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After another season has come to an end, the "Fans' Thoughts" section on EuroFootball.com invites enthusiasts to review their supported clubs' past football years and share ideas about the near future. In focus is Liverpool's season review, written by 'irisams,' an enthusiastic forum member hippopotamus.
In short, it was a successful season. The minimum program was executed - achieving seventh place, once again becoming the 'best of the rest,' but to aim for higher goals required great success. The teams that finished six places above us are clearly stronger in terms of their squad and finances, so we can only be pleased that Everton didn't fall behind clubs like Aston Villa, Fulham, or Sunderland. Even if you were to talk about the sums these mentioned clubs spend on new players, the team's coach David Moyes can only dream. For three years now, he has only spent the money he receives from selling players.
One negative aspect could be the lack of trophies once again. Particularly, great attention was given to the English FA Cup, but just like in the Premier League, they played with a Robin Hood style - after a hard-fought victory against Chelsea, they lost to Reading.
The season's script was predictably traditional - a weak first half when the team lingered at the bottom of the table, and a successful end. This is somewhat surprising since the fewest injuries occurred at the start of the season, and in the second half, with a weaker squad, they managed to achieve better results.
Key player ratings:
Tim Howard - 8. Started the season insecurely, making a few uncharacteristic and costly childish mistakes, but later found his pace and can confidently be written into the league's best goalkeepers. He also improved his weakest point this season - high ball challenges.
Phil Jagielka - 7. After a serious injury, he struggled to get back to form, but by the end of the season, he resembled the 2008-09 Jagielka, who was a brick wall to opposing attackers.
Sylvain Distin - 7. When he arrived at the club, many thought he would be a substitute, but he didn't miss a single game and was probably the team's best central defender. For a time, he was even considered a competitor to Baines for the player of the season title. However, his overall impression was marred by frequent lapses in concentration, where he would play brilliantly for 90 minutes but 'switch off' at crucial moments. Three of the last four goals conceded at the end of the season can be blamed on him.
Leighton Baines - 8.5. Another excellent season for the left-back, probably his best ever. He was voted the best player of the season by both his teammates and the fans, and he also received the goal of the season award (for his penalty against Chelsea in the FA Cup). Once again, he became the EPL defender with the most assists and was the main creator in the team. However, there were slight criticisms for his defensive work, as he is, after all, a defender, and didn't shine defensively as usual.
Phil Neville - 7. The captain celebrated his 34th birthday, but he just keeps getting better. He played very steadily throughout the season, and his leadership qualities and work ethic are invaluable. As a player, he is the opposite of Baines - reliable in defense but almost useless in attack. However, he did contribute goals too, with his goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers probably being the best of his career.
Tony Hibbert - 6. Played sparingly, but when he did, he didn't disappoint. He was the same old good old Hibbo - not the most technical player in the world, but a true example of loyalty and professionalism, hardworking and uncomplaining about sitting on the bench.
Mikel Arteta - 5.5. A tragic season for the team's leader and highest-paid player. After tearing his cruciate ligaments, he never regained his form and became a shadow of his former self.
Marouane Fellaini - 7. Returning from a serious injury was not easy, but there were games where he was a true monster and clearly the team's best player. Unfortunately, he suffered another serious injury just as he was finding form again and ended the season crippled.
Leon Osman - 7. An academy graduate and a club veteran, he often warmed the bench in the first half of the season, but with injuries thinning out the squad, he showed his full potential. He was the main creative force - creating chances for others, scoring himself, and alongside Baines, he dragged the team to the top half of the table.
Steven Pienaar - 6. In the first half of the season, before moving to Tottenham in London, he was an important player, although his eternal problems were often annoying - lots of work, skills, and beautiful passes in midfield but zero end product in the final third.
Johnny Heitinga - 5. One of the most disappointing players. After a very good debut season, becoming a fan favorite, and a successful World Cup with the Dutch national team, he returned injured, tired, lost his place in the starting lineup, spent time talking nonsense to newspapers and then denying it, and only towards the end of the season, due to injuries to other players, returned to the starting lineup, where he didn't shine much. Perhaps because he played as a holding midfielder instead of his favorite central defender position.
Jack Rodwell - 5. Another disappointment. One of England's biggest and most hyped young talents this season was expected to establish himself in the starting lineup but failed to do so, mostly due to frequent injuries.
Seamus Coleman - 7. Purchased for £60,000, an unknown player became a real find in a new right-back position and was nominated for the best EPL young player category.
Tim Cahill - 7.5. For the first part of the season, he could safely be rated 9, as the Aussie was unstoppable and scored goals against all 'silent' strikers. But then he left for the ill-fated Asian Cup for a month, got injured there, and didn't recover until the end of the season, although playing with just one leg proved beneficial, especially in the victorious match against Man City.
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov - 4. The Russian Tatar with an unpronounceable surname, despite his exemplary character and hard work, performed worse than in his debut season and even convinced his biggest fans that the Premier League was not for him.
Louis Saha - 6.5. He started the season unexpectedly poorly, but once he found his rhythm and started scoring, he did what he does best - got injured.
Jermaine Beckford - 6. The 27-year-old striker, who arrived from the third division for free, surprised many (including me), and his successful season was crowned with a Maradona-esque winning goal in the last game against Chelsea. Often seen coming off the bench, he managed to become one of the team's top scorers. He has many flaws - it would be nice if he didn't shoot from anywhere as soon as he got the ball, but a selfish and quick-moving striker were exactly what was missing for 'irisams' on the field.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni - 4. Another player who didn't recover from a serious injury (Achilles tendon in this case). His African antics probably bothered him more than the injury.
Victor Anichebe - 4. This season was supposed to be a breakthrough for the academy graduate but turned out to be a disappointment. Once again, the word 'injuries' can be repeated as one of the causes.
Plans for the future
Before each season, the same can be said - to climb up or at least maintain the current level, money is needed, which will almost certainly be lacking once again. However, there are a few surplus players now who can be successfully sold to strengthen the squad without investments.
Yakubu, Yobo, and Vaughan will likely leave the team. It would make sense to sell Bilyaletdinov, who failed to secure a place in the starting lineup in two years, and Heitinga, who would be too expensive to keep on the bench. Jan Mucha, not keen on being a backup goalkeeper, will probably also depart.
Selling all these players could fetch up to £30 million. The priorities are clear - a fast full-back and a striker who can stay injury-free and score goals for longer than half a season. Additionally, 2-3 substitute players will be needed.
Moyes has proven multiple times that he can handle a limited budget, so the future can be viewed with cautious optimism. Nevertheless, to make a qualitative leap, it is clear that more substantial funding is needed, which the current owner Bill Kenwright cannot provide. Finding a good buyer in this day and age is not easy. We can be grateful at least that Kenwright, as a long-time fan of the club, will definitely not hand over his life's work to the first joker who appears and turn Everton into another Portsmouth.
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