Your morning Everton headlines for Tuesday, January 10.
Missed Everton transfer opportunity could help solve big Frank Lampard problem
Take yourself back to October 2, 2021 Evertonians. The Blues had Rafael Benitez as manager, had just drawn 1-1 at Manchester United with a depleted squad and were heading into an international break sat fourth in the Premier League.
They also arguably had the then best midfielder in the division too - Abdoulaye Doucoure.
He was inspired in the early weeks of the 2021-22 campaign, with his surging run and pass to Andros Townsend for the Everton equaliser at Old Trafford encapsulating his colossal performance that day. After a frustrating first season at the club, he'd finally seemingly settled under Benitez.
If someone had told you that evening that the former Watford man would be regularly coming off the bench for the Blues 15 months later, you'd be forgiven for thinking positively.
Perhaps the former Liverpool boss had expertly preserved the team's place in the Champions League spots, some stellar midfield signings arrived in the summer of 2022 and the excellent Doucoure had been shunted down the pecking order?
Well, it hasn't gone quite like that.
Read Matt Jones' full story here.
Everton are not using their biggest weapon properly as flawed transfer plan is brutally exposed
It baffles me that Everton haven’t brought a forward-thinking player into the football club. Frank Lampard wants one, he’s been open and honest about it that he’s been looking. It sounds like a bit like chess in terms of ‘Is Frank staying? Will he go? Is he going to sign a player and have a Rafa Benitez situation where we sack him a few days after making a signing?’
This is the mess the football club is in. From the outside, it doesn’t look like there’s a plan whatsoever.
I cannot understand that there is no back-up for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Yes there is Neal Maupay but he’s not another target man, he’s not 6ft 2in and going to win headers.
He can’t hold the ball up, he was trying to do that against Raphael Varane and Varane was laughing at him, going ‘what are you doing?’ If you’re 5ft 8in, spin and run behind, don’t try and do something you can’t – it’s like me going on to the pitch and trying to play right-back, I can’t do it because I can’t kick a ball with my right foot so I’m not going to try and put myself in that situation.
Read the rest of Michael Ball's column here.
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