Those Merseyside Blues

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Clince121188

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“I believe that within 4 years, not only can we significantly improve results here, but also establish Everton as the best team in this city, outright.“

I don’t know what Mr Kenwright was more surprised by; The fact that I was so well versed on Everton Football Club, or that I was making such large promises right out of the gate, with more than one potential spanner in the works. Yes, I'd had a glittering playing career; I'd strutted my stuff at the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico, taking all the rewards that club football can offer. I'd collected 142 international caps on my way to securing 2 World Cup wins(the second as captain). What’s not to like eh?

Well, the fact remains; at 44, I'm about to take my first steps into the world of football management. Sure, I've spent the last 8 years, touring the worlds top clubs, gaining an insight into the variety of ways in which they're being run, closely examining each managers methods for developing his vision; but being held responsible for developing my own, this promises to be one of the greatest challenges I have faced.

This will be new ground for me in more ways than one. I’ve always been used to having the odds stacked in my favor. Brazil, Milan, Roma, every time we took to the field, we were expected to leave it with 3 points. Everton are by no means pushovers, but in such a competitive league as this, and with 5 or 6 teams firmly expected to finish above us, anything really can happen.






There's also the case of our noisy, admittedly more heavily decorated neighbours. I personally tasted defeat to Liverpool in the most gutting loss of my lengthy career. I can still feel the shock rush through my system when I think about that night in Istanbul. We were celebrating at half time, I don't deny that. The game was dead, we WERE going to be European champions. As I watched it all fall down around me, I felt sick. Sick that we had collectively taken our minds from the matter at hand, sick for how it must have felt for the Milan fans as the last penalty was kicked. I learned a vital lesson that day.

So when the opportunity, in the most surprising of circumstances, was presented to me; I snapped at the chance to take charge of Everton F.C. The pain of Istanbul has since subsided and this job is not one I've taken, purely for a shot at revenge. The truth is, I do very much have a soft spot for Everton. I've always appreciated the manner in which the club is run; the opportunities which have been extended to young local players and the achievements that have been made, at times on a fraction of the budget of other teams in the league. Recently however, targets have not been met, and I'd like to believe that I can raise this club to a position where they need fear no-one; where the team takes to the field, with an expectant crowd, for whom only 3 points will suffice.

I am Cafu, and this is my story.

 
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CAFU! :wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:

That's about all I have to say... One of my all time favourites!

The best of luck to you sir, I will be paying close attention :)
 
olabj said:
CAFU! :wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub::wub:

That's about all I have to say... One of my all time favourites!

The best of luck to you sir, I will be paying close attention :)
Click to expand...

Glad to have you in the audience!
 

Brendan Galloway certainly looks to have all the qualities to become a top class defender in the future. Much like my friend John Flanagan at Liverpool, Galloway has few if any faults in his game. Ryan Ledson in the U-21 team looks to be a player of almost unlimited potential. Physically, he currently leaves a lot to be desired, however on the technical front; whisper it, but I think we've got a player in the same mold as Paul Scholes on our hands.

It will be part of my philosophy at Everton to instil a belief in our young players that should they work hard enough and prove themselves worthy, there is no reason they can’t make the leap to first team football. If a player is good enough, he is old enough. Youth must be given its moment to shine. To me it is simple; there is nothing a fan likes to see more than a local lad plying his trade for their team. As well as this, the money to be saved in promoting just one player to the first team can save a club millions. It’s a no-brainer.






I’ve always been of the opinion that a club should take care of itself financially. That is to say that transfers, wages, contract renewals etc. must all be carefully conducted in line with the clubs financial situation. Let’s not kid ourselves here, Everton is by no means top of the pile in the money stakes. Every player, no matter what his place in the squad has a price. Should a club come in with an offer of a similar or higher valuation than what we place on a player, the offer must be considered. Players come and go, but the club will remain.

On the field, I believe the game should be played in a manner that the fans will appreciate. Of course the standard of players will at times dictate just how much freedom is allowed to them, but in situations where we are expected to win, I would like to see the team do so with a certain style.

As the standard of the clubs players improves over time, I will look to develop an attractive, attacking manner in our play. My vision for Everton is that of a team that, to a man, can trust in the abilities of their team-mates when out of possession, and one which breathes an air of confidence in all that they do with it. I want to create a strong unit, with a great togetherness that no matter what the system played, will work together and get the job done.





I have played in teams that have included players of supreme class, such as Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Kaka, and Ronaldo. These are the kinds of players that I will be hoping to see take to the field at Goodison in my time here, but I will not be breaking the bank to do so, and no one player makes a team, no matter what the media may sometimes say.
 
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One aspect of the Everton job which really drew me in was the make-up of the squad. There is a core of young players that have the potential to grow the club in conjunction with their own development. Seamus Coleman, John Stones, Brendan Galloway, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley, Gerard Deulofeu, Romelu Lukaku, as well as young Ledson in the U-21’s; these are all players who have a significant amount of football left to play in their careers and most of them have scope for improvement over the course of the next few years.

Whether these players are of the schooling required for the kind of football that I want the team to play or not, I don’t know. I’ll learn more on this over the course of the next few months. However, whether they are the players we need or not, they are certainly players of great ability and even greater potential. In one respect or another they will serve the cub well. They will either provide success on the field or on the balance sheet. This may seem incredibly harsh and business-like, however, to believe that football is not business is to believe in a lie. A club must perform in an efficient business-like manner to move forwards.

The positives about this squad also feed into the negative side of things. Many of the players are inexperienced to a certain degree, and not yet at the peak of their careers. There will certainly be a period of transition, not only because there has been a change in management and coaching staff, but because the players themselves are in transition to a degree. Whether the solution will be to bring in players of experience or not, I don’t know just yet. While many in the squad lack experience, I also want there to be opportunities in terms of game time for them to earn it.




Key Players​



View attachment 176619 View attachment 176618

Seamus Coleman & Leighton Baines​
I look at these 2 and I see 2 full backs of the highest standard. Both Coleman and Baines have the ability that would allow them to slot into any team and deliver the goods. We may just be blessed with the best full back pairing in the league.





James McCarthy​
James has a steadiness about him. He is as consistent as they come in this game. McCarthy may not always perform miracles on the field, but he has a knack for doing the right thing at the right time. He will be extremely important in most things we do this season and beyond.






Romelu Lukaku​
A huge presence, in both size and in the manner he plays the game. Romelu has long shown the potential to be one of the greatest strikers in the game and it is now the job of myself and the coaching staff to ensure that this potential is realised. Lukaku is a natural goal-scorer and his awareness of what’s around him is maturing all the time.






John Stones​
It almost seems unfair to place such heavy expectations on young shoulders, but the guy is just that good. There is definitely some naivety of youth to his game, however, over the coming months and years, those rough edges will be rounded out and Stones should become as good of a defender as England have seen.


An area which we will have to look at over the next few months is the goalkeeping position. Tim Howard looks to be coming to the end of his peak years and for me, his back up, Joel Robles isn’t going to cut it. The goalkeeper for me, is one of the most important players on the pitch. As well as being the last line of defence, they can also see everything unfolding on the pitch in front of them. A commanding, goalkeeper with solid shot stopping skills can make a huge difference to a clubs season. It is because of this that I will be conducting my search for the right candidate with extreme care.
 
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“Joe, we need him, I’m gonna have Frankie set it up.”​



The first few days in the job were fairly straight forward. I got my coaching staff settled in, put the players through their paces, assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the squad; run of the mill formalities. Joe McLaughlin, my assistant, analysed training performances with me and we had in depth discussions about how we could improve the selection of players available to us.

We constantly returned to one particularly area. We had a great selection of midfielders available to us. McCarthy was solid, tidy and good in a tackle. Barry; experienced, wise as anyone in the game and technically strong. Barkley; technically sound, physically strong and fast. Besic; tough tackling, fantastic athlete. The list went on, but we came to a mutual conclusion. We had no creative type; someone who could receive the ball and almost instantly pick out the kinds of passes that most players are blind to.

I sent out a few feelers, and after a couple of weeks we’d whittled a shortlist of players down to 3:

Fernando Gago (Boca),
Borja Valero (Fiorentina)
Javi Marquez (Granada).

I spent hours watching footage provided by the scouting team. I didn’t leave my office till 2 that Saturday morning, but I left it with a sole target in mind. I called McLaughlin.

CAFU: Joe, we need him, I’m gonna have Frankie(Director of Football) set it up.

JOE: Cafu, it’s 2 a.m, who are you talking about man?

CAFU: Valero! Listen, I know you have your doubts and he’s never quite lived up to his potential, but I seriously think he’s getting better. The skills are there, he’s got it all Joe! I want him in the squad.

JOE: But Caf, we've been given f#$& all budget. Fiorentina are expecting 8.5 mil for him.

CAFU: Let me worry about the formalities Joe.



 
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“Bill, about the budget…..”​

This was it, my first proper request from the board. I’d only been at the club for a couple of weeks, the cheek of me! In my eyes though, it was vital. Sure, there were some very decent footballers at the club, but there were also a few big gaps in the first-team squad. There were also a few players showing signs that their days at this level were numbered. The likes of Tim Howard, Steven Pienaar, Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert and even Gareth Barry. Barry still had the touch and the brain of a top player, but his legs were giving out and we needed to start making plans for a new era, without Gareth and the other guys.





As well as this, Leighton was out injured until at least November and Gibson would be missing the start of the season as well.

My plan for the first-team squad when taking the job, was to have 2 players for every position and maybe a couple of utility players. However from what I’d put together, the squad would currently look something like this

GK: Howard, Robles
RB: Coleman
CB: Stones, Jagielka, Funes Mori
LB: Baines, Galloway (There was a decent offer on the table for Bryan Oviedo, so I was planning without him)
RCM: McCarthy, Besic, Gibson
LCM: Barry, Osman, Cleverly
RM: Lennon, Mirallas, Deulofeu
LM: Pienaar
AM: Barkley
ST: Lukaku, Naismith, Koné

Analysis:
  • An aging goalkeeper, with an inadequate replacement
  • No back-up at right back.
  • Short at the back in general; with Galloway potentially having to cover at Left Back and Centre Back, and Stones having to move to right back if Coleman wasn’t available.
  • A lack of creativity in the centre of the park and in Barry, Gibson and Osman; too many players lacking physically.
  • A lack of options on the left of midfield, with the only natural left winger being a 33 year old Pienaar, who had long lost what pace he’d had.
  • In attack, I could only really see myself picking Barkley and Lukaku, with Naismith and Koné lacking in key areas.


Much work to be done then!






When I left Bills office, I wasn’t quite sure how, but I’d convinced him that our plan here was worth increasing the budgets. We’d been given the benefit of the doubt and now had a decent bit of cash to fill the gaps in the squad.

A further 7 names were added to our shortlist of 1; I only expected Frankie to be able to bring in 3 or 4 players for me:

1. Borja Valero
2. Fernando Gago - In case Valero doesn’t work out
3. Andrija Zivkovic (Partizan) – For filling the gap on the left wing
4. Gonzalo Castro (Sociedad)
5. Mayke (Cruzeiro) – A young talented back-up to Seamus Coleman
6. Borja San Emeterio (Racing)
7. Afonso Figueiredo (Boavista) – To provide back-up at left back while Baines is out injured
8. Mané (Free Agent)
 
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Pre-Season Delight and Opening Day Jitters​



Having received the green light from Bill Kenwright to spend a little more than first agreed, I set Frankie the task of bringing in 4 players from my list of targets; 2 full backs, a creative midfielder, and a winger who could play on the left. It’s fair to say that he certainly pulled through for me!



The new additions:


View attachment 175804

Andrija Zivkovic​
Andrija is a player that the club had been looking at before I’d taken over. Though admittedly not someone I was personally aware of; having seen footage of him in action, I was convinced of his raw talent. At 19, he has time to spare to fulfil his potential and he’s already been impressing me on the training pitch.




View attachment 175803

Borja Valero​
This signing could really catapult us to another level. Valero will be the perfect foil to McCarthy’s simplistic style and workhorse attitude. He’s a player who has not always delivered as much as he has promised throughout his career, but if we can get him to really apply himself here, then we’re in for a treat.




View attachment 175802

Borja San Emeterio​
Borja, whose brother Fede we are also keeping an eye on, looks to be a player of immense potential. He reminds me of a slightly less polished Azpilicueta. If he turns out to be anything like the Chelsea full back in the future, then we’ll look back on this as an incredible bargain.




View attachment 175801

Afonso FIgueiredo​
Afonso is simply a player I think could do a job when called upon at left back. When Baines returns to first team duty from injury, we’ll probably re-assess his role in the squad.




Departures:​
Having received a bid totaling 5 million for Oviedo, it was agreed that it was the right move for both parties to allow the Costa Rican join Palace. The club also said goodbye to long-term servant, Tony Hibbert. The decision to allow Gareth Barry to leave the club was considered in depth. However with the arrival of Valero as well as Gareth's deteriorating physical levels, it was decided that it was best to relieve the club of his 60k wages, and he was off to Bournemouth.



Transfers In and Out​


Pre-season games​

At the end of the season, our pre-season results will count for nothing. The work-ethic shown by the players however, certainly will. The players have really responded to the ideas put forward by myself and the coaching staff and are fulfilling their roles in my tactical plan to a decent level already. The signs so far are encouraging and hopefully this will continue into the games that really matter.





In pre-season, I learned that I could use certain players in ways that had not previously occurred to me. Ross Barkley has been used on the left at times to devastating effect, with Tom Cleverly playing off the striker. Cleverleys role in that position is far different from that of Barkley. We’ve used him primarily for pressing the opposition in their own half. This has at times resulted in extremely quick transitions from which we have profited.

All in all, I feel we have prepared for the new season in an extremely efficient manner and we are ready for the challenges that await.


Opening day​

“ Lads, we’ve put in all the hard work in pre-season, but it counts for nothing if we don’t do it on days like today”
It suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks as we entered the away dressing room; “I’m a premier league manager.” As I looked at the guys going through their pre-game rituals, I could see it in their eyes; they were ready to leave it all on the field. This was a top group of players and if we failed today or any other day throughout the season, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying.


Watford(Away)​


This was a decent performance with the exception of a couple of costly moments. Away from home to a newly promoted team looking to prove themselves in their first game, we did okay. For their first goal, we defended poorly after dealing with the initial corner reasonably well. Ross Barkley brought us level after a fantastic ball from John Stones sent Lennon free down the right wing. Lennons perfectly executed cross found Barkley arriving late at the back post for a tap in. However, the relief was short lived, as Watford drew level while we were still celebrating. The guys have got to maintain their focus at all times, especially after scoring. This is something I’ll be addressing in training on Monday. Matters went from bad to worse in the 71st minute when McCarthy’s rash challenge saw us reduced to 10 men. However, throughout the game, the team had shown a certain level of understanding tactically, and despite being down to 10 men for the last 20 minutes we performed with real tenacity and continued to push forward, moving the ball at pace. The guys got the reward they deserved just before the end. Lennon, provider for our first goal, turned goal scorer for the second.


Man of the match: Tom Cleverley


View attachment 175762​


Despite Lennon’s involvement in both goals, the man of the match was about as clear as it gets. Tom Cleverley’s work-rate throughout was fantastic. He was playing in the space just behind the striker, but his main role in our game plan was to break down any potential opposition counters. He accomplished this and more, assisting on Lennon’s goal at the end to round off a fantastic performance.
 
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If anyone has anything they'd like to see more of in this story or queries about tactics or whatever, feel free to comment. I'd really like this story to be as informative as possible in the ways that people would like it to be :)
 
Firstly, Cafu, what a player! Be even more interesting to see how he does as a manager as well.

Good start to the story, some clever signings as well.

Really liking how you've laid the story out as well, keep up the good work!
 
JCGooner said:
Firstly, Cafu, what a player! Be even more interesting to see how he does as a manager as well.

Good start to the story, some clever signings as well.

Really liking how you've laid the story out as well, keep up the good work!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah Cafu is just a god to be fair :) Maybe he's got another Champions League or World Cup in him, who knows :p
 



Game of the Month

Man City (Home)​

Line-ups
View attachment 175073

Cleverley hit every blade of grass in this one:

View attachment 175072

​

Despite City’s high shot count, many of them were taken through sheer desperation, such was the quality of the teams defending. We frustrated them throughout, with Lukaku snatching the vital goal towards the end of the first half. It was a goal of supreme quality, with the ball finding its way to Romelu following a sequence of fantastic passing from Valero, Barkley and Cleverley.

Following on from our high pressing against Waterford, we conceded that we had to keep things tight against a strong City side, pressing only at the right moments. The team were a solid structure, with City unable to fashion a real clear opportunity to.



Disaster strikes

View attachment 175064
​

Following on from his fantastic performances in our first games of the season, Tom Cleverley has been ruled out for 7 weeks. Hopefully this won’t have a negative effect on the early momentum we’ve garnered.



Back Down to Earth

Sunderland (Away)​

From organized brilliance to disorganized chaos. But for the fact that we were facing off against a poor Sunderland side, we could have been hammered. We should have been. Seamus Coleman had a disaster; easily shrugged off the ball by Lenz for their first goal and appearing ghost-like for Borini’s wonder goal, which looked to have finished us off. Koné however, rescued a point via Lennon’s defence splitting ball, after a calamitous clearance from Pantilimon.

All in all, the result was ok, we’re still picking up points and away from home too. However, the performance was woeful and I made sure the team were well aware of it in the dressing room afterwards.



Capital A - for Anger!

Swindon(Away) Captial One Cup ​

Line-ups​

I rotated in a big way for the cup. I didn’t want any more injuries, especially from a game against League 1 opposition.
I now wish I’d fielded a much stronger line-up. Hindsight huh?

As much as I switched things up with the starting XI, there is no way this should have been allowed to happen. We simply didn’t try hard enough! There’s not much else to say. In terms of one team versus another, it was a competitive game. However as a decent Premier League team playing off against a League 1 team, there is no way we should have allowed them to be competitive. I did not expect to be this disappointed with the team at any point of the season, never mind 4 games in. Huge improvements are required against West Brom!



Redemption?

West Brom (Home)​


Although some of the players hadn’t played a part in our shameful display against Swindon, this was the time to prove themselves. “Not 3 or 4 games from now, 3 or 4 chances later… NOW!”

Thankfully they did just that, with a fantastic attacking display. They showed no signs of fear, which a team of less character may have. It’s not enough to banish the Swindon performance from my memory banks, but it’s a step in the right direction.
We change things up a little mid-way through, switching to a 4-1-4-1, which became a 4-1-2-3 in attack.

This shape allowed Barkley space to run at the opposition from deep, which he did with great effect. It also gave Valero the freedom to roam from the centre of the park a little more, with Besic and then McCarthy (Returning from suspension) covering in front of the defence. In fact the presence of an anchor man at the base of the midfield seemed to boost the teams attacking presence as a whole, safe in the knowledge that he would be there to cover in the instance of a counter attack.



One More Thing​
With the transfer window drawing close to an end, we took a further look at the team’s strength in depth. The lack of a quality striker to replace Lukaku, should he be injured, was looking like a potential problem area.

A couple of days before the end of the window, Watford put in a bid of 5.5 million for Aiden McGeady. Aiden, who’d been injured since I’d started at the club, wasn’t really in my plans, and we accepted the bid, glad of the extra cash.

Meanwhile, we still hadn’t anything concrete in terms of bringing in another striker.

A few hours after the McGeady deal had gone through, I got a call off Frankie. “He’s ours if we want to go ahead with the deal. He wants more minutes than what he’s getting at the moment”



View attachment 175065
Wilfried Bony​

Bony should easily step in for Lukaku should it be necessary. He’s a great player with proven Premier League ability. We might even look at the possibility of pairing him with Romelu up front at times. In terms of a loan deal, I don’t think we could have asked for better.


Monthly Overview:With our victory over City, the convincing performance against West Brom and 2 draws on the road; our league form is looking decent. The Capital One cup knockout though left a bitter taste. Here’s to a successful September!
 
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September​

A new month, hopefully the same league form. There’ll be no more changes to the playing staff. This month we’ll be hoping to solidify our position in the top half of the league. Sustainable progress is the name of the game!



WEST HAM (Away)​

Line-ups​

Analysis​

Our first game of September, our first win. This saw us into 2nd position in the table and unbeaten after 5. With Arsenal and Chelsea coming up in our next 2 though, it’s important to keep things in perspective.

Romelu scored from a fantastic shot on the edge of the area, which was curled into the top corner. The teams performance was satisfactory and we were impressively well organised. So far the media appear to be surprised in the way I’m sending the guys out to play. Of course I could ask them to play the kind of football that I was a part of at Roma or in the Brazil team, but would that really yield results with this team? Either way, we won, we're playing reasonably attractive, balanced football, we have 3 more points and are going into the Arsenal game in good spirits.



Arsenal Away​

This one may have been 1st vs 2nd in fact, but in practice the gulf in class between the teams on the day was enormous. For 35-40 minutes we held them off reasonably well with only a couple of scares. Once Arsenal got their goal however, they smelled blood and went for the kill. The thought did creep into my mind at one stage, ”You know, if I wasn’t the opposing manager here today, I think I’d be admiring this performance”.

To be fair to Arsenal, they played some stunning football, the kind of football which at this point in time, we are simply not ready to compete with.



Chelsea Home​

Line-ups​

Every one of our shots against Chelsea came from Inside the area:​

A fantastic, well organised display against the current champions. Ross Barkley showed up again in the right place at the right time. Ironically enough, it was the kind of goal that Chelsea legend Frank Lampard made a career out of scoring. A perfectly timed run into the box from deep to meet Deulofeus pull back. In fact, it was a team performance that was reminiscent of the old Chelsea team with Makelele, Drogba and Lampard, only we had McCarthy, Lukaku and Barkley. We played a 4-1-4-1 which became a 4-1-2-3 in attack.



Overview: So 2 months and 7 games in, we’ve got 4 wins. 2 draws and a loss on our card. To have faced off against Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal, and come out of 2 of those games with a win is very pleasing.



Call From a Friend​




Robbie: Cafu! I just saw the news, well done my friend!
Cafu: Thanks Robbie, any Real Madrid players you could send my way? Haha
Robbie: Afraid not, but from the looks of things at the moment, you might not need them.
Cafu: Ahh let’s not get carried away.
Robbie: Seriously though, good job so far man, keep it up!
Cafu: Thanks Robbie, let Zizou know I’m here if he requires any advice haha
Robbie: Haha, will do. Best of luck with everything, I look forward to following your progress.
Cafu: Talk to you later my friend, bye Robbie.



GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!​


Lukaku, received September’s goal of the month award for his stunning strike against West Ham. This adds to John Stones’ Player of the Month and Barkleys Young Player of the Month awards from August.



October brings Southampton and Stoke to Goodison, as well as away trips to Swansea and Norwich. Me, I’m just looking to keep my feet on the ground after a very positive start.

I intend on doing so with The First Rule of Cafu; Don't talk about SWINDON!
 
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October

“Guys, I need you to keep your wits about you! I don’t want anyone’s heads being turned by the press, its only fu*&ing October! We’ve got 4 games this month! That’s all I want anybody thinking about alright!”

“Yes boss!”

“Good, now go out there and play your game.”​


Swansea Away​

Line-ups:

View attachment 174400

Bony's Touch Map from his first start for the club:

View attachment 174396​

Another extremely strong performance. Something I’ve been extremely impressed with so far has been the % of our shots which have been taken from inside the area. Today again, just one of our 12 shots was hit from outside the area. Barkley chipped in with another goal, but it was Wilfried Bony who caught my eye. Bony made his first start for the club against one of his former sides. He showed a real determination to prove himself and had more touches on the pitch than anyone else one of which was the assist to Rosses goal. A good result to start the month off then



A recommendation from the boss​

“Thanks for that boss”
​
I don’t know why I still call Luis Felipe Scolari boss, I just do. We shared many good times together with the Brazilian national team and today he shared some information with me on a young Gremio player. Lincoln was 16 so we would be waiting for quite a while if we wanted to sign him, but Scolari convinced me to have a look for myself, he was “Pure class”.



Southampton Home​

An explosion of stylish, attacking football saw the team overcome Southampton in the second half of this one. We had actually kept the ball well in the first period but we didn’t seem to create as much playing a more patient game. Deulofeu and especially Zivkovic really took our performance to another level for the season, as we switched to a higher tempo game in the second half. 2 goals for Zivkovic rounded out a man of the match performance and he is now exhibiting the kind of skill that suggests a brilliant future. Bony took to the field for the injured Lukaku and made a great impact with his first goal for the club.

This performance took us to 1st place in the league after 9. With 29 games remaining however, my feet are remaining firmly planted on the ground. It's been a fantastic run of form from the players to put us where we are though, and they thoroughly deserve the praise being lauded on them at the moment.



The Medical Centre​
Tom Cleverley made his return to the squad for the game against Southampton. However as one players injury layoff ends, another's begins. Lukaku looks set for a 7 week lay off having sprained his ankle in the same game. As if Bony's recent performances alone hadn't qualified the decision to bring him in, he will now be essential while Lukaku is out.




View attachment 174384
Vote of Confidence​

“I just wanted to let you know that the board have been highly impressed with your work so far. Apart from the Capital One cup loss to Swindon (GOD **** IT!), the team's performances have been fantastic so far. There seems to be a real purpose to everything they’re doing right now.”

“Thanks Bill, just doing my job. There are many matches left to play.”

“Indeed there are, I just thought it right to congratulate you on such a good start to the season. Keep up the good work.”
 
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October Continued​


Norwich - Away​

Line-ups​

Analysis​

Norwich provided unexpectedly stiff opposition. Zivkovic continued his exciting form, adding his name to the score sheet early on, before Norwich deservedly drew level. Try as we might, we just couldn’t break them down after that, and they subsequently took hold of the game. If anything we were lucky to get out level. This game has prompted me to think on our approach and possibly devise a more controlled, possession oriented game as a secondary option.


Stoke - Home​


We dominated this one from start to finish, but not with any kind of dynamism. Stokes Ryan Shawcross exhibited a fantastic display at centre back throughout, and we never quite fashioned a clear chance. A disappointing resulting result considering the game was there for the taking if we had really played as we are capable.


Overview of the Month: 2 fantastic performances followed by 2 ego-grounding, dull affairs. We’ve been consistent though and we seem to be heading towards meeting expectations. Anything is possible in the Premier League or so I am told. So, as usual, we will seek to maintain what is already there and build from this. November will see us on the road to Old Trafford and Villa Park, as well as entertaining Newcastle at home. I've always had huge respect for Man United as a club and look forward to taking my place in the away dugout.
 
CAFUUU! Good work so far, and liking the story side to it. Good job you got Bony on loan with Lukaku out for nearly 2 months!
 



November​

2 From Home

“Nice one Frankie, let’s just hope he’ll be worth the wait.”​
Having had my scouts over to Brazil to watch the kid, their vote on the matter was unanimous, we had to sign him up before it was too late. And so, although it may take him a year and a half to finally show up on our door step……






We’ve tied up a deal worth just over 1m for Lincoln, the supposed wonder boy touted to me by Scolari. I hope the old guy still knows a player when he sees one, otherwise I may just end up with egg all over my face.
In addition to Lincoln, we’ve also done a deal for Zé Marcos of Atletico Paranaense who was spotted by Emerson Thome on a scouting trip there last month. That deal will cost us 60k – significantly less potential of egg.



Man United Away​

A thrilling encounter. United took the lead but we forced ourselves back into the game with terrific tenacity. After our second strike, we were lead up until the 92nd and last minute of the game, when Rooney took control of the ball in a seemingly safe position. It turns out, not so safe. Regardless of the disappointment with their late goal, it was still a good result at Old Trafford.





Newcastle Home
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In advance of this one, we’d been working on a more fluid, short passing game. My hope was that it would provide us with more possession in the opposition half while simultaneously lessening the impact of fatigue late in the game via our control of the game.

Having been tipped to struggle this season, Newcastle came to Goodison at the top of the league. The game itself was widely regarded as the most entertaining of the season so far. With Newcastle bombing forward with unadulterated pace on the break, we set out to play a quick tempo pass game of pass and move. Both forms of football were breath-taking to watch in their own right, providing evidence of why there really is no wrong way to play the game.





Aston Villa Away

Line-ups

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Analysis

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I don't know how more of these didn't go in:

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​
Another draw! This time however, I’m not sure the players could have been any more aggressive in their attempt to win the game. We peppered their goal all the way through the game, they had 2 shots, the game ended 1-1. One lousy point. These are the games that really frustrate, not the ones where you get the pummelling you deserve having played terribly, but the ones where you don’t get what you’ve earned from playing brilliantly. Their goal, as it would have at any point of this game, came against the run of play. Tim Howard was beaten softly on his near post from an average effort by Rudy Gestede. Ours was a long time coming, and was the result of one of many pleasing passages of play. Barkley and Deulofeu dizzied the opposition with some quick, one touch passing before Lennon passed the ball home from Deulofeu’s cross. Despite countless waves of attack following the goal, we couldn’t grab a decisive winner.


Overview of the Month: We’re drawing too many games at the moment. Sure we’ve only lost once so far in 13 games (The least in the league), but it’s come at a cost. I’m not a fan of drawn games, and in future I’ll be encouraging the team to be more aggressive in the last 10 minutes of games that look to be going that way. If we’d won 3 and lost 3 of the six games we’ve drawn so far, we’d have taken 9 points rather than the 6 we’ve gained from the draws. Then we’d be level on points with 1st place rather than 5th. Draws! Huh! Who needs them…

Coming up next month: My first Merseyside Derby
 
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December

Liverpool - Home

Line-ups
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Analysis
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My first Merseyside derby and finally an end to the sequence of draws! Not quite the end we were hoping for however. Liverpool ran out winners in the end after a relatively even game. We exhibited some fantastic play at times, but pushing on for the win having drawn level at 2-2, Liverpool caught us on the break and punished us. Perhaps having come back from 2-0 down, we should have accepted the draw, but I felt we had the momentum and we should go for it. Sturridge was silent for huge parts of the game, but came alive when called upon. With Romelu still continuing his comeback from injury, I’m hoping he will have a similar impact on defences soon.

The media are a strange lot, they’ve been harping on about our loss-less streak for the last couple of weeks. Now that we’ve finally lost, the focus is all on how long it’s been since we’ve won. Fickle to say the least. But we must win, that much is clear. It’s been far too long since the guys tasted victory.


Tottenham - Away

Line-ups
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Analysis
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We returned to a more considered, structured approach for this game. I also took a different approach to selecting the team. In desperate need to pick up a win, I analysed our players starts to wins ratio and picked those who performed best in this stat. This meant dropping Valero for Besic with McCarthy taking Valeros place beside Barkley and Besic sitting in front of the defence. We only attacked on the break, but when we did, it sent Spurs scattering to cover the places we had exposed. Our goal came from one such break. Barkley made a run past Lukaku, who’s through ball was deflected off Vertongen on its way into Barkley’s path. Barkley hit home for his 5th of the season and our first win in 6 games.

Having slipped down the table to 8th following a poor run of form, the Spurs win put us back up to 5th in the table.


Leicester

Line-ups
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Analysis
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“This was a 50/50 game and the draw was the right result,”… is what I’d say if that statement held any truth to it. Did they have 50% of the ball? Absolutely. Leicester did have 50% of possession, but after their goal in the 12th minute of the game they did nothing with it. When we had the ball, we attack with intent. Our only undoing was the fact that Kasper Schmeichel was in the form of his life. In fact, if he had another 100 lives, he would still struggle to play as well as he did in this game. Another draw, we’ll move on.



Managerial A&E
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique and Tottenham boss Pochettino were both sacked in the same week. The speculation had been there for weeks in both cases. Barcelona were lying in 9th, already 17 points off the top after just 15 games. Spurs had been playing well below standard, sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League for most of the season and the writing had seemed to be on the wall after our win against them this month.



A Pressing Matter

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What did I tell you? The press really are a strange lot. They can’t decide if Everton are performing at a decent level or not, but one thing does appear to be obvious to them. I’ve got to be a front runner for the Barcelona hot seat apparently. This, just 4 months into my 1st season as a football manager at any level. Not that I’m not grateful for their feelings on the matter of course.



Ready, Set, Injured

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Just over a week after returning from the treatment room and Leighton Baines has been condemned to a further 3 months away from the field. If Brendan Galloway hadn’t already been doing so well in deputising for the England full back, I might have been a bit more worried. Still it is not the kind of injury that a squad like ours can take too many of.


Bournemouth Away

Line-ups
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Analysis
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Not a game that will live long in the memory. The goals were the result of silly mistakes from both sides and in truth neither side deserved a win. A disappointing performance in the mid-section of the match was sandwiched in between glimmers of hope at the beginning and the end.


Palace Away

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Analysis
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This was a hard one to take. A cruel result in a game where we were on top for large parts.
Their first an own goal was an almost unavoidable own goal and the 2nd a free kick.

Bournemouth Home

Line-ups
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Analysis
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If the away fixture had been one to forget, then this was almost unforgettable. The team seemed rejuvenated after a mid-week meeting to discuss a lethargic mentality that seemed to be seeping into our game. Lukaku certainly showed no such signs, taking home the match ball to go with a superb display. Zivkovic knocked in his 5th goal of the season in a further showing of his progress since joining the club.



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Overview of the Month: We certainly showed signs of the potential within this squad in the Bournmouth Home fixture. 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 2 Losses this month, a little bit of everything. Everything except consistency, which will hopefully be improved upon in January

January of course brings with it the opening of another transfer window. I've been working in depth with my team of scouts and with Frankie Bunn our Director of Football on numerous potential deals. Tim Howard has at times been a liability and we could look to make a short-term move for a goalkeeper next month amongst others.
 
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January


Watford – Home

Line-ups
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Analysis
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A stunningly clinical performance led to a 2-0 victory over the hornets. We grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and didn’t let go until the final whistle was blown. Watford offered up plenty of efforts, but most of them came as a result of desperate attempts from outside the area, with Howard having one of his easier days at the office. Deulofeu and Barkley were the scorers; two shining examples of the young talent currently residing at the club. Deulofeus goal was just his second of the season, but his creativity has been vital to us, with 7 assists so far.



With Howard’s inconsistencies this season, the goalkeeper position was one we had been looking at for a while. When it became apparent that rumours of Valdes’ unhappiness at United held some merit, I had Frankie get in contact with the powers that be at Old Trafford and a loan deal was agreed. Valdes showed great enthusiasm for the move and in meeting with him I got the impression that he was not the kind of guy to be happy sitting on a bench for money. Aside from being a great goalkeeper, as he demonstrated at Barcelona for years, Valdes possesses fantastic distribution. This could come to play a big part in our game over the coming months





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Leon Osman off to U.A.E​
With first team football beyond his reach, Leon had come to me seeking a transfer. I explained that his presence at the club had been a fantastic example for our young players but that if he really wanted to go, I would not stop him. When Al-Ain came calling, the deal suited all parties. Leon got his last big pay day and we unloaded him from our wage bill.



QPR – FA Cup – Home

Line-ups

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Analysis

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You know that TV drama you love where you really have no idea what’s coming next or from where? This was that in a football game. There was nothing wrong with our football here at all, however, the events involved in us drawing a very winnable game were not entirely pleasing. In the 20th minute, Barkley with no one within 5 feet of him dropped like a sack of potatoes. That was it his game was done, the pain on his face said it all, this was going to be a lengthy one. Then in the 43rd minute Phil Jagielka left the field via red card. For what? I don’t know. It was a completely needless foul, however in my eyes it honestly did not deserve such a punishment. We managed to keep it together till half time. The second half was one of the strangest halves of football I’ve been a part of. With a place in the next round on offer and facing 10 men, QPR just didn’t seem to want it. Indeed we managed to maintain possession of the ball quite easily for the remainder of the game. Without the numbers though, we struggled to create anything that suggested we might score. Victor Valdes was solid in goal on his debut and was comfortable in possession.




Confirmed Fears

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When the news reached my ears, I hit a wall of shock. Although I’d feared Ross might be out for a little while after his freak injury against QPR, I hadn’t a time frame in mind. 4 months! His Achilles had just given in and that was that. Ross has been such a huge part of our game up until now; the only saving grace is that it happened now and not next February when the window would be closed. Still, it’s not as though one can easily draft in a replacement for the likes of Ross on a whim. This could….will be difficult.


Man City - Away

Line-ups
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Analysis

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Zivkovic had filled in for Ross as our most advanced midfielder when he’d been brought off in the QPR game and so I decided to give him the chance to make the position his own. Of course asking a young guy to play one of his first games in an unfamiliar position against some of the best players in the league was no minor request, so I delayed that action until a more suitable game.

The guys defended as though their lives depended on it. In return, they left City with a point and the respect of a group of players who’d done it all in this league. Romelu showed up again with another important goal to put us ahead. Our lead didn’t last long however and 23 minutes in City drew level via a piledriver from Fernandinho. We reduced City to long range efforts for most of the game, but were unable to fashion many chances in front of their goal. 1-1 away from home to City though is no mean feat and the guys should be proud of the effort they put in.



QPR – FA Cup – Away

Line-ups

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Analysis

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This was the game where Zivkovic would be given his chance to shine in a more central role. And he really did! In fact he took home the man of the match award which was a rare thing. Unfortunately the rarity was due to the fact that we lost the game. 2 cup competitions, 2 first round exits. This was a particularly bitter pill to swallow. I’d looked forward to a run in the FA Cup. It’s a competition that holds meaning still outside of England. We didn’t lose the game as a result of playing badly, in fact QPR were magnificent. Not the kind of performance I had expected of a team that had been prepared to sit back against ten men a couple of weeks ago. Nothing left to do now but focus on the league. Maybe that will be a good thing, who knows?


Zivkovic may have performed to an unexpected level in his first game at Centre Mid but we’re still short in the squad following Barkley’s injury. Kanté offers a fantastic work-rate and physicality and he can certainly make up yards on the ball with his dribbling. Leicester had limited him to just 2 games all season so he'd be coming in fresh. At only 950k, he could well prove himself to be our bargain of the season before the end.



Sunderland - Home

Line-ups

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Analysis

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This was the second time where I really let my inner rage out to breath in the dressing room. We went in at half time having played some of our best football of the season. I think this stung me all the more because it bared resemblance to Milan’s performance in Istanbul. The guys were celebrating as they went back out. One goal against the run of play and it was a landslide from there. When the guys got back in I let the suspense build and pass, then when they thought they’d gotten away with it. Crash! The tactics board went flying against the wall and I left them in no uncertain terms that each and every one of them would be held accountable for their actions from here on in. This was entirely unacceptable. Sunderland had visited Goodison as the bottom team and we’d given them a boost up through sheer negligence.






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Mirallas Out, Ben Yedder in​
With his opportunities in the first team having been extremely limited by Deulofeu, Zivkovic and Lennon so far, Mirallas had made it clear that he was not happy being a bit part player. Kevin had never really found his place at Everton and when PSG put in a bid of 10 million for him I couldn’t say no.

Besides I had already been targeting a player who would provide us with further cover up front and on the wings. Ben Yedder had lit up Ligue 1 so far this season with 17 goals in 25 appearance. When Frankie told me he was ours for 6 million I was taken aback. This was an unusual case of value for money to say the least. It later emerged that there had been a breakdown in the relationship between player and manager and that Wissam had been told a couple of months previous he could leave.

Zé Marcos the young Brazilian defender arrived at the club following his agreed deal from the summer window and he was immediately sent out on loan to AELK in the Greek Superleague for first team experience.

A deal has also been agreed for Darron Gibson to leave the club. Having returned from injury, it was quite apparent from the get go that Gibson wasn’t the kind of player I had much desire to see in the squad. It was mutually agreed that it was best that he leave the club. Toronto as it turned out were still looking to bolster their midfield ranks following Michael Bradley’s departure for Arsenal in September. Another decent chunk off the wage budget.

Overall in transfers this season we’ve spent a total of 16 million and taken in 21 million. This leaves us with a profit of 5 million and I genuinely believe we possess a stronger squad of players. Most importantly, despite some sizable offers for the likes of Stones, Lukaku and Barkley, we’ve also managed to keep hold of the big names at the club.
 
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