What do you think, Toffees fans? Are there any changes to personnel that you’d like to see Moyes make? What is the bare minimum you expect from this season? Have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the page… First choice right-midfielder? With the inability to bring in Landon Donovan, and all the balance that the American brings to the Toffees’ side, right-midfield has become a hotly debated problem position for Everton. Steven Pienaar can play there but is needed on the left, where his partnership with Leighton Baines is a chief source of the team’s threat, while Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell have both in this position looked like what they are: out-of-position central midfielders. Mikel Arteta has excelled there in the past but is both better in the middle and unlikely to want to move from there, while 21 year-old right-back Seamus Coleman got a run out in the position as a second half substitute in the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa. Coleman’s pace and dribbling ability could yet see him adjust to playing further forward but, in the immediate future, the answer is likely to be the strong physical presence of Victor Anichebe, whose conversion into a right-sided player showed promise in the latter part of last season. Rodwell or Cahill? Jack Rodwell’s gradual evolution from centre-back into attacking midfielder made sense the moment he tore through Manchester United’s rear guard in February to put Everton 3-1 up at Goodison Park, and his powerful shooting and good technique have seen him starting to score some spectacular goals. United’s strong interest in the 19 year-old is evidence of his huge potential but, at least so far this season, he has played second fiddle to Australian talisman Tim Cahill in the role playing just off the lone striker. Cahill pops up with crucial goals time and time again for Everton and is an inspirational and influential member of the squad but his ‘fundamentals’, while by no means poor, do not look to be sufficient to stave off any sudden surge of form that Rodwell may find. Moyes has long pencilled in Cahill as one of the first names on the team sheet, and this summer rewarded him with a new four-year contract, so the Scotsman faces a difficult decision between ‘tried and trusted’ and ‘up and coming’, as Sunday’s defeat at Villa showed that incorporating both in the same line up may not be possible. Johnny Heitinga The Dutchman was Sport.co.uk’s Everton player of the season last time around, before he went on to reach the World Cup final with Holland. Heitinga has shown quality at both centre-back and defensive midfield for Everton but, with big name players having returned from injury, he is by no means first choice in either position; Marouane Fellaini rules the roost in the midfield engine room, while Sylvan Distin has started the season in good form at centre-back alongside the trusted Phil Jagielka. While the exit of Joseph Yobo means that Heitinga will undoubtedly get games at the back, he faces central midfield competition from Fellaini, Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman, Jack Rodwell, Tim Cahill and arguably Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, although the Russian has mostly been used out wide at Everton. Will the best possible midfield combination please make itself known to David Moyes. From Sport.co.uk
Anichebe for right wing, no worries Behave yourself on the 2nd option, Cahill has proved time and again he is a matchwinner, Rodwell is nowhere near ready to take that role on, if he ever does Heitinga should be 1st choice centre half alongside Distin who has carried Jag since his return from injury