Fire Sale?
Lee Doyle looks at the Everton Squad.

3 May 2002

Colm Kavanagh began the discussion that is sure to rage over the next few months and for me is of far greater concern than what Sven's Men do in Korea: Who from Everton's squad is good enough to help us move away from the trite that we have been subjected to again this season.

All Blues have the views on which areas need strengthening, which players must be off loaded and which players are worthy of playing for our club.  These are simply my views:

Gerrard: Awful.  The vision of him 4 yards behind Jansen looking to catch the ball at chest height as it disappeared into the back of the net will haunt me all summer until a new quality keeper is found.

Simonsen: Fewer mistakes but how many saves?  Didn't quite grab his chance and whilst Hasselbaink has made fools of many great keepers he may have done for Simmo.

Watson: Over-rated and over-weight.  Not bad going forward; poor positionally and poor in timing of a tackle.  Duff destroyed him as do most quality left-wingers.  Not good enough but his name and CV may give a £2M return — grab it if we can.

Hibbert: Promising if a touch light-weight. Got pushed and barged a bit in a few games but as he fills out has to have a chance. A better bet than Watson at this stage of his career.

Naysmith: Injury ravaged.  The lad has ability and flexibility.  If he can get and stay fit a cert for the squad going forward.  Works like a Trojan but can also play.

Pistone: Quality.  The best player in a blue shirt bar none.  Pace, class, reads a game, distributes solidly and can get forward to cause problems.  Must keep hold of him, with some quality a head of him the left side will be class.

Weir: Personally, I think slightly overrated but he is certainly very good.  Without him, we'd be in the 1st Division.  Must stay and help bring some of the kids through.

Stubbs: Blue and committed.  Lacks pace and his distribution this season hasn't been as good as I expected.  A threat on set pieces and at the moment his partnership with Weir must be maintained.

Clarke: Hmmm?  Undecided.  Needs a longer run but what a position to gamble in.  Looks to me slightly under-paced but he has the England U20's European Championships this summer and a good tournament could give him the confidence to attack Stubbsy's spot.

Unsworth: See comments on Stubbs.  I'd love to see him on the bench.  So committed but ultimately lacking.  On the bench, he can cover about 4 positions.  Worth keeping.

Oh boy, we are on to the midfield.

Alexandersson: The most disappointing player I have seen for some years.  Please have a decent World Cup and get us our money back!

Blomqvist: I believe we are still to see the best of him.  Give him a new contract and a rest over the summer and then let's see what happens.  At his best, he can beat people — who else can do that at Goodison?

Gemmill: A never-has been.  Works relatively hard but no ability.  We must improve this position.

Gravesen: Great fist-clencher.  At the moment, he is worth keeping — a good World Cup (and Denmark have an okay group) may lead to a decent bid.  Anything in the order of £5M would have to be considered.

Linderoth: Who knows.  Appears highly rated in Sweden but then so is Alexandersson.  Moyes has a choice to make.  Again, you may get £3M or £4M for him after the World Cup and Moyes must take it if he has no faith in him.  Personally, I'd like to see him given a go — just don't judge him against Vieira next week!!

Tal: Will he get a look-in?  I don't really care.  Looks to have some tricks but lacks strength.  Very badly timed injury but will anyone come in for him?

Pembridge: Bye bye.

Ginola: No comment.

Oh look, I am happy to get rid of the whole lot if we can !!

Forwards - a bit more cause for hope:

Campbell: What a great signing he'd be for West Brom.  If we can off load his wages we must.  He's gone, finished.

Ferguson: Oh, the big man...  Started scoring for Moyes.  No-one will take him off us and personally I don't want them to.  He is never going to be as good as he should have been but he is still a worthy squad member.

Radzinski: 6 goals - how many sitters missed?  Does he deserve a 2nd season?  He may do but I don't think Moyes will give him it.  Any bid around £4.5M will get him and, given his record at Anderlecht and in the Champions League, you won't be surprised to see someone come in for him.

Moore: Who?  Moyes hasn't given him any chance so he is surely on his way.

Chadwick: 3 goals in 4 Premiership games at Goodison have stoked the fires of belief.  His overall performance against Blackburn was actually disappointing but then so was everyone else's.  His goal was great though and he can score at this level.  A certainty to stay and it would be great to see a new contract come his way.

Rooney: Never seen him but I love him already.  Now turning heads for England in the U17's tournament - by all accounts, a cracking goal on Monday.  We are told he's as Blue as they come — but then so were Jeffers and Ball...  Far too young for the level of expectation heaped on his shoulders, which is why we must nurture him along.

Not that many that I want to keep I suppose!!  Who should we go for?  If we get rid of a couple of strikers then I'd love to see Clinton Morrison arrive — bags of ability and arrogance (a must in a quality centre-forward).  Koumas we expect but another central midfielder is an absolute must.  Keeper — Walker? Hedman? Manninger?  Forget the last one — he'll never come; either of the other two would be a good improvement.

Hopefully, David Moyes will bring in someone that we have never heard of who can improve the 1st team.  Craig Brown (ex-Scotland manager) may make it harder to bring players in from Preston but, if he rates them highly enough, maybe one or two may arrive.

Whatever happens, he needs our support.  If he plumps for youth and inexperience then it may be a very difficult start but we must stand by him.  Once again, this is a key turning point for the Blues.  I think most believe Moyes can do it but it may be painful.  

And it will take time.

BlueForEver

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