We have 2 years (perhaps 3 years) with this side....

[evertondotcom]

I have always said the Moyes side with Arteta, Cahill, Yak, Fellaini, Pienaar, Saha, Baines etc produced the best football we've seen for many years at Goodison. I believe if we beat Fiorentina in the shoot out we could have got to that final, and had a damn good chance of winning the whole thing.

Since then we had a nice spell with Roberto. Lukaku scoring goals for fun. Barkley, Geri and Stones made up a talented x11 and we played some great football but defensively we struggled.

If you look at the side now, in the short time that Silva has been here and it has the makings of a very, very good squad once they are all fit and accustomed to the league.

Pickford
Coleman (aged 30) Mina/Zouma Keane Digne
Gueye (29) Gomes
Walcott (29) Sigurdsson (29) Bernard
Richarlison

My fear is that we have seen great players with great ability struggle as they get past 32/33 (Rooney, Baines, Williams, Cahill etc).


If (when) Walcott loses his pace he is quite limited and won't offer much on flank, we do have the likes of Lookman/Richarlison to fill that void though. Similar with Sigurdsson, he has such a great engine but in 3 years time, I'm not sure he will cover the ground he does now.

I'm not calling this the golden generation, but I feel like if we keep this side together for the next 2/3 years we may see some great football. But it needs to happen soon....

 

[RomanReigns]

sign Lozano to replace Walcott long term

sign wan bissaka to replace coleman long term

sign zaha

boom prem league champions 2020/21

 

[Saint Domingo]

Tbh I don’t think it has to happen very soon. Only Richarlison out of the new signings might be in a hurry and he’s young enough to give us 2 or 3 seasons and still be young enough to go to a top club. Digne has been round the loop, so has Gomes, so has Bernard. I can’t see any of them chomping at the bit to get back to a Barca knowing they’ve already been rejected from there. Mina too. If no one has taken Gueye already I can’t see why they would now. I actually think this is a squad that might stay together if we get into Europe regularly and they all get the international exposure they need.

 

[barneygumble]

Dead simple for me.

Coleman is the next man to be replaced. Young, powerful, Clever right back in. People have mentioned Wan Bissaka. I doubt we'd get him, but he'd be the dream.

Walcott has a ready made replacement in Lookman, so he'll be merged out i think. Then you have Sigurdsson, who, i believe will show some real Longevity. He was never blessed with pace, but he has a great little brain there. Nothing to worry about. 2 out. 2 in. We have a really good side then, potentially.

 

[Azzurri]

I wouldn’t say we’ll struggle to replace those (unless Steve Walsh gets involved).

Walcott has always been limited, Gueye isn’t great on the ball, and Coleman has put about 3 decent crosses in ever. There’s an argument that they need replacing now anyway if we want to be at that next level.

 

[Khalekan]

I have always said the Moyes side with Arteta, Cahill, Yak, Fellaini, Pienaar, Saha, Baines etc produced the best football we've seen for many years at Goodison. I believe if we beat Fiorentina in the shoot out we could have got to that final, and had a damn good chance of winning the whole thing.

My fear is that we have seen great players with great ability struggle as they get past 32/33 (Rooney, Baines, Williams, Cahill etc).


If (when) Walcott loses his pace he is quite limited and won't offer much on flank, we do have the likes of Lookman/Richarlison to fill that void though. Similar with Sigurdsson, he has such a great engine but in 3 years time, I'm not sure he will cover the ground he does now.

I'm not calling this the golden generation, but I feel like if we keep this side together for the next 2/3 years we may see some great football. But it needs to happen soon....

You wha

 

[ToffeeTim]

We just have to plan for the future and gradually phase the older players out. Nothing wrong with having a couple of players in their early 30s but it's a problem when there are about 8.

Succession planning is the key. Steve Walsh was an abject failure in this regard.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Major difference is that back in the Moyes era, and even the Martinez era, money was thin on the ground

These days it isn't, and we should realistically expect that the team will gradually change each year - whatever our strongest XI is on paper now, I wouldn't expect it to be the case in 12 months time as we incrementally strengthen.

A few years ago, an ageing side would have been a problem for us - these days it should be far more manageable, especially when you have a DoF who is there to oversee the bigger picture. Only need to look at what activity we had in the summer.

 

[evertondotcom]

You wha

Williams signed with a good background, turned out to be pony.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Stop

 

[Eggs]

...squads are in a permanent state of transition, the churn tends to be greater when a new manager comes in.

 

[Barnfred 55]

sign Lozano to replace Walcott long term

sign wan bissaka to replace coleman long term

sign zaha

boom prem league champions 2020/21

Agree with the first 2. Still think we need a top slotter who can also link play and I'd prioritise this over Zaha. A Giroud type.

Assuming too that Gomes signs a long term contract otherwise we also need a boss midfielder.

Great shout though.

 

[Julius Geezer]

If I remember correctly Fiorentina went on to play PSV Eindhoven who were absolutely brilliant at the time and we also had a massive injury list so I doubt we would of got past them let alone get to the final.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

sign Lozano to replace Walcott long term

sign wan bissaka to replace coleman long term

sign zaha

boom prem league champions 2020/21

Wouldn't want that utter melt anywhere near our club.

 

[Papa Shango]

We just have to plan for the future and gradually phase the older players out. Nothing wrong with having a couple of players in their early 30s but it's a problem when there are about 8.

Succession planning is the key. Steve Walsh was an abject failure in this regard.

To be fair to the bloke (Someone has to be) didn't we sign Lookman, DCL, Pickford, Keane, Sandro, Vlasic and Onyekuru, all of which were 23 or under at the time, under his reign of terror.