Welton Toffee
Player Valuation: £40m
Over the past few years the so called “big four” of English football have dominated in both the Premier League and the domestic tournaments. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have looked seemingly untouchable with their endless supply of transfer funds and mega rich stars. However, this season “small club” (according to Rafael Benitez anyway) Everton have a very real chance of breaking this monopoly for the first time since, well, Everton in 2005.
Six years ago Everton were a club going nowhere fast. Walter Smith was sacked leaving David Moyes to take over a squad of ageing, distinctly average players. However, in his first full season in charge, Moyes guided Everton to a seventh place finish in the Premier League, their highest for seven years. Fast forward two years and Evertonians were enjoying their first top four finish since the inauguration of the Premier League. With very little spending money, Moyes had got the very best out of his group of players.
Now, as we enter the latter stages of the 2007/08 season, Everton once again have a chance of Champions League qualification. In the six years Moyes has had at the helm of Everton, he has built a fantastic squad. On a sometimes shoe string budget he has made some of the best value for money signings in Premier League history. Both Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill, arguably Everton’s two best players, were bought for a combined fee of less than £5 million. This shrewdness in the transfer market has meant Everton’s young, skilled squad is totally unrecognisable from the side which the Scottish manager took over.
So could they actually finish fourth? Absolutely. Their Merseyside rivals Liverpool are undoubtedly still favourites, whilst Aston Villa still have a good chance. However, Everton are currently playing some of the best, if not the best football they have played in the twenty-first century. A rock solid defence including Lescott, Jagielka and Yobo has meant that it is extremely difficult to score against them. Indeed, before Jermain Defoe’s strike for Portsmouth in the first match of March, it had been over seven hours of play since they had conceded. The midfield is similarly effective. A system of Lee Carsley sitting in front of the defence, allows the flair players such as Arteta, Cahill, Osman and Pienaar to create chances. Up front, Yakubu has been a revelation since joining from Middlesbrough for a club record fee of £11.25 million. Eighteen goals have already been scored by the Nigerian hit man this season. No wonder Everton haven’t lost a league game in 2008.
It’s not just the Premier League that has seen the best of them this season though. Last season’s sixth place finish meant UEFA Cup qualification and the blues have been outstanding in this competition so far. After a shaky start in the first round against Ukrainians Metalist, Everton went on to win all four of their group games before overcoming Norwegian champions SK Brann in the last 32, winning 8-1 on aggregate.
It is fair to say that this is the best team Everton fans have seen since the championship winning side of the 1986/87 season, and there is a real belief around Goodison Park that they can achieve something special. Everton could have been in an even stronger position this season if it hadn’t been for string of bad refereeing decisions against them. All team’s fans feel badly done to by refs, but Evertonians have had reason to feel particularly aggrieved this season. Not one single penalty has been awarded to the Blues in the league this season, despite a number of fouls, bordering on assault occurring in opposition penalty areas. It is usually suggested that these things ‘even themselves out’ before the end of the season, hopefully this will be the case.
Whatever happens between now and the second weekend in May, this has been an astonishing season for the blue half of Merseyside. They have emerged as a real force to be reckoned with, and with a quality young manager in David Moyes, they should be in a strong position for years to come. As for this season, only time will tell…
David Robson - Welton Toffee
Six years ago Everton were a club going nowhere fast. Walter Smith was sacked leaving David Moyes to take over a squad of ageing, distinctly average players. However, in his first full season in charge, Moyes guided Everton to a seventh place finish in the Premier League, their highest for seven years. Fast forward two years and Evertonians were enjoying their first top four finish since the inauguration of the Premier League. With very little spending money, Moyes had got the very best out of his group of players.
Now, as we enter the latter stages of the 2007/08 season, Everton once again have a chance of Champions League qualification. In the six years Moyes has had at the helm of Everton, he has built a fantastic squad. On a sometimes shoe string budget he has made some of the best value for money signings in Premier League history. Both Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill, arguably Everton’s two best players, were bought for a combined fee of less than £5 million. This shrewdness in the transfer market has meant Everton’s young, skilled squad is totally unrecognisable from the side which the Scottish manager took over.
So could they actually finish fourth? Absolutely. Their Merseyside rivals Liverpool are undoubtedly still favourites, whilst Aston Villa still have a good chance. However, Everton are currently playing some of the best, if not the best football they have played in the twenty-first century. A rock solid defence including Lescott, Jagielka and Yobo has meant that it is extremely difficult to score against them. Indeed, before Jermain Defoe’s strike for Portsmouth in the first match of March, it had been over seven hours of play since they had conceded. The midfield is similarly effective. A system of Lee Carsley sitting in front of the defence, allows the flair players such as Arteta, Cahill, Osman and Pienaar to create chances. Up front, Yakubu has been a revelation since joining from Middlesbrough for a club record fee of £11.25 million. Eighteen goals have already been scored by the Nigerian hit man this season. No wonder Everton haven’t lost a league game in 2008.
It’s not just the Premier League that has seen the best of them this season though. Last season’s sixth place finish meant UEFA Cup qualification and the blues have been outstanding in this competition so far. After a shaky start in the first round against Ukrainians Metalist, Everton went on to win all four of their group games before overcoming Norwegian champions SK Brann in the last 32, winning 8-1 on aggregate.
It is fair to say that this is the best team Everton fans have seen since the championship winning side of the 1986/87 season, and there is a real belief around Goodison Park that they can achieve something special. Everton could have been in an even stronger position this season if it hadn’t been for string of bad refereeing decisions against them. All team’s fans feel badly done to by refs, but Evertonians have had reason to feel particularly aggrieved this season. Not one single penalty has been awarded to the Blues in the league this season, despite a number of fouls, bordering on assault occurring in opposition penalty areas. It is usually suggested that these things ‘even themselves out’ before the end of the season, hopefully this will be the case.
Whatever happens between now and the second weekend in May, this has been an astonishing season for the blue half of Merseyside. They have emerged as a real force to be reckoned with, and with a quality young manager in David Moyes, they should be in a strong position for years to come. As for this season, only time will tell…
David Robson - Welton Toffee
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