Carlos Alcaraz style question raised as Brazilian verdict shared on Everton transfer
ECHO Everton reporter Chris Beesley gets the lowdown on the Blues’ transfer deadline day signing Charly Alcaraz from Rio de Janeiro-based journalist Rodrigo Calvozzo
Following his first game back as Everton manager, David Moyes declared the club definitely needed “to do something” in the winter window of the transfer market but in the end the Blues only brought in Charly Alcaraz, with the deal not officially confirmed until 75 minutes after the deadline had passed, so will the Argentinian midfielder prove enough and was he worth the wait?
Unlike the start of his first stint at Goodison Park in 2002, when Fulham were beaten 2-1, following Moyes dubbing his new employers “The People’s Club,” as he was unveiled the previous evening, the 1-0 home reversal to Aston Villa on January 15 this year proved something of a rude awakening when it came to the magnitude of the task ahead for the Scot. Following a display that had all the hallmarks of being a hangover of the previous regime under Sean Dyche, Moyes lamented: “We’re desperately needing to add some quality in certain areas, mainly to create and craft goals, and it looks like to finish as well, we’re needing to get those levels up.”
Back then, the returning Blues boss, who steered the club to nine top-eight finishes in his first spell in charge, including their highest Premier League position of fourth in 2004/05, had spent little more than one full day with the squad, but come the following Sunday, significant changes in style and attitude from the team were evident as the first of a hat-trick of victories was secured by a team who had previously not won back-to-back fixtures all season.
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The 3-2 success against Tottenham Hotspur has now been followed up by a 1-0 triumph at Brighton & Hove Albion in what was the 61-year-old’s 700th Premier League game – an exclusive club of which the only other members are legendary pair Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson – while Leicester City were blown away 4-0 last Saturday to open up a nine-point gap between the relegation zone and Everton, who also have a far superior goal difference on the sides below them plus a game in hand.
