Why Youth Could Be the Answer for Everton

The summer buys have shown that you cant buy quality, with the exception of Rooney, who would be pivotal for the younger players.

Pickford
Kenny Keane Jagielka Baines
Davies Gueye
Lookman Sigurdsson Vlasic
Calvert-Lewin or Rooney

I can't help thinking that we should be looking to build our team around Tom Davies. I believe Jonjoe Kenny is our best option at right back also. We need to consider Lookman and give him a game. I am not sure he is 100% ready for the Premier League, but we need pace and width and he offers both.

Some of the under-performing stars in the team need 'resting'. Schneiderlin and Williams need to re-charge their batteries and produce the goods when they are called upon again.

I think the gulf between the Under-23 league and the Premier League is massive, hence why most premiership clubs are sending some of their better kids out on loan to Championship teams. That way rather than play against lads roughly the same age, they are playing against seasoned professionals. So when they are included in the first team they have a better idea of what to expect.

I know Hansen once said you win nothing with kids and because of the success Man Utd had with the exceptional class of 1992, that is used as a counter argument. But for me Hansen's statement is right 99 times out of 100. So yes, introduce the kids by all means but not all at once, and over a period of time we may have some really talented players to call on for at least the next 10 years. Because we don't have the finance to compete with the top 6, this is a way over time that may allow us to compete.

Everton have always had young talent, and none more so than this season, but as so often happens if they cannot break into the first team quickly they become impatient and unhappy which then turns their heads elsewhere. It's a natural trait with talented youngsters. They want things to happen overnight.

If I was under 21 and not in the first team squad right now, I would be wondering why, considering the poor performances of the experienced and big wage earners. If Koeman & Co. cannot instill the belief in these ''first teamers'' soon then a shake-up is on the cards before too much longer.

Pickford
Holgate, Pennington, Browning
Kenny, Davies, Dowell, J Williams, Galloway
Calvert-Lewin, Lookman

This doesn't even include Vlasic or Sandro who are both under 23. It might not set the world alight but it would stand a good chance of surviving, and they'd probably play as a team.

The future could be bright if even half of these fulfill their potential. Don't forget, Michael Keane only started making it in the Championship when he was 22.

Pickford
Holgate Keane Galloway
Kenny Davies Barkley Dowell Garbutt
Calvert-Lewin Lookman

I would love to see that side play... sadly never gonna happen with Koeman in charge!

Here, he was reluctant to play our kids, before giving Davies a go after months of us screaming for him from the rooftops. However, let's give him credit. Forget hindsight, Davies had barely played for us, let alone started, when Koeman gave him a go in his greatest match, the 4-0 City win. So give him some kudos there.

However, he has been slow to pick Calvert-Lewin, and last season played him only out of position. But to be fair, he would need to drop Lukaku or rest Lukaku to have done so. Lookman also got a run of games before Koeman decided against playing him, I would say that was more Koeman not liking something about him than his age counting against him, or why would he have even picked him to start with?

Vlasic has played a lot this season, I do not think he has missed a game yet. He is younger than Kenny, and can be considered youth but is not an academy prospect. Kenny is someone everyone likes the look of. It's not just us fans who do not have his knowledge or insight, it's everyone who's seen him play, particularly ex-pros, coaches and scouts. They all rave about him, and I can see why. Koeman won't pick him.

Davies himself has dropped out of contention for a starting place, having effectively been replaced by Klaassen, and Koeman won't drop an out-of-form Gueye for him (he cannot do Schneiderlin's job for me). Dowell was sent out on loan (older than Vlasic) rather than play, despite a good pre-season and with Rooney (31), Sigurdsson (27), and Klaassen (24) ahead of him, it's difficult to see where he figures in Koeman's long term vision.

We are crying out for pace and width and yet Lookman barely features. We lack left-sided cover and yet Connolly and Galloway have gone out on loan. Liam Walsh could be an interesting choice instead of Schneiderlin in a League Cup match, but he went out on loan (no doubt there was genuine assurances from the now sacked Redknapp).

To be fair, he has stood by Calvert-Lewin and has played him and increasingly so in the No 9 role. It's just he has not started a run of games in the position. Surely, he has the youthful energy that could see him play twice a week for months or weeks without a rest.

I want to see an Everton side full of scousers, full of youth, and Koeman appears to be reluctant to promote the kids, but yet it was only a few games ago that he played 8 English players. (It was 9 really as Williams is English born.) So we cannot say he does not favour the local talent. It's perhaps his caution that holds him back. Kenny is the one I cannot understand. He must play. He can no do worse than Martina. He deserves Koeman to play him and to stand by him if things go wrong the way he has stood by the dreadful Martina.

He would be one of the first names on the sheet for me together with Sigurdsson who is now starting to find some form having missed his preseason.

I would go for 3 at the back and drop Schneiderlin so my team would be:

Pickford
Kenny Keane Jags Williams Baines
Davies Gana
Vlasic Sigurdsson
Calvert-Lewin

He has shown himself capable of that particularly recently for England.

And that's without mentioning his below par passing ability. He needs to have an exceptional range of passing, not every other ball goes to the opposition.

Keane is noted in a lot of quarters for his ability on the ball.

That will do none of their reputations any good ("He wasn't good enough for an Everton team that was relegated after over 60 years in the top flight" is not the best comment to have) and even the prospect of playing alongside a bunch of donkeys like that group can't be very appealing.

Off subject, but I was reading that Southgate is going to now start playing with three centre-backs. Will it work? I personally think England will start to gradually improve now, even if that's not my point.

He's a manager, he's getting stick for the way his team are playing, so he's decided to change, and I think at least 20% of Evertonians would be delighted if Koeman, made the same choice.

I think Ron needs to swallow his pride and admit he's got it wrong so far this season. But I think he's too stubborn to admit it.

Playing Niasse from the start against Burnley was a desperate act and it made him look like he is clutching at straws. Before you say "Niasse scored 2 the week before!" I think he's the type of player who you need to come off the bench to change the game.

I want Koeman to succeed and he is a big draw regarding getting players to sign for us. But he needs to swallow his pride and realise that, for a player to get his confidence back, he can only do that in a position he is the most comfortable.

COYB!!!

But just imagine for a moment that Koeman is sacked and David Unsworth is given the top job. Imagine his first home game in charge. It's under the lights and the team comes through with positional balance, it's attack-minded and there's youth. The buzz and excitement of a true blue in charge, true blues in the starting line-up, and 40,000 true blues ready to back them to the hilt. Imagine how loud we'd roar when Z-Cars hits on that day.

Now come back to reality. I barely feel like standing when Z-Cars hits at the moment. A terrible feeling for a fan to have and one that must transcend onto the players.

Give Unsworth his chance now before it's too late this season. Koeman won't change now.

I really do get where you are coming from; just a few points though.

Galloway can't get a game at Sunderland currently. He didn't get many on loan at WBA last season either. How is he expected to walk back into our first team?

Garbutt. Have you actually seen him playing for the U23s this season? He's honestly very average. Wish I could say he was worth a punt but he's so clearly not.

Please add to this list before others start citing them as saviours: Browning, Pennington and Williams. They are certainly not awful but they shouldn't be expected to have first team positions. It's just the reality and they fall a little short.

We should now look towards the current crop who are emerging albeit still developing: Walsh, Baningime, Evans, Feeney and Sambou.

I've left Dowell off because he's on loan at Nottm Forest so not available for the first team and it's difficult to predict whether he may make the step up in the future.