Personally can’t wait for the AFCON because Everton managers and fans need to let go of the crutch that is playing Gana Gueye every single game in midfield. Everton have managed in their history to play football without him in a midfield you know but whenever it’s mentioned it’s like it’s an impossibility, ‘no it must be 4231 with Gueye in midfield’. I don’t see why, it’s an absolute terrible formation and he’s not even playing very well and has been part of every terrible Everton team we’ve had recently.
I’m looking forward to see an Everton manager finally forced just to pick someone else and not play a bloke in his mid 30s for 95 mins every week in the quickest physical competition in the world.
Garner sitting with Alcaraz and Rohl crashing the box ahead of him for me. KDH and Iroegbunam can compete for either of the two attacking mid positions.
Dec 21st - Jan 18th
We also need the perfect storm of KDH picking up a 3 match ban so we can play our best team.
Kinnear laid out the targets for the season in the interviews he gave to the club channel and the fan channel. Top half and a run in the cup. I think that’s the year one target the Friedkins will be looking for.
There is a massive disconnect between the ambitions that they laid out, and what they have actually done. Top half really? Let’s look:
Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea, Spurs, United, Newcastle, Villa, Forest, Palace, Bournemouth.
11 teams there - which 2 do we have a significantly better squad than?
This is very insightful.
So Kinnear is under orders for top half while it looks like on paper the best we can hope for is 12th.
For me, there were 2 ways to go in the summer;
A: Short term impact
B: Long term development
With the players Moyes used last season continuing this season I was confident we'd reach 13th again.
So if we had taken option B and signed the likes of Dibling, Alcaraz, Aznou and similar type high potential signings then i'd have been very happy and enjoy watching them integrate and develop this season.
That would have given me confidence that we were looking to build a top 4/6 challenging team over 2-3 seasons.
However, Rohl and Barry were 23 and neither A or B types, KDH is 27 overpriced and misused while the loan signing of Grealish is as short term as it gets.
As I was lambasted for saying then, I'll repeat that the window was a 3/10 and only a 4/10 or 5/10 because we signed Dibling.
With total fees KDH, Barry, Rohl & Grealish = £88mil.
I'm not currently remotely bothered if any of them are here next summer.
Because of that, Moyes has to get Europe as the 12th/13th best team or I want him sacked.
Instead of crying about not being able to attract 'quality' (McGinn & Tete???) he should have focused on building a top young side.