Everton 2010/11 Season Preview

What a difference a week makes. £75k a week, in fact.

This would have been a markedly different preview if it had been written before last Saturday. For all the positive pre-season results (against admittedly limited opposition), there was always a nagging doubt about Mikel Arteta's future. Agent chatter combined with player silence hasn't been a good mix for Everton in recent years.

Yet...yet. Natural Evertonian pessimism was put aside when news broke about the Basque signing a 5 year deal prior to the game against Wolfsburg. The normal ranting and raving over a pre-season defeat wasn't in evidence after the 2-0 reverse. It was simply the moment when some Everton fans felt that they could actually believe they would be mixing it at the sharp end of the table this season.

Over-enthusiasm on their part? Maybe. But, say, a 6th placed position this year won't be seen as tangible progress at Goodison. A Champions League place is a real possibility, and without as much luck as was needed 5 years ago.

David Moyes has moulded the best (if not deepest) squad seen at the club since the mid-80s, despite a transfer deficit of only £18.5m since 2006. There have been a number of articles proclaiming the fact that Everton would have finished 3rd if last season had started in January. This means nothing. The quality of performance is is what matters, and bar a (huge) blip in Lisbon, Everton more than matched practically every team they played.

We've been here before, of course. An excellent finish to the 2008/09 season and a narrow but deserved Cup final defeat had fans excitedly looking forward to the following season. The Joleon Lescott saga and horrendous injury setbacks cast a huge shadow until November at least. So when Arsenal, Sevilla, and improbably Barcelona were linked with Arteta this summer, history appeared to be repeating. So when Arteta penned a new deal (and forgive me for the cliché), there was a real sense of a corner being turned.

This isn't to say that there wasn't a greater sense of optimism than in any other pre-season, however. For the first time in a good while, there wasn't a growing clamour for signings, nor grumbling about the state of the squad. From the moment Bily hit that shot against Portsmouth, most Blues knew that keeping the current squad together was the key. The way that midfield was performing, with Fellaini to come back from injury? There's been nothing as good at Goodison since 1987.

However, it's that word injuries that could come to haunt the club. It's highly unlikely that the level of casualties that affected the club last year will strike again, yet, if as rumoured Yakubu leaves, that only leaves Saha, Vaughan and Beckford as the senior strikers to choose from up front (if we are to assume that Moyes still wants to turn Anichebe into a winger). The former two of these seemingly have glass legs, and Beckford, although impressive pre-season, is completely unproven at this level. The thought of Distin moving to left back if Baines gets injured hardly fills this fan with confidence either.

The other major worry is Steven Pienaar's reluctance to sign a new contract. If he had impressed during the World Cup, the likelihood is that he would have moved on by now, with the right offer. He's a key player, and would certainly be missed, even with the relative embarrassment of riches in midfield at the moment. My own feeling is that he'll end up staying to run his contract down, which makes an above average season even more imperative. The only major departure has been Dan Gosling, yet I'd argue any annoyance amongst fans was down to the embarassment caused to the club. He could become a good player, but nothing more than that.

Are there any other major negatives, though? The blossoming of Jack Rodwell can help to make up for any shortfall up front, with the promise of Magaye Gueye hopefully pushing for a starting spot. It can safely be assumed that any potential money gained from Yakubu leaving would be spent on Landon Donovan, adding needed pace to the midfield. Add the promising partnership between Phil Jagielka and Johnny Heitinga, with the reliabilty of the (albeit unspectacular) Tim Howard behind them, and the defence looks pretty safe. Right back, a problem position in the past, finally has some competition with Seamus Coleman returning from a successful loan spell, and Leighton Baines on the opposite flank is consistency personified.

Everton have a very good first eleven, simple as that. With a good run of injuries, a top 4 spot is more than possible. A sustained tilt at it is expected, a good start to the season essential. Belief is the key for the players - they deservedly beat Man Utd and Chelsea not 6 months ago, and dealt with City home and away. If they keep those games in mind? They won't be far off.