Colm Kavanagh reflects on the very limited quality of the existing squad that David Moyes must trim if he is to rebuild successfully
Let The Culling Begin, Mr Moyes
Who will Moyes keep at Goodison?
I took a pop at a good mate of mine the other evening, a lifelong Red, at the manner in which his team lay down and literally saw their effort to grind their way to a Championship evaporate before their very eyes. I cast my mind back to years like 1986, when they somehow dragged themselves past us to claim a Double. They enjoyed their share of luck back then — oh Christ did they what! But they also showed a steely verve that refused to accept defeat, which saw them scoop the honours.
Twenty-four hours later — well, I've just witnessed yet another inept Everton performance. What hurt most was not the result but the way we played. Sunday was supposedly to be a day when the impetus found under the Moyes renaissance would perform an encore before an appreciative Goodison audience. Yeah, right!
Instead we were treated to one of the most listless performances to date this year — and that took some doing considering the rollercoaster season we 've endured. It was a real shocker in front of the cameras but, if I can extract anything of a positive nature, I think it will have jolted a few Evertonians who think that the Good Days lie in waiting around the very next next corner. Sorry, but the road ahead has many hazards in waiting.
For pure devilment, I'm gonna provoke here for provocation's sake! Running through our current first-team squad, there are very few players I would keep if we were afforded the luxury of choice. (We can but wish, eh?!)
I'm actually quite pissed off with the comfort zone some of our so-called heroes find themselves in — loved by the masses and their names sung by the sheep, regardless of performance. The name of Thomas Gravesen might spring readily to mind when thinking like that but I'll argue that Steve Watson is one player blessed to have the majority of the crowd on his side. More often than not, when I see him play, I see infinitely more basic errors than your average right back. Yes, he's a good honest pro and often catching the eye when moving forward — but, c'mon — how often has he been guilty of coming inside and losing possession in dangerous positions?
I've seen Watson concede needless penalties in the past with many a clumsy challenge. And yet he is still regarded by many as one of our better players! Sorry, but not in my eyes. Too often I see him stumble with the ball stuck like lead under his feet. His best days were not in Everton blue but in Toon Army black and white.
What makes me laugh is the stick given to Richard Dunne when Walter Smith insisted on playing him at right back. He was no worse than our current right back but will be forever remembered by many Evertonians as a dodgy defender — I'll stick to my guns and predict that Dunne has his best years still ahead of him in a more familiar role as a centre half. If some kind soul offers to take Watson off our hands, I'd bite the hand that feeds. We have Tony Hibbert waiting in the wings anyway.
I mentioned Tommy Gravesen already. It says something about our present standing that we revere a player like Gravesen, wax lyrical over his "industry", and label him a playmaker or whatever. He is no more than a headless chicken, with a combustible engine, bound to clatter into someone or something over any given 90 minutes.
Some have placed Gravesen up there on a pedestal as our midfield saviour (of sorts). Waving his clenched fists aside, he is like tumbleweed blowing down a deserted street at 100 miles an hour - action first, thought to follow. He ain't the worst player, by a long stretch, to don the Royal Blue... but, if we're ever to believe once more that Nil Satis blah-de-blah means something, then it is essential that we move on from placing the Thomas Gravesen's of this world alongside the Peter Reid's. No comparison in my book.
We have a right ol' problem on our hands with the farcical goalkeeping situation. I've seen worse keepers than both Simonsen and Gerrard but the answer as to who is the better is a futile one. We need to offload the pair of them and acquire a keeper who knows the meaning of the word reliable!
I really don't know what it is wrong with Paul Gerrard but it has been some years since we saw a highly rated youngster leave Oldham for Everton and be tagged as the man to replace the legend of Neville Southall between the sticks. Well, since Big Nev set off into the sunset, we've not seen Gerrard make that Number One jersey his own. The fact that he's Public Enemy Number One with a section of the Goodison faithful cements the notion that his days at Everton are well numbered.
It's like watching Dai Davies all over again, I'm afraid — you know he isn't a bad keeper but, time and time again, you see the sorry sight of a keeper lacking in confidence and flapping helplessly at incoming crosses. His rival, Simonsen, appears to be best placed to claim the keeper's jersey but yet again the nagging doubts over his ability remain. He too has been at Everton long enough to have worked his nuts off and made that jersey his own. He hasn't. 'Nuff said.
Our central pairing of Weir and Stubbs have proven value for money. David Weir has been a rock in recent seasons and, in fairness, Alan Stubbs has shown no ill effects from his well-documented health problems. However, in the modern game, pace will always cause our central defence major problems as neither are blessed with an abundance of speed.
Sometimes, you've got to be cruel to achieve your goals in football and, as Blue as Alan Stubbs is, I think he'll be the man, sooner rather than later, to make way for an injection of pace at the back. He was blessed to remain on the pitch against Blackburn after being skinned by Matt Jansen.
Davey Weir? Well, it 'll be interesting to see what happens after he receives the kiss of death that is the Player of the Year award! If the rumours of interest in Weir from elsewhere prove to be correct in the coming months, then, with the right offer on the table, it'll be hard to say no to some badly needed cash. Money talks...
We've always the ever-reliable David Unsworth if a sudden departure breaks up the Weir - Stubbs partnership. Though he has baffled many of his critics with sterling performances on the left flank over recent weeks, he is not the creative force required in that position. I still see him shackling Mark Hughes at Wembley, back in 1995, and still believe there's some future for him in central defence. Again, like Stubbs, he was unbelievably fortunate to remain on the pitch on Sunday, as his (ahem) 'challenge' on Gary Flitcroft would've done Bruce Lee proud. Ouch! A bull in a china shop???
One plus point from this season has been the improving form of Alessandro Pistone. He has improved immensely and looks our best option at left back — an example of a player taking his chance to make a position his own. Against Blackburn, I felt he was head and shoulders above his teammates. He kept it simple and was efficient throughout — and also willing to include himself in our (rare) attacking play.
Our midfield just reminds me of a void at times. Where, oh where, can I point to a little bit of creativity then? In an ideal world, I'd be glad to say goodbyes to the lot of them, as they are simply not good enough. Not good enough if we yearn to make some sort of progression in the coming seasons away from being an annual contender for relegation.
Trying to be kind... nah, sod that, say it as it is... I hope Lee Carsley's Everton career is marginally longer than that of David Ginola. He is not the sort of clogger we need.
Niclas Alexandersson, the continuing enigma? The cynic in me wishes to see Niclas perform miracles on the flank for Sweden in the forthcoming World Cup — that should add a few pounds to a transfer fee. He just doesn't do it often enough for us and we're not in a position of luxury where a midfield bereft of ideas can carry passengers.
Scott Gemmill? Again, we can't lose sight of the fact that he cost very little and arrived a player there to plug the gaps (cheaply). He has struggled this year to repeat his consistency of old. With a new manager looking for fresh blood, I reckon he has played his last game at Goodison.
Up front should prove interesting in the coming months. We have home-grown talent knocking on the door, which can be no bad thing. Alternatively, we can carry on with the triumvirate of Ferguson, Campbell and Radzinski. The pressure is firmly on the more seasoned campaigners here as they've youth snapping at their heels. That, and consistent absence through injury, should make for lively debate in the coming months but I still reckon (with Moyes possibly having to wheel and deal to gather transfer funds) that, if someone somewhere offers money for Tomasz Radzinski, then we should accept.
The honeymoon, if you could call it that, is well and truly over. Objective One — to avoid the drop — has been achieved. In the process, our hopes and expectations were renewed. Reality shows that we managed to avoid the drop a few games out from the seasons end. In the coming weeks, we should reflect on a season best forgotten and be simply thankful for being able to start next season — our 100th in the top division — with confidence renewed.
We've taken some awful body blows over recent years and bounced off the ropes on more than one occasion. There's now a spirit about the place, believing that we've a chance (again!) to somehow re-emerge from the pack to challenge for bigger and better things. It may not happen. It may be as a result of a new manager arriving. Whatever, there's something in the air at Goodison and hopefully it remains positive. God knows we've suffered enough. But, as ever, to enjoy your rewards, a little suffering along the way does no harm at all.
Or is that the catholic guilt trip within?! :-)
Colm Kavanagh 29 April 2002