THEY say there are lies, damned lies and statistics. But there’s one damning fact that exposes the shortcoming of which the Goodison faithful is acutely aware.
In this season’s Premier League, not one single recognised striker that has started a game has managed to score.
Victor Anichebe maintained that trend when he came off the bench to score the equaliser at Aston Villa last Saturday.
A fortnight earlier, he had again been introduced during the second half before netting a dramatic late winner at West Bromwich Albion.
Louis Saha’s injury-time strike at Fulham in October came via the bench, while all three top-flight goals from Apostolos Vellios have come as a substitute.
Magaye Gueye, Jermaine Beckford, James McFadden, Dennis Stracqualursi and youngster Conor McAleny have all failed to notch when called upon up front.
And Tim Cahill, having forged a reputation as an auxiliary striker during the past few years, has yet to end a goal drought which has now reached almost 13 months.
Small wonder, then, that Everton have scored just 21 goals in 21 Premier League games, a lack of potency that sees them nearer the relegation zone than the European qualification places.
While David Moyes remains intent on recruiting a new striker in this transfer window, his mood will not have been lightened by the recent form of those that departed Goodison last summer.
Although Beckford never truly won over the Goodison crowd or his manager, the forward still managed to net 10 times for Everton last season in 17 starts and 21 substitute appearances.
His August move down a division to npower Championship side Leicester City could not be described as a success.
But his nose for goal was apparent on Tuesday night when his hat-trick in front of the live TV cameras helped dump Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup.
Then there is Yakubu.
A serious injury contributed to a loss of form that saw the Nigerian score just seven goals in 51 appearances during his final two seasons at Everton.
Yakubu spent the end of the previous campaign on loan at Leicester before making a summer move to Blackburn Rovers.
And the striker has been revitalised at Ewood Park, scoring 13 goals in 19 games – including 12 in 16 in the Premier League – the kind of return that prompted Everton to pay £11.25million to Middlesbrough for his services in August 2007.
An uncharacteristically wild challenge on Fulham’s Danny Murphy during Blackburn’s 3-1 home win over the Cottagers last week means Yakubu is denied a reunion with his former team-mates at Goodison on Saturday.
And Everton assistant manager Steve Round is pleased the Nigerian has rediscovered his verve – and is absent this weekend.
“I have known Yakubu a long time,” added Round. “We signed him from Portsmouth when I worked at Middlesbrough. First season he got 20 goals, the next a couple less and the season after that a few less than that."
