- Everton sit eighth in the league while still chasing European qualification spot.
- Yakubu warns that European football requires significant squad depth.
- Nigerian legend recalled military-style training during his time at Everton.
Everton’s season has exceeded all expectations. David Moyes’ side sit eighth in the Premier League table, just three points off fifth place and the Champions League spots with European football, now a genuine possibility for next season.
But one former Everton striker has sounded a note of caution. Yakubu, who scored 33 goals under Moyes during his time at Goodison Park, believes the current squad is not equipped for the demands of competing on multiple fronts.
Yakubu: ‘You can’t play with 20 players in Europe’
Speaking on the Clutch 9 Football YouTube channel, the Nigerian backed David Moyes for the job he has done but warned that significant recruitment would be needed if European qualification is achieved.
“He’s a good manager. He won a trophy there (West Ham). You let him go and then they struggle with relegation,” Yakubu said. “They were struggling, really struggling to stay in the Premier League, then he came in and we survived. And then this season has been, very, very good.”
On European ambitions, Yakubu was clear about what would be required. “We just need to finish in the top half of the table and then next season we should start thinking about Europe. You have to get a lot of players, you know, you can’t play with 20 players in Europe. It’s going to be crazy playing on Thursday and Sunday. It’s hard in a small squad. You need a big squad, you know.”
The 43-year-old speaks from experience. He made 107 appearances for Everton, with six of those coming in the UEFA Cup. He knows exactly what the added fixture demands entail. “We’ve done it before there, you know, when you need players who can come in and you need to rest some players.”
Yakubu admits Moyes training was like ‘military’
Despite his concerns about squad depth, Yakubu remains a huge admirer of the man who signed him for a then club-record £11.25m from Middlesbrough in 2007. He did, however, offer a light-hearted insight into what it was like training under the Scot.
“Moyes’ training is like military. You have to give everything,” Yakubu recalled. “For me, I don’t enjoy those running around 200 metres. If it’s 50 metres, 100… then yeah. But running around 200, 400… (Moyes) would be like ‘Yak don’t stop! Keep going!'”
He added with a smile: “I was always at the back after a little bit, with the strikers and goalkeepers. Sometimes I stop before the goalkeepers!”
With Everton’s financial position stabilised under The Friedkin Group and European football within reach, Yakubu’s warning about squad depth is timely.
Moyes has managed a small squad admirably this season, but playing on Thursday and Sunday requires different resources. If Everton secures their place in Europe, the summer transfer window will be busy.
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