Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
It didn't seem to attract much praise at the time but have the subsequent years and the harsh reality of the premier league given you a greater appreciation of the 07-09 team and what they accomplished (relative to premier league Everton not historical Everton)?
They're never spoken of as fondly as the 95/96 vintage (even ignoring their trophy win) or even the 04/05, 13/14 teams. I'd argue however that they were probably our best prem side for quality of football, consistency, and individual player ability.
Jagielka is arguably still our best CB now even after countless efforts to replace him, a decade ago prior to a cruciate ligament injury you could argue whether he was even the best CB in the team! When you see some of the defenders playing for us now, and dare I say at the RS too, you can see what an absolute quality pair Jags and Lescott were back then. Ditto for Baines.
Lavish sums have been splashed on McCarthy Gueye Schneiderlin Klaasen Siggurdson, we've also seen Cleverley Barkley Besic in our central midfield too. Can anyone honestly say that any of these players during their time at Everton can even hold a candle to Arteta Pienaar or Cahill?
Whilst we watch 150 million being spent and we line up with Niasse and Calvert Lewin up front, remember a peak Yakubu and Cahill up top with Johnson, and young injury free Anichebe and Vaughan on the bench?
When you add in solid pros like Neville Carsley Yobo Hibbert and Osman plus Fellaini (ok I never liked him but he's still in every United and Belgium squad) you begin to see that what was derided as a squad of 'hard working servants' actually contained far more quality than the one assembled now and could probably toy with any Everton team created by Martinez of Koeman since.
Perhaps that is why they qualified for Europe 3 years in a row, saw off Liverpool over 2 legs, and reached a cup final.
Has your opinion of that team, the individual players, Moyes, changed over time after watching what has come after them?
They're never spoken of as fondly as the 95/96 vintage (even ignoring their trophy win) or even the 04/05, 13/14 teams. I'd argue however that they were probably our best prem side for quality of football, consistency, and individual player ability.
Jagielka is arguably still our best CB now even after countless efforts to replace him, a decade ago prior to a cruciate ligament injury you could argue whether he was even the best CB in the team! When you see some of the defenders playing for us now, and dare I say at the RS too, you can see what an absolute quality pair Jags and Lescott were back then. Ditto for Baines.
Lavish sums have been splashed on McCarthy Gueye Schneiderlin Klaasen Siggurdson, we've also seen Cleverley Barkley Besic in our central midfield too. Can anyone honestly say that any of these players during their time at Everton can even hold a candle to Arteta Pienaar or Cahill?
Whilst we watch 150 million being spent and we line up with Niasse and Calvert Lewin up front, remember a peak Yakubu and Cahill up top with Johnson, and young injury free Anichebe and Vaughan on the bench?
When you add in solid pros like Neville Carsley Yobo Hibbert and Osman plus Fellaini (ok I never liked him but he's still in every United and Belgium squad) you begin to see that what was derided as a squad of 'hard working servants' actually contained far more quality than the one assembled now and could probably toy with any Everton team created by Martinez of Koeman since.
Perhaps that is why they qualified for Europe 3 years in a row, saw off Liverpool over 2 legs, and reached a cup final.
Has your opinion of that team, the individual players, Moyes, changed over time after watching what has come after them?
