Everton Squad, 2016-17

I haven't overly liked the names we been looking ones with. If we are able to keep our team intact, and it's not beyond reason, there is a lot of strength the manager can add to. These players are already good enough to compete for top 4 so what would break us through?

Think general consensus is a keeper, Left wing, another striker and attacking midfielder. Barkley is my number 8.

Names I would love to see linked would be Kingsley Coman, Aymeric Laporte, Bernd Leno, Arkadiusz Milik. I know some may seem impossible but that's the calibre I want to be looking at.

Imagine:
Leno
Coleman Stones Laporte Baines
Deulofeu Barkley Besic Coman
Milik Lukaku

Above didn't have to be 4-4-2.. I'm also a Besic fan and with proper management will be unbelievable. Give Barkley the responsibility of box to box - he can do to!

We have Davies, Ledson in the squad next season along with Dowell, maybe Walsh too.

That's just 4 players for a belter of a side!

Of that list, Milik is the most likely, Mayen Leno. Coman pipe dream and Laporte strongly linked to Man City already (as is Stones, of course).

I think he's a real asset but he needs to do it consistently and to stay fit.

Cillessen
Coleman Stones Van Dijk Garbutt
Barkley Banega Wijnaldum
Deulofeu Dost Mirallas

Keep Mirallas, he's quality. For the money we'd get for him we'd have to spend 3x over to get similar quality. Keep him, play him and make him happy. Top player.

We need a keeper. Germany, France and Italy apparently have some decent young ones. I'd actually get 2, an experienced back up (serious competition) for the no1. Also we need to evaluate Coleman's future. Either he steps up or we get shot. Stones is essential. Not only for his ability, but to make a stand. We are a big club, Stones stays. End of story. Plus he must be our future captain.

I don't think a centre back is so important should Stones stay. Jags, Mori andStones plus the young lads. But if there is a Distin style available, experienced and reliable, then could be an asset. We don't play in Europe, However, so I doubt it is needed.

Now much depends on our style. 4-3-3 is Koemans formation, with a focus on direct fast wingers.

Deulofeu, therefore, may thrive and with a better fitness regime could become one of the league's one to watch this season. The left wing forward is lacking here, as is the centre forward.

A huge bid for Griezemann would send pulses racing, but is probably dreamland. But if we offered Lukaku money for him, who knows.

Pelle would be decent back up, but nothing special. Other than that, Janseen looks to be off to Spurs. But that lad from Fulham, albeit young, should be signed up. Embolo too could be a target. Either of these would make the Pelle signing a smart move, a good experienced reliable striker to do th job while the future star gets to grips with the game.

We also have our young lads who can contribute here, Dowell especially.

Midfield is well stocked, but a little off balance. What is McCarthey, a deep lying midfielder or box-to-box . This needs resolving. Barkley needs to make his next step up, and Barry needs his long term successor. Davies can also come in occasionally. But a solid signing here wouldn't go amiss, Wijnaldum or someone of that ilk.

All in all not too much, but what we need we need to be quality.

How is Niasse "deadwood"? He hasn't had a chance to prove himself, and you've already written him off?! Very naive!

Personally, with Niasse's stats - lots of assists and quite a few goals, aswell as his willingness to run, he reminds me of Shane Long, and I personally feel that he will thrive under Koeman...

Don't be too quick in judgement, give him a chance!

Ryan
Coleman Stones Manolas Baines
Besic
Barkley Wijnaldum
Deulofeu Janssen Ziyech

(4-3-3 ~ Barcelona style)

(Although with Ziyech's apparent attitude problem, I see Niasse replacing him)

With the likes of Niasse, Dowell, Davies, Mirallas, McCarthy, Garbutt, Funes Mori, Browning on the bench.

I think Galloway will benefit from a full season in the Championship, get him nice and fit, and strong and a bit bulkier - so he can fulfill his potential as a left sided centre half.

Keeper
Right-back (maybe)
Centre-mid
Left-wing forward
Centre forward (should Lukaku go)

This is no small task. Added to that, maybe another defender, another left back (Garbutt nor Oviedo are long term successors to Baines), another centre mid (is besic really up to the level we are aiming) and another forward.

So looking at it.....busy times ahead.

....Jags... Stones... Baines

.................Barry
Coleman...............Mirallas
................Barkley

........Del..............Zico
..............Lukaku

The way we have chased the new gaffer he must be good. Good managers review their squads and give all a blank starting point. With his stats and the deadly YouTube backup you maybe right. A new manager, a new training schedule, a new lease of life. Same for all the players, someone currently at our club whom divides opinion could 'come good' with the new gaffer. Keep Niasse for me then.

Also, caution is correct. Too many changes can disrupt, but too few can be detrimental. Of course, when signing 5-6 players in one summer, not all will pan out, but that is part of the game.

This is why signing some older players (e.g, Pellé) is not such a backward move. Solid signings, while the younger, more risky ones can play without too much pressure or expectation on their shoulders.

The above will be crammed with the foreigners we know nothing about. I'd like us to get some English identity in here and would look for a Buttland, Will Hughes, etc.

That is a huge turnover of staff, and something that is going to take 2-4 transfer windows to get right. This is clearly something very different when we went 2-3 windows spending nothing.

Although I hope don't have to wait until then to win it.

Exactly! It all depends on what the new manager can get out of them!

I know Koeman expects people to work their socks off in training and on match day!

Also I think someone like McCarthy can play a Wanyama type roll, while Besic could be a Clasie type player - more box-to-box, with a little more finesse than a McCarthy/Wanyama type player.

I think Koeman will expect a lot more out of the players - and I think they can give a lot more!

Very exciting times ahead!

I'd far rather Browning play 30 games in the championship, and if good enough replace Jags the following season. The same goes for Holgate, Kenny, Connolly etc. I'd keep Garbutt and Galloway, I think both have more potential for the left back berth and would look to move Oviedo on. Great goal against the Mancs, but makes too many mistakes and importantly is not going to get better.

On another note anyone saying Ovideo was just one goal against Man U are being very unfair. During that period when Baines was injured he was playing better than we had seen Baines for over a year. That goal was the icing on the cake! If not injured he would be my first choice. But afraid he might never hit those heights or be reliably fit again.

Until they go then I will assume they are staying in which case I think we don't need much at all.

A top class GK - Forster, Horn, Leno, Ter Stegen
A first team LW/LM - Wijnaldum, Perisic, Yarmolenko
A reserve (2nd) striker (assuming Niasse is not it)- Pelle, Janssen, Milik

There are questions mark over alot of the rest of the team. Is Baines still top class? Can Barry be relied upon for another season? Is McCarthy ever gonna do more than cover ground? Is Mori going to cut out the lapses?

I think our central midfield is a particular cause of concern with neither Barry, McCarthy, Besic or Cleverly filling me with confidence as a top 4-esque player for the coming season. But we must see what they and the rest of the team are capable of under Koeman because otherwise we probably would be dispensing with the entire first team after last season's performance levels.

Also don't agree with Besic being class. He's been with us two full seasons now and has had less than 5 decent games. Deulofeu is a decent player but very inconsistent and Stones will likely be off to Manchester. Jags is also nearing the end of his career and is not captain material.

Main wishes;

1) New captain, whoever that is, needs to be brought into the club
2) Top keeper (preferably British re communication)
3) Top CB (if not 1 above)
4) Top striker (to replace Lukaku)
5) AML
6) Top CM who can pass forward
7) sign someone like Wijnaldem

Get rid of McGeady, Kone and another midfielder as we have too many. The likes of Cleverley, Lennon, McCarthy, Besic are all average. Ok for squad players but not good enough to start - unless they vastly improve under Koeman.

Keep Mirallas, grossly underused by Martinez and would be better suited to a faster tempo.

Jury's out on Niasse but we need to sign a striker before getting rid of all of ours.

Promote 3-4 players from the youth to the full squad.

Looking forward to the new look squad.

But Dave (36) replies - 'Sam ( 34) I think it is wiser to assume that Stones and Lukaku will be leaving'

Might I suggest the wisest choice would be assume nothing and wait until stuff happens (or doesn't happen).

General point though, stability and consistency wins over playing the Champ Man game in the transfer market every time. Someone even mentioned getting a left back, absolute madness.

We could compete at the top end with the current squad, so any additions need to be top quality. The way the market works, we simply couldn't replace what we've got with better quality. In most cases, If a player is better than what we've got, they're very unlikely to come to Everton except as an overpaid mercenary. No-one out there available is better than Baines for example.

I'd also be very, very worried about Koeman's ability if he didn't think he could achieve with the players here now.

I could wait to see what happens of course but then would deny myself the pleasure of a whole Summers worth of unsubstantiated transfer speculation.

In reality of course the management will have to wait to see how things turn out as you say.

Howard, Osman, Hibbert, Pienaar, Stanek already gone. Soon likely to be followed by Kone, Stones, Lukaku, McGeady - that's 9 players probably off and we're not even sure if Niasse can play at this level. Jagielka turns 34 in August and Barry 36 in Feb so need replacements here too.

Encouraging thing is that Koeman had to rebuild the Southampton side two years running and did a decent job and I'm sure he already has at least 3-4 players in mind who he wants to bring in.

We have some consistency in at least half the side as I imagine Coleman, Baines, Mori, Barkley, Mirallas, Deulofeu will feature a lot this coming season. What we're really missing is a strong spine, would love class players at GK, CB, CM, Str.

Clive, shocking stats. Wow. I can't fathom why he was bought. Staggering.

Yet, last season, the bame for defensive weaknesses were directed at the goal keeper and who ever were the centre backs, when it was obvious, the full back situation was defensively very weak.

When Everton were last a very successful side under the late Howard Kendall, Everton had a great goal keeper and a very solid back 4 of Gary Stevens, Derek Mountfield, Kevin Ratcliffe and Pat Van Den Hauwe. In fact without a shaky goal keeper and back 4, Everton performed attacking wise quite well last season.

I do believe the best way to get the most out of a team is by playing a 4-3-3 formation. How on earth can teams flourish by having players in 1 or 2 formations is the reason why most attacking plays break down and the opposition can turn defense into attack when there is no real cover of 3 players close to each other. After all, don't Everton older fans go on about the holy trinity of Ball, Kendall and Harvey, to prove my point?

Its especially worrying that he was sent back from the Norwegian league as not good enough after 3 sub appearances.