Time for toffee

Despite the week speeding along, in football terms it’s dragged. Perhaps it’s the jet-lag of having played at 3pm on a Saturday last week that made it seem like an eternity since Spurs last kicked a football. Thanks to our love for the Europa League, its very rare that we play on a Saturday, perhaps this is why we underperformed against the Hull City Big Cats. 

Thankfully the Premier League and/or SKY have joined forces to ensure we are back at our Sunday lunch-time slot. The advantage of this game being played so late in the weekend at least denies Spurs the chance of destroying my weekend before it has had the chance to blossom.

Can you imagine Spurs at 7pm on a Friday? That would give them too much licence nuke my weekend buzz. Sunday afternoon’s are perfect, in fact I would suggest Sunday 9pm would be even better.

This week we welcome Everton, a team that has perplexed me over the season. They are fundamentally David Moyes, but they have added a smattering of what made Wigan so interesting, but without the ticking defensive time bomb around their necks.

They play with vibrancy and speed, looking to attack down the flanks, and are supported by a backbone of Adamantium. That backbone is in the form of Tourette sufferer Tim Howard, Phil Jagielka and speed merchant loanee sensation Gareth Barry.

[authquoteleft text=”Everton are fundamentally David Moyes, but they have added a smattering of what made Wigan so interesting[/linequote]

Separately they may not amount to much, but together when sprinkled with a bit of Leighton Baines, Kevin Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku and Seamus Coleman, they are a fearsome proposition. It’s with great relief therefore that Coleman and Lukaku will be watching from the side on Sunday.

This does, however, push my favourite “non top-four” player more central. Mirallas is a classy individual, and as we saw last year at White Hart Lane, more than capable in hurting us.

The Belgian may not be as feared as his national teammate Eden Hazard, but he is vital to Everton’s top four chase. His free-kick which snatched all three points against Aston Villa is a case in point. Even at Anfield last week, where Everton were given a jolly good thrashing by Liverpool, the Belgian was the only Toffee who could leave the pitch with his pride intact.

Mirallas has been a player I have admired for a while, and one who would slot wonderfully into the right or left-hand side of our attack, a position where Aaron Lennon has been rather impotent over the last few weeks. The little winger has always flattered to deceive, he would flash past a fullback, get to the by-line and then, nothing.

However, in the last few weeks he hasn’t even come close to flattering. MIA against Man City and lost at Hull, his performances have me longing for the return of Andros Townsend, a player, at times equally frustrating, but at least he shoots. In this long week, that has been taken up mostly with Daniel Levy bashing, I have thought a bit too much about Lennon.

Lennon is rather like hanging out with an ex-girlfriend, there is a bit too much bad history involved for you ever to feel comfortable. Lennon, like Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson, have lived through a few too many managers/projects/new dawns at Spurs. I feel it is now time to say farewell. With Defoe off to Toronto FC, I feel this summer will be the perfect time to part ways with the other two.

They have been loyal and faithful servants, but they are too attached with past failures, we need a squad who haven’t lived through serial disappointments. We need a fresh break.

Another player worth coveting within the Everton ranks is of course Ross Barkley, a player who ticks every box.

He’s English, young, two footed and surprisingly skilful. Hyping up a player because they’re English is nothing new, but this youngster really does seem to have something extra that will separate him from the Rodwell/Wilshere band of over-hyped youngsters.

He is a wonderful hybrid of Paul Gascoigne and Steven Gerrard, without the drinking and wayward long distance passing. Barkley is the player the current England team should be moulding itself around, not Frank Lampard, Tom Clevery and Gerrard.

[authquoteright text=”Lennon’s performances have me longing for the return of Andros Townsend, a player, at times equally frustrating, but at least he shoots[/linequote]

The rise of Barkley and the continued good form of Mirallas does mean that regardless of what Everton achieve in the next few months, their summer will be an interesting test. Will the club stick to their ambitious Champions League project, or will they wilt like many, including ourselves, in the face of money.

Man City not making a move for Barkley seems highly unlikely, especially when you consider how despite a billion pound outlay, losing Fernandinho for the Chelsea clash this week, left them horrible short. Chelsea are also rumoured to be interested, but in all honesty when aren’t they?

The possibility of losing key players will be exacerbated by the successful loanees returning to their parent clubs. Can Everton really expect to replace players like Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu in the summer?

Everton may play attractive football, but fundamentally it’s a beautiful construction made out of sand with the tide rushing in. It’s pure short-termism.

However, a touch of short-termism would be quite welcome at the Lane at the moment. It seems every season we are building for the next, every time we reach the top another ascent looms over us. It’s better to be climbing than falling, but I would like us to reach somewhere close to the top in my lifetime.

The SKY pundits and marketing team may call this a “make or break” game, but in all honesty with Liverpool facing Arsenal this weekend, it does have all the hallmarks of a crucial game. So far Tim Sherwood has yet to beat a decent (Man U aren’t decent) team, Sunday will be an ideal place to start.

Defeat for us, a win for Liverpool and we may find ourselves playing more Sunday kick-offs in 2014/15.

[author name=”ARLombardi” avatar=”https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000789662677/0ad5704c93624459c70b906dab544185_bigger.jpeg” bio=”I read, I write, I speak, I edit for The Fighting Cock” twitter=”ARLombardi[/linequote]