The Young Ones

Certainly took a long time to replace the defence. Not helped that Garbutt, Galloway and Browning didn't live up to expectations of course. I'm guessing Kenny has this year to prove what his future plans will be but hopefully that's another young player for the foreseeable future.

Ginola and Gazza... what I'd give to have them at Everton in their prime.

Poccichino does it, Klopp does it, I think Lampard (done it last year at derby and wont have as much of a choice as most Chelsea bosses due to transfer ban)and Ole (looking at his 3 signings plus his usage of the younger players last season) will look to do it too.

Pep may not use as many youngsters but imo his squad is a different level to everyone else's, almost every player is a top top international and was acquired when at the peak of there powers.

I know he failed, but Martinez tried to follow this strategy in terms of getting his squad age down, I know he brought in Barry also to be the pro of the squad, but at a stage he was doing great things with a team which included Rom, Del boy, Galloway, Stones, McCarthy and Barkley aswel as adding Holgate and Besic to the squad.

Long may this strategy continue, it's basically a must especially for a club like ours where we don't have that top tier financial structure to buy the very best players at the peak of the powers.

Only dinosaurs like Sam Allardyce bring aging players to a club like us, Jose Mourinho has often done it also but he's often buying for instant success.

Silva and Brands must be allowed the next two seasons at least to keep improving us, no matter what the results (excluding relegation of course), they have to be allowed to bear the fruits of there players, they have to see out the transition were players like Richalison amongst others reach there full potential, even if it means being sold for a huge huge profit, and reinvesting there money into the squad to push us onto a new level. This is how Liverpool have done it (player wise more so than just management) players like Suarez, Courtinho, Sterling all leaving as there best player only for there money to be used wisely to purchase a better squad rather than just a few star players. Add that to then getting a truly world class manager (yep that hurt), and now look at them, they are right there on the cusp of being in and around Europes elite.

Spurs have done it a little differently, they have had a similar philosophy under Levy (Carrick, Berbatov, Bale) but also touched lucky imo with getting Harry kane on a plate, and then getting Poccichino who for me is a gem of a signing who brought in Deli Ali, son, Trippier, and so on to push spurs on.

Let's hope Marcel and Silva are our dream team, let's hope Kean is as good as Richalison, Gbamin can fill Gana's big shoes, Delph can become a big part player instead of a bit part player, let's keep our fingers crossed that players like Bernard, Keane, Digne, Pickford and Siggy will go up another level this season, and others who our manager has put faith in like Gomes, DCL, Mina, and Davies, can repay that faith. Lastly let's hope our final few days of this transfer market can be fruitful, all the talk is we have another big deal in us (Dacoure, Zaha, Neres linked), plus we are lead to believe we will get another 2 players to go with our big one in a centre half plus a right back (even if there on a loan deal).

Get the above in order and right and who knows what we could achieve, parts of me think it will be a battle to sneak top 6, maybe just miss out to 7th or 8th but I have a bit of hope again that we could snatch that elusive top 4 slot that catapults a team into big money, if we done that then just imagine what Brands and Silva might go onto do next.

A new season upon us, here's to hoping.

Memory may serve me incorrectly here but before his knee injury (vs Villa?) Gazza showed flashes of his brilliance while with us and wasn't a dreadful signing.

Ginola sadly was a desperation signing, played one game and within 2 weeks Moyes was hired and swiftly got rid of him. Shame because, as you said, in his prime, he was a marvellous player; what we could do with someone like him now on the left wing...

Yes Gazza definitely had his moments at Everton.