A small step…A giant leap

There is always a plethora of clubs who, as the season gets under way, talk of ‘breaking in’ to the ‘Top Four’. Some of them assume they have the right to do so simply because they are who they are, and may have picked up a good player or two. Those teams’ fans frequently say ‘We first of all need to overtake Everton, which obviously we will….’. But obviously they don’t. Not even the admirable Villa last term – after talk at one stage (albeit mostly from Villa themselves) that they may even win the damn thing.

No, the reality has to sink in that Everton are the Best of the Rest. But that title brings its own problems – and this year could be make or break for the Toffees. Even if we do manage to hold on to Lescott (and to the manager) this group of players, however commendable is the ‘Team Spirit’, surely will not settle for being top of the new Second Division ad infinitum. And there ARE some top quality players at Everton now – assembled slowly and surely almost unnoticed by other clubs. But, and this is the key, those players were taken on as promising prospects and have been coached, yes Coached, into being better players, some of whom could now play for the ‘Top Four’, and no doubt will unless that Small Step/Giant Leap is taken this season.

Other teams’ fans must be sick of every Everton article alluding to the fact that the club does not have the money to challenge the ‘Big’ clubs. But despite (or because of) that lack of funds the skills of a truly outstanding coach have put Everton on the cusp of competing through the very old fashioned yet frighteningly simple method of making good players better. And if Everton does ‘Break in’ principally through the coaching route (albeit with the odd signing or two) then most Evertonians will be absolutely delighted that it was achieved by those methods rather than by throwing vast sums of money at the problem.

As I have said, it could be make or break this season for the Toffees. We sneaked in last time not because we were very good but because Liverpool were very poor – in Top Four terms. This season there are no obvious candidates to slip out of the present Top Four. But this time Everton are immensely better than the last time they finished fourth. Those who continue to label us as a physical ‘kick and rush’ team clearly either don’t know much about the game, or, more likely, haven’t made the effort to really look at us with an open mind. Arteta, Pienaar, Osman – the New Wimbledon? I think not. The combined weight of the three is probably less than one John Fashanu!

Whatever. From Best of the Rest ……to Worst of the Best? I’d take that. For now.

By Jim Gavin -

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