Everton: The land that time forgot

Transfers? Never heard of ‘em. Not round here my friend. Jonah Loeb guides us through summer at Goodison.

Goodison Park, the grand old ground of Everton FC, lies deserted. Crows gather on the rafters to discuss the transfer market in caws and croaks; a miserable half-eaten pie lies under a seat in the Gwladys End feeding the Evertonian flies. The lone and level grasses of the pitch itself, a scarred old battlefield, stretch far away. Evertonia, in short, is a wasteland, empty of heroism or humanity or hope.

At least, that’s the impression you get talking to an Everton supporter these days. The long-shallow pockets of owner Bill Kenwright and the even-tighter-than-usual lips of manager David Moyes have combined to set a worrying tone in the Everton camp. Eighth two seasons ago and seventh last season without a penny to spend caused many to hail Moyes as a genius who somehow held off the big-spending Sunderlands and Aston Villas of the world to come in right behind the ‘Big Six’, but questions remain over how long such a situation can last. Everton supporters know their history, as the song goes, and they are not content with simply remaining in the league.

A summer transfer window that saw Everton bring in only young Eric Dier on loan from Sporting CP means that this season will see familiar faces at Goodison. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though; it was only last summer that a midfield containing Steven Pienaar, Mikel Arteta, Marouane Fellaini, and Tim Cahill was getting serious attention as Champions League contenders. Every single one of those highly-rated midfielders, though, was injured for a good portion of last year, meaning that Everton was forced to push Phil Neville or John Heitinga into the midfield and rely on Tony Hibbert at right back. A good portion of the strikers, too, went down at one point or another, including (of course) Louis Saha, which meant that the erratic Victor Anichebe led the line on occasion.

The question, naturally, is where Everton will get the money to flesh out the squad. At this point, Moyes has to sell to buy, an unpleasant state of affairs that has led to discussions about Jack Rodwell finally making his perennially-rumored move to Manchester United. Rodwell has struggled for form, fitness, and a starting spot, and it is becoming more and more apparent that his potential might hold more value than his performance. A striker would probably be the top priority for the Blues; Demba Ba and Charles N’Zogbia were both in the Everton rumor mill before being snapped up this summer.

One major question to be answered concerns the wide midfielders. Leon Osman had a fantastic spring filling in for Arteta, but what role can he play once the Spaniard recovers from his recent ankle knock? He may be small and quick, but Osman is no more a chalk-on-his-feet wide man than Cahill is an out-and-out striker. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, the most frustrating player in English football, also evades definition. His left foot remains a constant goal threat from anywhere within thirty yards, but the Russian is not pacy enough to play as a tricky winger and nowhere near consistent enough for a regular central role. Seamus Coleman started last season brilliantly, but his head-down approach bamboozled fewer and fewer defenders as the weeks wore on, and the young Irishman will have to learn a few more tricks if he wants to build on his breakout season.

The answer may have come in the form of Magaye Gueye, a French U-21 international whom Moyes picked up for a pittance from Strasbourg last summer. A natural attacking winger with pace, flair, and a vicious left foot, he seems the perfect replacement for Pienaar, but will Moyes abandon his hitherto-unsuccessful project of transforming Anichebe into an effective wing player for long enough that Gueye can prove himself?

The fans certainly seem to have made their choice; a pre-season photo of the Everton first team frolicking in an Austrian river brought Facebook comments like “drown Bilyaletdinov” and “someone please injure Fat Vic,” comments that leave little room for interpretation.

In attack

The main question about the attackers is one Everton supporters have been wilfully ignoring and refusing to confront for the past year or two: what role can the beloved Tim Cahill play in the first team? Cahill provides a dangerous target for crosses and set pieces, and he poaches goals with the best of them, but lacks composure on the ball, and his pace is slipping away. Have Everton yet reached the point at which they realize that Cahill, so long an Everton icon, simply doesn’t fit into the side? Saha and Jermaine Beckford both work better together than as lone strikers, and even with one man up top, Cahill’s spot might be better filled by Bilyaletdinov or Rodwell, both of whom are younger and better passers.

The back line, luckily for Moyes, provides fewer question marks. Sylvain Distin, well into his 70s, continues to be one of the strongest and paciest centre-halves in the entire league, and player of the year Leighton Baines is making a strong argument for himself as England’s first-choice left back. The team’s problem last year and the year before was not defence but goal-scoring, and changing the habit of tactical conservatism may take some effort.

If Moyes continues to experiment with formations other than his customary 4-5-1, the Toffees could begin scoring goals or begin leaking them, but the time may have come to see what happens. Consecutive seasons of slow starts, mid-table struggling, and failure to reach a European spot may force Moyes to roll the dice and see if a more attacking style could push Everton north of Liverpool and Spurs in the table.

When the starting lineups for Saturday’s season opener against Queens Park Rangers are revealed, many of the names on the teamsheet may come as a complete surprise. Will there be two strikers or one? Will Tim Cahill be in the starting eleven? Who will play out wide? The more surprises we see, the more interesting a season it promises to be for Everton. Otherwise, we may see them start slowly, turn it around in February, and make a failed run for a spot in the Europa League. It’s becoming a familiar script, and familiarity – especially among fans as passionate and proud as Everton’s – breeds contempt.

Jonah Loeb is a new contributor to Just Football. Find him @jonahblues on Twitter if you wish to follow his Everton-related rantings.

(photo credit: willposh on Flickr)

David Moyes, English Premier League, Everton, Jack Rodwell, Louis Saha, Tim Cahill