As an Evertonian of some 20 odd years I have become accustomed to the rollercoaster that is Everton Football Club.
The last few transfer deadline days have been very frustrating for fans of the club but I can’t help thinking that yesterdays was the best in a long time for the Blues.
Arrivals
The arrival of a striker was just what the team needed and David Moyes finally got the striker he wanted in the shape of Croatian Nikica Jelavic. The striker joined for a fee in the region £5.5million from Scottish giants Rangers.
The standard of the SPL may be poor but he still has a decent goalscoring record and he seems determined to prove himself at the highest level. The transfer fee isn’t a massive one by Premier League standards and I’m sure he will score in the Premier League.
Everton have struggled to score goals this season and were in desperate need of a new front man. Jelavic has the potential to become a cult hero at Goodison Park and if he hit’s the ground running with goals then Everton could move up the table rapidly.
Another player who arrived on deadline day, or should I say came back was midfielder Steven Pienaar. The South African star has rejoined the Blues on a six month loan deal from Tottenham. The deal was completed just before the window shut, despite the fact that Pienaar was on the bench for Spurs against Wigan last night.
The little midfielder was a popular figure at Goodison before his move to London and I think most Toffees fans will welcome Pienaar back with open arms. Pienaar enjoyed a successful working relationship down the left-hand side of the team with full-back Leighton Baines.
The England full-back will no doubt be pleased to see the hard-working midfielder back at the club. Their link-up play was a trademark of the Everton team that finished in the top six on a regular basis.
Vital
The arrival of new players was vital to Everton’s season. Everton had looked slightly stale this season and were crying out for fresh blood. The club has a small squad and are currently without four or five first team regulars.
The new players will not only add extra bodies to the squad but extra quality. Both players are quality players and added to the addition of Darron Gibson Everton are starting to reshape the squad.
Departure
Everton brought two players in and lost one in the shape of striker Louis Saha. The 33 year-old has joined Tottenham on a free transfer and has signed a contract until the end of the season.
The veteran striker has struggled for goals this season and really didn’t look up to the task of leading the Everton frontline. Most Everton fans were calling for the Frenchman to be dropped from the team and in recent months he has increasingly became a fringe figure at the club.
This move suited everybody. Saha’s contract with the Blues ended at the end of the season and he was unlikely to be offered fresh terms. Saha looked like he needed the move too as he looked stale and lacking in confidence.
Saha was also believed to be on quite high wages at Goodison and Everton have been trying to cut the wage bill down for sometime. Saha is only likely to be a bit-part player at White Hart Lane but who knows maybe he will rediscover his goalscoring form. I’m sure most Evertonians wish him all the best at Spurs.
Encouraging
This season hasn’t been the greatest in recent times for Everton. In the last few seasons Everton have had a habit of starting badly and finishing the season with a flourish and there are signs that could happen again. The performances and victories over Fulham and Manchester City have certainly been more encouraging.
The team seems to be on the road to recovery and looked more like the Everton team that qualified for Europe on a consistent basis under David Moyes. I’m not getting too excited just yet but there are certainly signs that the team are improving.
I just hope that the good performances continue till the end of the season and the new players could be a catalyst to better things to come this season.
Can Everton now end the season in strong fashion?
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