ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Proposed Strategy

A commonly accepted fact is that we need a bigger squad... Actually, I completely disagree.

As pointed out every minute, we haven't got mega bucks and there is no way to magic up the money if no international billionaires want to make us their toy. So... accepting that we have restricted funds, what is the best strategy for doing best?

For the sake of argument, let's say we have £90M for first team players. This means you can have 15 £6M players or 20 £4.5M players. If you have 20 £4.5M players, you will always have cover for injuries but your best team will always be mediocre. Low-mid table every season guaranteed.

If you have 15 £6M players you will have some disaster season due to injuries/whatever and hopefully survive relegation by the skin of your youth players' teeth. But... With 15 £6M players and a bit of luck on injuries and form, you actually have a chance of winning something or getting a good cup run or finishing in a good league position. You can then earn money and interest from this success and can use this to build the team further.

I know which squad I'd rather watch. And... I believe that the small-squad strategy is the one that gives us the best chance of building to something better in the future.

Don't get hung up on the numbers in this post, just think about whether big squad or small squad is the best use of our money. The argument obviously applies to wages as well as transfer fees.

So... Here's hoping Moyes sticks with the small squad, holds the money tightly and only signs players that he believes can improve the first choice 11.
Tom Brown, London Posted 01/07/2007 at 10:44:37

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Comments

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Michael

Other than your ridiculous numbers, isn't that exactly what Moyes has been striving for since he arrived? Knowing he had limited funds? But the sad fact is that there is a lot more than injuries that are needed to address the yo-yo syndrome. For one thing, every one of thise players has to really, really want to play for Moyes and you have to have a great team spirit ? no exceptions. Remember what happened when that wasn't the case?

Gavin Ramejkis
1 Posted 01/07/2007 at 13:21:12

Burying your head in the sand and hoping no one gets injured, suspended or called up for internationals, how do you think Everton complete the season without enough players Tom?

Bluey
2 Posted 01/07/2007 at 14:08:00

Again this is all speculation, but just for arguments sake, say we put in the 5 players that have been linked the most strongly with the Blues in recent weeks and take out Beattie,VDM and Naysmith (my guesses for leaving shortly!!!), This would be the squad on paper next term without any injuries/suspensions/international call ups:-

Howard, Turner, Ruddy, Hibbert, JAGIELKA, Stubbs, Yobo, Lescott, Valente, RICHARDSON, Carsley, Neville, Osman, Mcfadden, Arteta, KOUMAS, SMITH, NUGENT, Johnson, Vaughan, Anichebe (21 players)

Out of the two players already released and the three which my money?s on leaving, only Beattie and Naysmith could be classed as proper squad members last term, so Everton realistically only had a pool of 17/18 players last year (not including the likes of Da Silva and Vidarsson who made the bench a couple of times (coupled with Johnson and Cahill being injured during parts of the season ? we were defo short on numbers)

A squad of 21 is still 7 or 8 short of what the likes of Arsenal and the RS have got but that would definately give us a better chance of not being caught short during the season as all positions are covered once and more than a few twice if you consider the versality of 3 or 4 of those players included above. It's not an absolute solution and all in the garden is rosy scenario, far from it, but that type of squad at least on paper looks capable of being useful this season...

Again though it's ifs and buts still as nothing?s so sure until the players sign on the dotted line, but I?m hopeful without getting carried away. Ignore the rumour mills, they?ll only give you a coronary lol... If you know where to look the right info is out and about and you can be one step ahead of the paper talk as well.

Kieth Glazzard
3 Posted 01/07/2007 at 17:06:53

Tom, thanks; an interesting look at what we all know is "the problem". Moyes watchers have been trying to second-guess him for half a decade without being able to predict him, but I?d say you got close to the man. The huge moneyspenders are the battleships, and smaller faster craft can get in close and sink them.

And Gavin is quite right to point out that injuries - and suspensions... (How can someone like San Mikel be suspended when you look at the thugs who would be in jail if they weren?t already full, running free) ? pose a big threat to a small squad.

Any decent lads coming through the ranks who can do a decent job? There should be, and a good young player will play well alongside top-drawer players. I think we know that DM has been reluctant to bring young players through in this way. Should he change?

And Bluey struck an optimistic note, I think. The three-dimensional chess somewhere above suggested that it might be OK if the back four and midfield was strong and could take a long hard campaign, and it might all work out. Sound basic common sense, if anyone ever asked me, which I don?t expect them to do.

Front players: Nugent might be a good addition to any club, but I think other clubs will already be looking at their EFC fixtures and worrying how to deal with AJ, JV and VA anyway.

And Michael, for my money, got it right too ? playing for Moyes. Criticise him however you wish, and Superman doesn?t exist anyway, but he has built up in our lovely club over the last 5 years a wish to play. And he would, I guess, be the last to say they were playing for him ? but for EFC, something worth playing for.

What is that? A sin. Pride. For the thousands on the day, for the millions worldwide... Always worth remembering.

Ray Robinson
4 Posted 01/07/2007 at 19:56:13

Tom

Successful league campaign + decent Uefa Cup run + domestic cup success = BIG Squad.

Small squad + League + Uefa Cup + Domestic Cups = courting disaster.

If we want to compete, we need numbers as well as quality. As you say, the trick is not to destroy team spirit but I?m afraid a small squad is definitely not the answer in my opinion. Even if we steer clear of injuries, loss of form and burnout, I?m afraid I can guarantee that Cahill and Neville will each reach 5 bookings fairly quickly!