Everton Are Back?

3 matches into the new premier league season and it’s not yet clear what Everton are. The transfer window has been and gone and for some Evertonians, the spring in their step from the early signings has been replaced by worry. The early joy of Rooney’s winner against Stoke is now clouded with the uncertainty over which pages of the papers he will appear on in future, front or back. Here’s a look at the key issues facing Everton at the end of the transfer window.

Forward Thinking

The main worry for Evertonians is the lack of an experienced centre forward at the club. Giroud, Benteke and Llorente, who could make his debut for the visitors this weekend, were all linked but never arrived. Koeman has spoken about the need for an experienced centre forward up front and it will be a test of the Dutchman’s coaching skill to create a forward line capable of breaking down defences without searing pace or a physical presence. It’s down to Rooney, Calvert-Lewin, Ramirez and Sigurdsson to create the chances, supported by Nikola Vlasic and Davy Klaassen. It’s essential that Koeman finds the right balance with the players that we have with the stretch of home games coming up.

Rooney Redeemed?

It’s been a rollercoaster few weeks for Croxteth’s finest. Scoring two in two league games, retiring from the England circus and then ending up spending a night in the cells.  Rooney hasn’t been out of the papers since he came back.

The latest development is worrying. Rooney has clearly still got the brains and skill that few other have on the pitch. It’s clear he isn’t the fearsome physical presence that he had as a youngster. If ‘Rooney’s gonna get yer’ he’s going to do it with the speed of his brain rather than his speed on the pitch. The booze thing is worrying though. When Rooney signed, he indicated that he came to Everton to win things. When he quit international football, he indicated it was so he could give his body time to recover so that he could be fit for Everton.

The best thing that Rooney could do would be to look to the example of another naturally gifted player who played his early 30s years at Everton, Peter Beardsley. Rooney and Beardsley are very similar players. Both happy alongside another striker, both easily the cleverest most aware players on the pitch, both creators and goal scorers.

Beardsley was a year younger than Rooney when he joined Everton in 1991. He scored 32 goals in 95 appearances for Everton including a derby winner. Beardsley was teetotal. He too returned to his boyhood club and was a great success at Newcastle in his twilight years. If Rooney wants to have the same impact, he could do worse than look to Beardsley as an example.

The Misery of Mirallas

One player who is unlikely to be involved is serial sulk Kevin Mirallas. The Belgian blam it into the first man merchant, has done his usual moan to the press, this time about not being allowed to move back to Olympiakos. Everyone was surprised when he got 3 more years in May but no one is surprised he is kicking off when he is not getting game time. Overall though, it’s telling that only Olympiakos and West Ham have been linked with the Belgian Terry Curran. Time will tell if he has burnt his bridges one last time.

The Ghost of Windows Past

Another enigma is the injured and definitely getting off Ross Barkley, probably to Saturdays opponents. Everyone has heard the rumours that he doesn’t get on with Koeman but could there be more to it than that? He had terrible stick from some sections of the crowd during Martinez last year and looked visibly depressed. The unsavoury incident with the lad in the bar last year was probably the final straw for the lad.

As an Evertonian though, would you leave? We’ve welcomed back Rooney (although some Evertonians haven’t forgiven him for the way and the timing of his departure to United) so maybe Barkley is thinking he will be afforded the same welcome one day after not winning the league with Spurs for the next 5 years?

When he signed his new contract with Everton 3 years ago, Barkley said, “I realise the importance of signing because I remember how I felt when Wayne left. He was one of the best players in the team and we thought we could push on with him at Everton. When he left we were all down as Evertonians.”

He is doing the same here as what Rooney did. He has let his contract run  down to a point where the club ha to sell and not at market value. Perhaps he feels the club should be paying him more than the $100,000 a week that the club have allegedly offered him. Perhaps the club haven’t offered him that much after his inconsistency in the 2 seasons prior. Whatever the issue, it looks a certainty that Barkley is off in January and with his injury woes, he is likely to remain in the shadows around Finch Farm this autumn.