View from the Blue
Columnist: Lyndon Lloyd

Beware the ghost of Everton past
21 December 2004

David Moyes: His rhetoric concerning the January transfer window is alarmingly cautious. Is it a transfter market ploy or a worrying sign of complacency?

So, David Moyes has played down rumours of a spending spree next month and hinted that he may not make any new signings at all during the January transfer window.

It may very well be just a smokescreen, an attempt to lull our rivals into a false sense of security or prevent potential sellers from hiking up their asking prices.  It could be an exercise in managing expectations aimed at checking the fervour that could be unleashed among Evertonians slavering for multi-million pound signings when the transfer window opens on New Year's Day.  Or it could simply be a reflection of the financial realities under which the manager will continue to operate despite the Board's assurance that cash for transfers is not dependent on the success of the Fortress Sports Fund's proposed investment.

The one thing I pray it isn't is a conscious and unforced decision on the part of Moyes to forego what is in my eyes an opportunity to really capitalise on Everton's fantastic position in the league going into the festive season.

While disappointing, the tedious 0-0 draw at Blackburn may have deflated the post-derby celebrations with a timely reminder of the limitations of the current Everton squad.  Determination, passion and confidence have gone a long way to propelling the Blues into early Champions League contention, but when they go missing for 90 minutes and there isn't the skill and inspiration to overcome that, then winning is a tall order.

That was amply illustrated at Ewood Park where Mark Hughes's team packed the midfield and Thomas Gravesen's "Mr Hyde" made a now rare appearance, leaving the rest of the team directionless and toothless.  It was more the Everton of 2003-04 than the Everton we have come to admire and worship this season and it represents a warning sign that it is imperative that Moyes acquires more options during the transfer window, not only to increase the head count in a small squad but to compensate for inevitable dips in form among the current first-choice XI.

Bill Kenwright made assurances to the Club's shareholders at the AGM that funds for player acquisitions are in place, irrespective of whether or not Chris Samuelson is successful in ploughing the proposed £12.8M into the club this month.  That is no guarantee, however, that money will be spent in January, as Moyes's cautious rhetoric and Everton's recent history in the transfer market around this time of year suggests.

The Club crucially failed to invest in the squad in the winter of 2002-03 and the result was that their challenge for Europe fell away badly towards the end of that season.  The Magnificent Seventh was a tremendous achievement in Moyes's first full season in charge, but it left a very real feeling that an opportunity had been missed.

Last season, the Club didn't make a single signing in January and ended up sliding from 11th at the turn of the year to 17th by the final game of the season having done just enough to survive relegation.  But we missed out on millions of pounds of prize money that we might have received if the team had pushed on up the table instead.

While the experience of last term appeared to be more an issue of attitude than a lack of squad depth, this season is an entirely different story.  So far, Everton have been fortunate in terms of injury and Moyes has been able to count on a core of eleven players playing a rigidly applied five-man midfield anchored around Lee Carsley and driven by Gravesen.

It was noticeable, however, the effect on results when that successful formula was interrupted at the end of October; during Carsley's suspension following his red card against Preston, the Blues failed to win any of the three games for which he was ineligible, which says as much for the Irishman's contribution as it does for Moyes's reliance on that eleven-man unit.

So, consider for a moment what would happen if Marcus Bent were, heaven forbid, to suffer a long-term injury.  The manager would be left with four of the least productive striking options he could wish for:

• Duncan Ferguson, who is no longer able to play a full 90 minutes;
• James McFadden, who is not really suited to playing the lone striker role;
• Nick Chadwick, who is inexperienced and lacks a cutting edge; and
• Kevin Campbell whose ageing legs have lost both their sharpness and a couple of yards of pace in recent years.

Moyes doesn't have an embarrassment of riches in the attacking midfield department, either, where a spate of injuries and inevitable suspensions could rob him of key men like Gravesen and Tim Cahill, with only Li Tie and Steve Watson as cover.  As Moyes points out, "if [players] were banned at the same time as we picked up a few injuries, we might have to look at one or two new faces," but he won't have that luxury if his squad takes a hit in March when the challenge for European places will really be hotting up because the transfer window will be closed.

It is imperative that steps are taken to sign one prolific goalscorer at least, preferably two, and an attacking midfielder who can consistently dictate a game and turn it with one flash of brilliance.  A versatile full-back probably wouldn't go amiss either.

Moyes continually points out how small his squad is, but now, having blazed a trail into the top three of the league, he must start thinking like the manager of a team with European aspirations and strengthen his squad accordingly.  After all, he can't complain of not having the resources of our new rivals at the summit of the Premiership if the club has had the chance to bring in high-calibre players during the window.

That is not to take anything away from the players who have performed miracles in the Blue jersey this season.  Not only have they atoned for a poor campaign last year but they have restored the fans' pride in Everton FC and become a shining example to the rest of the country that don't need endless millions to play with the big boys in the Premiership.

However, this season will count for nothing if the Blues fail to make key additions to the team and their challenge falls away as dramatically as it did two years ago because of it.  This is another gilt-edged opportunity to chop three years off Moyes's grand plan by not only qualifying for Europe but by securing a place in the Champions League where the money really is.  Finishing in the top 10 would be nice based on the state of the club before the start of the season, but in the context of what they have achieved so far, it would be a tragedy not to end up in Europe come the end of May.  Let's not repeat the errors of recent seasons by not re-arming for the second half of the campaign; onwards and upwards!

Lyndon Lloyd

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