Quality or Quantity?

[Caolam]

We have tried quantity and it didn’t work time for some quality.

 

[Coggy]

...I think that’s a fair assessment. If we are to have a successful loanee, I hope it’s Gordon as I think there are signs of real talent.

One of my lads mates is on the books at PNE and says that Gordon looks different class.
Whether that means he is good enough for us going forwards , I don't know.

 

[PSB1]

Quality. Every. Time.

 

[Carlito]

The new right-back needs to be ready to play, obviously.

I'm not sure what age range the next senior striker to join will fall into, but he needs to be experienced enough for Ancelotti to see him as a viable alternative to Calvert-Lewin.

Also, since the club has been paying people £1m a year to identify promising talent for years now, I'm wondering when our Modric / Fabregas is finally going to arrive?

So yeah, three quality players please.

 

[messymascot]

RB needs to be an attacking minded player and also ready to be a starter.
RF ideally left footed the type of player that contributes 10-15 goals per season. If he can also play through the middle it would be a bonus.
GK needs to be a starter.
AM if we don't get a top class GK and we bring one in on the cheap my 3rd player would be a player who can chip in with 8-12 goals per season.
ST if there is any money left this would be my final player.
Obviously if we get both the AM and RF James doesn't have a set starting position but if he plays the games he's fit in either position and the other rotate and cover the games he's not available.

 

[Tree13]

If you bring in top-quality players you automatically improving your starting XI and simultaneously create some squad depth. It's not an either / or debate.

If you bring in players that aren't as good as your current starting players, you'd better not be paying a hefty fee or big wages because (as we have seen with Delph, Tosun, and so many others) you quickly discover that you have someone on your payroll who you don't ever want to see on the pitch, but that no-one else will buy from you either.

Once you have a decent starting player in every position, then you start looking at things like remaining contract length, age, performance trend over time, injury patterns and wages to determine who needs replacing in what order. For instance, our need to bring in a starting standard striker is, at this point in time, not an urgent priority provided we bring in a starting standard LW to free up Richarlison and allow him to be a striker first and foremost. Richarlison and DCL are both young, both playing well, both on upward trends in terms of performance (ie they're clearly going to improve over the next couple of seasons) and don't have worrying recurrences of injuries. Josh King is a short-term fix here and will do for next season as backup striker IMHO.

Contrast that with CM where we have Allan and Doucoré who are both a bit older (30 and 28), then the less impressive Gomes (27), perma-crocked Delph (31) and glacial Gylfi (31) who are all ill-suited to the CM role. Davies (22) has time to improve and fits the role of backup for now, but what if Gbamin DOESN'T heal up and push Allan and Doucouré for a starting spot? We need to be bringing a starting-standard CM in to the squad this summer.

We should just be bringing in players to take starting spots. Nothing else. We currently have gaping holes that need filling at RB, CM, RW and LW (because Richarlison is realistically a striker) so I'd address those first and then worry about what else to do IF there is money left in the pot after that.

 

[Toffeelover]

2-3 for the first team so that the likes of Iwobi, Gylfi and Gomes become squad players.

Or show them the door.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Quality.
A good quality player is worth 2 average on the park.

 

[Toffeelover]

I wide attacking will be a priority IMO. Bernard, iwobi are useless. Bolasie and Walcott gone. We are left with James, who’s not always fit. Gordon & Richarlison, who for me is more suited closer to DCL.

King could come in cheaply. But we would still need another one

For me send him back, be another Bolasie.

 

[Toffeelover]

Quality.
A good quality player is worth 2 average on the park.

Darn right.

 

[PaddyJames]

No more fillers. 2/3 top 4 quality players. We aren't that far off as we are so no need for a shake-up. The biggest battle this summer won't be signing quality players, it will be holding on to the few we already have. Qualifying for Europe is an absolute must.

 

[Toffeelover]

That well known saying "never mind the quality feel the width" was rubbish. Quality every time, the other saying "you can't beat quality" is spot on.

Look forward to getting back to a squad like we had with Howie.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

For me send him back, be another Bolasie.

It’s about adding to the squad cheaply. We could could get rid of Bolasie, Bernard, iwobi and Walcott.
So need cover, king can play wide and up front. As long as we get another top class attacker, I don’t see a problem

 

[dave11]

A goalie who keeps 38 clean sheets, a striker who scores 38 goals, one per game, and some cheap back up players for Europe who turn out to be bargains.

Mad to think that we've had possibly the best ever in each of these two positions in Dixie and Nev.

 

[Rob17896]

I think we can all agree that this summer is a particularly important one for Everton in terms of transfers. Last summer was a particularly fruitful one in terms of improving the quality of squad, but a few recent games (and especially last night) really showed up the depth of the squad.

It was pretty obvious as soon as the team was announced last night that we essentially had 3 subs on the bench - the rest were there to keep the wood warm. I can't really remember this being the case at Everton too many times, even during the penniless days of Smith and Moyes.

I know that we have a pretty horrific injury list at the moment, and as a snapshot of the squad today perhaps isn't the fairest time to review the situation, but our 'loanees out' list looks a bit bonkers currently (It's safe to assume that JJK, Gordon, Kean, Walcott and Tosun would have been on that bench last night)

We are unlikely to have megabucks to spend this summer, and it might come down to buying 2-3 for the first team OR 5-6 for the squad. Which of these would be more beneficial to us? (especially if we qualify for Europe and need to play twice a week)

Three midfield players with a bit about them who can tackle and drive towards the opposition. Think we are not too bad everywhere else if we always had a couple of those to call upon.