Epsiode 5 - A transfer window to save our season?

So we swiftly move into January with the key aim being to look to improve not only results. but the squad depth and quality at the same time

but before we can get anyone in we have a game on new years day away at Bournemouth

Another away day battering and the team looks bereft of confidence

we need to improve URGENTLY as the board are now starting to get unsettled with my leadership

Thankfully i did manage to get 1 transfer through before the next game in the FA cup which was a kind draw against Colchester at home... 

Welcome Lovro Majer

This is a player i had tried to sign in the summer but couldnt agree terms on a contract as he had only recently joined Dinamo

Thankfully, after a blinding start to life in Croatia we still managed to nab him for 6.75 million (rising to 7.75 million on bonuses) which i think personally is an absolute steal for a player already on a par with sigurdsson at 20 years old

and with one in, we send one player away

Mccarthy had been getting anxious about playing time but as i run a tactic with no out and out defensive midfielder he wasn't ever going to get a lot of game time for me.

He joins Schneiderlin at Leicester for 10.5 million, which gives us a little extra in the budget to spend if the right players become available.

A routine win, which is nice considering how poor we have been recently

Majer comes straight in to the no.10 role and allows me to gain some quality out wide by playing sigurdsson on the left, Majer also picks up 2 assists showing he is seemingly picking up where he left off in Croatia

A kinder 4th round draw than we could potentially have had this

Bristol City again at home gives us a good chance to progress

Another Away loss

we can't seem to get hold of the ball in midfield with any consistency

Gueye doesn't look comfortable in the box to box role i have him playing in and it's costing us

however, a player i hadn't really considered became available for loan, and i simply couldn't turn the opportunity down.

Rodrigo Bentancur joins from Italian Champions Juventus on a 6 month loan deal

Bentancur is a tenacious midfielder with all the qualities i need from a Box to Box workhorse and will fit in alongside Andre Gomes to form potentially the best Everton midfield in years!

After this signing i looked to fill the Winger role we had really been looking weak in

And one of my targets came good and signed on the dotted line...

Eduardo Salvio

The tricky Argentinian Winger joins on a 3 year deal from Benfica

with his contract entering its last 6 months we had the option to sign him on a free, however, with the need for a wide man being urgent, we parted with 3.3 million to land his services early which for a top level winger in his prime is a steal

He will look to fill the right side of midfield and hopefully give us some much need Flair and end product 

We really need wins but a 1-1 draw at home to City is not to be sniffed at

Bentancur and Salvio come straight in and looked good, adding some quality where we needed it most

I chose to line up strong in the Fa cup as we need to prioritise the competition to save a drab season

Goals from new boys Salvio and Bentancur put the icing on a good 4-1 win.

into the 5th round we go.

A surprisingly good away performance at the King Power stadium lands us 3 points after securing a 4-0 win

Bentancur got another goal, but also a red card meaning he misses the next game which is far from ideal as he really looks to be reinvigorating our midfield.

So to sum up the transfer window

I feel really pleased with the business we did in this window

i would have liked a striker and came really close to landing Giroud on loan, however he pulled out of the move on deadline day and thus, we are left with Tosun, Calvert Lewin and Walcott who can play the striker role for the remainder of the season

Bentancur has hit the ground flying and Majer looks a real player.

Salvio has looked dangerous in spells, and at 3 million really does look a bargain player in his prime

TOTAL SPEND - 10.05 Million

Mccarthy shouldn't be too missed as we have good cover in the middle now and 10.5 million allowed us the business we did, so im more than happy to let him go.

Kenny, Hornby Evans and Adeniran were all allowed to leave to aid their progression with some first team football they wouldnt get this season staying with us.

This quick round up of the window shows the main movers, United spending big whilst they sit happily atop the table already

Kieran Tierney moved to Liverpool, which is disappointing, as he is very talented and will make liverpool better.

You can also see that Bayern, on deadline day, tried to sign Lucas Digne from us, which i was having none of and kindly rejected. 

A sluggish start to the month was turned around when our new signings took to the field.

a good win away at leicester and a good draw against city made the month of January bearable.

you could have guessed it by now but we sit 9th

as always

however it is really tight now and we are as close to the top 7 as we are to 15th, so this next few months will be crucial.

Will the new signings keep going?

can we keep this small momentum going?

Will we get out of 9th position ever?

once again, thanks for reading and any comments are most welcomed!