It has to be said that this isn’t an Everton squad that enjoys the greatest of dept. The revolving cast of youngsters have come in and done a grand job to cover for injuries and suspension, but with the classic managerial logic being that you need two quality players in every position to succeed, it’s fair to say that this is an area in which the club is still found wanting. If they are going to challenge the Champions League places on a regular basis, this is an area for the club to address.
Even so, there are still four or five players on the periphery of the first team that could do with more strenuous activity under their belts than the occasional Under 21s game; and whether that is in the famous Everton blue or via a loan move away during the January transfer window remains to be seen.
Kevin Mirallas
The Belgian was given the nod to start against Chelsea on Saturday in his favoured position on the left of an attacking three, and the decision immediately paid dividends with Mirallas notching the second in a 3-3 stalemate.
Incredibly that was just the eleventh appearance of the season from the 28-year-old – and third Premier League start – and why/how he has lost the trust of Roberto Martinez is anybody’s guess. A goal return of three in seven suggests he still has a part to play at the club moving forward, and there are few Toffees who wouldn’t relish the chance to see a front four of Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu strut their stuff at Goodison Park.
And so there is a demand for the fleet-footed attacker to enjoy more first team action, and it would be a crying shame if a player who averages a goal every four games and an assist in every five for the club was forced to seek pastures new.
Steven Pienaar
With just 28 minutes of Premier League action to his name this term, it is with a heavy heart that a move away from Goodison Park might just be of benefit to Steven Pienaar.
It is clear that the diminutive South African’s output has diminished since his 2012/13 halcyon days – no big surprise for a 33-year-old – and perhaps a move away could be of benefit to him and the club.
Mind you, this is a player that has never been blessed with huge pace, so the ravages of time are unlikely to cause much degeneration in his abilities. Instead Pienaar is a wily old campaigner with a fantastic football brain; a trait overlooked by many. He would be a shrewd addition for pretty much any Premier League side looking for a slick operator on the flanks.
Muhamed Besic
The aggressive Muhamed Besic looks a fine talent in the making, and while his path to the first team is currently blocked by Gareth Barry and James McCarthy (and Tom Cleverley when required), it is obvious to anyone that has witnessed his heart-on-sleeve midfield displays that this is a player with a long-term future at the club.
For now, the Bosnian might be better off serving his apprenticeship on the front line – perhaps in a loan move to somewhere like an Aston Villa or a Swansea, where he would surely walk straight into the team. That way he can get some much-needed action under his belt without feeling like he needs a permanent move in order to continue his progression.
Arouna Kone
The 32-year-old is having to play second fiddle to the prolific Lukaku at the moment – unsurprisingly really – but the worry is that if the big Belgian suffers an injury or dramatic loss of form then Kone is the only recognised striker waiting in the wings.
It’s not so much the number of appearances that the Ivorian is making as the amount of time he’s enjoying (or not) on the pitch. He’s started 14 games this term but been subbed off in nine of those, and often he is forced to play in a wider or slightly deeper role to accommodate Lukaku.
He’s scored goals everywhere he’s played, including a rewarding spell in the Premier League with Wigan Athletic, and so it might be worth Martinez deploying Kone more regularly in his favoured central striking role to take some of the pressure off the burly frontman, who has netted nearly half of the Toffees league goals this season.
