An Exercise in Utility

[SuitsBlue]

Summer 2007 and Evertonians are again feverishly waiting for news of incoming players to bolster the Everton squad. Thus far the bookies have sheffield uniteds Phil Jakielka as favourite to be signed by moyes.

Looking at past Moyes signings, has there been a tendancy to recruit versatile players able to cover numerous positions balanced against players that specialise in just one position.

To evaluate this we must consider the motives for such signings. Is Moyes trying to assemble a group of players capable of accomplishing the 'total football' ideal set by the 80's dutch international side? I think not.
Is Moyes selecting players that are a 'jack of all trades' because of his alleged penchant for negative play allowing defenders into midfield and then squeezing all the life out of a game? again I think not.

To me the reasoning is much simpler and regularly overlooked, Everton FC cannot afford the luxury of eleven starting internationals and eleven international replacements sat on the bench and in the reserves. Moyes solution to this has seen him sign players like Mikel Arteta, who has been played in every position in the midfield. But for every signing like Arteta there has seen another signing that hasnt worked out, Simon Davies highlighting, that although a player can play on the flank and in the middle that level of versatility doesnt guarantee success.

Moyes is looking at Jagielka and if rumours have any basis then Paul Scharner, because the current Everton squad is so small that one or two injuries or suspensions would see the side under immense pressure to compete and actually field anything near a decent strength side.

players like

Arteta - all across the midfield
VDM - both flanks
Osman - all the midfield and the second striker position
Cahill - centre mid and second striker
Neville - has player LB, RB, CB, and midfield for everton in just 2 seasons
Lescott - CB and LB

The side have been lucky this season in that James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe stepped up from the youth ranks and filled gaps when Cahill, Johnson and Mcfadden were out - dont expect a midfield or defensive crisis to be bailed out by the youth side though.

Ultimatley the issue is that moyes keeps an eye on the worst case scenario which sees him identify and sign versatile players, in itself that is no bad thing, but generally good players can only get a side so far, and that difference in class between a full time right back like Daniel Alves and a utility man like Phil Jagielka is the difference in 'progress' between being a top 6 side and the top four sides and cup winning sides.

(Note: I'd like us to sign jagielka, not least because joseph yobo is away for at least a month in january 2008 for international duty, but also because his capacity to step in for carsley or hibbert at some point in the future would be very welcome)

 

[loosecranks]

Good post.

There used to be an adage, that you only bought players who were better than those you've already got, and I'm not sure that's the case with most of the names we're being linked with at the moment. Jagielka, Koumas, Scharner, et al are not really the sort of players that I get particularly excited about seeing in a blue shirt, but your point about 'utility' is a good one; I get the impression Moyes is looking at hungry, affordable players who can play in a number of positions, and understandably so, given our extra European commitments.

Unfortunately, we're not quite, to quote Joe Royle, "shopping at Harrods" at the moment, but, so long as we can keep the players we've already got, a bigger squad has got to increase our chances of maintaining our progress in that direction.

 

[Neiler]

I worte this in the Jags Thread about my concerns in signing utility players:




Something that worries me is that Jags is seen as a utility man. Although admittedly the advantage to this means that the manger can chop and change formations based on injuries suspension and rotation. I just often think that having that tag means that a young player isnt allowed to develop in a praticualr poisition and specialise in developing there all around game in that role.

Phil Neville is a priime example, a steady player in an awfull lot of positions but because he is seen as a "utility man" he never developed a specialised position and as such i think his quality and potential and in many ways his career suffered. He is a staedy player but not a top quality player when you think of the players he graduated with from the Man U youth team. I remember when he broke through a year after his brother Gary, Fergie saying that the younger was the better player of the two. If you look at it now you have to say that gary became the more distingusied, higher profile and established when you look at caps and medals. This i feel is because he was so versatile that the never made one potion his own.

Dont get me wrong i think hes an important member of the squad but i just worry when players come in with the utility tag, I just think they never fully develop the way they should. Do we really need two in our squad?

You all know who id prefer to sign!

 

[Axlswhk]

Agree with what you guys have mention without a doubt.
I'm sure many of us play football too, how many of us will dare say we are equally good at all position across midfield and at the back?
It's nice to have one or two in the team to cover injuries and suspension and it's great to have when anyone get send off during the match. But in long term developement of the team, it doesn't make sense.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think we have to give Moyes the benefit of the doubt to a certain extent. The likes of Arteta, Cahill, Lescott, Yobo et al weren't big names when they were signed but have gone on to be regular first team players.

On the issue of improving the first team. Howard has signed permanently, Fernandes too hopefully, whilst Jagielka will probably make the first team more often than not. Moyes usually signs three senior players plus a youngster or two, which'll do for me.

 

[Neiler]

Sorry mate couldnt help it

* Total Football: Dutch Team 70s.