Everton Need To Start Spending
When watching Everton towards the end of last season you could see that things needed to change both on the pitch and also in the dugout.
Roberto Martínez has since departed with Dutch boss Ronald Koeman taking over the reigns on the 14th of June. But since that arrival things have slowed down at Goodison Park. Yes the news that Steve Walsh had joined as the new director of football was welcomed with optimism but more needs to be done to recruit good players before the new season kicks-off.
We were told that a £100m transfer fund would transform the squad and make them possible contenders for a top four finish.
But as we creep into August and with the Premier League season starting in just twelve days time Everton don’t look to be doing enough to improve playing personnel.
Despite being linked with a host of stars like Axel Witsel, Ashley Williams, Jose Fonte, Idrissa Gueye, Kasper Schmiechel, Fraser Forster, Marko Arnautovic, Kara Mbodji, Lamine Kone, William Carvalho, Kalidou Coulibaly and Juan Mata this summer Everton have only concluded one deal thus far. That one arrival has been back-up keeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Fulham. That has hardly been the exciting summer the Evertonian fans were expecting.
The rumours surrounding the big departures of Romelu Lukaku and John Stones have only grown in recent weeks too and that is just more unsettling news for the home fans.
So Everton really need to start concluding big deals, freshen things up and let people see Koeman’s plans take place.
If they don’t happen then it could be an extremely tough season for the blue side of Merseyside.
Last term they seemed to have a squad that was carrying a lot of deadwood or players just not up to the task. Yet too many of those underperforming players are still at the club and haven’t been moved on. The club cannot afford to waste anymore time in replacing them, they need to bring in the fresh faces now to galvanise the whole team and get the fans excited for the new campaign and era!
It really looks as though Everton are standing still or waiting, rather than being proactive in this transfer market.
Veteran goalkeeper and former number one, Tim Howard has left the side this summer. We already know that Stekelenburg isn’t a fully reliable number one in the Premier League. I’m certain the same can be said of Joel Robles, who can turn in a star performance one week and then throw in two howlers in the next game. Neither goalie instills confidence in those around them be it fans or teammates.
Even if Lukaku stays at Goodison the Toffees will need to add another forward to the pool.
In January they forked out £13.5m on Oumar Niasse but the Nigerian hasn’t settled into the team and has look very laboured when he’s made his odd appearances. He has simply looked very unconvincing. Everton may be happy to let him leave after just six months at the club.
No one has really been that perfect foil for Romelu and that needs to change. If the Belgian hitman does indeed leave in a £68m move back to Chelsea, then Koeman will probably need to bring in two new forwards and for them to form a perfect partnership!
More than a few Evertonians will tell you that the current squad would be significantly improved if they can bring in a consistent and productive left-winger.
The main priority for Koeman and Walsh is to find new central defensive recruitments. too many times last term the defence was weak and under prepared. Everyone and their auntie could tell you that Martinez struggled to get anything from his back four and that they needed someone new in there.
They quickly need to resolve the situation regarding John Stones. It’s looking a bit like Groundhog day with Man City instead of Chelsea desperate to sign the young England international. There is no doubting Stones has ability and plenty of potential but last season he played like he was constantly distracted by all the transfer talk and it hampered his game and Everton’s season also suffered. If the Toffees can get around £50m for the centre-back then they should agree to sell and do it asap.
That would mean they’d probably need two new centre-backs.
Argentine defender Ramiro Funes Mori had a mixed season and it remains to be seen if Everton can rely on him for a full season. Ageing stalwart Phil Jagielka is picking up more and more injuries and that will concern the new management team.
So ideally Everton would want a new commanding central defender and one with pace and poise to compliment each other. Not an easy task, especially in this transfer window as fees are reaching absolute ridiculous levels.
But if the Toffees are serious about growing and improving then it looks like they need to bite the bullet, identify new recruits and splash the cash!
At the moment the squad still looks disjointed and I doubt the defence is any better than that of last season, when they would crumble under sustained pressure.
But can they solve all these problems this month? Well that really is the £100m question!
Posted on August 1st, 2016 by scott
Filed under: Article
It is very worrying, we do not have strength in depth and quite a few below par players, we really do need to get some quality in and the poor ones out
Worrying times at Everton presently. Less than two weeks until the first game of the season and we still need a minimum of seven additional players to even balance the squad. Namely: A first choice goalkeeper, cover at right back, two centre backs (assuming Stones goes, and personally I can’t get him out of the door quick enough), a left sided midfielder, a creative and adept central midfielder and at least one more quality striker (assuming Lukaku stays). We appear to be struggling to attract players of the calibre we want in the wake of the Martinez era and its associated lower league finishes. To end on a positive note, I feel that the gravity of the overhaul required will now be fully appreciated by Koeman etc., and I think they have the necessary coaching quality to complete the task. It may, however, be a progressive undertaking as opposed to a wave of the magic chequebook resolution. Fingers crossed.
Fans have grown weary over several seasons because the club “appear” to have adopted a policy of “last minute” buys or loans which always smack of desperation.
The club should have moved faster re the managerial position and having finally made their decision should have got straight into strengthening the team instead of allowing themselves to be playing catch up to rumour…if at all.
All the dilly dallying over Lukaku and Stones who clearly do not want to pull on the famous blue shirt has done nothing at all to subdue the fans.
Get shut now and get players in who are keen to wear Toffee Blue.
It may feel concerning but I don’t think it is. Moshiri showed determination, ambition, and financial muscle to secure Koeman. The same can be said about the Walsh appointment. On the assumption that Walsh was a target from the offing – highly likely – then it is only right Everton would pause and wait for him to settle in before committing to transfer targets. Imagine spending time and money purchasing players who had not been approved by the new team? With Koeman and Walsh in position (plus some time to settle and bond) only now are Everton placed to enter the transfer market and harness both skill sets to successfully recruit talent to make the most of the Moshiri millions and realise Evertonian ambitions.