After a tough week of fixtures that saw Everton take a point from title-contenders Manchester City and an away trip to Croatia, Sunday finished on a sour note after a 2-0 loss at the reigning champions Chelsea.
Let’s be honest, a loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is going to be something a lot of teams will experience this season but Evertonians can’t help wonder that, if with a proper rest period, the blues could have come away with something today.
Away games usually rely on a fairly simple concept (especially against the top 6): Counter-Attacking. You can guarantee that when playing against teams like Chelsea they are going to have the majority of the possession; so the visitors have to be alert, take their chance and launch quick counter attacks to try and nick a goal at the other end. Now, what do you need for this? Playmakers and pace. Everton have the playmakers in the form of Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney but pace is what they’re lacking.
Right…who’s proven in the Premier league…and is a striker…a striker with pace…hmmm..
Yeah. Jamie Vardy.
Jamie Vardy would be the perfect fit for this new ambitious Everton side in my opinion, and here is why. First off, I know his age (30) is a bit of a cause of concern for some and many people say you lose your legs as you get older but after watching him so far this season, loss of pace is not an issue. Secondly, Koeman appreciates hard work (hence why Mirallas finds himself out of the squad) and there is no doubt Vardy is a hard worker. Workhorses are usually the most admired by fans, especially at Everton, and when the fans are on your side it’s far easier to enjoy your football and bang in the goals – just look at the transformation Steven Naismith went through when the fans got off his back…
If rumours are to be believed, Everton are about to hijack Chelsea for
the Leicester star with a £40 million bid. Yep, thats a lot of money… but it’s not my money so I’m fine with it. Vardy turned down a move to Arsenal last summer but it is believed he is open to a new challenge… So what will it be? Second choice behind Morata at Chelsea or Everton’s main man? Simple choice in my eyes but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens before Deadline Day.
-Joel