Everton; They don’t have a multi-millionaire chairman, they don’t win trophies and they don’t sign superstars. Injuries are accumulating all of a sudden and Everton are in a position where they cannot afford to lose any pivotal players, due to them challenging for a Champions league position. So how can the Merseyside club maintain their admirable displays from the first half of the season?
In the 11 years David Moyes was in charge, Everton managed to finish in a top-six position five times, whilst at a huge financial disadvantage to opponents that finished above and below them. In an age of wealthy middle-eastern businessmen owning top clubs, it’s often easy to forget the things that once epitomized English football; The old atmospheric stadiums, an exalted history and a loyal, boisterous fan base. Without a rich entrepreneur bringing in heaps of cash, Everton have managed to grasp on to these traditional features, but at what cost?
One feature of Everton’s side, is the versatility of the players. This means if one player picks up an injury, someone else will easily be able to fill the vacant space. However, Everton lack depth in their squad, meaning the same players have played almost every game thus far this season. Ultimately, this will unsurprisingly lead to the players picking up injuries, leaving Martinez with a conundrum; How to fill those spaces. Everton’s cup tie against Stevenage in the 4th round produced a horrific injury to Bryan Oviedo, who broke both his tib and fib bones, decimating his World cup hopes. Unfortunately, Oviedo isn’t the only player to have picked up a recent injury, with the likes of Barkley, Coleman, Pienaar, Distin and a few more all out. Without millions of pounds to spend, Everton’s Roberto Martinez has to be astute with the restricted money he has, only purchasing players when necessary. With the recent arrivals of Aiden McGeady and Lacina Traore, Everton’s side has strengthened, bringing in much needed depth, meaning the squad can rotate, resulting in less injuries. Even worse for the Toffees is that this period of time, where all the injuries start piling up, is the week of the derby.
However, Everton believe strongly in their youth academy and young players. Ross Barkley, 20, is a regular starter for Everton and is being tipped as the new Gascoigne or Ballack. Surrounded by accomplished and sophisticated teammates, Ross Barkley can develop quickly, learning from his experienced compatriots, whilst being being provided with excellent cover. John Stones, 19, is another good example of the faith in youngsters. Not a regular starter, but a proficient replacement if either Jagielka or Distin get injured. When an older, more ‘fragile’ player gets injured, Martinez prefers to play a youthful talent, instead of an older player, to help their development at an early age, getting them prepared for their future lives as first team players. Whilst inexperienced, these youngsters can have a positive effect on the clubs season, and future.
Riddled with knocks and injuries, Roberto Martinez often has to improvise tactically, and has to conclude what is best for the team. Working with a low budget and limited resources, Martinez has proved himself, showing his managerial talents whatever the situation. His passion rubs off on the players, who give it 100% every week for the fans and club, which is a vital part for their recent success. Everton feel like a happy club, at times of course there is doubts in fans minds, but that frustration is all about how football has changed in the 21st centuary, rather than how Everton have not.
