Whilst there is a growing hunger amongst Evertonians to see new faces at the club, there is a very good chance we may see new players in the team promoted from the under-21s in 2014-15.
Roberto Martinez had already spoken about the possibility of blooding some of the youngsters in the first team this campaign, and it would be naïve to dismiss this quote from the man who has already overseen the fantastic development of both John Stones and Ross Barkley.
While David Moyes, during his 11-year reign, undeniably gave the likes of Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell their first proper crack at first-team football, you sense that, nowadays under Martinez, there is a greater element of trust in the younger generation. It is testament to the belief Martinez has in his youngsters that Barkley and Stones excelled last season, with both receiving England call-ups. Hopefully, by the end of the forthcoming campaign, the same can be said about some of our other young players.
Many were handed a debut in Everton's opening friendly, a 2-2 draw with Tranmere on July 22nd. But who may we expect to see given a fair amount of game time this term?
Firstly, left-back Luke Garbutt, 21, who made his debut last April, was one of the stand-out players from Tuesday night, making countless marauding runs forward in a similar fashion to that of Leighton Baines or Bryan Oviedo, his rivals for that position. Not only did he look comfortable going forward, but he looked solid at the back, albeit against a side 3 leagues below Everton. This should not detract from the fact that it was an impressive performance from the youngster, and we should expect to see much more from him this campaign. However, there is an element of sympathy for Garbutt; as promising as he looks, he is behind two quality left-backs in Baines and Oviedo in the pecking order. With Oviedo out injured until September, however, it is likely that Garbutt will see some action in the early part of the season. Martinez has spoken before about the possibility of deploying Baines in a defensive midfield position, which would enable Garbutt to have a fair amount of game time, until Oviedo's return at least.
Elsewhere at the back, John Stones' stock rose astronomically during the final months of the 2013-14 season, and it is almost a given that he will see plenty of first team football this year. While the Distin-Jagielka partnership has proved a solid foundation for several years now, the emergence of Stones at the back end of last season, as well as Distin's advancing years, could mean we may well see such a partnership feature less frequently this year. Shane Duffy is another young central defender who could well be given his chance this year, as could Tyias Browning, last season's under-21 player of the year, and a player who Martinez has claimed is already well-equipped for Premier League football.
In midfield, it would come as no surprise should Matthew Kennedy be handed his first team debut this campaign, given Everton's current dearth of wingers. Besides Kevin Mirallas, the only other potential wide-men are Aiden McGeady, whose form and fitness has been called into question, Steven Pienaar, whose age appeared to be catching up with him last season, and Steven Naismith, who proved to be far more of a threat as a central striker. Kennedy, 19, has represented Scotland at every level from under-15s to under-21s, and spent last season gaining invaluable experience at both Tranmere Rovers and MK Dons. Another who has been tipped for great things, Kennedy is a tricky, pacey winger and, was one of the liveliest players on the pitch in the first half on Tuesday night, fashioning several opportunities for his team-mates and certainly stating a claim for a place in the first team. It would hardly be a shock to see him given a chance if he keeps up this level of performance.
Everton are far richer in central midfield, with James McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Darron Gibson, Leon Osman and new arrival Muhamed Besic all vying for a place in defensive midfield. The magnificent form last year of Barry and McCarthy means that it will be difficult to depose either one of them from the starting line-up, and it would be unfair were our highly-rated central midfielders not given a chance to do just that. The likes of John Lundstram, 20, and Ryan Ledson, 16 have both been tipped to have bright futures, with Ledson in particular regarded as a youngster with such obvious potential that it would be foolish to overlook him. Neither have, as yet, played a competitive game for Everton, though Ledson was a unused substitute in April's defeat to Southampton, and Lundstram has impressed in the early part of pre-season.
Up front is another area where, evidently, Everton are lacking. Currently Everton have only 2 senior strikers in Steven Naismith and Arouna Kone who, after suffering a cartilage problem last October, remains on the injury list. Regardless of the outcome of the Romelu Lukaku saga, Everton will need to add more ammunition than just the Belgian striker to their front line if they are to make a serious case for a top 4 finish. While other strikers have been mentioned- a return for Lacina Traore has been strongly rumoured- it is an undoubtedly positive sign that we have several promising young strikers coming through, and it would be a shame if their services were not called upon this year. Roberto Martinez gave Hallam Hope, Conor McAleny and Chris Long game time on Tuesday night, with McAleny and Long showing their versatility by putting in fine performances on the wing. McAleny, in particular, caught the eye and there is a decent chance that, this season, he may add to his sole first-team appearance. While both Hope and Long worked tirelessly and their effort and endeavour could not be faulted, it would seem as though they are perhaps not as ready for first-team football as McAleny is.
So while the promise of youth should not mask the fact that new signings are essential, neither should it be overlooked, and as Roberto Martinez readies his side for a top 4 challenge, it seems that, refreshingly, our youngsters are very much a part of his plan.