THE departure of Tim Cahill has prompted some debate over who will take the fight to the opposition for Everton next season.

But for me there isn’t much issue. It’s not as though anyone facing David Moyes’s side will be coming up against shrinking violets.

Cahill was a great player for Everton and forged a reputation for scoring important goals, but was a diminishing force over the last 18 months.

And the arrival of Nikica Jelavic, not only an out-and-out goalscorer but also a good all-round player, has helped soften the blow. He has given Everton a different dimension.

Moyes will look to ensure the potency of Jelavic by the signing of Steven Pienaar on a permanent basis.

Pienaar is the type of player that Jelavic thrives off. The South African plays with his head up and is always looking for an opening, and Everton were lacking that following the departure of Mikel Arteta.

Pienaar’s relationship with Leighton Baines down the left flank is as good as any in the Premier League, and the performances during his loan spell earlier this year demonstrated that link remains as strong as ever.

I think he has realised the error he made in leaving Everton. Moving to Tottenham Hotspur might have made him a few quid, but he’ll be back playing regularly in front of a crowd that loves him and a manager that appreciates him.