Everton Need One Clear Squad Plan
Everton’s recruitment approach feels split between developing younger players and leaning on experienced heads. Unless the club finds a better balance, the pathway from prospects to regulars will keep getting blocked.
One thing I'm struggling to understand is what our long-term plan actually is.
I thought when the new owners took over that our plans would change and we would be better suited for the now and the future.
But.
Recruitment for the future, selections for now
Over the last few years, we've signed a number of younger players with the idea of developing them, improving them and hopefully increasing their value over time. That's exactly the sort of recruitment model a club like ours should be looking at. We aren't in a position where we can just throw money around and write off mistakes anymore.
The problem is that Moyes has never really been a manager known for developing young players and throwing them straight into the side. He tends to prefer players he trusts, players with experience and players who are ready to perform immediately. There's nothing wrong with that in itself. Every squad needs experienced heads and proven players.
What worries me is if the recruitment team are bringing in players for the future while the manager is only interested in players for the present.
The downside of going too old
You only have to look at some of the names we're linked with recently. A lot of them are older, experienced professionals. They might improve us in the short term, but there's very little resale value there. Older players generally demand higher wages, their value usually drops year on year, and physically there comes a point where it becomes harder to maintain the intensity needed across a full season, which is where we dropped off dramatically at the end of last season.
That doesn't mean we should avoid experienced players altogether. Far from it. Every successful team has a few older professionals who can set standards, help younger players and be relied upon when needed. The key is balance.
What the balance should look like
For me, the ideal squad isn't built entirely around prospects, but it shouldn't be built entirely around thirty-somethings either. We should be targeting players in that 23-27 age bracket who are ready to contribute now but still have room to improve. Players who can give us their best years, increase in value and potentially be sold for a profit if the right offer comes in.
Alongside that, you bring through younger players with potential and supplement the squad with a handful of experienced leaders.
That's the model that, for me, makes sense financially and competitively.
A pathway, not mixed messages
At the moment it feels like we're trying to do two different things at once. We appear to be investing in youth for the future, while Moyes appears to trust experience for the present. Unless those two approaches meet somewhere in the middle, we're going to keep ending up with players who are signed but never really given the opportunity to develop and want to leave without being given a chance.
The best squads have a pathway. Young players pushing through, prime-age players carrying the team, and experienced players supporting them. If we get that balance right, we give ourselves a better chance of being competitive now without sacrificing the future.
Signing young players is pointless if they never actually get a chance to play, but building a squad entirely of experienced players is just as risky. One leaves you with no development, the other leaves you with no future value.
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