I like these threads by our oppo fans so thought I'd make one for Everton. I'm usually quite optimistic about our chances of the season ahead and it always bites me in the arse but this season I'm not feeling as positive as I usually am. I've gotten sucked into the negativity of last season too much and the transfer window sagas on here that I'm becoming a muppet that is thirsting for a first big signing!
Where are we at?
Last season by all standards was bloody awful. There's no excuse with the squad we have to finish 12th in the league, but I'm also quite thankful that we did. It exposed many things about our side and have shown the core elements that we need to look at moving forward.
1. Digne and Richarlison must be held onto at all costs. These two lads are our only top class players. I'm not a big fan on over-using stats but Digne is the top defender for assists outside of Robertson/TAA and was 8th overall in the PL for chances created - TAA was 3rd and the highest defender, Digne was the 2nd highest defender. He's absolutely vital to our attacking play and he's good enough defensively too. In Richarlison I think we have the most hard working forward in the league and he registered more tackles than any other forward. His pressing from the front and his ability to track back is amazing to see in a forward that is also capable of being our top goalscorer with 15 last season.
2. Our midfield. Goodness me. Our midfield was absolutely overrun last season and exposed horribly. Davies has lost all adrenaline from his breakout season and has reverted to the low level PL quality player he most likely is - I admire his passion and drive but his ability just isn't good enough. Gylfi has regressed massively, he can score and assist and still be one of the worst players on the pitch. Gomes was quality in a 3 under Silva but in a midfield 2 he's just not got the legs to be able to compete...I forgive him a little due to his horrific injury but it's clear that this area of the pitch is in need of monumental improvement. Our CMs registered 3 assists between them all season, that is disgustingly poor.
3. We have a World Class manager. Yes, he's getting older and this is a different project to any that he has had before but he injected some much needed life and passion into a side that is severely lacking any of it. We have lost our 'character' in the past few seasons and we are in danger of becoming a side that is full of mercenaries. We need someone with proven winning pedigree to unite them under the flag of winning rather than money and I really bloody hope that his resume will help in that.
What next?
We are still in the midst of a clear out. We've managed to get rid of wasters like Martina and Niasse from the wage bill and sold Schneiderlin early on too but we are still suffering from the period where Walsh spunked a load on average players for high wages. Brands isn't completely innocent but he has bought our 2 best players and his period at the club has been trying to shift a lot of these average players because our squad right now is still a little bloated. Our wage bill is high and we are going to need to adjust that a bit more before we are able to get players in which is probably why we are in battles to haggle prices.
Main targets?
CM/CAM - It appears that Allan and Doucoure are our main targets for midfield which I'd be a huge fan of. Both would add much needed legs to the midfield and bite that our current players are lacking and we have missed from Gueye last year. The Rodriguez rumours are interesting. I know that Ancelotti loves him but his wages won't be cheap and it will maybe change the formation from the 4-4-2. I believe that DCL isn't a lone striker, he excels with a player like Richarlison alongside him who can play off his target-man type style so it's going to be intriguing to see how that plays out.
RB - Santiago Arias seems to be a player we've been looking at. Brands knows him from PSV days and as Coleman is aging we need some competition there. We do have Kenny back but I think we still need to look for the future in that position.
I'd like us to get in some stiffer GK competition if we don't upgrade on Pickford too.
Who is still to go?
Bolasie, Besic and Sandro are probably the main stragglers that we are still struggling to find buyers for. Bernard is another that Ancelotti doesn't seem to fancy and is on decent sized wages so could do with being shifted if we can. The other problem that we have had is that players that we've bought and have not worked out have either been sold for very low amounts compared to what we bought them for or we have had to let them go on a free after paying a lot for them. That's a terrible business model to follow and one we need to get better with (but I don't think we are learning because Allan and Rodriguez are both in their late 20s).
Other news?
We are apparently working on a role for Baines at the club as a member of staff in some capacity. Stadium is still going ahead, should receive more news about that soon.
Aye, that's all I have from the top of my head right now.
Where are we at?
Last season by all standards was bloody awful. There's no excuse with the squad we have to finish 12th in the league, but I'm also quite thankful that we did. It exposed many things about our side and have shown the core elements that we need to look at moving forward.
1. Digne and Richarlison must be held onto at all costs. These two lads are our only top class players. I'm not a big fan on over-using stats but Digne is the top defender for assists outside of Robertson/TAA and was 8th overall in the PL for chances created - TAA was 3rd and the highest defender, Digne was the 2nd highest defender. He's absolutely vital to our attacking play and he's good enough defensively too. In Richarlison I think we have the most hard working forward in the league and he registered more tackles than any other forward. His pressing from the front and his ability to track back is amazing to see in a forward that is also capable of being our top goalscorer with 15 last season.
2. Our midfield. Goodness me. Our midfield was absolutely overrun last season and exposed horribly. Davies has lost all adrenaline from his breakout season and has reverted to the low level PL quality player he most likely is - I admire his passion and drive but his ability just isn't good enough. Gylfi has regressed massively, he can score and assist and still be one of the worst players on the pitch. Gomes was quality in a 3 under Silva but in a midfield 2 he's just not got the legs to be able to compete...I forgive him a little due to his horrific injury but it's clear that this area of the pitch is in need of monumental improvement. Our CMs registered 3 assists between them all season, that is disgustingly poor.
3. We have a World Class manager. Yes, he's getting older and this is a different project to any that he has had before but he injected some much needed life and passion into a side that is severely lacking any of it. We have lost our 'character' in the past few seasons and we are in danger of becoming a side that is full of mercenaries. We need someone with proven winning pedigree to unite them under the flag of winning rather than money and I really bloody hope that his resume will help in that.
What next?
We are still in the midst of a clear out. We've managed to get rid of wasters like Martina and Niasse from the wage bill and sold Schneiderlin early on too but we are still suffering from the period where Walsh spunked a load on average players for high wages. Brands isn't completely innocent but he has bought our 2 best players and his period at the club has been trying to shift a lot of these average players because our squad right now is still a little bloated. Our wage bill is high and we are going to need to adjust that a bit more before we are able to get players in which is probably why we are in battles to haggle prices.
Main targets?
CM/CAM - It appears that Allan and Doucoure are our main targets for midfield which I'd be a huge fan of. Both would add much needed legs to the midfield and bite that our current players are lacking and we have missed from Gueye last year. The Rodriguez rumours are interesting. I know that Ancelotti loves him but his wages won't be cheap and it will maybe change the formation from the 4-4-2. I believe that DCL isn't a lone striker, he excels with a player like Richarlison alongside him who can play off his target-man type style so it's going to be intriguing to see how that plays out.
RB - Santiago Arias seems to be a player we've been looking at. Brands knows him from PSV days and as Coleman is aging we need some competition there. We do have Kenny back but I think we still need to look for the future in that position.
I'd like us to get in some stiffer GK competition if we don't upgrade on Pickford too.
Who is still to go?
Bolasie, Besic and Sandro are probably the main stragglers that we are still struggling to find buyers for. Bernard is another that Ancelotti doesn't seem to fancy and is on decent sized wages so could do with being shifted if we can. The other problem that we have had is that players that we've bought and have not worked out have either been sold for very low amounts compared to what we bought them for or we have had to let them go on a free after paying a lot for them. That's a terrible business model to follow and one we need to get better with (but I don't think we are learning because Allan and Rodriguez are both in their late 20s).
Other news?
We are apparently working on a role for Baines at the club as a member of staff in some capacity. Stadium is still going ahead, should receive more news about that soon.
Aye, that's all I have from the top of my head right now.
