A long road back

I'm not normally one to knee jerk but tonights 2-1 defeat at home to Bolton Wanderers summed up all of Everton's current problems. It brings to the end a run of four games unbeaten. On the face of it, a positive run but one that anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of watching the games knows has been achieved in the most pragmatic and unnattractive style imaginable.

 I LOVE this guy but should he have been sold?

Injuries to three key players did us no favours whatsoever tonight but even before then there wasn't a lot to suggest that we were going to improve on our recent performances. In fact, I can only think of the Aston Villa game this season where we have looked a genuinely good team.....that was the 4th game of the season.

That we have been able to play so poorly yet still pick up enough points to have a chance of making a Europa League place says a lot about the mental strength of our team, our preparation and also about Moyes' match craft. But to my mind our squad is now back to a similar level (in comparison to the rest of the league) to the one that Moyes inherited in 2002 and as a result he's adopting the same, grinding approach that characterised his early years in charge. In those days most Evertonians were happy to take the points however they came, but after the highs of the 2007-2010 era this feels like a mighty big fall from grace.



In the main the deterioration can be seen as an invitable result of under investment from the board over the last five years. Senior players such as Neville, Cahill and Saha now look so far over the hill that there's no way back and yet the lack of adequate replacements means that they are still key players. It also means that we have had to muddle through with a horribly unbalanced side (no pace, little creativity, no goalscorer) for several years.

Yet despite that I do think there is one bit of blame that might be able to be laid at the managers door. It's a theory that is full of the wisdom of hindsight and would certainly be open for debate. My assertion is that clubs that are in a 'sell to buy' situation absolutely cannot afford to own players who are at their peak. It's the moneyball theory really, that they must unearth young gems and undervalued twenty-somethings and sell them at their peak. They then fill out the squad with senior players who have been written off elsewhere, youth teamers etc.

Assuming that Moyes actually knew of our true financial position I wonder now whether we should have sold Cahill or Pienaar in the summer of 2009 when we could probably have got about £10-15m for them, Arteta in summer 2010 when rumour has it City were willing to pay in excess of £20m and maybe even Jagielka then too. There would have been outcry from the fans (myself included) but at the peak of their powers these players are going to be on massive wages and with each passing month their sell-on value depreciates. If we'd sold these players then, before their wages had sent the club deep into debt we could have spent the proceeds on high quality young players (i'm thinking of the Fellaini ilk rather than 17 year-olds) who would be making a real impact by now.

It's a strategy that goes against the grain for all supporters who understandably take heroes to their heart. It's ruthless and unemotional, but in that way reflects the sad state of professional football in 2012. Of course, it's hard to win things when selling your best players but it is sustainable and as the likes of Benfica, Lyon and Udinese have shown you do get to see some terrific players in action along the way.

Aside from the Lescott sale in 2009 Everton have chosen the other route and three years on we are living with the results. I think we can all testify that they are not pretty.

So where now? I still think Moyes can take us back but it will be a long old road. Somehow we have to find some money to buy some players who will contribute to the team now AND still be worth something in three years. Drenthe is a perfect example and I think we've got to sign him. Somewhere out there in the Championship, Ligue 1, La Liga or the Bundesliga there's got to be a talented 23 year old striker, who's fallen out of favour? A creative midfielder who's tired of sitting on the bench?

Somewhere....