ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Cover at Centre-Back

I?ve noticed recently that just as Everton are playing their best football of this season and most importantly winning, several posts are discussing which position needs strengthening during the January transfer window.

Initially, I wondered, "Why discuss transfers when we?re winning and when January is a long way away?" It didn?t make instant sense, but then I looked at the quality of recent opposition and it became apparent that if we consistently want to enjoy watching the recent standard of football, and to win, week-in, week-out, against the better teams, then we?re not quite strong enough.

I agree with most that, looking at the ability and age of the current first eleven, midfield is most in need of strengthening. Carsley needs replacing (Neville and Jags are not good enough as defensive midfielders), Pienaar must be signed, a central midfield general is required and also maybe a left footed winger. But, looking at the squad, it surprises me that very few mention our vulnerability at Centre Back.

As a first-eleven pairing, Yobo and Lescott are excellent and I have no doubt they are good enough to help Everton challenge the top Premier League sides, but we only have Jagielka and Stubbs as cover. Given that:

Lescott is Moyes preferred cover for Baines when he is injured.
Yobo will be on African Nations duty soon.
Many, prefer Jagielka as first choice right back: and
Stubbs at his age is injury prone and has few seasons left.

For me signing a young centre-back with the potential to challenge Lescott and Yobo is as important as strengthening our first choice midfield.
Colin Webb, Ashby de la Zouch Posted 05/11/2007 at 11:34:25

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Comments

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Connor Rohrer
1 Posted 05/11/2007 at 14:06:47

Jagielka and Stubbs are good enough cover when Yobo goes to the African nations. Stubbs to be honest is hardly ever injured and still plays at a very high level considering his age.

Jagielka’s natural position is centre half. I want him to play right back because it is the only position he’s capable of holding down with only Hibbert and Neville as his competition but he is also very capable of filling in at centre half as he showed against Birmingham.

If anything we need a midfielder. Justin Hoyte from Arsenal is a maybe and that would mean another right back/left back at the club with Jagielka then challenging Yobo, Stubbs and Lescott. I think Stubbs will stay on next season and I hope so to. Maybe not as frequent as this or last season but playing 12-20 games a season he’s perfectly capable. He offers so much both on and off the pitch.

Allan Hobbs
2 Posted 05/11/2007 at 14:11:22

Lescott, Yobo, Stubbs, Jagielka, Boyle (ok a left back but can play centrally), Neville (at a big push!) so we do have a bit of cover for centre-half.

Trouble is, young, good quality central defenders are few & far between, though I have heard rumblings about Anton Ferdinand and he might be a decent option. Bit rough around the edges but could certainly be turned into a good player under Moyes I reckon.

I just hope we don’t buy Downing.

Darren White
3 Posted 05/11/2007 at 14:17:52

I agree that the squad is a little too thin on numbers at CB compared to all other positions, other than maybe CM.

Without Yobo we only have three players that are experienced playing CB at Premiership level, and Stubbs has not got that many games in the locker.

An injury to Lescott or Jags during the African Nations cup and we’d be struggling.

In my opinion having a strong spine to the team is more important than wingers etc, therefore I say CB and CM in January if the funds are available.

Jimmy Crack
4 Posted 05/11/2007 at 14:31:41

Well according to the Daily Mail, Moyes wants to sign Justin Hoyte from Arsenal.

He’s a fullback, not a centre back, but he is young and has done very well for Arsenal. This would allow Jagielka to be played in central defense where I believe he could do an excellent job

Nick Wall
5 Posted 05/11/2007 at 15:10:24

This must be very high on Moyes’s list of priorities. We will be very short on cover when Yobo goes on international duty, and there’s a real possibility that Stubbs will move on or retire at the end of the season.

Baloo Johnson
6 Posted 05/11/2007 at 16:14:42

Outside Goodison there is a cardboard cut out of Bill Kenwright standing straight with one arm up in the air and his hand out flat. Underneath the sign it states "Unless accompanied by an adult all new midfield players must be at least this high" -
unfortunately, Justin Hoyte doesn’t measure up.

Allan Hobbs
7 Posted 05/11/2007 at 16:28:22

I wiki’d him - he’s 5’11 surely that makes him tall enough?

Matthew Lovekin
8 Posted 05/11/2007 at 17:35:35

We have to strengthen at the very start of January, why? The African Cup of Nations. I read a report today saying that Portsmouth will struggle the most in January as they will lose THREE players for up to seven weeks. Us however, could lose FOUR. Yobo is a certainty, Yakubu has the ability and should play despite a dispute and Anichebe could go to gain experience and as a ’wild card’ player if he sorts out his dispute with the Nigerian manager. Our biggest miss could be Pienaar as he is coming into form. Without these four players we are going to be lightweight and if we get a couple of injuries, it will be a disaster. If Nigeria and South Africa progress far, e.g. to the Final as they could easily do, we could miss these for seven weeks! We have to strengthen to cover for these positons straight away. However, I do not believe in buying players just to add numbers to the squad, either get in loan deals to cover or buy big name players to improve the first team, therefore centre back, and centre midfield are a must. We should be ok for strikers as we have five before we lose Yakubu and Anichebe and Cahill can play as a second striker. Any suggestions....