Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

We Need Strikers

Everton have completed their three games in August 2011 and all-in-all, the Toffees scored four goals and conceded two. Based on statistics, Everton are doing a mightily good job.

However, the team?s frailties were there for all to see. Everton lost their opening match to newly promoted Queens Park Rangers by a soft goal. They then conceded a goal against League One outfit Sheffield United before outscoring them by three goals.

In the match against Blackburn, Everton was trying their very best to give away the three points but Blackburn seemed to be in a more generous mood. The Riversiders went on to miss two penalties, struck the woodwork no less than twice and when all else failed, Rovers? defender had to foul Marouane Fellaini in the penalty area, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Arteta went on to bulge the net.

Looking at the matches played, Tim Howard and his defence had done enough to earn their keep, but that is not the case for Everton?s final third of the field. Everton's striker cupboard is bare. Louis Saha is crocked; Jermaine Beckford had just returned from injury; Yak has not played for the first team as he seems to be on his way out of Goodison; and Victor Anichebe looks to be more interested in having physical battles with his opponents than creating or scoring goals. Say what you like, Everton need a boost in the striking department.

After Bill Kenwright unwittingly acknowledged that there is no money in the coffers, poor (No pun intended!) David Moyes can only think of picking up players by promoting his youth players such as Ross Barkley, bring in loans and free transfer players, or generating cash by selling his current set of players.

At this point, the most likely thing for Moyes to do is to try to bring in players on loan. Moyes may want to look at strikers from the American Major League Soccer (MLS) who may cost the club pittance. You see, the American strikers who have joined us on loan have shown us their tenacity and guile. Take Joe-Max Moore for instance. He joined Everton in 1999 and went on to score eight goals in his three years at the club. He started well by scoring five goals in five games.

Another player to have the honour of playing at Goodison is Brian McBride. The American came to Everton for a short loan in 2003 where he played eight games and scored four goals. The most impactful loan deal player was MLS?s All-Star Landon Donovan to. Fleet-footed, good crosser of the ball, and the knack of scoring critical goals, Donovan very quickly became the crowd?s favourite.

Moyes may not have the money to buy players and he has said many a times that he may only bring in players on loan. Everton?s wafer thin squad will require such a boost, and it must be done now or we face a nail-biting roller-coaster ride this season.

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