Everton FC Unofficial Homepage | |||||||||||||||||
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So we've survived for another season - just.As an Everton fan for 12 years I was very relieved to see that we stayed up on Sunday.Certainly so far as our first half performance was concerned we deserved to stay up.I can honestly say that I have never felt so nervous over a football match in all my life with the exception maybe of the Wimbledon game in 1994 when we came back to win 3-2.Howard Kendall has been quoted as saying that there is no way we will allow ourselves to fall into this position again, but what can he do to deliver on this promise?In this web page are my opinions about what is actually wrong at the club and where we can improve. | |||||||||||||||||
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So, what needs changing then? Players we should keep: Thomas Myrhe - Kendall's best signing, competent and self assured. Would walk into most teams in the Premiership. Michael Ball - Excellent prospect, already made left back spot his own. Nick Barmby - Has had his critics but since a switch to midfield, has impressed me with sheer persistence, effort and workrate. John Oster - Still needs time to settle properly. Has shown glimpses of the form which he showed at Grimsby. Very skillful young player. Danny Cadamarteri - One of the most outstanding youngsters we have had in a long time. Great pace and skill. Needs to work on his all round team-play though. Duncan Ferguson - Rated by Bobby Robson as the best header of the ball in the world - and who am I to argue with that. True captain - leads by example. Player's I am undecided about: Michael Madar - Still needs time to adapt to the pace of the English game but has shown a reasonable goalscoring return. Next season will be an important one for him. John Spencer - Will he make the grade or not at this level? Has impressed Kendall with commitment - wait and see... Don Hutchison - Played well at Coventry when he curbed his natural desire to go forward to play as anchor man. Against Coventry his tackles were well timed, against Arsenal, they weren't. Too early to tell. Slaven Bilic - Highly rated but with a big question mark over his temperament. Seems to spend more time suspended than playing. Gareth Farrelly - Largely poor season, likes to shoot. Can forgive him 40 bad games for that goal against Coventry. Craig Short - Gritty central defender, not very pacy but good in the air. Carl Tiler - Has done well for the majority of the time at centre-back. Short of pace but good in the air. Joe Parkinson - When fit - one of the best tacklers in the Premiership - but when is he fit? John O'Kane - Good delivery of ball, committed and a good long throw. Makes too many mistakes. Player's that need to go: Peter Beagrie - Too old, not good enough for the Premiership. Dave Watson - Give him a job for life at the club - but I think that he is too old to play next season against pacy strikers. Danny Williamson - Failed to settle at Goodison - swap with West Ham - back for David Unsworth!? | ||||||||||||||||
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The critical problems with the Everton team, at the moment, is the inexperience of the players and the lack of pace in the defence. Kendall has brought in more skilful players but their remains some question marks over whether they have the commitment of the Joe Parkinson's, John Ebbrell's and Barry Horne's of this world. When watching Everton's games this season, they have tended to play offside a lot. With the fundamental lack of pace in their back 4/5 they need to defend deeper and use their arial ability to defend against high balls and then break quickly with their pacier forwards. Players I would like to see Kendall sign: Defence: Henning Berg - after the arrival of Stam at United he has stated that he wants first team football. Kendall could tempt him away from Old Trafford. Midfield: Genuine wingers, Everton were always dangerous when they had Kanchelskis and Limpar. A playmaker - someone like John Collins. Attack: Pierre van Hooijdonk from Forest, would cost �10m which could be financed by the possible sale of Bilic and the money from the Speed and Hinchcliffe transfers. Bilic could be kept if Everton play a sweeper formation and play him as the sweeper. A change of formation might be what brings the best out of the team as they have not performed well with 5-3-2 or 4-4-2 this season. Motivation: The matches that the team were psyched up for - the derbies against Liverpool - they played well in. There is a definite commitment problem in the team, or maybe it is just inexperience showing in what is one of the youngest squads in the Premier league. Long term future: I believe the long term future at Everton is very good. Our FA Youth Cup winning youngsters look to be very impressive and as they mature, they will form the nucleus of a very good team. The right infrastructure is in place now for the youth system and this promises well for the future. The problem is what to do while the youngsters get the experience that they need. | ||||||||||||||||
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