Everton enjoyed a busy and largely successful transfer window, but arguably the best piece of business can be found in the dugout with the appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager. Ed Sykes / Reuters
Everton enjoyed a busy and largely successful transfer window, but arguably the best piece of business can be found in the dugout with the appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager. Ed Sykes / Reuters

Forget Moussa Sissoko and other missed targets, Everton have plenty of cause for optimism



It was not the most convincing of denials.

“[Moussa] Sissoko is a great player,” Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri told Sky Sports in a statement released last week, after Tottenham Hotspur had moved in on his club’s move for the then-Newcastle United midfielder at the 11th hour.

“But when I bought into Everton, I made it clear I was proud to join a family, and we don’t turn our backs on our own. Keeping James McCarthy was a priority and ultimately we could not proceed with a deal that would jeopardise his place at Everton. We wish Sissoko the best.”

Deep down, Moshiri was probably as disappointed and frustrated by the Frenchman’s U-turn as the majority of the club’s supporters — particularly as reported moves for Manolo Gabbiadini, Rachid Ghezzal, Lamine Kone and Yacine Brahimi also failed to materialise — but Everton nevertheless have reason for optimism ahead of the resumption of the Premier League this weekend.

More from the Premier League:

• From Kante to Sane: 10 most important summer transfers

• Diego Forlan column: An insight into transfer deadline day

• The National's Power Table: The 20 best clubs in Europe

The season may only be three games old, but Everton are in fourth place after victories over Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion and an opening-day draw with Tottenham.

A trip to Sunderland on Monday provides them with an excellent opportunity to make it 10 points from 12, and while there is still a long way to go until such things are decided, Everton’s European credentials are at this stage looking encouraging.

Idrissa Gueye, Yannick Bolasie, Ashley Williams, Enner Valencia, Maarten Stekelenburg, and Bassala Sambou were the signings Everton did manage to get over the line in the summer, but the club’s most important addition of the close-season came in the dugout.

Poaching Ronald Koeman from Southampton was a real statement of intent, with the Dutchman’s exploits during his two years at St Mary’s likely to stand him in good stead at Goodison Park.

Everton did not meet expectations last season, when they could not even scrape a top-half finish and failed to take advantage of many of the Premier League’s biggest clubs’ underachievement. A talented squad consistently amounted to less than the sum of its parts.

The dismissal of Roberto Martinez, which eventually arrived after a 3-0 defeat by Sunderland in May, came to be inevitable.

There are already signs that Koeman is taking Everton in the right direction. Martinez, now in charge of the Belgium national team, repeatedly proved unwilling to dilute his principles with a necessary dose of pragmatism, and opponents found it far too easy to take advantage of a frail defensive unit.

Everton have looked considerably more solid so far this term, with the presence of ball-winner Gueye in the centre of midfield adding a vital layer of protection in front of the backline.

Teenager Mason Holgate has turned in some promising performances at both centre-half and right-back — Koeman has switched between 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations — and Stekelenburg represents an upgrade on Tim Howard in goal.

At the other end of the field, retaining Romelu Lukaku was significant, with the former Chelsea striker aiming to improve upon last season’s return of 25 goals in all competitions.

Lukaku, 23, has only begun one of Everton’s three matches so far. His return to the side on a permanent basis will give Everton more of a presence and scoring threat up top.

While Everton were not able to land all of their transfer targets in the summer window, there are still plenty of positives to be taken from their start to the season.

With Koeman at the helm, Everton fans have genuine cause for optimism that they can push on and put last season’s disappointment behind them.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Emirates exiles

Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.

Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.

Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.

Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km