Everton are in crisis after poor start to season

I have a feeling of terrible Déjà Vu. I get it about this time every season.

The feeling of what if the form doesn’t improve? And what if we don’t start scoring goals? This feeling is common in most Evertonians in late August early September!

Embarrassing

Last night’s defeat to Brentford in the Carling Cup on penalties really was embarrassing.

The Bees are currently 19^th in League One and a Premier League side should have turned them over with ease.

However Brentford performed brilliantly on the night and they deserve massive credit. The display was typical of Everton’s season so far.

Clinical

Everton have lacked that cutting edge which wins you points and games so far this season. And again last night showed why we have struggled to score goals. Everton’s play has at times been good until the final third were the strikers seem to go to pieces.

Manager

Manager David Moyes has admitted he’s concerned about the club’s form. He told Sky Sports:  “I have got a real job on and I need to get down to work and really start to manage,”

“But I’ll take the responsibility, I’ll pick the team and I’ll be in the same place next week on the side of the pitch. So people will still be able to see me.

“Of course I am concerned. Any manager would be in this position.”

Moyes takes responsibility and so he should. He somehow fails to motivate good players. Most of the Everton squad are international players and a lot of them wouldn’t be out of place at a top four club, but somehow Moyes can’t get them playing together. More worryingly in most games this season we have lacked fighting spirit and that’s always been a trademark of Everton.

Out of position

One of the things that I put the poor form down to is the fact that David Moyes insists on putting players in positions that are not their favoured. One big example is Dutch World Cup finalist John Heitinga.

Moyes insists on playing the Dutch centre-back as a defensive midfielder, yet he plays centre-back for his country. Instead Moyes plays Sylvain Distin who has been exposed in numerous situations this season.

I am also wondering why Marouane Fellaini is playing behind the striker when last season he was in fantastic form as a defensive midfielder. Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was bought for £9million but instead of playing him in the attacking midfielder role he occupied for former club Lokomotiv Moscow he plays on the wing.

Not good enough

David Moyes also insists on picking right-back Tony Hibbert. The full-back is a decent player but has let the side down far too many times. He is run-ragged by any decent winger and can’t seem to deliver a decent cross. When he has produced a decent cross nobody has been able to get on the end of it.

Faith

I have always been a big fan of David Moyes and chairman Bill Kenwright to a certain extent. However in recent seasons I have become slightly disillusioned with poor starts and the club not progressing.

Maybe Moyes has taken the club forward as far as he can. He has been given little financial backing from the board but that is no excuse for the team going out every weekend and underperforming. It’s his team and he now has to show he is up to the job of getting his side playing for him again.

Recovery

Everton will rescue the season it’s just a matter of where and when. Last season’s poor start meant that we missed out on European football complete. If we don’t start finding fight and form from somewhere then we might have to be happy with a place in midtable.

That however is not progress after finishing in the top six in so many times in recent years. I just hope we can find our form again before it’s too late or Moyes and co. will be kicking themselves after another season of underachievement.

Where will Everton finish this season?