Everyone knew it was coming, and today it was finally done; Landon Donovan will join Everton on a two and a half month loan starting in January. It's up to Donovan now, with his MLS future secured by a new Galaxy contract, to make this his first successful stint abroad.


What could be said has already been said, and multiple times. Weeks before he even suits up for the blue side of Liverpool, Donovan's potential in the world's most visible league has been analyzed to the point of coma.


Still, now that there's no doubt that Donovan will get a little premier playing time, I'll saunter forth with my best guess of how he'll do.


He'll get a few goals. He'll deliver a few more nicely placed passes that lead to goals. He'll do a lot of running, and engage in some high-energy defending. His speed will cause defenders trouble, forcing teams to play Everton differently. He'll be okay, not great, and will ultimately return home with the same reputation that he carries at present. His stint won't be a crushing failure, but neither will it be some sudden revelation of his talent to the wider world.


Call if fence sitting if you want, but the preponderance of evidence, that being Donovan's "growth" in the last year, the lack of time to adjust to England, uncertainty over how David Moyes will use him, there's really no other conclusion to draw.


But Moyes made it clear he actively wanted Donovan, and because the situation at Goodison Park from a management perspective is much more stable and less political than Bayern Munich's last year, that's a good sign.


Come March, some will still label Donovan's loan a failure, and some will frame it positively as long as he doesn't stink up the joint or fail to play. Neither will be exactly right, but as long as Donovan remains confident and healthy heading into the World Cup, I'm not really sure anyone should be too concerned.


Step on up and share your predictions on how Donovan's stay with Everton will go in the comments.