Everton
Toffees stick with David Moyes
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Tuesday, 01, Aug 2006 04:40
Founder members of the football league, Everton have played more seasons in the top flight of English football than any other club.
With an enviable record for trophies, Everton also boast one of the greatest players of all time in the formidable shape of Dixie Dean.
Dean wrote himself into the history books by scoring 60 league goals in the 1927/28 season - a year that saw him score 100 goals in total. The legendary centre forward scored 349 league goals for his beloved Everton, notching up an astonishing 200 goals in his first 198 games.
The prolific striker was the first of a long line of iconic number nines at Goodison Park, from Tommy Lawton through Dave Hickson to Joe Royle, Bob Latchford and Graeme Sharp.
And it is against such an illustrious history that Everton's recent failings are inevitably measured.
Once known as The Bank of England Club, Everton have been outspent, out-managed and generally outplayed by many of their closest rivals over the last couple of decades. And with only an FA Cup final victory against Manchester United in 1995 to shout about for quite some time, the supporters who remember the School of Science have inevitably grown impatient.
With David Moyes at the helm, however, many are confident that there are good times ahead and some ambitious transfer activity over the summer has ensured that the usual pre-season optimism has resurfaced once again.
But having spent too much time at the wrong end of the table in recent years, few will be getting carried away just yet.
Facts
Formed: 1878
Home: Goodison Park, capacity 40,260
Nickname: The Toffees
Adult 2006/07 season ticket prices: £474 - £557
Pedigree
League champions: 9 - 1891, 1915, 1928, 1932, 1939, 1963, 1970, 1985, 1987
FA Cup winners: 5 - 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995
European Cup Winners' Cup: 1 - 1985
Community shield: 9 - 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1995, Shared 1986
People
Chairman: Bill Kenwright CBE
Chief executive: Keith Wyness
Manager: David Moyes
Assistant manager: Alan Irvine
Team captain: David Weir (new appointment to be announced?)
Last season
Premiership: 11th - P 38 W 14 D 8 L 16 GF 34 GA 49 GD -15 PTS 50
Champions League: beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Villarreal in qualifier
FA Cup: fourth round - lost 4-1 in replay to Chelsea
League Cup: third round - lost 1-0 to Middlesbrough
Major summer ins
Andy Johnson - in from Crystal Palace - £8.6 million
Joleon Lescott - in from Wolves - £5 million
Tim Howard - in from Manchester United - loan deal
Scott Spencer - in from Oldham - undisclosed transfer fee
Major summer outs
Nigel Martyn - retired
Duncan Ferguson - retired?
Li Tie - to Sheffield United - free transfer
Kevin Kilbane - to Wigan Athletic - undisclosed
Unheralded star
Leon Osman
A local lad who was always considered too lightweight to display his undeniable ability in the Premier League, Leon Osman has emerged as one of the stars of David Moyes' reign at Everton.
Diminutive Osman first caught the eye with a goal in the 1998 FA Youth Cup final but he then spent a number of years on the sidelines, despite consistently sparkling for the reserves.
With exceptionally quick feet and an instinctive ability to pick out a killer pass, Osman was eventually given the opportunity to display his class with loan spells at Carlisle United and then Derby County.
Some breathtaking performances convinced Everton to take another look and he eventually made his first team debut in 2003.
Osman came into his own in the 2004/05 season, with several critical goals helping Everton to a Champions League position.
It was no surprise that a slow start for Osman in the 2005/06 season coincided with some of Everton's worst performances of the year and when he regained his edge in January, the results soon improved too.
The 2006/07 season is likely to be a big one for the player raised in nearby Skelmersdale and fans will be hoping for a return to the form that had many touting him for an England call-up back in 2005.
Starlet
Victor Anichebe
Having grabbed an intelligent goal against West Brom on the final day of last season, 18-year-old Victor Anichebe will be looking to make a considerable impression this season, although squeezing in ahead of the sizeable reputations of James Beattie and Andy Johnson may prove difficult.
Born in Nigeria, Anichebe moved to England after just a year, although he admits he would play for the Super Eagles over England if ever given the choice.
Anichebe formed a formidable partnership with fellow starlet James Vaughan at reserve level and eventually got his first team debut against Chelsea in the 4th round of the FA Cup in January 2006.
Quick, powerful and adept at holding up the ball, the young Nigerian seems to be perfectly suited to the English game and his progress this season will be tracked carefully by many.
He signed a new two-year deal in April and laid down his intentions for the year by scoring two goals in Everton's pre-season game against Bury.
Predictions
League position: 8th.
Three shrewd signings in AJ, Lescott and Howard should see Everton challenging for, if not quite achieving, European qualification.
Chances of managerial change: Slim.
David Moyes has a big fan in the form of Bill Kenwright, the club's chairman. Kenwright regularly reasserts his faith in Moyes and believes the Glaswegian is destined for greatness.
Top scorer: Andy Johnson.
The £8.6 million man will be looking to prove he is true England quality and will expect 15 goals this season. He will be forming a partnership with good friend James Beattie - another man who may fancy a few goals - which should bring the best out of the rapid former Crystal Palace favourite. Tim Cahill will also be looking to hit the back of the net, having made history for Australia with his goals in the World Cup.
Player most likely to rock the boat: Nuno.
It is perhaps testament to Moyes' commitment to team spirit that there are very few players at the club with a tendency to upset the balance. Rumours did emerge over the summer, however, that Portuguese left-back Nuno Valente was keen to join a more "ambitious" club, although these stories have since been vehemently denied.
Paul Foster.