Source: Liverpool_Echo
Greg O'Keeffe reviews Everton FC's season
IT WAS a season of extremes which belatedly promised much but delivered nothing except hope.[LNB]Everton's 2009/10 campaign was a disjointed affair that threatened to implode at times thanks to an injury crisis that saw David Moyes' senior squad decimated.[LNB]The winter bit was hard as the amount of walking wounded made Finch Farm resemble a battlefield medical post.[LNB]Players dropped like flies, some more seriously hurt than others, but each casualty forcing David Moyes to find new ways to field a competitive first 11.[LNB]Moyes was on the verge of running out of appropriate players. Seamus Coleman had to make his debut at left-back away to Benfica in the group phase of the Europa League. The young right-back had the unenviable task of marking the Agentinian winger Angel Di Maria, who is now among the most coveted players in the world. Benfica won 5-0.[LNB]It was the headache Moyes did not need after an opening glut of games that saw his side languishing near the foot of the table.[LNB]The Scot had already witnessed his transfer plans thrown into disarray by Joleon Lescott's protracted departure from Goodison.[LNB]Lescott joined Manchester City in a £22m deal in August after several weeks of bitter wrangling between the clubs.[LNB]Moyes was highly critical of City's conduct throughout the saga and insisted the affair had a negative effect on his team.[LNB]Remarkably, Everton recovered enough to push for Europe, but during that opening few months they collected just 15 points from their first 14 Premier League games.[LNB]Moyes said: 'Damage was done by that transfer.[LNB]'I think it had a lot to do with how we started the season, it wasn't just injuries. It took us a long time to recover.[LNB]'Our away form hasn't been as good as our home form.[LNB]'That could have had a lot to do with the instability we had at the start with new defenders coming into the team.[LNB]'It was a bit unfair on Sylvain Distin and Johnny Heitinga, being thrown straight into it when the team was short of one or two players.'
