Everton: Michael Ball questions ‘baffling’ transfer activity at Goodison Park
Former Everton player Michael Ball has questioned the “baffling” decision to wait until the final week of the transfer window to sign a new striker.
The Toffees brought in the untested Youssef Chermiti earlier in the window, but it took until 29 August for a deal to be struck with Udinese for Beto.
Everton had already played and lost three Premier League matches by the time Beto made his top-flight bow in the 2-2 draw at Sheffield United on Saturday [2 August].
Ball, writing in the Liverpool Echo [5 September], is unsure why it took so long to resolve a troublesome position.
“Sean Dyche said every manager wants their signings in before the start of pre-season and the Everton fans did as well,” Ball said.
“We’ve been waiting for a striker for the last 18 months so why wait until the last week of the window to bring somebody in? It’s really baffling.
“Before the season I was hoping the club wouldn’t do what we did last year – let the season start and we start on the back foot – and unfortunately the club failed to bring a striker in on time for the start of the season.
“That’s cost us and contributes to the negative feeling in and around the place because you haven’t got points on the board and it’s difficult for players to pick themselves up.”
Big impact
Ball has a point. Dyche could really have done with a player capable of sticking the ball in the net in the first three matches, which passed by without Everton scoring a single goal.
But the Toffees are not alone in leaving some of their transfer business until late in the window.
This is down to a number of factors, not least the fact that the club were chasing Leeds United forward Willy Gnonto for so long with no success.
The most important thing is that Beto was identified and then signed.
From what we have seen across his first two appearances in an Everton shirt, the 25-year-old looks as though he can make a real difference.
Everton have made a slow start to the season, but with Beto now in the side and Dominic Calvert-Lewin returning from injury, things are looking a little more positive.
In other Everton news, Andy Townsend and Ally McCoist were left stunned by the actions of a Toffees player last weekend.