Close?

[GhostOfDixie]

So how close are we to breaking the top 4? 2, 3 years? 1 player 2 players?

I think there is a lot of positions in place. We have a manager who knows that being in charge for a consistent amount of time does help with breeding success. Unless you have millions like Chelsea, league success depends on consistency, both at pitch, training room and board room level.

Moyes is the only person I would feel comfortable with as my boss. I can't see anyone else who I would want to do the job. He knows the players, he knows the boardroom, he knows the fans. He goes to watch his kids like Baxter when they play for England. That surely dispels the rumours that he isn't interested in youth.

He clearly wants a new contract which is also good. He has his most valuable players on long term contracts. He is able to make decent changes to get a result and that has been proven so far this season.

From what I have seen, we haven't been scintilating but we have got results and have one 6 out of the last 7, unbeaten in 7. In 2 competitions and perfectly poised to reach the Uefa Cup again, or even the CL.

We have a chairman who is obviously touting the club through the media as he now knows we are more of an attractive club then in the past.

We have a cracking new training ground where the kids and the seniors all train together, which is how it should be.

We are going to get a new stadium.

We are playing some great football in parts.

I can't wait till Jan 1st where the rumour mill will grind again. I know for a fact MickNick can't wait.

The only area I would like to see improve and that is stopping silly goals and defensive mistakes. Maybe we need a defensive coach, I don't know. But Moyes being a centre back should really be enough.

Future is good those boys. Even if we lost today I wouldn't have been down. Fact we got a point, cracks open the beers.

 

[Dom1878]

to get in the top four we need...2 years imo,

players - Left Mid (or right mid and arteta on the left)
- Centre Mid (imo De rossi or a player similar)
- Right Back - (imo Eboue or a similar player)

 

[Seamus Colemole]

We need players who have experience of playing at the highest level.
How many of our squad have won anything?
We have done brilliantly to get to where we are today but that was done on hardwork and great teamwork. We fight and fight and never give up, but that can only take us so far.
To get to that next level (the big four) we need players of that calibre.
We need a centre defender who is a rock, one who is solid and keeps the team together when the going gets tough.
We need a centre midfielder who takes no prisoners, who will kick ass on that pitch for 90 mins.
We need players who can break through an opposing team with ease, one touch , pass and move, make a chance for yourself by skillful play, not just hoping to pick up a lose ball.
We've seen glimpses of the above this season but it seems that against better teams too many players are scared to get the ball and do soemthing with it. Either that or they are not good enough.
Too many passes go astray, too many players get tackled too easy.

 

[Rook]

Even with a new ground we're never going to be able to compete with the top 4's money, however I think we could next year. However we need to have almost no injures and crash out of cup competitions early. After all that was the formula we had in 2004 and Spurs had in 2005 (in which they should have finished 4th). Its hard enough staying in the top 7 playing in the absurdly long UEFA cup.

 

[Namdrater]

Still a long time I think, we need to do what we've been doing so far, slowly putting in those great players into our squad, building up slowly and we've still got a bit to build up on and especially with the teams around us doing the same.

We all thought the top4 would be realistic this year and it still is. No guess on the amount of years from me.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think realistically we need two consecutive appearances in the CL to become settled in the top 4.

Get in there once and it could all go wrong like last time, both in the league and Europe. Get in there twice in a row though and the income is more stable and you're able to really start building a squad capable of challenging.

As to when we will get there, who knows. I think we're getting closer. When Moyes first arrived we very rarely gave the top four a game. Slowly he's turning that around to the point where we can compete with the top four every time we play them. We're not at the point yet where we can really compete on a level playing field but we can certainly approach each match with a decent chance of getting something from the game.

Full backs and wingers are nice but Liverpool show that you don't need top class in either position to get into the top four. Where we do need quality is in the spine of the team. Howard is generally ok. Up front we have lots to choose from and hopefully some big improvements from the younger lads.

Central midfield is an obvious weak point. Carsley is not really top four material and won't be getting any better so a quality holding player is a must. I'd like to see Arteta get involved more in the middle of the pitch because we can lack composure there. Maybe the holding guy will be both destroyer and creator, but given the importance of the position, unless Moyes unearths a gem it seems unlikely that we'll get both.

The other slight worry for me is the centre backs. On their day they can be as good as any in the league, but both are prone to the odd howler. I don't know if both can play together or whether we need to partner one with a dominant leader who can boss the backline.

Obviously filling those areas with real quality isn't easy but I think that's all we are away from the top four.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Maybe I've been a little harsh on Joey.

Everton's medical team have revealed that Joseph Yobo has been playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks.

The Nigerian defender sustained a toe injury in the Uefa Cup tie at Metalist Kharkiv, and has done little training since.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/through-the-pain.html

 

[Dom1878]

We need players who have experience of playing at the highest level.
How many of our squad have won anything?
We have done brilliantly to get to where we are today but that was done on hardwork and great teamwork. We fight and fight and never give up, but that can only take us so far.
To get to that next level (the big four) we need players of that calibre.
We need a centre defender who is a rock, one who is solid and keeps the team together when the going gets tough.
We need a centre midfielder who takes no prisoners, who will kick ass on that pitch for 90 mins.
We need players who can break through an opposing team with ease, one touch , pass and move, make a chance for yourself by skillful play, not just hoping to pick up a lose ball.
We've seen glimpses of the above this season but it seems that against better teams too many players are scared to get the ball and do soemthing with it. Either that or they are not good enough.
Too many passes go astray, too many players get tackled too easy.

Phil Nevilles got the most experience and hes not exactly the shining star in our team

 

[SuitsBlue]

i can win us the league this season, quite simply get the FA and their stooges looking after evertons interests and suddenly the freekicks, sending offs and penaltys go our way.

regardless of how good the players are, the man in black is by far the most important if he chooses to be.

 

[Robert Jarvis]

Too true Suits but the club has progressed and had good results despite the refs now and again. But as to Ghost's view another couple of years at least. Although young players are coming through, some are really getting on, Valente, Carsley, Neville so we will need replacements as wellas some other new faces to build up numbers.

 

[CanadaToffee]

A couple of year sounds about right. It will also be a little easier then as Chelski will be in decline. I echo Ghost's sentiments about Moyes, and also point out that with BK and the current board we have stability and the patience to have built what has become a quality squad.

I'd look forward to a starting 11 in 2 years with 3 new players, looking something like this:

Howard
???? - Yobo - Lescott - Baines
Arteta - ???? - Cahill - ????
Vaughan - Anichebe

Assuming Vaughan can ever have an injury-free run, with 2 years additional experience and two quality midfielders added (Pienaar could be one of them if he continues improving), imagine the goals that lineup would score.

 

[Philw]

Phil Nevilles got the most experience and hes not exactly the shining star in our team

Does Neville really count tho? Experienced sure, but how many of the really big games did he ever play in for Man Utd, and to some extent England? We need someone who has played in and been an important leading player in cup finals etc, not one who played in the early rounds or came on for the last 10 mins. No offense to him, like.

 

[Great Dane]

A couple of year sounds about right. It will also be a little easier then as Chelski will be in decline. I echo Ghost's sentiments about Moyes, and also point out that with BK and the current board we have stability and the patience to have built what has become a quality squad.

I'd look forward to a starting 11 in 2 years with 3 new players, looking something like this:

Howard
???? - Yobo - Lescott - Baines
Arteta - ???? - Cahill - ????
Vaughan - Anichebe

Assuming Vaughan can ever have an injury-free run, with 2 years additional experience and two quality midfielders added (Pienaar could be one of them if he continues improving), imagine the goals that lineup would score.

That lineup is great Canada. Fill in the blanks with some quality and IMO we have one of the best starting 11 in the league.

 

[micknick]

Does Neville really count tho? Experienced sure, but how many of the really big games did he ever play in for Man Utd

One of the best games I ever saw Phil Neville play was in Europe for Manure in 1999 when they went on to win it. He played the holding midfield player and was the best player on the pitch.

In regards to how close are we- I think we are going about it the right way. Play in the UEFA cup for a couple of seasons- get the players used to European games amd then make the push for CL.

For any doom and gloom merchants that have gone into hiding recently, the future of Everton FC is looking extremely bright. We have gifted youngsters breaking through and seasoned pros who have proven ability. Add to this maybe a couple in January (Ghost is right I love the speculation) and we should be pushing for 5th this season.

 

[Philw]

One of the best games I ever saw Phil Neville play was in Europe for Manure in 1999 when they went on to win it. He played the holding midfield player and was the best player on the pitch.

Who was that against? Not saying he didnt play any big games, i just don't remember him playing major roles in the juventus/inter/bayern games etc...