#2 – EVERTON

Best left back in the world

There we go, I said it. Leighton Baines, in my opinion, is the best left back in the world. People will argue that David Alaba and Jordi Alba are the best. I’m a fan of Jordi Alba going forward, defensively he does leave you with a bit of a problem. David Alaba however I reckon has the ability to be the best left back in the world in the future. Anyway, back to Everton! Leighton Baines is the best for me because not only does he defend excellent but he attacks well and his link up play is excellent.

Baines did create the most chances in any European league last season.

Ronaldo – 62

Messi – 46

Pirlo – 96

Ozil – 92

Baines – 116!

If I was the England manager and I had to pick the England squad right now, the first player in my squad and on my team sheet would be Leighton Baines. However Ashley Cole seems to be the first choice even though in my opinion over the last two seasons Baines has been streets ahead of Cole.

With the football style that Roberto Martinez plays this could be an exciting season for Everton. I would like to see Baines play as a LWB with Coleman on the other side as a RWB. In this position you will be required to defend as well as attack which both players do so well.

Gerard Deloufeu

Probably one of the most exciting signings of the summer is the signing of Gerard Deloufeu on a season long loan from Barcelona. The 19 year old forward can play in a number of positions and has shown this for Barcelona B and Spain U20’s this summer. Gerard is an excellent talent and will be a star for the future but he needs game time, which he will get at Everton. Deloufeu can play on either wings and can add a bit more pace and urgency to the Everton team. He has excellent skill and is confident with the ball at his feet, the experience he will gain from this upcoming this season will be vital for him in his development as a good season could see him promoted to the first team at the Nou Camp in the 2014/15 season.

Versatility

What I do like about the appointment of Roberto Martinez is that he is tactically very good and can bring a lot of versatility to the way that Everton play and set up. At Wigan he played a number of formations, one of the greatest being against Manchester City. In the FA Cup final it was a delight to watch his Wigan side work their socks off and stick to their game plan. Martinez knew that Clichy would be a threat down the left side for Manchester City so he countered that threat and Callum McManaman had Clichy in his pocket throughout the whole game!

With Martinez it will be difficult to predict the line up and the formation so that they have the best chance of beating the opposition. Not only is Martinez tactically versatile but also the players in the squad are to. This will be an exciting season ahead for Everton and their fans, the four signings they have made this summer add a bit more depth to the squad but I do feel that they could do with one or two more.

More Signings Needed?

I think more signings are needed at Everton. One player I would like to see join the Toffees is Mohamed Diame who has previously worked with Martinez at Wigan. The surprising thing to me is that Diame has this apparent £3.5 million release clause in his contract and no one has even looked at activating it! Diame on form is a fantastic midfielder as when in possession of the ball he is willing to take players on with his pace and also offers something defensively and gets the balance between attacking and defending spot on.

I also think another defender may be needed. Especially if Johnny Heitinga leaves this summer which does look likely however this could mean that Shane Duffy could be promoted into the first team more in the upcoming season. I would like to see Toby Alderweireld join Everton. Toby is very highly rated and has been linked with a move to Norwich, Toby would be a good suit for Everton especially if they play with three at the back as Toby is composed and confident in possession of the ball.

How Could Everton Set Up?