As Everton manager David Moyes appears to be getting ever closer to signing a new five-year contract, questions are being raised as to where he and currently 15th placed Everton are heading.
With consecutive top six finishes for the first time in the Premier League, there was confidence at the start of this season that Moyes could further build on that relative consistency.
Notable signings
Moyes’s most successful seasons with Everton have been largely due to some shrewd acquisitions. When they broke into the top four in the 2003/2004 season, Moyes replaced Wayne Rooney with James Beattie, and Mikel Arteta came in for the influential midfielder Thomas Gravesen.
Arguably Tim Cahill has been Moyes’ best deal to date, however, plucking him from Millwall for £1.5m. Cahill finished the season as top scorer for Everton.
Everton’s success has been largely dependent on these astute transfer dealings and breaking their club record spending on a player year on year.
Central midfielder Marouane Fellani from Standard Liege is Everton’s record-breaking signing for this season. He signed on deadline day, and so far his £15m transfer fee has not looked value for money.
Physical approach
It takes strong technical ability and physicality and occasionally a bit of luck, to break into the dominant ‘Top Four’ in the Premiership. Physical strength and commitment to the challenge, has long been recognised as Everton’s asset.
Everton beat Arsenal at home in their 2006/07 campaign through Andrew Johnson’s late goal largely through their robust approach and Arsenal’s profligacy in front of goal. Click here for a clip of the goal.
Everton had conceded 16 goals in their first eight games of the season prior to losing to Standard Liege midweek. Their characteristic closing down of players was absent.
Defensive frailties and a greater fluid partnership between Yakubu and Louis Saha will need to be rectified if they have any chance of challenging for a high league spot this season.
Aston Villa: An ideal model
Aston Villa currently lie fourth in the Premier League after six games played. Villa have physical presence all over the pitch in Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew and Martin Laursen and scintillating pace and technical panache in Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner.
Villa boast home grown talent in spades, and among them Gareth Barry was a firm target for multi-winning Champions League side Liverpool.
If Moyes wants to achieve sustainable success with Everton, it’s going to take some fresh development of ideas and talent such as Villa’s in order to compete.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment