sarabella
06 Jan 2006, 08:15 AM
I can't believe the season is halfway over already. How time flies, right?
Here are my thoughts on the first half of the season.
Player by player:
Marcus Bent - Not good enough for the Premiership and he seems to have lost his work ethic from last season. He also frustrates the hell out of me when we create a good chance that he can't finish. If we can sell him for more than £1m, I think we should take it.
James Beattie - He seems to be finding the form we knew he had when we shelled out that transfer fee last January. His fitness has improved and with six goals already, I think he's in for a good season at Goodison.
Duncan Ferguson - Dunc is so huge for this team. I know he was talking about retiring, but I think it's important to hang on to him as long as possible even if it's just as an honorary measure. Criminey, make him a coach if you have to. He brings a spark to the morale of the team.
James McFadden - Six months ago, I would have said that we need to get rid of him, but for now the jury's still out. He's shown a bit of promise when paired with Beattie up front and now I'm curious as to whether or not he can develop into the type of player we thought he could in the beginning.
Mikael Arteta - Truly a classy player and he shows great poise in the midfield. He's not the enforcer we need, for sure, but he's got vision and some wicked crosses. A great pickup.
Simon Davies - Hasn't showed me much at all this season. Hell, I can't even remember half the games he's played in, that's how non-existent he's been. He's got a very long way to go to prove himself worthy of wearing that shirt, but for now, I'm still undecided about what to do with him. I think he should get six more months, though, and then see what happens in the summer.
Li Tie - Is he fit? Wouldn't mind seeing him get some first team action if he is.
Kevin Kilbane - He's oh so pathetic sometimes, and then working really hard the next. I really don't think he has an ounce of footballing ability in his entire body, but I have a soft spot for the guy. Definitely not what we need in midfield though.
Lee Carsley - I never realized how important he is to this team until he was out for so long. He's not as good as Gravesen, of course, but still important. I'm definitely ready for him to return to action.
Tim Cahill - For a while, I was beginning to think that last season may have been a fluke, especially after we gave him a fat contract in the summer. The last few games, he's found his head again and that's a good sign. We certainly need his aerial prowress and pace, and his goals are an integral part of Everton winning.
Phil Neville - I know everyone makes fun of him for his Man U time, but I really, really love this guy. Personally, I think he's our captain. He shows great leadership on the field, and he's always full of passion and working his tail off. And sometimes, he even shows us why he was with the Red Devils in the first place.
Leon Osman - His size may prove to be a problem, but I still think he deserves more of a chance than he's been given this season. He's quick as hell and with Davies not performing, why not give him the start?
Andy van der Meyde - Could be a phenomenal asset for us, if it weren't for the big question - will he stay healthy?
Per Koldrup - Has looked out of his element in the few first team games he's played, so I think he definitely needs some more reserve games to adjust to the pace and the contact of English football. What I can't figure out is how he commanded a £5m transfer fee.
Gary Naysmith - I've never really thought he was good enough, and if we can offload him once he's healthy, I think we should do so.
Joseph Yobo - I know I've slagged him off all year for his costly mistakes, but really, he's been our most consistent defender this season. Kinda scary. But showing potential if he can cut down on the idiocy.
David Weir - Two old fogeys in the middle last year seemed to work. One, however, doesn't. Poor Weir's legs just can't keep up anymore and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he's hanging it up at the end of the season.
Nuno Valente - I really don't know what this guy's deal is. He was outstanding against Chelsea (and his mentor Mourinho) and basically crap every other game. If he can play so well for one game, why can't he do it all the others??
Matteo Ferrari - To be honest, I haven't seen the guy play enough to get a good feel for him. It seems silly that we picked up defenders in the summer who aren't ready though.
Tony Hibbert - Mixed feelings about Hibbo this season. He certainly doesn't shy away from the tackles, which is great. His passing leaves something to be desired, though, and he seems to be caught out of position too often.
Alessandro Pistone - Can't believe this guy suckered us into giving him a new contract.
Nigel Martyn - It's not his fault our defense has more holes than Swiss cheese. He's still got it, but the question is - for how much longer? He's certainly not getting any younger.
Richard Wright - Crap on so many levels, although I sometimes wonder if the fans being so hard on him has ruined whatever confidence he might have had. In any case, he's gotta go.
Overall, we're definitely a Jeckyll and Hyde team this year. Sometimes, we play so well and I can't believe we're near the bottom. Other times, we're so bad, I can't believe we're not in last place (especially after the way we played against Sunderland).
What I'd like to see in the new year is more consistent performances from the guys. We know what you can do. You did it week in and week out last year. A new contract and/or teammate does not give you the right to slack off. The only way we're going to get anywhere is through hard work and determination.
What we need in January: A linebacker central defender (like Alex at PSV), a left back, a defensive midfielder, and if there's money left, a striker.
What we need by summer: A goalkeeper and a few young up-and-comings to fill the holes.
Here are my thoughts on the first half of the season.
Player by player:
Marcus Bent - Not good enough for the Premiership and he seems to have lost his work ethic from last season. He also frustrates the hell out of me when we create a good chance that he can't finish. If we can sell him for more than £1m, I think we should take it.
James Beattie - He seems to be finding the form we knew he had when we shelled out that transfer fee last January. His fitness has improved and with six goals already, I think he's in for a good season at Goodison.
Duncan Ferguson - Dunc is so huge for this team. I know he was talking about retiring, but I think it's important to hang on to him as long as possible even if it's just as an honorary measure. Criminey, make him a coach if you have to. He brings a spark to the morale of the team.
James McFadden - Six months ago, I would have said that we need to get rid of him, but for now the jury's still out. He's shown a bit of promise when paired with Beattie up front and now I'm curious as to whether or not he can develop into the type of player we thought he could in the beginning.
Mikael Arteta - Truly a classy player and he shows great poise in the midfield. He's not the enforcer we need, for sure, but he's got vision and some wicked crosses. A great pickup.
Simon Davies - Hasn't showed me much at all this season. Hell, I can't even remember half the games he's played in, that's how non-existent he's been. He's got a very long way to go to prove himself worthy of wearing that shirt, but for now, I'm still undecided about what to do with him. I think he should get six more months, though, and then see what happens in the summer.
Li Tie - Is he fit? Wouldn't mind seeing him get some first team action if he is.
Kevin Kilbane - He's oh so pathetic sometimes, and then working really hard the next. I really don't think he has an ounce of footballing ability in his entire body, but I have a soft spot for the guy. Definitely not what we need in midfield though.
Lee Carsley - I never realized how important he is to this team until he was out for so long. He's not as good as Gravesen, of course, but still important. I'm definitely ready for him to return to action.
Tim Cahill - For a while, I was beginning to think that last season may have been a fluke, especially after we gave him a fat contract in the summer. The last few games, he's found his head again and that's a good sign. We certainly need his aerial prowress and pace, and his goals are an integral part of Everton winning.
Phil Neville - I know everyone makes fun of him for his Man U time, but I really, really love this guy. Personally, I think he's our captain. He shows great leadership on the field, and he's always full of passion and working his tail off. And sometimes, he even shows us why he was with the Red Devils in the first place.
Leon Osman - His size may prove to be a problem, but I still think he deserves more of a chance than he's been given this season. He's quick as hell and with Davies not performing, why not give him the start?
Andy van der Meyde - Could be a phenomenal asset for us, if it weren't for the big question - will he stay healthy?
Per Koldrup - Has looked out of his element in the few first team games he's played, so I think he definitely needs some more reserve games to adjust to the pace and the contact of English football. What I can't figure out is how he commanded a £5m transfer fee.
Gary Naysmith - I've never really thought he was good enough, and if we can offload him once he's healthy, I think we should do so.
Joseph Yobo - I know I've slagged him off all year for his costly mistakes, but really, he's been our most consistent defender this season. Kinda scary. But showing potential if he can cut down on the idiocy.
David Weir - Two old fogeys in the middle last year seemed to work. One, however, doesn't. Poor Weir's legs just can't keep up anymore and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he's hanging it up at the end of the season.
Nuno Valente - I really don't know what this guy's deal is. He was outstanding against Chelsea (and his mentor Mourinho) and basically crap every other game. If he can play so well for one game, why can't he do it all the others??
Matteo Ferrari - To be honest, I haven't seen the guy play enough to get a good feel for him. It seems silly that we picked up defenders in the summer who aren't ready though.
Tony Hibbert - Mixed feelings about Hibbo this season. He certainly doesn't shy away from the tackles, which is great. His passing leaves something to be desired, though, and he seems to be caught out of position too often.
Alessandro Pistone - Can't believe this guy suckered us into giving him a new contract.
Nigel Martyn - It's not his fault our defense has more holes than Swiss cheese. He's still got it, but the question is - for how much longer? He's certainly not getting any younger.
Richard Wright - Crap on so many levels, although I sometimes wonder if the fans being so hard on him has ruined whatever confidence he might have had. In any case, he's gotta go.
Overall, we're definitely a Jeckyll and Hyde team this year. Sometimes, we play so well and I can't believe we're near the bottom. Other times, we're so bad, I can't believe we're not in last place (especially after the way we played against Sunderland).
What I'd like to see in the new year is more consistent performances from the guys. We know what you can do. You did it week in and week out last year. A new contract and/or teammate does not give you the right to slack off. The only way we're going to get anywhere is through hard work and determination.
What we need in January: A linebacker central defender (like Alex at PSV), a left back, a defensive midfielder, and if there's money left, a striker.
What we need by summer: A goalkeeper and a few young up-and-comings to fill the holes.