Shaping the team going forward

[evilwebby]

Just my random thoughts on where we need to strengthen in the coming 12 months...

As with any squad, there is a "spine" of about half a dozen players who are core and will play 85%+ of games if fit and available. At Everton, these players are:

Howard
Yobo
Lescott
Neville
Carsley
Arteta
Cahill
Yakubu

Actually, that's 8 in my book, but that's just the way our squad is shaped at the moment.

With the exception of Super Lee Carsley, who as we all know isn't getting any younger, they are all on long term contracts and we should be happy with them. Carsley's contract is up this summer - if I were Moyes I would offer him another 12 month extension. I always believe that if we qualify for Europe then the players that got us there should be given the chance to represent us in the European campaign. I would be wary of offering him much more - Moyes made this mistake with Dunc in his last season, when he was more of a drag on the team. Hopefully if we can sign Fernandes permanently who can take our CM to the next level.

The other stalwart in our team whose contract is up in the summer is Nuno Valente. Again, I would offer him a 12 month extension. Nuno may not be the player he was in his prime, but he's a proven international quality player and can still do a job for us. He's not a core player - it wouldn't be disastrous if he were to move on as Baines will be a year better and Lescott can also play in that position, but he's been a decent player for us and still has a couple of years left in him.

So,

Existing players:
Make Fernandes deal permanent - no brainer
Make Pienaar deal permanent - another no brainer
Carsley - 12 month extension
Valente - 12 month extension

If at all possible, we should do everything in our power to get rid of Andy Van Der Meyde. Buy him out of the rest of his contract if we can. I'm sympathetic to his family problems, but we cannot afford passengers. It looks as if Alan Stubbs also has come to the end of his career with us with Yobo and Lescott now firmly established as our first choice partnership. Fine servant and a great ambassador for us - we wish him well.

Gravesen also has to be let go. Da Silva & Vidarsson also don't look like they are going to make the grade - I've no idea how much we're paying them, but if we can ship these guys out and use their wages to pay another player who would actually play some games for us, then we should do.

I front line I am happy with - Yakubu, AJ, Vaughan & Anichebe should all get games next season.


The new players we need to take the team forward would be:

A winger/wide striker.
Another center half. Stubbs' time is up, I'm afraid.
A "proper" right-back. Jaigelka & Neville are utility-type players, and Hibbert, although he has improved, has not got the all-round game that we need to progress.

Squad from here:

(core player /squad choice)

GK - Howard/Wessels

CH - Lescott/Jagielka
CH - Yobo/(new CH)

LB - Baines/Valente
RB - Neville/(new RB)

M1 - Arteta/Osman
M2 - Fernandes/Carsley
M3 - Cahill/(Davis? Vogel?)
M4 - Pienaar/(winger)

S1 - Yakubu/Victor
S2 - AJ/Vaughan

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The problem is that there is a long way to go this season so making predictions will be difficult. Obviously we have Manny and Pienaar on loan and making both deals permanent is likely to cost between £10-15 million. If we go on past form then we might not have much more money to spend unless we sell.

If however we manage to get into 4th spot then that changes things because not only do we get the extra PL prize money we'd have the extra revenue from the CL the following year (assuming our extra European experience will enable us to get into the group stages at least).

Lots of unknowns really, but exciting times ahead for sure.

 

[bozzen]

I still have faith in Hibbert. will definitely see him around for some more years to go.

 

[Neiler]

I still have faith in Hibbert. will definitely see him around for some more years to go.

Thought he did wel yesterday mate!

 

[bozzen]

And today, he and Osman put pen to paper for another go until 2012. Good news!

 

[bluewoo]

Right Back: Neville/Hibo/Gosling?

I like the way youve broken the team down, of course Moyesy's "versatile" squad means we have a lot of players who can do a filling in Job in other positions (Neville at left back for example)

I'd also like to see at least one of our academy lads start to break into the first team over the next twelve months

 

[neonleon]

The problem is that there is a long way to go this season so making predictions will be difficult. Obviously we have Manny and Pienaar on loan and making both deals permanent is likely to cost between £10-15 million. If we go on past form then we might not have much more money to spend unless we sell.

If however we manage to get into 4th spot then that changes things because not only do we get the extra PL prize money we'd have the extra revenue from the CL the following year (assuming our extra European experience will enable us to get into the group stages at least).

Lots of unknowns really, but exciting times ahead for sure.

Ok, a quick attempt at evertonomics - which should be its own illogical branch of economics.

We need 10 - 15 million for Pienaar and Manny.

We got 8 million from the shirt deal with Chang and just sold faddy 5.75

That'll do it.

(if only it was like this)

 

[evilwebby]

Well that showed me! Just a couple of hours after I argued that Hibbo & Ossie were squad players at best, they both sign new contracts which effectively puts them central (amongst others) to the Moyes ambitions where he wants to take the club.

We all know that they need to work on their games - Hibbo in particular imho needs to work on his attacking and all-round game.

I am still not 100% convinced that they are the players we need to really take it and mix it with the regular CL finishers, but they are both Everton through and through - we get the most out of them, and they would not be as good players if they were playing elsewhere.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Look at Man Utd last season. A large part of their success were the unheralded players such as O'Shea, Fletcher and Brown that come in when required and are good squad players when not in the team. Every good team needs those kind of guys, and even if Osman and Hibbert aren't regular first team players they'll be good people to have in the squad.

 

[linglong]

Look at Man Utd last season. A large part of their success were the unheralded players such as O'Shea, Fletcher and Brown that come in when required and are good squad players when not in the team. Every good team needs those kind of guys, and even if Osman and Hibbert aren't regular first team players they'll be good people to have in the squad.

Got to agree with this now more than ever its sqaud players that'll do you more good than a couple of over priced "superstars" especially at this time of the year when bad weather kicks in etc

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Strength of the bench wins championships. Most first elevens have quality. The successful teams understand you play the full 90. How many games have been won at the death by Chelsea and the Arse over the last few years. Moyes understands all this and has a formidible bench now to change the game.