2012/2013 Season
Review:
One of the most stable sides
in the country, with consistent top 8 finishes for the last 5 years, Everton
began the season looking for further consolidation, and to perhaps achieve what
Newcastle had managed the previous campaign: to challenge for the Champions
League. With signings such as Kevin Mirallas from Olympiakos, they simply added
speed to their growing list of talents, managing to hold on to all of their key
names from the previous season. Everton, being perennial slow starters, wanted
to find more consistency and good performances from the very start of the
season. Beating Manchester United on the opening weekend is certainly a good
way to start! With Marouane Fellaini in exceptional form for the first month of
the season, Everton won 4 of their opening 6 league games. Despite a
disappointing Capital One Cup exit at the hands of Championship side Leeds
United, Everton maintained their strong League form throughout September.
Often
the quiet side that sneaks up into the top six, Everton were once again
fulfilling those expectations. Unspectacularly but critically amassing the
points, whilst steering clear of significant controversies like at Chelsea,
Everton looked in a strong position going into October. Four straight league
draws slowed the Toffee’s bandwagon slightly. If we were to be pessimistic, we
could say that Everton won 2 of 11 matches between October and mid-December,
but on the other hand, only 2 league defeats in 15 matches sounds considerably
better. To state the first statistic does Everton’s performances during this
period a disservice, in my opinion, but you could certainly argue that it was
during this part of the season where they lost the potential to challenge for a
Champions League spot.
Everton’s
consistent form continued into the new year, where once again draws were
relatively common, but defeats were impressively infrequent. If we go back to
my earlier unbeaten stat and extend it further, we can see that Everton only
lost 3 games in 23 between October and mid-February. Translate some of those
draws to victories and we see a team highly capable of not only challenging for
Champions League football, but being on the outskirts of the title shake-up.
Progression to the Sixth Round of the FA Cup, albeit with a little Matt Smith inspired
hiccup at Oldham, gives further indication that Everton can compete for
multiple honours in the same season. There they met Wigan at home, leaving
Everton strong favourites to progress to yet another Wembley Semi Final.
Instead, three goals in 4 first half minutes propelled Wigan down to Wembley,
and left Goodison Park stunned. The only performance all season where Everton
were abject, but what an occasion to have it in!
The
latter part of Everton’s season was equally uneventful. With 6th
place virtually in the bag, and with it a guarantee to finish above Liverpool
in the table once again, Everton could attempt to challenge Tottenham for the
Europa League spot. An impressive 2-0 victory at home to Manchester City
strengthened these aspirations, but as all too often, too many draws cost the
Liverpudlians a shot at European qualification through the league. Chelsea’s
Europa League victory has gifted a place in next year’s competition to Everton,
and based on the vast majority of their performances this season, this is
thoroughly deserved.
The
only significant talking point in Everton’s relatively uncontroversial season
came in the last few weeks, with the announcement that David Moyes would be
taking the reigns at Manchester United, after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down
after 26 years in charge. Moyes’s departure leaves arguably as large a hole at
Everton as Fergie’s departure at United. After 11 years of fantastic and loyal
service, Moyes gets the chance to manage a title-winning side, an opportunity
he richly deserves. As for Everton, Roberto Martinez and Michael Laudrup have
both been sounded out as potential replacements, but Moyes’s are big shoes to
fill. He left this club top of its city and with European qualification. With
the funds available to them, I wonder if the next manager will achieve that?
Player of the Season:
Leighton Baines – A tough one between Baines and Fellaini, but I’m going to
go for Baines. Fellaini, despite his fantastic start, became less effective as
the season went on. In contrast, Baines remained consistently good throughout.
He is the epitome of Everton’s season: highly successful but often unnoticed.
Game of the Season: Everton
2-0 Manchester City – This was never going to be either of the rather drap
Merseyside derbies! The game in which I was most impressed with Everton, both
as an attacking and defensive force, was in their victory over Man City in
March. Despite having 10 men for half an hour, Everton dominated this game, and
whilst they may have been lucky to survive a late handball appeal, they
thoroughly deserved this win.
Summer Transfer
Targets (Who I Think They Need): Firstly, replacing David Moyes is
inevitably going to be of utmost importance. Roberto Martinez, especially after
his years of heroics with Wigan, and his recent FA Cup giantkilling, seems to
me the most likely candidate. Secondly, it depends on who David Moyes attempts
to take with him, as I cannot see many turning down the opportunity to play at
United. If no-one else leaves, I think very little in the way of alterations
needs making, and given Bill Kenwright’s budget, that will suit him just fine!
Perhaps just the addition of the impressive Callum McManaman, especially likely
if Martinez becomes the manager, will give a bit extra pace and width to this
Everton side.
Transfer Gossip
Links:
In:
Luis Pedro Cavanda (Lazio, LB), Andreas Cornelius
(Copenhagen, CM), Callum McManaman (Wigan Athletic, RW), Michael Laudrup
(Swansea City, Manager), Roberto Martinez (Wigan Athletic, Manager)
Out:
David Moyes (Manchester United, Manager), Nikica
Jelavic (West Ham United, ST), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United, CAM),
Leighton Baines (Manchester United, LB)
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