Just how do we compete on field and become challengers once again?

[Saint Domingo]

Last few seasons since Ferguson's retirement has shown that any side with consistency can now get into the top 4. In any given year not all of the top 6 can promise champions league football or even promise that they'll be in it the season after like Barcelona or Bayern can. This is stopping the mega talents from going there and the gap is closing to teams who recruit well and have good managers. If we recruit well and bring in a good manager there is no reason we cannot be in the top 4. Then we build from there hopefully winning a few trophies.

 

[Eggs]

...we'll improve and become more competitive if we get the managerial appointment right.

 

[bizzaro]

1. Get rid of the chaff.

Players like lukaku who are disrespectful and think they are better than they are.

Players like Tony Hibbert. Leon Osman. Etc

We will not win league titles with them in the squad.

2. Bring in better players. 100% committed to Everton.

 

[Bluebonic]

We will have 100 mill, Pep may well spend that bringing Ronaldo or Messi over here? What we have to aim for is consistent appearances in Europe, full utilisation of our youth set up and some cup wins! Start doing that and our better players will stay unless one of the big four show a serious interest!

 

[kithnou]

We will have 100 mill, Pep may well spend that bringing Ronaldo or Messi over here? What we have to aim for is consistent appearances in Europe, full utilisation of our youth set up and some cup wins! Start doing that and our better players will stay unless one of the big four show a serious interest!

So basically my question stands? How do we compete for a title then? Or is it not going to happen?

 

[Seathestars]

Well this is easier said than done but I would start with the backbone.
A great goalkeeper is a must and a dominant centre half, a no nonesense row Z centre half I mean.
A midfielder who will throw tackles in left right and centre, someone to dominate and lead.
A pacey forward with an eye for goal.
Build from there.
Then think of a way to play that will suit your goal scorer and play to his strengths.
Or
I like Manager who will study the next opponent and try and get at their weakness, Mourinho does it. Or do what Simeone does at Atletico and find the opponents strength and weaken it.
The hardest part for me is actually winning that first trophy, once you do this it should be easier to keep your big players.

Regarding the midfielder I mentioned, I think Tom Davies is one of the best prospects I have ever seen, seriously talented, tackles, passes, got everything, just a little young right now but any manager coming here is so so lucky to have that kid.

 

[Bluebonic]

To be honest Kith, i think you're asking the wrong question. I think it is more pertinent to ask 'how do we compete for honours'. And the answer to that is to maintain and preserve the core of our squad, let those who want to leave leave, but ensure none of them go cheaply, spend our available funds on players who will compliment the managers vision,rather than simply buying the best player available. Ensure our best youth players are given a genuine opportunity to establish themselves ( if we are successful in this, it will attract the cream of youth players as they will realise they will get an opportunity with us if they are good enough) and then work to a five year plan to achieve Europe on a regular basis, spending in each transfer window only if it will improve what we have at the time. If i were to offer another club as a model, i would suggest Spurs over the last theee seasons, who are gradually building theor stock and their reputation, with no hysterics, no fanfares etc, just solid, steady progression, guided by a supportive board and a visionary manager! Easy really

 

[Onwards Evertonians]

The squad looks really vunerable now, we got rid of Martinez a year too late imo, this is going to be a massive rebuilding job for any incoming manager, not helped by players that want away. There's so much deadwood that we need to offload too.

 

[Seathestars]

The squad looks really vunerable now, we got rid of Martinez a year too late imo, this is going to be a massive rebuilding job for any incoming manager, not helped by players that want away. There's so much deadwood that we need to offload too.

Yep, I'm nervously excited.
The new Manager is key, which is why I'm not too concerned just yet about them taking time to appoint one.

 

[kithnou]

To be honest Kith, i think you're asking the wrong question. I think it is more pertinent to ask 'how do we compete for honours'. And the answer to that is to maintain and preserve the core of our squad, let those who want to leave leave, but ensure none of them go cheaply, spend our available funds on players who will compliment the managers vision,rather than simply buying the best player available. Ensure our best youth players are given a genuine opportunity to establish themselves ( if we are successful in this, it will attract the cream of youth players as they will realise they will get an opportunity with us if they are good enough) and then work to a five year plan to achieve Europe on a regular basis, spending in each transfer window only if it will improve what we have at the time. If i were to offer another club as a model, i would suggest Spurs over the last theee seasons, who are gradually building theor stock and their reputation, with no hysterics, no fanfares etc, just solid, steady progression, guided by a supportive board and a visionary manager! Easy really

Well said mate. I take great comfort in reading this as, I must admit, I was rather despondent this morning waking up reading the Jose/Man Utd bit.
I still don't see how we compete for honours by losing our top talent on a regular basis, especially if we remain a feeder club for the Premier League. If we could keep our best players and keep adding guns for a few summers I can visualise it.
But losing Stones and Lukaku in one hit?

 

[ToffeeDoug]

Sign the very best goal keeper that we can, organise ourselves to be able to head away aerial set pieces and crosses and less messing around at the back putting other players under pressure. In other words, stop conceding stupid goals of such low quality.

 

[Cypher]

100m isn't actually a lot in today's world especially considering how many players are leaving for little or no money. To have us challenging for top 4 or even top 6 next year I think we need to rely on the academy players coming through and buy 3 or 4 top players for crucial positions.

Assuming Barkley, Stones and Rom stay which is a big assumption but that's how things stand now.

We need a top class center midfielder to replace Barry, CB, GK and a play maker for the left wing. We also need a right and left fullback to challenge Baines and Coleman. That's 6 players and 4 of those players need to be good enough to be starters. That's a lot to find even with 100m to spend.

We also need to find someone to be an effective backup for Rom. Long summer ahead.

However the most important thing we can hope that Moshiri does is build us a world class stadium.

 

[toffeejack]

let's be honest, when don't we have a summer when every paper is trying to sell all our best players? Even when we had no money and it made more sense we would generally hold onto them. The odd big sale every 5 or 6 years does not make us a selling club, every club loses their best players, more frequent than that, i'd say.

this is an exciting time, not a worrying time for me.

 

[kithnou]

let's be honest, when don't we have a summer when every paper is trying to sell all our best players? Even when we had no money and it made more sense we would generally hold onto them. The odd big sale every 5 or 6 years does not make us a selling club, every club loses their best players, more frequent than that, i'd say.

this is an exciting time, not a worrying time for me.

That sexy OP asked the question referring to losing both Stones and Lukaku this summer.

 

[toffeejack]

100m isn't actually a lot in today's world especially considering how many players are leaving for little or no money. To have us challenging for top 4 or even top 6 next year I think we need to rely on the academy players coming through and buy 3 or 4 top players for crucial positions.

Assuming Barkley, Stones and Rom stay which is a big assumption but that's how things stand now.

We need a top class center midfielder to replace Barry, CB, GK and a play maker for the left wing. We also need a right and left fullback to challenge Baines and Coleman. That's 6 players and 4 of those players need to be good enough to be starters. That's a lot to find even with 100m to spend.

We also need to find someone to be an effective backup for Rom. Long summer ahead.

However the most important thing we can hope that Moshiri does is build us a world class stadium.

just because we've been watching the absurd amounts liverpool and man city spend on dross, doesn't mean it's not a lot of money. Those teams tend to spend £20m more than a player is actually worth - you can buy 5 top class players from europe with that amount, the kind of quality that would have us winning the league.