Everton fans listening to Ange Postecoglou on The Overlap on Thursday will have sat up and taken notice of one particular segment.
The Australian bemoaned the lack of ambition shown during his time at Tottenham, claiming that he wanted to sign experienced, senior players such as Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi – only to be handed teenagers in Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall instead.
Postecoglou said: “We end up signing Dom Solanke – I was really keen on him and I really like him – and three teenagers. I was looking at Pedro Neto, Mbeumo, Semenyo and Marc Guehi because I said we need them if we’re going to go from fifth to third.
“Those three teenagers are outstanding and brilliant young players and I think they’ll be great players for Tottenham, but they’re not going to get you from fifth to fourth and third.”
Everton are currently eight points and eight places above Spurs in the Premier League – but David Moyes still has a very similar issue on his hands at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
What would your message to David Moyes be after another loss at home? 😫
He seemed fairly pleased with his players despite the defeat 😬
David Moyes' response on Everton's form at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA.
Everton stuck with a lot of unfulfilled potential
We appreciate the desire to sign players with room to improve and those who will carry resale value in future, but Everton have arguably recruited too many profiles like this.
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Last summer – the first summer transfer window since Moyes returned – The Friedkin Group signed several talented prospects in Merlin Rohl, Adam Aznou, Tyler Dibling and Thierno Barry.
Rohl and Barry are both 23 years of age – while Aznou and Dibling are only 19.
None of them arrived as ready-made Premier League players, and Barry is the only one who has been trusted enough to start regularly in the Premier League with 18 starts in total so far, but even he is struggling as he showed last time out against Bournemouth, missing several chances.
Dibling, however, has been handed just four Premier League starts and Rohl two – while Aznou has not played a second of Premier League football.
More signings like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are needed
This recruitment policy has left Moyes with an unbalanced squad full of prospects as well as old players like Michael Keane and Idrissa Gueye, who are 33 and 36 respectively.
There are not enough stars in the sweet spot of their careers with vast experience of English football under their belt, such as the 27-year-old Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has been a fantastic signing.
If you could sign one player, who would it be Everton fans? 🤩
Everton deadline day graphic
Unless The Friedkin Group can land more additions like Dewsbury-Hall this summer, Moyes may well find himself on a podcast in 12 months complaining about the exact same problems Postecoglou faced.
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