A round-up of the latest Everton news as Frank Lampard questions Farhad Moshiri’s ‘strategy’ and a new US group prepares for in case 777 Partners’ takeover collapses.
Garth Crooks slams James Tarkowski amid praise for the Everton ace
BBC pundit Garth Crooks has slammed James Tarkowski whilst praising for the centre-back for his role as Everton drew 0-0 with Aston Villa. Crooks has reflected on his role in the game after naming Tarkowski as the only Toffees player in his Premier League Team of the Week.
Crooks’ Team of the Week accounted for the past two weeks owing to the winter break. The Blues were among the first 10 teams to play before having a week off. While their stalemate saw Sean Dyche’s side end a three-game losing streak. But Everton remain 17th in the table.
Everton sit just one point above Luton Town and the relegation zone, having played an extra game. Tarkowski has started in all 21 of the Blues’ fixtures and he has also captained Dyche’s side in most matches. But the 31-year-old’s challenges often leave Crooks questioning them.
“Everton were well up for last weekend’s match against Aston Villa and no one more so than James Tarkowski,” Crooks told BBC Sport.
“I don’t know what he had for his pre-match meal but it must have been rather spicy. The centre-back is a determined and committed defender but he has to be careful. There are too many occasions where I’ve seen him flying into tackles when his opponent is on the half-turn; Tarkowski takes advantage of the situation by making his challenge dangerously heavy.
“Such was the case with Moussa Diaby when he left the Villa striker in a heap on the floor and, moments later, he flattened defender Alex Moreno. He was booked for the challenge and quite rightly. It’s clear Tarkowski likes to mix it and there is nothing wrong with that provided he’s not trying to hurt people.”
Read more about what Crooks has had to say about Everton defender Tarkowski, here.
Frank Lampard felt ‘there wasn’t a strategy’ under Farhad Moshiri at Everton
Former Everton manager Lampard instantly saw ‘there was not a strategy’ at Goodison Park when Moshiri hired him in January 2022. The 45-year-old replaced Rafa Benitez at the helm and took the Blues to Premier League safety. But he would only spend a year on Merseyside.
Moshiri made the Chelsea legend the sixth permanent appointment of his time as Everton’s owner since February 2016. He sacked Roberto Martinez in May 2016 before hiring Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti and Benitez and has since hired Dyche.
But it was how Moshiri handled the transfer market that left Lampard scratching his head as soon as he arrived. The 45-year-old could not see a clear strategy in how the Blues had built the squad he adopted. Everton sat 16th in the table on 19 points when Lampard took over.
“I’m not exactly sure about that,” Lampard told the Stick to Football podcast. “I’m not saying that too loosely because I came into it at probably four, five years he’d been there before.
“But you can see that it had been four managers – Marco Silva, Roberto Martinez, Carlo Ancelotti, Benitez, Big Sam. So, really high-level managers when you go through, Champions League winners etc.
“And I came in and you could see with the squad that there wasn’t a strategy. I wasn’t sure what it was.”
Read more about what Lampard has had to say about Moshiri’s strategy, here.
US investors plot for 777 Partners’ Everton takeover collapsing
A new group of US investors are plotting to bid for Everton should 777 Partners’ takeover of the Toffees collapse. That is according to Paul Brown, who reports that the new US investors are keeping close tabs on the situation at Goodison. They have also expressed their interest.
The fact that the Premier League has charged Everton with a second breach of its profit and sustainability rules (PSR) also does not alarm the new US group. They are prepared to move even if an independent commission issues a points deduction for their second breach of FFP.
Moshiri agreed to sell his 94.1% majority shares in Everton to 777 Partners last September. But the Premier League is still yet to approve the Miami-based investment group as a fit and proper owner. 777 Partners have also provided millions in loans to cover operational costs.
Read more about what Brown has had to say about 777 Partners’ takeover of Everton, here.
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