It is about time Everton started achieving?
Everton have always been seen as “that” team that might do well each season, but always end up falling just short of any real success each time.
It was a mere six years ago where Everton were looking to be one of the top clubs in England. Moyes’ men finished fourth in 2004-2005 but were subsequently eliminated from the UEFA Cup after they lost in the Champions League qualifying round. The next four years saw two UEFA Cup stints and an FA Cup final in 2009. Out of this stint of success, Everton have nothing to show apart from statistics and figures and now they have fallen by the wayside. Currently sitting 8th in the Premier League, the club can only realistically hope for a potential Europa League spot (and that’s if they are lucky). They finished eighth last season as well and it seems to be a re-occurring finish for the blue half of Merseyside.
Moyes needs success and he needs it soon, as Everton deserve a lot more than what they have achieved following their climb up the Premier League table. They have a squad with some incredible players; the likes of Leighton Baines, Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta being some of the best players in the league. There is the future prospect of Jack Rodwell, with Leon Osman looking to be an Everton legend also. So why has a once prosperous team started to fall behind?
This I feel is not just down to the squad, but down to the fact that so many other teams have become stronger than Everton. The Premier League is no longer the four horse race that it once was, with Everton just on the cusp, but it has turned into a tournament of five or six top teams and a few on the borderline. Manchester City for one have become huge after their multi-million pound takeover and seemingly endless supply of money for transfers. Tottenham have become a strong force with a few top-quality buys and expert tuition under Harry Redknapp.
Money has always been a problem for Everton in terms of transfers, Moyes was often quoted as saying that he did not have enough to bolster his squad of already talented players. Everton lack a final killer instinct, a few players that can pull something out of nothing and perform at the same level as the likes of Manchester United. Everton lack any real depth and strength, if you look at their squad list, there isn’t a huge array of players that can truly be seen as top class. Moyes said after their recent 2-1 win over Fulham that an absence of players caused a “dull”game, which in all fairness, is a true comment to make. Injuries and absentees have caused a lot of problems for Everton and have helped see them fall behind in the Premier League pecking order.
If Everton are to challenge the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool, they need to find money from somewhere in order to improve their squad depth and ability. If they do, the Premier League will become even more competitive than it now is and predictability could become a thing of the past for Everton and the league itself.
