More of the same from versatile Everton

Aug 7 2007 by Mark Lawrenson, Liverpool Daily Post

WHILE one half of Merseyside has to take a very different approach to be successful this season, for Everton it’s the opposite.

It’s a case of ‘more of the same’ from their point of view.

To finish in the top six, they really had to swim the channel last year and it looks like they’ll have to do it again this time.

But there’s nothing to suggest they can’t achieve a similar feat again because at least David Moyes knows exactly what it takes to do it.

He’s already having to draw on that experience by facing the opening weeks of the season without Tim Cahill and James Vaughan, who were missing for much of the last campaign as well.

But what they lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality.

That’s why I think Phil Jagielka is such a good signing.

Whether you like them as players or not, he is similar to the Phil Neville, Steve Watson type that have served Everton so well over the years – they can all play in a number of different positions.

Leighton Baines will also be an invaluable addition and with Nuno Valente back to fitness, it’s almost as if Moyes has two new players at left-back.

And taking Joleon Lescott away from that position to provide more competition in the centre means it’s almost like signing him all over again as a different player.

It’s this utilising of his players’ abilities that served Moyes so well last season – but one thing that he needs to change is the cup run record.

He has an extra chance to do something in that are this season with the UEFA Cup qualification and they are due a break in this competition after the stinkers they drew in Europe last time.

It will, of course, be a lot more difficult to take in more games with a similarly small squad but players like Cahill, Arteta, Lescott, Johnson and Neville have the quality to cope with it.

And even with the season days away from starting, there’s already plenty to celebrate – if £4million for James Beattie isn’t a good reason to have a party then what is?

Mark Lawrenson was talking to NICK SMITH