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Everton unleashed

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With Arteta, Yakubu & Beckford gone, Drenthe & Denis in, it got me wondering, what's left?

Some, or even most, think we will revert to unimaginative hoofball with zero creativity, and they may be right. Amongst my own thoughts of that very scenario though, came a thought of a new, exciting, young Everton playing in front of our experienced players.

I'm talking the same back 5 in Howard, Neville, Jags, Distin & Baines, with cover from the likes of Hibbo, Johnny, and perhaps even Yobo. After that though comes a midfield consisting of (right to left) Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell, Barkley & Drenthe to really go at teams. The potential there is awesome and those players would have help from the older heads in Osman, Cahill with Bilyaletdinov thrown in too.

Upfront, the preference would be a fully fit, in-form Saha, but here we also have youth in Vellios, Denis & even Big Vic if he can finally turn his physical raw power into some consistancy and ability on the field. Those lads are all around the same age and could build a team spirit and togetherness like the Man U team of the nineties if they are allowed to express and enjoy themselves on the field.

This is what I would love to see this season, and I'm sure I wouldn't be alone. I get the feeling though that the main thing stopping this kind of thing at Everton is David Moyes!

Dan McKie, Blackpool Posted 03/09/2011 at 20:16:28

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Kevin Hudson
1 Posted 03/09/2011 at 22:08:30

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Peter Hall made an interesting observation in his article, concerning Fellaini.

That with the absence of Arteta, players like him, Osman & even Barkley may have room to breathe in a post-Arteta Everton, and take assertive responsibility.

Which I hope will extend to the strikers, following the sales of Yak & Becks. I personally hope to see the emergence of Velios too.

Gotta hope that opportunity comes knocking for some of our boys now the dust has settled.

Kevin Hudson
2 Posted 03/09/2011 at 22:14:11

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Forgot to mention Gueye..

Chris Neubauer
3 Posted 03/09/2011 at 22:12:00

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When you say we'll revert to unimaginative hoofball with zero creativity. We're already there! not to mention predictable. I believe that managers, players and fans of other clubs don't fear the prospect of facing Everton in their next fixture, because they know exactly what to expect. I like you hope that loss of Arteta and the introduction of the 2 loanees may turn us into something unrecognisable.

Robert Daniels
4 Posted 03/09/2011 at 23:00:15

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Dan, good team, mate, and the one I would pick also. If the firecracker can do the bizz in front of them we could have a better squad or first eleven than before.

Point is, will he play them? And, if he does, will he play them long enough ie 4/5 games or whatever, so they gel, without tinkering with them? I doubt it...

Good team tho, just the same.

Ash Passmore
5 Posted 04/09/2011 at 06:31:07

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I think also that Arteta going will suit Bily who has always seemed to have a better game in the middle of the park in that attacking midfield role.

Danny Broderick
6 Posted 04/09/2011 at 07:58:42

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Your article underlines the fact that we've got nothing up front.

Paul Ellam
7 Posted 04/09/2011 at 10:14:14

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Despite the sale of Arteta, I still believe we are a lot better team than some make out, but ? and its a big but ? we are still way too short up front. We desperately need at least one top quality striker and, if it's to be believed we do have some funds coming our way in January, then surely we must invest in one!

Dan McKie
8 Posted 04/09/2011 at 11:06:34

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I agree, Danny, that upfront we are relying on at least one of Vellios, Denis or Anichebe to take everyone by surprise, but who is to say they won't? Yak hasn't been our player for a while now, let's face it, and Beckford has gone back to what is realistically his level. If we did get the midfield firing though, then any of the Arteta money that the papers claim we will spend, could go on a striker.

I believe that Moyes will get £5m (just my own belief) in January, just so that Bill can keep his supposed promise of that amount for this season at least. I'm not sure what that would get us, but Moyes has done great in buying some players for less than half that amount.

John Barnes
9 Posted 04/09/2011 at 14:21:53

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You're dreaming lads. 4 6 0 Cahill 'up front' next game. Can see it now

Chris Bannantyne
10 Posted 04/09/2011 at 15:19:58

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Well, I'm keen to see Stracqualursi play. Who knows? Maybe this team will suit him down to the ground and he won't be able to stop scoring? Maybe it won't, and he will be a dud. Or maybe he will be just average and score a few.

I can't really comment on our strikers situation until I see him play a few times.

I will say our list of forwards is uncomfortably short though. Saha, when fit, can be more than capable. Vellios needs more game time before I can judge. Anichebe is a dud (an injured dud at that, just heard he did his groin playing for Nigeria) and then that's just about it. We COULD give Bily a chance in that role, as some have suggested, and we do have some promising youth in McAlleny and Hope - but they are unknown at this level. There is also Jose Baxter, who I don't really see coming good as a forward, but would love to see succeed.

So proven, quality strikers? Just one at this stage, and he's injured more often than not.

Ciarán McGlone
11 Posted 04/09/2011 at 16:42:22

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Cahill and Heitinga will start in midfield next game..

Nice optimism, unfortunately - this is Moyes' Everton.

Greg Carr
12 Posted 04/09/2011 at 16:35:41

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I guess time will tell how the new boys fit in the whats left of our squad. I was not too fussed when we sold Arteta but only if we get some of the money to spend, a big "IF" I know.

From a midfield point of view, I think we are better off after the window closed. Arteta's creative influence was practically non-existent. Anyone who was watched us consistently will know, he also tended to get caught on the ball a lot since his injury.

Our main problem in midfield has been width and pace, Drenthe ticks both these boxes. I must admit I have never seen him play (only YouTube which doesn't count), but Real Madrid don't pay £14 mil and give you a regular place for over a season and a half, without you having something special. It seems his problem is mental from what I have read so hopefully Sigmund Moyes will sort that out.

Also, I am quite excited at the prospect of having Baines and Drenthe on the same wing. I can see plenty of balls for Cahill to feed off.

My worry, like others, is our strikers. Big vic is just not up to it, and has absolutely no redeeming features. Saha is a good player when fit, but even then he can be quite inconsistent. Vellios has looked okay when given a brief chance but unproven. And Denis... well, who knows!!

My biggest disappointment was not that we sold the players we did. I thought we did well out of it and didn't particularly make us less of a side afterwards. The problem was that we didn't have much of a side in the first place, especially up front, and we have done little to improve in this position. Then again The Strac may be a revelation... but, even so, we still have limited options.

Julian Wait
13 Posted 04/09/2011 at 18:59:25

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After watching Barcelona last year, seeing how quickly SAF has adapted Man United to a more dynamic style, and now followed by Capello's "young England" performance of English style tika-taka, I am hopeful that Moyes will take the positive step and unleash a more dynamic front 4/5 where we hold the ball in their half and not just our half.

Based on the way the game is being refereed these days, to the advantage of the attacking team, and those who run at other teams, it seems like you have to attack (and score goals) because the other team inevitably will.

Gueye, Drenthe, Seamus, Baines, Barkley, and maybe even Rodwell (hoping watching Barkley gives Rodwell a kick up the behind mentally) all make for interesting options.

I don't think it is feasible to grind out a series of 0-0, 1-1 draws and 1-0 wins any more, which is how we finished 4th if I recall correctly (seems so long ago); if you try to play that way, you will have other teams ? even the likes of Wolves, QPR etc) that will score more than you.

I expect a high scoring season for most teams; whether Everton can join that party remains to be seen. If we don't, we won't finish top 10.

Mick Davies
14 Posted 05/09/2011 at 13:41:03

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After the sale of our training ground which we now have to lease back, adn the sale of so many players with only loanees coming in, maybe we should change the name of the club to Rangers. The loan rangers that is. How are we to achiive stablility with so much turmoil and players feeling as though they don't belong to the club but are just playing for wages, or as a means to a lucrative move elsewhere?
the club is in a crisis and if anyone doubts this, then ask yourself why a bank would advise a client not to take out more loans and tell them not to invest? We could be seeing a Plymouth Argyle situation here but on a grander scale. Come back Reidy, you have the experience we need

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