Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend Everton’s first home game of the season on Saturday. Some people I have spoken to have said I was lucky not to have attended the 1-0 home defeat to newly promoted QPR.
I did manage to catch the full match via Sky later on and the feeling of frustration just oozed out of me.
Money
This week all the talk about Everton has been about the debts and that the club can’t afford to sign new players. Financial details that were recently released were concerning but not unexpected to most Everton fans.
We knew the club wasn’t in the best financial health and money has been tight at Goodison for along time. As a club we can’t use poor finances as an excuse to fail this season though.
Boss
Everton boss David Moyes is one of the best in the league. He has managed to get Everton into the top ten of the Premier League in recent years with hardly any resources. He has done a fantastic job at Goodison with his hands tied behind his back.
He has managed to build a good squad of players and strengthen the clubs position in the top flight since his arrival at the club. I just wonder how long the Scot can keep holding back the tide at Everton. Even as an Everton fan I would not begrudge him walking away from the job.
However David Moyes is tougher than that. I can only see him leaving the club if another top club comes in for him. He is highly thought of in football and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be keen for his countryman to succeed him as United boss.
Players
The Everton players have let the fans down after that terrible performance. Everton have became perennial slow starters in recent years and the players are to blame for that. Fans have questioned David Moyes’ pre-season preparation but he has tried all different methods and the players haven’t responded.
The poor performance was down to those players on the pitch against QPR. QPR played well but on their day these players have beaten the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the last year or so.
Yet against one of the favourites for relegation this season they just didn’t turn up. Maybe it was a touch of complacency or maybe they just had an off day. One thing is for sure though and that’s the display against the Londoners wasn’t good enough.
Their was no zip or energy in their play at all. Despite dominating possession for long periods of time we only looked a real threat on a few occasions.
Sale
David Moyes needs to sell in order to buy. The Scot has been desperately trying to offload Nigerian duo Joseph Yobo and Yakubu, who were farmed out on-loan last season. Neither player was in the squad to face QPR yesterday and Moyes will hope to sell the out of favour duo.
There are some other players that it seems Moyes is now willing to part with. Striker Jermaine Beckford started looking the part of a Premier League player towards the end of last season. However Beckford might as well have been playing for the opposition yesterday, due to the fact his control and retention of the ball was so poor.
A host of Championship clubs are believed to be interested in signing the former-Leeds forward. Leicester have already had a bid of £2million turned down but I think Moyes will now start considering bids for the striker.
Young midfielder Jack Rodwell could be also be sacrificed in a bid to strengthen the squad. Rodwell has been linked with Tottenham and Manchester United and is rated in the £15million bracket. Rodwell hasn’t yet lived up to his potential and struggled in the first game of the season.
Russian winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov has struggled to adapt to life in England and has only shown flashes of what he can do in his time at Goodison Park. Ambitious Russian outfit Anzhi are believed to be monitoring his situation. I’m sure David Moyes would be willing to listen to offers for Russian international.
Siege
Everton have been at their best under Moyes when there is a siege mentality both on and off the field. The club needs to get back to that state of mind. With investment in the club unlikely in the near future Everton fans need to get behind the players and the manager we have or we really will be in trouble.
Where will Everton finish in the Premier League table this season?
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