to make and did so, only to then be beaten by a deflected shot that looped past him off John Stones, neither really to blame but a turn of good fortune for Swansea, the team that can't score had scored 2! 

The second half went as expected really. We bombarded, wait, Deulofeu bombarded the Swansea defence with quality cross after quality cross for no-one to gamble and finish off as Barry had done in the first half. Another day Lukaku may have scored a brace, others might have slid one home and we win 3-2 or 4-2. It wasn't meant to be today but for some reason this has flipped a switch in myself that has given me a slightly different perspective on our immediate and distant future that I'd otherwise have been putting off. 

I'm a fan of Martinez. When his tactics are working and Everton are in full flow we look simply unstoppable. When we aren't in possession of the ball and the other team put any sort of delivery into our 18-yard box, we are simply terrible. I think the fancy attacking football and goals for tally has been to some extent cancelling out just how bad our goals against tally is. Not entirely, I'm not blind to the poor defensive showings, I'm simply saying the goals we have been scoring has been slightly masking this for a while. Having said that, when the attacking isn't quite working, such as today, then our defensive frailties really let us down massively. 

I mentioned the feelings I am currently experiencing at the start of this and the confused feeling is coming from the fact that Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines, Mori, Galloway etc on paper are a very strong sounding defensive unit. Stones isn't being looked at by all the biggest teams in Europe because he's rubbish. Coleman for me is the best right back in the league. Baines has been the best left back and our own best player all round for several years. Jagielka is solid. Mori is proving a very good signing and Galloway has shown he's ready to slot in whenever called upon. 

So why is our defensive record an absolute shambles? It has to be our tactics. We can delve in even further... McCarthy, Barry and Besic are also quality defensive minded players who can cover the back 4 no problem, can't they? So surely it has to be the tactics these players are being asked to abide by. In Martinez's first season we had a fantastic defensive record. I believe that's because we surprised everyone with the free flowing attacking football that Roberto introduced. The downfall in that impressive season though is now evident after over a season and half of trying to continue in the same fashion despite everyone knowing exactly what we're going to do! There's no Plan B! 

Other teams have figured us out and we're becoming easy to play against. So if I know the tactics need adjusting and you know the tactics need adjusting, when will the guys paid tens of thousands of pounds figure this out? Peter Reid said on Goals on Sunday "What is the right way to play football?" referring to the phrase "Play football the right way" which we associate I suppose with Barcelona?! It got me thinking, he's right! The right way to play football is to play to your strengths. He mentioned Leicester City. They are a counter attacking team, don't mess around at the back, they sit in and when presented with the opportunity they get the ball right up the field and throw bodies forward and attack the opponents box. They're currently top of the league by the way. 

Our strengths are obviously not passing it around in our own 18-yard box. I can count on one-hand the times Tim Howard has launched forward a goal kick to 6"4 Romelu Lukaku as opposed to rolling it to an under pressure centre half. (It's probably more than 5 times but you know what I mean!) 

I guess I'm trying to say we need a Plan B and probably a Plan C too, just incase. Does Martinez have it in his make-up to come up with a different style, to mix it up a little to give us the surprise element again? I'm not sure, but what I am sure of, is that he's running out of time to show us. We look a real top team in that final third, Geri on the right, Barkley through the middle and Rom up top, so why not get the ball up there and play from there, not from our third. 

Moving on, if Martinez isn't able to show us something else, we're dumped out of the cup mid-week and our season therefore effectively over, where do we go from there? Takeover rumours have been flying around for a decade now but we are yet to hear anything solid from Mr Kenwright. So the club is in real limbo at the moment. No takeover, stick with Martinez possibly lose our most valuable assests? Takeover happens, keep our prize possessions and really kick on with Martinez or the new owners choice of replacement? It's really difficult to hazard a guess at what's next for Everton. Even if we do win the Carling Cup and qualify for the Europa League via that route, we had a go at that last year and blamed it for a terrible league campaign, what will be different next time around?

I think the situation off the field needs to be resolved before we can plan for the future. New owners, new manager and go from there. Or Kenwright pledges there is no imminent sale, we will cash in on Stones, Barkley and Lukaku AND bring in a new manager to spend the money we make and rebuild?

I honestly don't know. What do you think? Let me know!! PLEASE! :) 

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2/3 isn't bad, but 3/3 is better!

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

2/3 isn't bad, but 3/3 is better!

A big week lies ahead for Everton, starting with Swansea City in a Premier League fixture, followed by Manchester City in the Carling Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg. Then finishing with an away trip to Carlisle United in the FA Cup.

January was always looking like it could be a frustrating month for us, with matches against Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City THREE times, then throw in Dagenham and Redbridge, Swansea and Carlisle just to add to the fixture list! However, I don't think we've been out-performed by a long way in any of the fixtures so far. A draw with Spurs who at that point were on an amazing run of form. A win against City in the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Final. D&R was a standard professional outing in the cup, followed by decent performances against City again 0-0 and went to Chelsea only to be in my opinion (And pretty much everyone elses) absolutely robbed of a 3-2 win and drew 3-3. 

The Swansea fixture is game 1/3 in a week where Everton really need to turn their promising performances into actual results. Swansea have just appointed a new manager, with this usually comes a run of good form where players are trying to impress the new guy and get themselves back in the team. Hopefully from our point of view however, we will still have a bee in our bonnet about conceding "that" goal in our last match against Chelsea and will repeat the performance we put in against Aston Villa when Remi Garde had only been appointed a week. So odds on 4-0 Everton win right?

We're at the stage now where even I, as positive as I try to remain, need us to start putting 3 points on the board. I've spoken before about the positives at Everton and the potential this squad has to be a real force. I really believe that, however, a mid-table finish and a failed attempt at the cup competitions will most certainly seal the fate of our prized possessions Stones, Barkley and Lukaku. They will be playing European football next season and that's why this week is massive. If we want these players to be playing European football with us, we simply have to win a cup! 

I think these players will give Everton another season if we end this one with a decent run in and climb the table a good few places and qualify for the Europa League via winning the Carling Cup and/or the FA Cup. Winning a trophy could convince this group of players that maybe they should stick around and have another good go at breaking into that top 4 next season. 

So game 2/3 is away at Manchester City for leg 2. Currently leading 2-1 means a draw would be all we need. But, you can't play for a draw and Martinez certainly will not. I think if we can get the first goal then we're well and truly in the driving seat. Their away goal would be cancelled out and they'd have no choice but to come at us leaving space in behind. A goal fest could be on the cards. You'd expect they will score at their place, but even if they get one back it doesn't change too much really as every goal we score past the first gives us the away goal advantage that comes into play after extra time. A draw is OK, a win would be better. 

Game 3/3 is the away trip to Carlisle United. Possible giant killing? I can't see it. Especially if we've just booked a place at Wembley for the final of the Carling Cup a few days prior. The confidence should flow through the entire squad and I'd expect us to overcome Carlisle with ease. 

So, 2 wins from these 3 and a draw sets us up nicely for February, but 3 wins from 3 could be a season defining moment. The confidence could rocket and see us start flying up the table! I HOPE!

Any defeats would really be unacceptable and if things don't go as I've hoped throughout this article then we may see a very different Everton squad come next season. The effects of finishing mid-table and not getting to Wembley in either cup could seriously damage our club, especially after so much promise this youthful squad looks to have. 

Thanks again for reading, I'm on all the usual social media... 

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Who's IN, Who's OUT?

Everton FC - The View From My Seat

Who's IN, Who's OUT?

The transfer merry-go-round is once again upon us, meaning half hearted rumours with not an ounce of truth will litter across the odd genuine transfer deals ready to be made. 

It's a scary yet optimistic time for us Evertonians, whilst we hope our young golden crop of potential stars aren't stolen from our grasp, it also intrigues me if they go for how much and where will that money go? 

Surely John Stones demands a fee in excess of £50M? In fact so must Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku?! Some of the transfers over the last few years mean now we can demand the world for anyone with half decent stats can't we? I seem to be throwing a lot of questions out to you in this article, I think it's because 99% of anything and everything said during a transfer window is full of half rumours, hope, optimism and a genuine feeling of having no idea of what can, can't or might happen! 

Chelsea will no doubt offer £50M for Stones. Man Utd would surely break the bank for Lukaku, they're in desperate need for a proper striker and the last one we gave them hasn't done bad! Barkley, for me I can't seem to decide which "Top 4" club he'd go straight into. Not that he's not good enough, I'm just trying to imagine him in another shirt, I don't want to but you know what I mean. Possibly City? Toure is still having his moments but they're rare and he's getting on a bit, David Silva is small and tricky, Samir Nasri seems to have forgotten where his boots are and the other midfielders are generally defensive. Barkley may be their answer but I'd want a ridiculous price for him. 

I can't see any of them going in January. The summer is different but right now I don't think any of them are looking to leave. Mirallas and Naismith on the other hand look like they have one foot out the door already. It's a shame really because they still and should have more to give to the team this season. There's clearly been some sort of rift between Kev and Bobby. A player with his ability should be involved a lot more, even from off the bench. If he doesn't start against City in the cup on Wednesday then it's 100% he's going I think. It would seem Martinez has chosen 32-year-old Arouna Kone over 28-year-old Kevin Mirallas. Kone had a burst of form at the beginning of the season and fully deserved a run in the team. He scored a few, set a couple up and seemed to bring out the best in Lukaku. However in recent months he's been non-existent for large periods of the game and Lukaku is proving he will score with or without him, thus making Arouna Kone obsolete to our starting 11. 

Kevin Mirallas on the other hand hasn't had chance to do anything. He came of the bench a few weeks back and grabbed himself a typical Mirallas goal and gave us a glimpse of what he's about. Then nothing really since, apart from helping fetch the Lucozades on at half time?! I can't see Bobby's thinking with Kev this season. 

If you don't want to play with two out and out wingers I can understand that Kone role. Defending the left when we haven't got the ball and drifting inside and towards Lukaku when we have. That's fine, especially now Baines is back to provide that left wing attack, but Steven Naismith does this perfectly too! Naismith is an all round better player than Kone and they're fighting for the same spot yet Naisy is left out repeatedly, resulting in him now looking likely to sign for Norwich. It will be a massive shame to see him leave, not only do I have him on the back of my away shirt but he was one of our best players in the opening weeks of the season and he gives 100% every second of every minute he's on the pitch. 

Anyway, back to rumours, hope and optimism mixed with a tint of realism. Realistically, we can't offer European football which means there's only certain players we can attract. I'd like to think our market is mainly within the Premier League. I think that players that are currently playing for the "Top 4" clubs that aren't playing regular is a good place to start. Ramires at Chelsea, Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal, might be a stretch. Bony from City, maybe even, dare I say it.... Fellaini back from Utd? Moussa Dembele at Spurs. There's a few I think we could try and attract. 

The other section I'd like to see us operate in if we do lose anyone would be the stand out players from teams down the bottom end. Wijnaldum from Newcastle for example. I really think we've missed a trick over the last few seasons, we could be even stronger had we gambled on Shaqiri and we should have got Butland, both I think would have chosen Everton over Stoke. There's a few others like this we've missed and now the teams down the bottom are rapidly catching us. 

In all honesty I have very little idea of who would come in. It's a tricky one. I think we definitely need another out and out striker, imagine where we'd be if Rom got injured??!! Doesn't bare thinking about! I think if we bring in a keeper then we will have to buy another in the summer. Howard will be off to America at the end of the season I think and Joel Robles isn't going to play second fiddle to another new goalkeeper so we'd need a new No.1 plus a back up. 

Fingers crossed we keep hold of the entire squad and they sure up their defensive performances and we kick on! 

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