Can Everton make the top four, again?

A side who have earned many plaudits so far this campaign is Everton, with their usual frustrating start to a season pleasantly eluding them. Four wins from eight games means they find themselves in the top four, and the last time they started as well as this they indeed gate crashed the Champions League positions back in 2004. Eight years on, can David Moyes’s side really do it again?

Moyes previously guided Everton the Champions league in 2005

Of all the Premier league managers, only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have spent more time at their helm then Moyes, and despite year in year out having to sell his best players to please the finances, the former Preston manager has done an incredible job at Goodison Park. Moyes was heavily linked with the vacant Spurs job which appeared in the summer; however via whatever means a move never materialised and to his and the side’s credit they've put the rumours to one side and started this year fantastically.

Their first eleven can compete with any in the division, with their left hand side in particular dazzling this year. Leighton Baines and the returning Steven Pienaar have linked superbly, with the England full-back finding himself in the opponents half more than his own. The likes of Marouane Felliani have also been brilliant, with the Belgian midfielder adding three goals from midfield so far. For years at Goodison the home side have been craving a natural goalscorer and in the form of the Croat Nikica Jelavic they finally have one, and he’ll be in and around the league’s top scorers.

Baines has been one of Moyes' greatest ever signings

Like I touched upon earlier, Everton have far too often found themselves playing catch up following a poor start to the season, however 15 points from eight matches, which to be fair would've been two greater had goal line technology been in place, means they can be chased instead of the chasers.

Unfortunately for Moyes and Everton, unlike in 2004 when they qualified for the Champions league, there was only five clubs battling it out for the top four, realistically you can say this time around there are eight! When you consider the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham didn’t qualify for Europe’s finest club competition, all be it in differing circumstances, it goes to show the strength in depth the top eight clubs have. Newcastle finished above Chelsea last season and despite a slow start have a starting eleven capable of competing with the best in the league. In 2004 Everton didn't have to compete with Manchester City, whom over the last two years have become a regular in the Champions league spots.

Like Newcastle, Everton don’t have the greatest strength in depth in comparison to the usual Champions league suspects, which is a worry when you consider the numbers usually found on the treatment table at Goodison Park. Jelavic aside they don’t have a forward who you could realistically say will guarantee 15 goals a season. Whilst defensively they've no cover for the three centre backs, which at some point will affect them this season. Having lost the versatile Jack Rodwell and Tim Cahill in the summer, and many of the previous season’s loan additions you worry for them in case any of their bigger name players are injured.

Jelavic has 13 goals in just 19 Premier league games for the Toffees. 

You always associate an incredible turn of form after Christmas with Everton, but that can’t happen every season, and who’s to say their usual start of season slump won’t occur later on in the year. With the stiff competition for Champions league places this year, you’d have to say Everton will need to maintain their two points per game ratio over a 38 game season, which won’t be easy.

At the start of the season I didn't think they’d be able to mount a Champions league push, but after their early form you wouldn't bank against Moyes gate crashing the top four once more!

Europa League push at best for the Toffee's

It is no coincidence that Everton's best form of the previous season coincided with a brilliant January transfer window for the club. Nikica Jelavic proved to be a real bargain addition scoring nine goals in his first 13 matches; however the returning Steven Pienaar's form during his six month loan spell at the club was the real catalyst behind their end of season form. The South African international has since gone on to make his loan move permanent, ensuring his stay away from the club was a very brief one.

After being heavily linked with the then vacant managerial position at Spurs, David Moyes will be hoping his loyalty is rewarded in the form of money to spend and reassurances that his best players won't be sold. He has added shrewdly so far in the form of Pienaar and Steven Naismith, who will look to continue his centre forward partnership with Jelavic from their Rangers days.

In the last three Premier League seasons Everton have started incredibly slowly, relying on their turn of the year form to fire them up the league. Of their first 20 games the club lost half of them, meaning they were consistently in the lower regions of the table; however their last 18 matches saw the Toffee's only lose twice. During that run the club beat the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs whilst coming from two goals down to rescue an unlikely point at Old Trafford.

Prior to the arrival of Jelavic the club really lacked firepower, and I worry where the goals will come from if the Croatian gets an injury next season. Aside from that the only other position I feel Everton lack strength in depth is the wide midfield areas. The controversial Royston Drenthe wasn't kept on, whilst the young Seamus Coleman and Magaye Gueye are talented however aren't ready to be consistent starters in a Moyes side.

Key player - Steven Pienaar. If there were a team for the best performing players in the second half of last season then Pienaar would be a shoe-in for the squad. It's fair to say Moyes brings out the best in Pienaar as the former Spurs man flourished in his free role last season, with his man of the match performance vs Chelsea in particular highlighting how technically brilliant he is. Given Tim Cahill's departure, there will be an added pressure on Pienaar to score more goals from midfield this campaign.



Prediction - 8th. If the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini are still at the club come September then I do feel they can really compete with the best; however it wouldn't be a Summer transfer window for Moyes if he didn't have to part way with a Goodison Park favourite. A decent start is a necessity this time around, as they won't always be so good after Christmas. I expect them to sit comfortably in the top ten though.

View from a fan - @keith1878

What would be an ideal season?
European qualification via the league whilst finishing about Liverpool coupled with some good cup form and even some silverware.

What would be a nightmare season?
Having to sell Baines or Fellaini to keep the bank happy, financial meltdown whilst not having our good post-season form.

Do you have the right manager?
Yes. He's had a lot to deal with during his 10 years, but normally gets the right players on the pitch and fighting for everything.

Which Premier League player would you sign given the chance?
Mikel Arteta or Wayne Rooney. Other than ex players it depends where the annual injury crisis is, I like Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero, they're both brilliant!

Should you cash in on Rodwell or keep him?
Need to keep him unless a big offer comes in, which is unlikely considering his injury record. This season is really make or break for him.

What players should we look out for this season?
Ross Barkley should get more chances this year following a season in the reserves. He was thrown in the deep end following the Arteta sale. Shane Duffy too, as well as Francisco Jr has had a decent pre season, few dodgy tackles but some decent skills, he could get a chance.

City battle to win over dogged Everton

Goals from second half substitutes Mario Balotelli and James Milner ensured City overcome a defensively good Everton in a 2-0 win.

With David Moyes's side keeping Manchester City at bay brilliantly for an hour, Roberto Mancini's decision to leave the unhappy Carlos Tevez on the bench paid dividend's when the Italian Balotelli opened the scoring.

Everton, who have won on their last four previous trip's to Manchester City, started the brighter and Maroune Fellaini caused Joleon Lescott problems early doors, however they failed to test Joe Hart in their dominant period

Jack Rodwell did a good man marking job on Manchester City's David Silva, and with the Spaniard being marked out of the early proceeding's, the pressure was on Samir Nasri to take ahold of the game, however the former Arsenal player was quiet as City failed to create any clear cut chances in the first half.

Manchester City came out of the blocks quick in the second half and Sergio Aguero was starting to get more into the game, however it took the change of Balotelli for them to open up a resolute Everton.

Consistant pressure from Mancini's side resulted in the opening goal as Aguero kept ahold of the ball to find the Balotelli whose shot took a little knick of Phil Jagielka giving Tim Howard little chance in the Everton goal.

The goal ensured Everton had to come out and look for a leveller, and David Moyes was furious that a Vincent Kompany apparent trip on Louis Saha wasn't given on the edge of the area.

Despite some spells of pressure Everton didn't look like breaking down City, and it was infact the Manchester side who scored the second goal of the game. Royston Drenthe gave the ball away in the midfield and Silva, who started to lose the shackles of Rodwell after Balotelli's opener, slid a perfect pass through for another sub in James Milner who beat Howard well.

A late clearence from Stefan Savic off the line prevented Fellaini from reducing the defecit in stopage time.

The win for Manchester City was a deserved one and shows the club has the character and patience to break down sides who are going to come and try and frustrate sides at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City player ratings: Hart 6, Richards 7, Kompany 7, Lescott 6, Clichy 7, Barry 6, Nasri 6 (Savic 5), Silva 8, Y Toure 7, Dzeko 6 (Balotelli 7), Aguero 8 (Milner 7)

Everton player ratings: Howard 7, Hibbert 7, Baines 7, Jagielka 7, Distin 7, Neville 6 (Drenthe 5), Coleman 5 (Vellios 5), Cahill 6 (Saha 6), Osman 7, Felliani 7, Rodwell 7

Leon Osman - hugely under rated.

There form in the second half of the season was mirrored with the form of their un-sung hero in Leon Osman, who surely can't be far from a first senior international call-up. The midfielder was particularly superb in home games with Chelsea and Manchester City, with his goal against the later personifiying the bravery and energy of Osman, after colliding heads with ironically Lescott the former Everton defender.

The versatility of Osman gives Moyes many options when selecting a team, with Osman able to play anywhere in the midfield or even in the hole of a striker. In the two games mentioned above, Osman underlined his ability to play in many different positions. With the team trailing 1-0 to an impressive City side, Osman was pushed further forward to support Jermaine Beckford, and with Everton dominating the second half, he was able to dominate the ageing Patrick Vieria who was playing in front of Citys back four. This was highlighted with the winning goal where his burst into the box saw him score a headed goal his team-mate Tim Cahill would've been proud of.

After beating Liverpool 2-0 at home last season, Everton went on a dire run, only winning once in twelve games, away to Manchester City 2-1. During them twelve games Leon Osman was only able to play 99 minutes, with 74 of them coming in the suprise victory away to City, only highlighting how key he is to Everton. And with all the speculation of Everton players linked with a move away from the club, Moyes must be esctatic that their under rated star isn't one of those.

With the national team coming under scrutiny recently for their poor performances, many fans have wanted a change in the team, and despite a overhaul since the World Cup in 2010, the season Osman has had at club level surely merits notice from Fabio Capello. With England playing a friendly with the Dutch in September, it would be a perfect oppourtunity for Osman to be called up, who must be growing increasingly annoyed at being overlooked for those out of form.

Despite the likes of Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Leighton Baines usually taking the plaudits, those at Everton know how important Osman is to the club, with Tim Howard stating "The thing with Ossie is that he’s a real unsung hero who will do anything for the team". And with Moyes again expected to have a small budget, Osman will again be a main stay in the Toffee's starting eleven.