Like many things in life, being an Everton fan isn’t easy … and the last few weeks haven’t done a whole lot to make them any easier. One after another we’ve seen the Yak, Steven Pienaar, and James Vaughan make their exits from Goodison Park. Some transfers were a long time coming; others were a bit of a surprise. With each move, critics have gotten louder and larger in numbers – but here’s the thing, I’m not sure any one of these transfers will be the end of the world.
The first thing I would like to point out is that for the most point the players we’ve seen leave have made minimal impact this season. Yak, while once a fearsome goal poacher, only found the back of the net once before being shipped off to Leicester City and only six times in 35 appearances last year. James Vaughan has seen his prospects go from a pacey forward with a nose for goal to a talented but oft injured sub. All in all, Everton saw off probably its two most expendable forwards. Then there’s Steven Pienaar.
What more can we say about Steven Pienaar? His impact on this team is undeniable and by far he will be the most sorely missed player to leave this transfer window. His partnership with Leighton Baines on the left side was a thing of beauty and the way he stepped in as the team’s chief playmaker after Mikel Arteta got injured really spoke to his talent. But here’s the thing, if a player is unwilling to sign a contract that is in line with the team’s wage structure then what other options did they have? Steven Pienaar was going to leave in the summer and the team was more or less forced to get what they could for him. And lest we forget, there’s a Russian International the team paid 10 million pounds for sitting on the bench begging for playing time and desperate to prove himself. In the end, Steven Pienaar was a luxury that priced himself out of Goodison.
Even with these losses, I believe Everton still has enough quality that it will be hard to make room for everyone on the pitch. At the back, Tim Howard has made some spectacular saves in the past few weeks. The team also boasts three quality centre backs in Distin, Heitinga, and Jagielka who could start for any other team in the league, while Phil Neville mans the right side and arguably the best left back in the Premiership in Leighton Baines bombs up and down the other.
Midfield boasts enough talent that Jack Rodwell still remains fourth choice in the middle of the park. Mikel Arteta and Maraoune Fellaini bring a formidable yet contrasting partnership, while Tim Cahill remains the team’s most consistent scoring threat. On the wings, Seamus Coleman and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov inject a youthful exuberance, hard working attitude, and most importantly goals.
Forward still remains the most unsteady position – Louis Saha, Jermaine Beckford, and Victor Anichebe could be bolstered by another proven and healthy goal scorer. Despite that, Louis Saha finally looks to be healthy after starting two league games to this point and was a pain in Chelsea’s side all day on Saturday. If the French International can get back to the form that had Arsene Wenger kicking his tires last year, it will go a long way to turning around the season. Meanwhile, Jermaine Beckford still is getting accustomed to the game in the top flight, but has shown flashes at times; and if someone tells Victor Anichebe he’s playing in the UEFA Cup he might pot a few goals.
The point remains; I still see promise in this team. I still think this team has yet to hit their stride – and once they do they have a chance to challenge for a UEFA Cup spot. Being an Everton fan isn’t easy – I don’t need to tell you that, you already know it. But maybe we all need to be reminded sometimes.
