For many Evertonians, James McFadden’s return to Goodison Park confirmed a fear that they’d had for a while. They see his return as a sign that Everton no longer has the ambition to challenge the top clubs in England and reach Europe. To many supporters, James McFadden’s return proved not only that Everton was no longer looking up the table, but also that our beloved club had begun to regress. That’s understandable given that Everton sold James McFadden in 2008 because he wasn’t good enough to secure a regular place in the starting eleven.

My feelings are different than most Evertonians. Without James McFadden, I would not be the mad Evertonian that I am today. It was a cool Wednesday night in Belfast when I first saw McFadden play. That night, he was featuring for Scotland against France. To the chagrin of most of the other pub patrons, Scotland appeared to be doing the stagnant act that Scotland tends to do in Euro qualifying. However, due to a bold and brilliant strike from James McFadden, Scotland beat France in Paris for the first time in 57 years.

In my own words that night, James McFadden was a giant killer. He looked long odds in the face and had the confidence in his ability to score a goal that most players would never attempt. As McFadden learned that night, fortune favors the bold and you can’t score a goal if you don’t put the ball on frame.  

About a week later, James McFadden and I crossed paths again. This time I was in a hotel in York trying to get a workout in. On the television, I spotted James McFadden in the royal blue that I would come to love and exclaimed, “That’s that giant killer.” I then watched Joleon Lescott put away a header and cringed as AJ butchered two penalties in a match that finished 1-1 (Metalist Kharkiv at Goodison). Flash forward to October 4, 2007. I was sitting in a hotel in London with a Fuller’s four-pack of pints watching the second leg of Everton v. Metalist Kharkiv when McFadden drew Everton level before Anichebe pounded home a winner to secure our passage to the group stages of the UEFA Cup. My life would never be the same.   

James McFadden has special meaning for me. That doesn’t mean that I am blind to the implications of his return to Everton. His return means a number of things. First, it demonstrates that David Moyes is not happy with his striking options. Having sold James Vaughan, Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford this summer without bringing in another proven striker, Moyes can’t ignore Everton’s struggles in front of goal and doesn’t want to have to ride the scoreless Saha and Cahill until January. Second, Moyes isn’t satisfied with our wing play. Coleman is experiencing a sort of second-season syndrome and Moyes does not trust Drenthe enough to start him.

What does McFadden bring to the team? David Moyes is renowned for only buying players that can be used in multiple positions. For Moyes, McFadden represents cover at striker and another experienced player that can work the sidelines with Leighton Baines. I don’t know whether McFadden will be the same player after his knee injury but he’s the only person who knows how much talent his body has left.

The real problem for many Evertonians is the lack of ambition that McFadden’s signing demonstrates. However, I don’t think ambition is the correct word. The problem is that our chairman has no money, the bank has our club by the balls and we have no expectation of investment. As much as McFadden’s signing may be a sign that our club is in decline, we signed James McFadden because he can fill a void in our team. We have two fit strikers capable of playing in the Premier League: Saha and Vellios; and we have two players that are good on the wing: Coleman and Drenthe (Ossie is better in the center and whatever Bilyaletdinov is, he is no winger).

Signing James McFadden for the season is not a bad decision. If he can play a role for our team, then great. If he can’t, then we’re at the same place we were against Chelsea: without a consistent striker and without depth on the wings. If he comes in a scores a couple of goals for us then he’s worth whatever paltry sum Moyes paid for him. More than that, though, James McFadden has character traits that our team lacks. James McFadden rates himself to make shots that most players wouldn’t try. If the past three matches should show us nothing else, it is that our team fundamentally lacks confidence. It started this summer when financial woes and speculation about selling key players unsettled the team and continues as the same scoring problems render our excellent build-up play worthless.

Our team needs an infusion of confidence. I think signing James McFadden will work a positive effect on Everton’s team because he has the sort of irrational belief that our team needs on offense. How many times in the past two years have you screamed in frustration as our players passed up clear shooting opportunities in favor of another pass? Everton’s play will benefit from James McFadden’s presence because he isn’t bashful about shooting. He may hit wide, but he’s going to force defenders to drop off of our other danger men because of the long-range talents he possesses. Whatever you may think of the signing, don’t sleep on James McFadden. He’s a giant killer. 

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