James Rodriguez has said his joining Everton along with the club’s other high-profile midfield additions, shows that the club is determined to make real progress and this is just the beginning.
The Colombian star was talking at an Everton press conference with his new manager Carlo Ancelotti as the spoke about their plans together.
Rodriguez said that he feels the club ‘means business’ and he isn’t coming simply because he wants to play a bit more football under Ancelotti, but to win trophies too.
This sort of thing will be music to Evertonians ears. The signing of the South American superstar is a huge piece of business for the Toffees, but it is a gamble all the same.
Blues fans have to hope that they will see the James Rodriguez from the 2014-15 campaign or during his first loan season at Bayern Munich.
That player will surely be able to provide a level of creative flair and match-winning performances Everton fans haven’t seen for a long time, if ever. This would hopefully result in a massive improvement in the teams results and eventually, expectations.
This will also depend on how well and quickly the other new signings settle in and perform. For Rodriguez to produce his best he will need the players around him to ensure he has enough quality ball to deliver that magic.
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Interestingly the 29-year-old Colombian injected a bit of realism into his remarks about how far the Toffees can now progress, when he spoke about the Ancelotti project maybe needing a year or two for it to bear fruit.
This is important as Blues fans obviously need to keep their feet on the ground despite the headline-grabbing transfer deals that the club have been doing recently.
There is probably still a long way to go before Everton can be considered a real contender for honours, although a run at one of the domestic cups next season, is not impossible to imagine.
But it’s going to be a while before the Toffees can be seriously thinking about qualifying for the Champions League, never mind whisper it, challenging for the Premier League title itself.
Still, let’s hope that these the three signings mark the beginning of a new era and the Blues can finally put all the past false dawns, frustrations and failures behind them.