Everton Need To Make The Most Of January Sales

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December was a torrid month for Everton. There can be no changing that now.

Like so many of us over the festive season, they overdid it a tad. Indulging in one too many lax performances, they’ve come out in the New Year nursing a hangover, regretting many of their poor results.

And while the mantra ‘New Year, new me’ is often over-used and bandied around with far too much frequency, it seems Roberto Martinez is keen on it this weather. The personal trainer to Everton’s pudgy, down-on-themselves couch potato, he’s decided now is the best time to whip them into shape.

His positivity knows no bounds, and while it might infuriate some, it’s still easy to see why he can be the man to turn things around for them. Instilling hope and support in his players, his various attempts at boosting their confidence has not reaped the desired rewards as yet.

And it’s got some thinking that perhaps a bit of liposuction might work a lot more wonders in tandem with good old-fashioned hard work and self actualisation; they need to buy big this January.

In essence, drafting in a shinier, better version of what they currently have could give them the introspection they need. With the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri reportedly linked with the club, it’s easy to imagine how things could improve if they just went after those types of signings.

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At the end of the day, Martinez is a man on a mission to rectify some of the mistakes his side have made this season – the remainder of their campaign is almost like a damage limitation exercise. So what better way to move towards fixing their woes and ensuring they don’t happen as often than with a couple of big-name signings.

Club owner Bill Kenwright might not be too happy to splurge again so soon after acquiring Romelu Lukaku, but that’s precisely what they’ll need to do to make things right.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Everton signed more players in January last year than any other club in the Premier League’s top seven, and that is not a new trend. In fact, they’ve brought in 28% of their signings in the Winter window in the last five seasons.

To go against that “tradition” is something that would not only hamper their progress in the short-term, but in the long run as well. Not since the 2005/06 league campaign have the club finished below 8th, when they wound up in 11th place, a full 32 points behind Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

And if they’re not careful, they could wind up languishing in the bottom half of the table for the rest of the season.

To do that, not only do they need to keep hold of their best performers, but they also must ensure they work harder than ever to find good deals this month. Bringing in quality signings midway through the season has long been the staple of their diet, and it’s no coincidence that they’ve witnessed steady success along with that approach.

Bringing Lukaku on board was a fantastic coup and for a while it signalled their intent. But that happiness has long since faded, and they need to make another big signing soon to make sure everyone still knows they’re not going away any time soon.

To beat Liverpool to the signature of Shaqiri would be the perfect way to do that and could well be the quickest way to finding their new identity in 2015 – the only thing that remains to be seen now is whether or not the powers that be at Goodison Park are brave enough to splash more cash.

Who do you think Everton should sign in January?

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