Barry Horne: Everton have no room for manoeuvre

AFTER two fantastically enjoyable seasons at Goodison, this has been a difficult summer for everyone at Everton Football Club.

It has to be said that most of the difficulties are inextricably linked to the supposed stadium move.

There has been the loss of a chief executive, the apparent collapse of Project Kirkby and the severe and unexplained difficulties in attracting new players to the club.

The culmination of this is that David Moyes is going into a run of five games which could conceivably have seen us at the top of the table going into the first Merseyside derby of the season, with a team which virtually picks itself.

The only question about team selection is where Phil Neville plays, but the rest of the team is predictable because of a lack of numbers.

I was at the PSV game and in an attempt to view things positively thought that if David Moyes could get his best starting XI out on the pitch the Blues would be okay this season.

But the reality is that such a situation is unlikely to happen, and with five senior players unavailable for selection - a situation which could conceivably happen regularly throughout the season - David Moyes has practically no room for manoeuvre.

Blackburn themselves have not had the best pre-season and looked less than impressive against NAC Breda last weekend, and the hope is that Everton can make it through the three fixtures before the transfer window closes and bring in the players we need.

The problem is that agents and clubs know how desperate Everton are and the danger is we could end up paying too much for too little.

It is a concern, but the situation was surely apparent six months ago?

Fans will undoubtedly be wondering why we find ourselves having to scramble around in the situation we are in.

Battle for Europe tougher than ever

AFTER the summer they have endured, it would be unrealistic to expect Everton to repeat their feats of last season.

With the situation at Goodison as it is, coupled with the astute management and spending power of Martin O'Neill and Harry Redknapp, and the out and out spending power at White Hart Lane, the fight for Europe will be keener than ever.

Fulham may surprise one or two people, as may West Ham who played much of last season with a virtual reserve team because of injuries.

Blackburn have lost not only their driving force in Mark Hughes, but their two best players in Bentley and Friedel, while Middlesbrough seem to have lost their way.

Two of the promoted teams could be vying for Derby's all time low points tally.

I would be happy to see Everton competing with the aforementioned European contenders, and also making inroads into two of the three cup competitions again, especially the UEFA Cup.

Young duo fast tracked

EVERTON'S subs bench will be populated by untested youngsters this afternoon. Once in a while, throwing a young lad in at the deep end can be the making of him.

But having to rely on four or five inexperienced teenagers at the same time is not acceptable, either for the team or their own personal development.

David Moyes has a good record of protecting young players and bringing them through at their own pace, but it looks like Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling particularly are on a fast track at the moment.

Rodwell clearly has a future in the game, although I don't think it will be in midfield. Gosling looked sharp, quick-footed, athletic and displayed good vision, although again his ultimate position may not be in midfield.