Football Season Guide

Everton enjoyed a superb first campaign under the guidance of Roberto Martinez last year and will be hoping and dreaming for more success after the Spaniard showed them the sky is the limit over the last 12 months. The Toffees fans were treated with some exceptional football over the last season and the team was a bit unlucky to miss out on a Champions League spot in the final straight of the season. They are still back in Europe after a few years and will relish the chance to play on the international stage again. It has been a relatively quiet summer for Everton so far, except for their statement-making deal to re-sign Romelu Lukaku on a permanent deal. Everton smashed their transfer record to buy the Belgian, who thrived while on loan last year, but will see it as a sound investment in a striker that is still just 21 but has scored bags of goals over the last two league seasons. It was thought that such a deal was out of Everton’s financial reach but Martinez will be delighted that it was pulled off and will challenge the players to really kick on and battle for the higher places this season. Gareth Barry is also staying on a permanent deal which is a great boost while the returns of Darron Gibson and Arouna Kone after a season on the sidelines will add depth to the squad. Still, there is a feeling that Everton need a bit more quality up front to make a sustained push for the Champions League. At the moment, one suspects that they will have to settle for only a place in the top six. Yet, Martinez and his daring team should not be discounted at all and are capable of taking on any of the big boys in the league.