SuitsBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
[Fans View] An Exercise in Utility
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 70'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)
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 70'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)
