EXCLUSIVE: Everton have been backed to qualify for Europe by former winger Kevin Kilbane but he reckons David Moyes faces a transfer conundrum when it comes to potentially signing Jack Grealish permanently this summer
Everton can still qualify for Europe this season because they haven’t hit top gear. But they need to be wary about breaking their pay structure if considering a permanent move this summer for loan star Jack Grealish.
That’s the verdict of former Blues left winger Kevin Kilbane, who made 121 appearances for the club, scoring five goals, after being snapped up by David Moyes in 2003.
Everton remain in the top half of the Premier League table ahead of their first game in 13 days against Manchester United on Monday night and Kilbane, who was speaking courtesy of BestBettingBonuses.co.uk, told the ECHO: “It’s realistic to think Everton could qualify for Europe. Being in catch-up, it’s always hard for a side that’s in the position and looking over their shoulder a little bit and able to grind out results.
“You can grind out results better when you’re in front because you’ve got to chase in the position that Everton are in right now, and you have to be a little bit more open, and sides can punish you for that reason. If you’re looking at the position that they’re in, you improve that home form by 50% of the course of what they’ve done this season, then they’ve got a hell of a chance because you just need to maintain what you’re doing away from home, picking up points, getting the odd win here and there and improve that home form, then it’s not beyond them to do it.
“But you just look at the sides in the positions above them, like Liverpool, they can absolutely catch Brentford. They’ve got a comparable squad to Brentford.
“But you look at Liverpool, and their form is going to improve and become way more consistent at the end of the season because of the quality that they’ve got. So that’s the only thing.
“As I said, I don’t think Everton are well off. I don’t think they’re in top gear right now, or they haven’t been this season.
“There actually is an improvement to come for them. If that improvement comes in the last part of the season, I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it.”
As Kilbane points out, Moyes’ men need to improve their home form if they’re to have serious European aspirations.
Despite winning 11 of their 22 Premier League away games since the Glaswegian gaffer returned – they’d triumphed in just one over the previous 12 months against an Ipswich Town side that had earned back-to-back promotions but went straight back down – they have now not tasted victory in their last six matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium, including five in the Premier League.
When it comes to their recent struggles by the Mersey waterfront, Kilbane said: “I don’t think anyone can probably put their finger on why. The only thing I would look at is the way that David Moyes has always been.
“With his organisation and the tactical set-up of the side, the way that he does things, going away from home, under Moyes, it’s going to be easier for Everton to get a result because they can play a counter-attacking way. When you are at home, you have to be more open.
“You’ve got to try and go for the wins more often than try and sit in matches. So that may be the only thing.
“They’ve only got four wins at home this year and recently the form hasn’t been great at home. They’ve been way better and more open and just a better watch overall playing away.
“When you’re not part of something, when you’re not watching it, you don’t know what it is but that would be my biggest take of it all, it’s how David Moyes sets up the side and how open the team are in comparison to playing away from home. That’s maybe something to do with it.
“Of course, the knock-on effect is sides going to a new stadium, enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying playing at the place, that could come into it as well. Everton, probably historically, even maybe going back the last few years when things aren’t going quite well, one or two of the players maybe shell a little bit when they start to face a bit more criticism with 40-odd thousand on their back.
“Ultimately, Everton are having a good season overall, but they’ll probably want to win three or four, five of their last six or seven home games before the end of the season.”
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Whether they qualify for Europe or not, Everton have a big decision to make this season over Grealish.
Having been snapped up on loan from Manchester City last August, the Brummie ace received the first Premier League Player of the Month award of his career in the week of his 30th birthday after providing four assists in his first two starts.
He then followed that up with Hill Dickinson Stadium’s first stoppage-time winner in the 2-1 comeback victory over Crystal Palace and Everton’s first Premier League success over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
However, after helping the Blues to arguably their best result of the season, a 1-0 triumph at his home city club Aston Villa who had won their previous 11 home games and where he played from the age of six until becoming the first £100million English footballer when moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2021, it was revealed that Grealish had suffered a major injury setback and he has subsequently undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot.
Kilbane said: “It’s going to be a really difficult situation for David Moyes to be in. They absolutely want to keep him, there’s no doubt about that, but if you’re breaking the whole wage structure of the club and the team, that can lead to problems down the line as well.
“If there’s an agreement that can be in place where Jack could, perhaps, take some sort of pay cut to come, if he’s enjoying his football that much that he wants to, then he would do that. Everton absolutely would.
“I’d take him right now because of the impact he’s had on the players, the impact he’s had on David Moyes and the actual club itself, and the supporters have taken to him straight away. So, asking the question, yes, you’d take him, but if it’s the wages that he’s on right now, I can’t see it happening.
“I just don’t see it happening at all because I don’t see any reason why Everton should do that. Looking at the last 10 years with Everton, when they’ve broken pay structures and the club’s been in problems, financial difficulties because of it. It’s upset the whole harmony of the dressing room, it’s upset the whole harmony of the club, not just the dressing room, the supporters in general as well.
“So, I personally don’t feel as though Everton, where they are right now, are in a position where they actually need to be thinking along those sort of lines.
“However, because he’s enjoyed it so much and if he wants to continue that, what he’s done in this season, then it’s up to him to try to come to an agreement with Everton, really.”