Breakdown, Preview and Predictions for Everton's 2012-13 Season

Everton has been stuck in English Premier League purgatory in recent seasons, never falling too far down the table, but also failing to crack the the top-four.

The team has posted successive seventh-place finishes in the past two years, and will face plenty of competition to finally break through. 

David Moyes has always done an excellent job piecing teams together when players leave, and the well-respected manger will be counted on to help fill the voids of departed players and get new signings acclimated quickly. Discussing the manner in which Moyes will be a part of my next EPL preview, which will feature the Toffees.

Here is a preview of Everton's 2012-13 season. 

Transfers In, Transfers out

Transfer In	Transfers Out
Steven Pienaar	Jack Rodwell
Steven Naismith	Tim Cahill
	Adam Forshaw
	James Wallace
	Joao Silva
	Joseph Yobo
	James McFadden
	Marcus Hahnemann

Key Additions

Steven Pienaar

The talented South African midfielder must know the route from London to Liverpool extremely well by now. Pienaar made a permanent move to Everton in 2008 and earned plenty of admirers at Goodison Park before being sold to Tottenham last summer.

He then returned to Everton on loan just before the transfer window closed, and this summer, David Moyes brought him permanently back to Merseyside for £4.5 million. He is an important part of the team's attack, and Moyes will be pleased that he decided to keep him.

Steven Naismith

Naismith is one of several players to bolt out of Glasgow after Rangers put themselves in an unfortunate financial situation. Moyes picked up a player who scored nine goals and dished out two assists last season.

The striker will certainly help bolster the team's attack. This can be added to the list of shrewd summer signings Moyes has made throughout his career.

Key Departures

Jack Rodwell

Rodwell's talent is undeniable. His size, athleticism and skill make him an ideal defensive midfielder.

However, the 21-year-old struggled with injuries this past season and was often not at his best when he was on the field. The £12 million offer Manchester City made for him was simply too good to pass up. 

Tim Cahill

The Aussie's best days are clearly behind him, and Moyes was smart to lighten the wage budget and let the 32-year-old attacker move across the Atlantic.

Cahill was a fan-favorite in his eight seasons at Everton, and he will certainly be remembered fondly. From a football standpoint, the team is better off going forward without him. 

Biggest Matches and Full Schedule

The full Everton schedule can be found via the team's website. Here's the must-see matches.

Vs. Liverpool, Saturday, October 27

The Merseyside derby is arguably the best rivalry in English football. With Stanley Park and less than a mile separating the team's stadiums, this match engrosses all of Liverpool twice a year.

The Toffees were incredibly disappointing against the Reds last season, losing the first match 2-0, then dropping the second contest 3-0.

The team will be passionately motivated to make up for those poor performances this past season, but it may not be enough to get the desired result.

Vs. Manchester City, Saturday, March 16

Everton has become notorious for strong finishes in the Premier League. This past season, the team did not lose any of its final nine matches. The Toffees also managed an incredible 1-0 upset over Manchester City in late January last year. 

The team's final surge started in late March, and they may be able to pull off similar heroics again.

A win over the defending champions would certainly provide the momentum for another spectacular finish.

At Chelsea, Sunday, May 19

Last season, Everton finished off the year with a difficult match against Newcastle. Steven Pienaar and Nikica Jelavic both grabbed goals in the first 30 minutes and the team dominated on its way to a 3-1 victory. 

This time around, the Toffees will have to face Chelsea in their closing contest. A win over the reigning European Champions would be a fantastic way to close out the year.

Everton seems to get better as the year goes on, and they certainly will be in fine form for this match. If the three points up for grabs can move them up the table, expect them to play even harder. 

Key Players

Nikica Jelavic

A large part of Everton's late season success was bringing in Nikica Jelavic in January. 

The 26-year-old Croatian had a remarkable goal-scoring record of nine goals in 13 Premier League appearances. He is dangerous poacher who has an incredible touch inside the penalty area.

This season, he will often be paired with Steven Naismith up top. The two worked extremely well together at Rangers and should continue to do so at Goodison Park.

Steven Pienaar

Pienaar is another important reason that Everton was so much better in the second half of the season.

He too recorded impressive statistics, scoring four goals and recording six assists in 14 league outings.

The 30-year-old plays his best football for David Moyes. The crafty midfielder will continue to wreak havoc for opposing defenses on the left side of the pitch this season. 

Marouane Fellaini

While Jack Rodwell's name was often the first to come up when discussing Everton's center midfielders, Fellaini is also young and talented.

The easily-recognizable Belgian has the height and tackling ability to play in a holding midfielder's role, but the 24-year-old can also move farther up the pitch and still be effective.

He recorded three goals and four assists in league matches last season, and his presence in the middle will be a crucial part to both Everton's attack and defense. 

Strengths

Defensive Balance

All four of Everton's defenders, as well as goalkeeper Tim Howard, played at a high level last season. 

They allowed just 40 goals in Premier League matches last season, which tied Liverpool for the third-best mark. Whoscored.com also notes that they only gave up 12.5 shots per game, which has the sixth-lowest total in the EPL.

Howard is capable of making spectacular saves, although he can make erratic decisions at times. Still, he is a commanding presence and helps lead the back line.

Leighton Baines is top-notch on the left side while Tonny Hibbert was solid all season on the right. The team used Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin and Johnny Heitinga at center back last season and all performed admirably enough to keep the goal total low. This group will be counted to maintain its form.

Late-Season Form

The team's ability to elevate its play in the second half of the season under David Moyes has been remarkable.

Last season was an astonishing run, with the team finishing the second half of the season with an 8-3-8 record. 

Two years ago did not feature as dramatic a run, but the team got wins over Chelsea and Manchester City in its final three matches.

The Toffees will likely continue its fine form during the final stretch, and this will significantly help them remain in the top half of the table. 

Weaknesses

Mediocrity

Everton ranked 11th in possession last season, 10th in pass success percentage, 10th in shots on target per game and eighth in goals scored, according to Whoscored.com.

The team's defense was above average, but it is not an elite unit. Everton is a solid all-around side, but it has lacked the ability to truly compete with the English giants this past season.

This is not necessarily a negative quality for some clubs, but the Toffees showed the ability to crack the top-four as recently as the 2004-05 season.

The team's goal should be to actual that accomplishment, but this side seems far too ordinary to take that leap.

Inconsistency

Even during their incredible late-season runs, the Toffees are still capable of turning in a terrible performance during any match.

In the second-to-last match of the season, Everton tied last-place Wolverhampton 0-0. This came just two league games after crushing Fulham 4-0.

The big-picture story has often been a slow start to the season with a strong finish. The team will need to avoid both long-stretches of uninspired play, as well as the occasional awful performance against a lowly opponent.

For Everton to have any hopes of competing for a top-four finish, it must play consistently. 

Prediction for 2012-13

Wins: 16

Draws: 10

Losses: 12

Points: 58

Place: 8th

David Moyes is an experienced manager, Everton's striking pair is efficient, their midfield has talent and the defense is disciplined.

This team does look like one of the best teams in the Premier League.

The Toffees are doomed to be stuck in limbo for another season. They are better than the teams in the bottom-half of the table, but not dangerous enough to challenge for a Champions League spot.

If they catch a few breaks, they certainly could qualify for Europa League, but it is all too likely that a poor performance in a game they should win will keep them from even reaching seventh.