January Window Can Easily Fix Everton

Through ten games Everton’s performance has been the very definition of average. They’ve played ten games. They sit in the tenth position. Their goal difference is zero. If they were an ice cream, they’d be vanilla. Deeper examination shows more hope for Roberto Martinez’s side. A solid January transfer window could make them a very dangerous side.

The best news for Everton fans is that they are blessed with top-end talent that is playing well. They have three defined stars who are playing to that level. Romelu Lukaku provides them with a very effective front man. Ross Barkley is in the form of his career playing as an attacking midfielder. John Stones has been a rock at the back. Starting with these three talents is an outstanding foundation.

In fact, their top three players are on a form that should have Everton challenging for the top four. The problem is the rest of their starters haven’t played to anywhere near the same standard. Their three stars are the only consistent starters with a Whoscored.com player rating average above 7. The other starters have been average at best.

The defensive midfield pairing of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy hasn’t been a train wreck, but must improve. Everton could stand pat with that pairing and reasonably expect their play to pick up. The defenders other than Stones have also been passable. You know what you’re going to get from Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman at this point in their careers and their play hasn’t been an issue.

The real culprits have been the Everton wide men. The collection of Arouna Kone, Kevin Mirallas, Aaron Lennon and Gerard Deulofeu has been dreadful. Steven Naismith gets a slight pass for at least showing up with three goals even if they were all in one fixture. Mirallas has struggled with injury, but there’s no real reason to expect an uptick in play from the others. They simply aren’t doing enough to support Barkley and Lukaku in attack.

The good news is that there is a January transfer window that could do a lot to cure what ails Everton. They don’t need to spend exorbitant sums on star players. They already have stars in attack, the midfield and defense. They just need to spend some smart money on players who can start every week and perform at an above average level. This is something that could easily be accomplished.

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The purchase of above average wing players could change the entire complexion of the side. It would lead to an increase in possession which would relieve pressure from the defensive midfielders thus elevating their play. Of course, adding competent wing play would also help take pressure off Barkley and Lukaku who currently shoulder too much of the offensive load.

Fixing Everton is a rather straight forward proposition. They aren’t a side that lacks dynamic stars. Their star quotient is one of the highest in the Premier League. They need to work hard in the January window to supplement their stars with enough quality players to allow them to shine. A few modest purchases and Roberto Martinez can have one of the Premier League’s toughest sides to play in the season’s second half.

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