Just over a month ago I wrote a piece praising the work that Everton had done in the transfer market up to that point. My argument was that in tying down young, hungry and talented pair Gerard Deulofeu and Tom Cleverley for a combined £4.2 million and persuading left-back prospect Luke Garbutt to sign a new deal at the club, Martinez added further youth and dynamism to a promising, yet aging squad in urgent need of strengthening in a number of positions.
The assumption- perhaps naively on my part- was that this was merely the start of a systematic, step by step upgrade of the playing staff, as several key positions, namely central defence, attacking midfield and striker looked significantly short on depth and/or were weaker than those of our rivals (Spurs, Liverpool etc.). Martinez, I felt, was bound to have highlighted these areas as weaknesses, and further reinforcements were bound to follow shortly after. We had, after all, just finished a grossly disappointing 11th- behind the likes of Palace, Swansea and Southampton.
Unfortunately, that overhaul of the playing staff has failed to materialise at the time of writing. Yes, talented youngsters Tyias Browning, Brendan Galloway, Ryan Ledson and Kieran Dowell may save the club tens of millions in the coming years, but we’re currently experiencing the most financially rewarding deal in football history on the back of the latest TV deal, and other clubs are ploughing more money than ever into their respective squads. Even those below Everton in the traditional pecking order- think West Ham, Palace and Newcastle- are showing ambition in the market that far exceeds anything that we can currently muster.
So what business do the Blues still need to do this summer? For my money, we’re still short of at least one top-class striker. Despite Martinez’s faith in Arouna Koné, it’s clear for all the see that we need more than the injury plagued, goal-shy Ivorian and his altogether more successful teammate Romelu Lukaku. Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas could fill in there if necessary, but neither really possesses the qualities needed to lead the line efficiently as the sole striker in Martinez’s favoured system.
Central defence is also an area of concern. Most national media outlets package any centre-back linked with the club as John Stones‘ replacement in waiting, yet in truth we’re short at the back even if the former Barnsley man stays, and would need to invest in two new players if Everton do eventually give in to Chelsea’s incessant and illegal pursuit of England’s best young defender.
The main worry, however, would have to be the lack of creativity and goals from a midfield in need of urgent reinforcement. Last season, no Everton midfielder managed more than 2 assists over the course of a 40+ game season. Leighton Baines (9) and Romelu Lukaku (5) led the way in this particular area, yet a meagre 48 goals in 38 games tells its own story, and must be bettered this time around.
Of course, there were mitigating factors: creative outlets Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman were absent for much of the season, for example, but who would back on the veteran pair doing any better in 2015/16 on the injury front? Tom Cleverley and a rejuvenated (we hope) Ross Barkley could help, although as it stands Evertonians could be forgiven for casting envious glances at the likes of West Ham, Newcastle and Palace, who have signed quality trio Payet, Wijnaldum and Cabaye respectively. 3 players that I, personally, would have had at Goodison in a heartbeat.
Baines, himself, returns to the first team squad for the upcoming tour of Scotland, providing manager Martinez with a huge fillip ahead of the new season. Everton’s left-back is the best in the business in terms of creating chances, however, the 30-year-old won’t be around forever, and the more tactically astute clubs have worked out how to nullify (in part) his effectiveness. This remains Everton’s single biggest weakness: shackle Baines and you go some way to negating Everton’s attacking threat. Either way, the Goodison Park side must address this over the summer or risk falling further behind the big boys.
Clearly, I may be a tad premature in writing this. Everton do tend to wait until August to take advantage of the TV money, yet surely the best thing for the squad, and indeed the manager, would be to get targets in early and bed them in as quickly as possible? Anyway, if we stay static, and merely preserve (roughly) the same squad as we’ve had over the last couple of years, the teams listed above will eventually overtake us for good. Never mind Arsenal and Spurs, we’ll struggle to compete with West Ham et al. for Europa League places. There’s still an opportunity for a statement of intent: let’s take it, Everton.
