THE more you watch Everton, the more it becomes obvious they need someone pulling the strings in midfield.

Their play has become a little bit predictable. Wherever they are on the pitch, the attack always seems to conclude with a cross coming in from the flank and it’s then a question of fighting for scraps.

That does not augur well. It’s hard to see how they can improve without someone coming in to pull those strings, and given the lack of strikers they need even more strings pulling than normal.

James McFadden when fit will give something a bit different by committing players and creating chances.

But Everton are like 10 other teams in the Premier League in not having a regular goalscorer. Lots of teams can make chances but not many have the players to put them away.

David Moyes has Louis Saha as his only senior striker, and after that there isn’t a lot of experience in English football.

Moyes wants to bring in Landon Donovan again, and he will improve the team and provide more competition for places.

But that in itself is a statement. Everton will no doubt take Donovan, but he isn’t the long-term answer and that long-term answer is drifting further and further away.

Having said that, I thought Everton deserved a draw at Newcastle on Saturday. They had a stonewall penalty turned down, and their performance was good enough to warrant something from the game.

Even Alan Pardew suggested they deserved something from the game. But Everton didn’t work the keeper enough, and they can’t seem to pinch a goal right now.