The transfer window has passed us by once again with no ins of notability and, not for the first time, our on-field expectations have exceeded the reality of our first three Premier League results. If the statistic doing the rounds in the national press is to be believed, then Everton have made their worst start to a league campaign for 11 years. With the coffin-dodgers of Walter Smith's reign, then such a start would be within most fan's expectations ? but not under David Moyes!
We all know how far Moyes has taken the club since his arrival in 2002 ? the likes of Gascoigne, Hughes and Ginola were ousted in favour of the youthful and up-and-coming. Whilst initially tormenting us with some yo-yo years, the Scot ultimately assembled a better, fitter and stronger squad that eventually made consistent improvements year on year.
However, the consistency we would have all wished not to have had was the matter of size ? small squad, big problem. Although, whilst Moyes and fans alike would regularly bemoan this 'little' matter to news reporters and on fan forums, it fast became our greatest tool.
The fact that we were not expected to be battling with the likes of Spurs and Villa for regular European places, only helped our ambition to do just that. Everton under Moyes quickly gained a reputation for being organised, efficient and dogged in approach; terms used so much that perhaps Moyes could have coined us 'Everton ? The Annoyingly Hard to Beat Club' instead.
If we track Moyes's time at Everton back to his appointment and work our way to the present day, then we come across a familiar trend. Everton were overwhelmingly tipped for relegation and appointing a fairly unknown rookie from the division below didn't instill everyone with confidence. But the Scot won his first game in charge and led Everton to Premier League survival and 15th place.
His first full season in charge saw him take his relegation candidates to the dizzying heights of 7th place ? a 'magnificent' achievement with limited resources. Everton got going thanks to a six-game winning streak and the stunning arrival of a teenage prodigy no one but us Blues saw coming. I won't name Waynes... I mean names.
After a dismal season-long flirtation with relegation in 2003-04 that ended in 17th place, no one saw the 2004-05 season playing out in the way that it did. An opening day 4-1 hammering by Arsenal was the wake-up call no-one saw coming, and Moyes's underdogs (of war, to borrow a phrase from the decade before) defied all the odds to clinch that heaven-sent 4th spot, and the chance to play in the Champions League.
And if we jump to the season that has just passed us by, with a threadbare squad stretched to its last when the season kicked off, the slow start to the season meant that no-one was rushing to their nearest bookies to place bets on Everton making a late dash for a European spot.
What we notice in these instances is that with every 'success' that Everton has enjoyed, Moyes has had the gift of adversity. He may not have had the financial backing of his Chairman, but himself and his team had their backs to the wall on more than one occasion. This 'war-time spirit' defined the team and was instrumental in our campaigns to continually force the national press to eat their words.
Now we have our best squad under Moyes, the man admitted it himself, and I'm sure no Evertonian can argue otherwise. But, in some strange twist of circumstances, when all the ingredients are in place for us to potentially serve up our best season in recent years, the resulting concoction has just not cut the mustard.
Even Phil Jagielka has been heard this week in the media trying to put his finger on the reason behind Everton's bad start: "I know it sounds strange but sometimes our strength has been backs against the wall, knowing we've only got 12-13 senior players fit for the next few months and now, every week, five or six internationals are missing out." (SkySports)
Whilst the first three games have yielded just one point, we have to admit that we've started poorly (not that anyone's arguing that statement). Yet three games do not decide a season and with so many games left to play there is more than enough time to turn things around. I don't believe a managerial change is the answer to picking up points.
What does have to change is the mentality of the back room staff and the players themselves. They must realise that with a better squad comes expectation. When we lose, we can't look to our bench and moan that we've had to fill it with kids. We have great players on the pitch now and they must realise sooner rather than later that they have to get results. The alternative is wait until everyone has completely written us off, and then start proving them wrong.
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I`m doing my level best to stay off Moyesie`s case this season, but let's not kid ourselves here, he still enjoys the most lucrative no-lose situation in football.
Let's hope the turn 'round starts against Man Ure. For all their qualities, they are a team that you can play against if you're prepared to try & take the game to them ? that may suit us if we can find the cutting edge that's been lacking so far.
We didn?t play well against Blackburn but we deserved at least a point. We dominated wolves and should have been three or four up. There was nothing more we could have done at Villa apart from change out corner taker. If we had 19 corners, surely after ten corners, they must have realised that it?s just not working and change to Baines, Pienaar even Coleman. We are playing well but it?s in the final third, the team just suddenly look like strangers. If Beckford's upfront drill the ball across the box, he will nick a goal or Cahill or Fellaini will. If Saha's upfront he can win balls in the air as can Fellaini and Cahill.
We need to play to each others strengths. I think if the Yak is fit I would play him against United, Beckford needs a striker up front with him. Holding the ball up is not one of his strengths. Example against Huddersfield he was non-existent most of the game but when Saha comes on within seconds they had linked up.
For me we have too many like-for-like strikers. Saha likes the ball into him and so does Beckford and so does Yakubu. I think Vaughan and Anichebe offer us something different. They are willing to chase balls down and run at defenders. I would like to see João Silva get a run out one game soon to see what he can do.
Andy; when you ? and others ? say you have seen Seamus many times, I wonder at what level. I admit I`ve only see him play an hour at the top level, but then that's because it's all he`s played ? unfair to judge him in the Europa League so I don't count that I don't get why so many people are sure he`s the answer. How can they possibly know?Can there have ever have been a player, anywhere, who has had so much said about him by so many, who have seen so little of him?I wish to fuck Moyes would play him if only to put us all out of our misery.
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; †Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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