IF it wasn’t already clear what Everton need in this transfer window, it became glaringly evident at Goodison last weekend.
David Moyes might not have much money to spend during the rest of the month, but a creative midfielder must surely be at the top of his wishlist.
Everton are very good down their left and not bad down their right. Through the middle, though, they still need somebody with that little bit extra who can produce something that bit different.
They need a number 10, but then, so do many other teams. Such players aren’t easy to come by.
Wesley Sneijder is one at Inter Milan, but unless Everton cash in on one of their leading players and Moyes is extremely persuasive, that would stay a mere pipedream.
Nikica Jelavic would appreciate the help, though. He hasn’t been the same this season, lacking confidence and a solid first touch, although perhaps we should have expected a drop in form given how well he played last season. He couldn’t have kept that up.
But Jelavic is going to play all the games. He needs Kevin Mirallas back fit, who can play on both flanks and, most importantly, through the middle.
Victor Anichebe has done well recently and is big and strong and powerful, but you wouldn’t call him a clever footballer. What you see is what you get. That’s fine and effective, but Everton do need something a bit more elsewhere.
Swansea City were pretty comfortable last Saturday. It’s not as though Everton didn’t know how the Swans were going to play, but the home side lacked quality in the final third, a little bit of guile.
It could be argued it was one of those days where Moyes needed his full team out. But that isn’t always going to be possible.
It’s a backhanded compliment that teams are coming to Goodison and shutting up shop. The old stadium has always been an intimidating place to play, no matter how well Everton have been doing.
But that Moyes’s men are up near the top of the table helps make up the mind of visiting teams.
For Everton, this is the next step; to be able to consistently pick apart defences of teams that have come just to shut up shop.
