Now the dust has finally settled on last season, with that unforgettable night at Goodison Park against Crystal Palace more than a month ago, how do you reflect on the campaign?
In many ways the season was a disaster, but we ended it more united as a fanbase than we have been for a while, and with a manager who we all believe in. It provided us with some amazing moments at Goodison and away from home, so in some respects I think I’ll look back on it and be grateful for some of the memories that were made. Particularly the Palace game, but also Demarai Gray’s winner against Arsenal, and the games towards the end of the season when the atmosphere at Goodison was electric. The fans deserve a lot of credit for that, as does the manager.
James Tarkowski looks set to join the club on a free transfer from Burnley - what do you think of the signing? Is this the sort of addition Everton need?
We have problems at centre back, so signing a well-regarded player like Tarkowski for free, who crucially manages to remain injury free most of the time, seems like sensible business. None of our other centre backs fill me with complete confidence due to either form or injuries, so we can’t turn our noses up at a player like this.
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What do you make of the takeover rumours surrounding the consortium led by Peter Kenyon?
It’s difficult to say at this stage. I think a lot of Evertonians may be slightly uncomfortable with some of the people involved in the consortium becoming involved with Everton. Ultimately, minus the new stadium, Moshiri’s tenure at Everton hasn’t worked, and him selling the club could be a good thing. Whether the consortium led by Peter Kenyon would be good for us is another question.
Do you agree with the club’s stance and acceptance that they’d be open to selling one of Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer to raise funds and satisfy FFP demands?
If they were to spend the money wisely, then yes. I don’t view either player as irreplaceable, and I think as long as you keep one of them then we still have some talent at the top end of the pitch. We desperately need a quality centre midfielder and perhaps another wide player, so bringing in money is essential.
If you could choose one ideal but realistic signing to join during the summer transfer window, who would that be and why?
Oleksandr Zinchenko. He can play in multiple positions, and I think he would love the opportunity to prove himself in the Premier League whilst playing as a midfielder. He’s talented, played under one of the best managers in the world, and has looked great for Ukraine when playing in midfield. He could be exactly what we need.
Pre-season gets underway in under a couple of weeks. Is there anyone in particular, any of the youngsters for example, you’re particularly excited to see next season?
I’d like to see more of Nathan Patterson. Seamus Coleman doesn’t get the credit he deserves at Everton, and he was instrumental in the run-in at the end of last season. But he needs to be gradually phased out, and I would expect to see Patterson get a lot of game time this season. The clips I have seen of him for Scotland and the Under 23s have impressed me.
And finally, what are your hopes for the new campaign?
We need to stick with the manager, even if we trudge through the season in the lower half of the table. My realistic hope would be that we can finish in mid-table, play some better football, and the atmosphere at Goodison Park builds on what it was at the end of last season. I do think we can challenge for European football again in the near future, but for the time being, we need to give this manager the time that he needs, as the club is in a mess in many ways. My main hope is that the connection between fans, management and players that formed at the end of last season carries on into this one.
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