Blue Watch: Not the time to panic at Everton - despite defensive jitters
IT'S standard operating practice to call for calm following a poor performance in a preseason friendly, but even Captain Mainwaring from Dad's Army would be starting to get the jitters watching Everton struggle against footballing superpowers such as Coventry City and Blackpool.
It wouldn't be too bad if these were the initial pipe openers, with all sorts of kids and trialists in the starting line-ups, but David Moyes played more or less the strongest side available to him at both the Ricoh Arena and Bloomfield Road.
The return of Steven Pienaar should add a measure of creativity to a side that's lacking imagination, but the biggest concern is at the back, where the partnership of Joseph Yobo and Jack Rodwell has started off in unimpressive style. Both players rely on their pace and ability on the ball, rather than strength and prowess in the air, and ideally would be playing alongside a more traditional centre-half whose first instinct is to attack the ball.
Phil Jagielka's the obvious candidate for that role - everyone looks good playing alongside the no-nonsense ex-Blade - but until he recovers from his cruciate injury, an alter-native needs to be found. Joleon Lescott is certainly more commanding and decisive than either Rodwell or Yobo, and his partnership with the latter looked pretty solid at the tail end of last season. However, as the season creeps ever nearer, we're still none the wiser as to whether the England man will stay at Goodison or move to Manchester City. Or, perhaps more realistic, will he move to Eastlands now or in January?
Moyes is insistent that Lescott won't be allowed to leave, even though the club admit to being in talks with Arsenal over Phillipe Senderos. As transfer links go, it's probably been one of the more coolly received of the summer, given that the Swiss international is best known for some nervy performances in big games.
Everton clearly think that he has potential, but you have to wonder why Milan, who had him on loan last season, didn't exercise their option to make the deal permanent, and more to the point, why doesn't Arsene Wenger want him? The Frenchman doesn't make too many mistakes in the market, and it's not as if the Gunners have been rock solid at the back either.
And speaking of the Gunners, hopefully by the time we face them in less than a fortnight we will have bolstered our squad. Otherwise there's a real danger that, just like last season, we could end up handicapping ourselves with a poor start to the campaign.
Older/Newer
« Latest Everton FC news from the Daily Post | Latest Everton FC news from the Liverpool ECHO »
Latest Premier League video
