I've said before the blame on us being unable to progress this season and switch to a more expansive style is IMO about 60/40 on the players/squad. There are feck all options around the team to cover out of form players.
Unfortunately we are counting on Brands for any chance of reversing that. A lot of hope placed on his role in all this without really knowing how competent he is or will prove to be.
Save us Marcel
I think one of the biggest redeeming factors for both with Silva and Brands has been recruitment a chara.
Where would be without Dinge, Richalison, Gomes and to a lesser extent Zouma and Bernard, personally i think Mina is a rolls royce with quality to burn and will show it eventually. Equally where would be without getting the best out of Gylfi and to an extent DCL, who i have seen a marked improvement in this season.
Honestly where would be.......
We have gaping holes in the squad. Threads on here are littered with lads saying such and such isn't good enough or we need player x in such a position. That is correct its the instinct of fans to know that there are limits and deficiencies in the team. A lot of of the good recruitment and criticising existing players hints at one thing , Transition! We are a team, a club in transition, we have to allow the foundations to be put in and be patient in working against those limits, its the only way.
What do we expect in transition? To be winning every week? No chance. Its what we are getting, boom and bust football and i expected nothing less. Another manager wont get more out of bad players, yes they may get better results, like Allardyce, but we have chosen a different and ultimately better way. Its time to have the courage to see that plan through and hold our nerve.
I keep saying it, we are what we look a team made up of signings and recruitment of at least 5 different management regimes, with different philosophys, outlooks of the game and purposes for their signings. None of those managers were given the opportunity to put their full 11 out that they recruited. Thus we have a rag tag bunch of a collection of thoughts and players from different managers, that cant and wont gel. The past five seasons has proven that. That has led the team having no cohesion, symmetry or strategy in putting the team together. Its a mismatch of five different managers ideas and players - all very different.
I have huge questions on the make up of the team, the intentions of the players in signing here and to be quite frank the character of an awful lot of them. It has been evident in many of our results this season, we have a powder puff squad, with some quality players but significant limits in quality in other areas - but character is my biggest accusation at this squad, i dont see any battling or leadership qualities, i never have and i suspect i never will, its a powder puff squad in the main, that is why we get results like last week. I dont see changing a manager changing that trait of this current squad. .
In the transition and that is indeed what we are in, the one objective must be followed, the squad needs turnover, both financially and in team construction. The manager needs to put his own 11 out and be allowed the time to do that. Its good for Everton. What is massively positive is the recruitment thus far, we have signed and invested in some really excellent players with plenty of head room to kick on who have and will contribute more with a full preseason and a year in the PL under their belt. If that can be strategically added to and some key positions added to within the system, we will kick on no doubt next season, i still maintain its a three year piece of work, if its done quicker, Marco and Brands will have worked a wonder.