Flashing back to the 2009-2010 Barclay’s Premier League season Everton was a team on the rise. In Mikel Arteta they had a playmaker capable of scoring even the most outrageous goals. Flashing forward to the 2010-2011 season and Everton sit only three points above the relegation zone. Arteta has been a shadow of his former self to say the least. With only three goals and one assist to his name this season Arteta truly has let down the Everton faithful.
Everton have always been famous for their slow start to the Premier League season but their slow start this season has continued until now. Their last game a 2-0 loss away at Bolton Wanderers demonstrated a lack of depth in the squad. The fact that Jose Baxter an 18 year-old substitute who has never scored for the club was the most lively player in an Everton shirt simply sums up their desperate performance.
Robbed of Louis Saha who scored four goals last weekend in a 5-3 win against Blackpool due to a hamstring injury earlier in the week Everton’s display against Bolton was woeful. They could not string even just a few passes together and their lack of passion was on view for all to see. Tim Cahill Everton’s hero in their 2-1 win away at Manchester City earlier in the season was guilty of a bad miss in the first half when he failed to convert Leighton Baines’ superb cross.
David Moyes without a doubt is a phenomenal manager. His ability to make the most out of one of the smallest budgets of any Premier League manager is exemplary and is a demonstration of the quality of his managerial skills. However this season Everton’s Championship level players such as Jermaine Beckford and Jose Baxter are simply not performing.
The return of top scorer Tim Cahill from the Asian Cup to the starting lineup wasn’t enough to help Everton avoid defeat at Bolton last weekend. Only three points above the relegation zone in a season where anything can happen Everton is far from safe from relegation. Every team in the Premier League this season including the bottom three teams Wolverhampton Wanderers Wigan Athletic and West Ham have proven that they can perform and beat anyone on their day.
In previous seasons Premier League fans have had a good idea of which teams are likely to get relegated to a different division but this season has shown that no team is safe from relegation with the exception of the obvious team such as the teams in the top 5 (Manchester United Arsenal Manchester City Tottenham and Chelsea). In any case Everton needs to beat Sunderland next weekend to help alleviate the pressure on Moyes and the Everton faithful.