I'm not one of those people and I doubt they even exist. But 2013/14 was more than promising. Despite the horrible league form, we still could have won the FA Cup last season with a little luck and got to the League Cup final too. Everyone turned against Martinez and he had no chance, let's be honest. But it was his own doing because we were awful. Cannot pretend he didn't raise expectations though right, with his brilliant first season. He gave us our pride back and took on Man Utd and Moyes who deserted us, with the Fellaini and Baines situations, he finished above Man Utd, he beat them away etc etc.
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I'm not one of those people and I doubt they even exist. But 2013/14 was more than promising. Despite the horrible league form, we still could have won the FA Cup last season with a little luck and got to the League Cup final too. Everyone turned against Martinez and he had no chance, let's be honest. But it was his own doing because we were awful. Cannot pretend he didn't raise expectations though right, with his brilliant first season. He gave us our pride back and took on Man Utd and Moyes who deserted us, with the Fellaini and Baines situations, he finished above Man Utd, he beat them away etc etc.
hktoffee
Birds of a feather flock together
Like I say his last 2 seasons outweighed everything he had done in his first season. The number of deadwoods is far more than the players are deemed to be good enough. This is a long rebuilding job. Koeman has more of less fix the defence and these set-pieces crap in one year.
Koeman and Walsh have been able to spend millions on young English players like Lookman and Calvert-Lewin, over £20m twice on Schneiderlin and Bolasie, he already has Lukaku, Baines, Barkley and Coleman, it's not that much of a rebuilding job. Like Koeman says we need world-class players to add to the team. We also have many good youngsters like Dowell, Kenny, Holgate, Walsh, Grant and Browning waiting in the wings. Let's hope the board back Koeman, and that Koeman can attract some class into the team.
hktoffee
Birds of a feather flock together
The market has changed in these years. The transfer fees are inflated. It is a rebuilding job shall I need to list you the number of deadwoods in the team? A squad are not based on 7/8 players.
The trend is going up. Koeman has more money to spend much like Martinez spent (net) a lot more than Moyes.
As Koeman said, if this club want to push on he needs to sign world class players. With regards to the youngsters I would not take too much bet on them because 95% of them will not make it at Everton.
Tom Davies, Mason Holgate, Calvert-Lewin to an extent, and of course Ross Barkley, have already made it. Koeman and Walsh would not have spent £10-11m on Lookman if they didn't expect he could make the first 11 in time too. We also won the Premier League 2 this season. Not all of them will be given extended runs in the team because Koeman will want players who can do it now, so we get in the CL, but don't write off our youngsters! We have a load of them playing for England and other nations at various levels! The most successful team in modern times, Man Utd, consistently gave youngsters a chance and someone like Unsworth respects and understands that and is doing a great job.
hktoffee
Birds of a feather flock together
Holgate, DCL and Lookman are not academy players. They were bought from other teams. I look at the past history normally 1/2 youth player will make it for every 5 seasons.
To break the glass ceiling, Koeman has to buy class players. This is the only way out.
The point is not if they came through the ranks at 9 years old or 15 years old, or we poached them from other clubs, the point is we have a lot of young, promising players and won the Premier League 2 title. Deulofeu was 'deadwood' to Koeman but we might still get £10-15m for him.
hktoffee
Birds of a feather flock together
The transfer fees are inflated. £10m got you Niasse nowadays. What my point is that the deadwood took up wages and it takes time to get rid of them. It will take time for Koeman to build his team.
I honestly don't see why people are overreacting on PL 2 title. If these players are so good Koeman would have play them. Buy smart and class is the aim.
Mcnulty think we will finish two places lower nxt season. I'm actually thinking now he's a div. thought he was an ok journo
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
It's not though is it? I've always said its importance is not that figure itself but that is a marker we have to surpass to even think about CL football. That's meaningful
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
McNulty is an Everton pariah. People should spit when his name is mentioned.
He'll only be remembered as a local media rat who did his best to unseat the greatest living Evertonian from his job on behalf of a hamper magnate from the Wirral.
ijjysmith
Calm
But if we'd got 73 points we still wouldn't have got CL football.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
Yes, this year you needed 76. But how does that negate my point? What makes you think I'm saying we have to aim one point beyond that total?
Are we agreed at least that getting 72+ points has to be the target if we're to get CL football anytime soon?
Certainly upper 50 points / lower 60 points totals aren't going to do it.
ijjysmith
Calm
Fair enough.
No manager in the history of world football would have got this current crop of footballers any closer to CL football (no matter the points) than we did this year.
In my own opinion of course. We're the 7th best team on paper. And as it turned out, in reality too.
It's on the quality of player. And I really worry that we won't ever be able to bring in much better than we have.
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