On the final day of last season, after leading Everton to Premier League safety, Sean Dyche proclaimed that the club needed “a massive amount of change to build a new dawn, a new future, a bigger future.”
An obvious swipe at a fragmented board and ownership, who have done their best to drag Everton to the brink of relegation.
However, it is easier said than done.
The repetitive past mistakes of splashing extortionate sums on inadequate players, whilst also operating a managerial merry-go-round has left the Toffees tussling with FFP regulations.
Last month, it was announced that Everton will face the threat of a multi-million-pound legal bill due to their past financial irregularities.
Therefore, the club must operate carefully and the hierarchy has attempted to support Dyche’s rallying cry with the signing of Ashley Young on a free transfer.
Although this is not an addition that will excite much of the Goodison Park faithful, he will provide an invaluable source of experience in what is shaping up to be another challenging season.
What’s the latest on Ashley Young to Everton?
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 38-year-old’s medical is imminent, and he is in line to become Dyche’s first signing since he became manager in January.
But, Paul Brown feels it's a “mistake” to bring Young to Merseyside due to his age and criticises his lack of “sell-on value.”
Is Ashley Young a good signing for Everton?
The English veteran has established himself as a Premier League servant, having played 17 seasons of top-flight football since achieving promotion with Watford in 2006, whilst also enjoying a brief stint with Inter Milan, winning the Serie A.
During his illustrious career, the 5 foot 9 man has notched 422 Premier League appearances, appearing as a winger, across the midfield and defence.
Last season for Aston Villa, Young was deployed at either right or left-back, making 23 starts. He averaged 2.1 clearances and 1.7 interceptions per game, also winning 62% of his total duels.
Young's former boss, Steven Gerrard, has previously lauded the 39-cap international’s versatility and class, saying:
“I know Ashley extremely well and I must say he has been absolutely outstanding since we’ve walked through the door. Not just on the training pitch – his leadership and the standards he sets.
“We see players like him as an outer layer of the staff if you like – he really helps. We need to lean on him.
“The big thing about Ash is he can play right-back, he can play left-back, he can play as an eight he can play as a ten, he can play wide. That’s what these players allow you to do as a manager, they allow you to use them in different ways so credit to Ashley.”
From an Everton perspective, the vastly-experienced full-back could be a crucial mentor to £17m signing Vitaliy Mykolenko, who has endured an inconsistent spell in Merseyside.
On one hand, the Ukrainian ranks superbly in the best 10% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for clearances per 90, blocks per 90, and interceptions per 90, but has still been described as a “weak link” in the defence by reporter Richard Buxton this year.
The 24-year-old dynamo also arguably struggles more in the final third, as he disappointingly resides in the bottom 21% for successful take-ons per 90, progressive carries per 90, and expected assists per 90.
Therefore, the £50k-per-week veteran, who began his career as a winger before transitioning to a full-back, possesses these attacking traits, having recorded 86 Premier League assists, whilst also being able to instil more defensive soundness in the impressionable Mykolenko.
