The Mail Bag
More what AJ didn`t say!
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Anyone watching the lunchtime telivised launching of Andrew Johnson as a Fulham player could hardly have failed to notice the player`s retiscence on elaborating his reasons for leaving Everton. Asked several times about his recent relationship with David Moyes, AJ said nothing.`I want to concentrate on Fulham,now`, he insisted but only a fool could conclude that he was no longer good buddies with his ex-boss!
Personally, I am convinced that AJ was `worked out` of Goodison, when it became clear to DM that if he didn`t raise some quick cash, his transfer plans were in tatters.
For all the `assurances` we have had from Kenwright, Elstone et al, I remain to be convinced that other than the Johnson money, Moyes will have but buttons to play with in this window.
Danny Allen, Posted 08/08/2008 at 12:57:14
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Yeah, I just think it’s really disappointing AJ has left the club under a cloud and I hope he gets a good reception when he returns to Goodison. He’s a decent player who gave his all for the club and I do think he’ll be missed this season. It’s pretty clear he didn’t want to leave so it’s understandable he’d be a bit upset to be sacrificed in such a way.
Probably AJ?s pissed off he?s now playing for Fulham rather than a team pushing for a top 4 spot.
It amounts to the same thing, he probably he didn?t want to leave EFC period, but where he?s actually ended up may not have been his preference.
It amounts to the same thing, he probably he didn?t want to leave EFC period, but where he?s actually ended up may not have been his preference.
I know he?s not one to bear a grudge - doesn?t go for OTT celebrations when he scores against a former club - but I wouldn?t bet against him banging in the winner on the last day of the season.
I think that the problem was that Johnson and Yakubu just didn’t play well together, and clearly it was Yakubu who was delivering the goods. Towards the end AJ reminded me of Tomasz Radinsczki. Loads of running about but not to very much end, and finishing was not really there.
But I wish him all the best
But I wish him all the best
Don’t think it was under a cloud at all. Club need money, club sell player, club get money. Granted that’s more a lower league approach, but a common one.
I can’t help but think AJ is annoyed at having to step down a level.
With all this player power going on about demanding a transfer, have we heard of a player who demanded to stay?
I can’t help but think AJ is annoyed at having to step down a level.
With all this player power going on about demanding a transfer, have we heard of a player who demanded to stay?
Between £10 and £13 million for him looks great business. On his performaces and goals last seaons he?s worth about half that. It looks good business for Everton so who cares if he was "worked out of the club" he showed on the pitch last year that he was far from being a key player.
It was only a few weeks ago that Moyes-who can be as devious as the rest of them at Everton-was adament that AJ was going nowhere and if he meant it that would be the end of it.
I’m sure he then got cold feet about getting little or no funds for purchases and decided to take things into his own hands. AJ then became the innocent sacrifice.
I just hope we can replace him adequately.
I’m sure he then got cold feet about getting little or no funds for purchases and decided to take things into his own hands. AJ then became the innocent sacrifice.
I just hope we can replace him adequately.
Interestingly when the penalities dried up so did the goals for AJ. I i would prefer a more technical footballer in the mould of Alan Smith who can go on and do a job not unlike the Andy Gray signing all those seasons ago. bonus is he can play in midfield under our 5-1 formation and score the odd goal or 3. One of the better pieces of business if we are getting 10 mil.
AJ will be missed but I can tell you the real reason why he left and at the end of the day it was simple he wanted a guarantee of a first team place and Moyes would not give it to him and if you are all honest no player should be guaranteed a place in the team at our club if they are not playing well enough or if tactics dictate other wise.
Johnson has gone the way of Beattie ,downwards that is. No top half club came in for AJ which goes to prove how he’s rated by other clubs. A decent player for us though and the 2 goals against the RS should ensure him a good welcome back at Goodison.
Davey himself said AJ was going nowhere, then when Fulham came in for him, he said that AJ had wanted to leave - its as simple as that - don’t make a mountain out of a molehill!
Not many clubs can afford a £13 million bit part player and we certainly cant. I dont think he suited the style of play last season (the good stuff when we were on form) whereas Yakubu did to my surprise. I wish him well, but this, I feel will prove to work out best for Everton for a change.
Is it not merely a case that Johnson wanted to go to Fulham and refused to play in a friendly at Preston to which DM took acception?? If that is the case then I think DM had every right to be annoyed considering he was saying he didnt want to leave but in his press conference he says he is "happy to be back down south".
I hardly think that Alan Smith is worth a punt at all..he has had really bad injuries and did absolutely nothing at Newcastle since...if he is not good enough for them, he should not be good enough for us. Beattie was on the bench at SOTON when we signed him and they were relegated..nuff said. Its a waste of money that should be spent to up the ante for a decent YOUNG player..Im sure that one of our youngsters could develop and outperform Alan Smith at this stage. Im afraid Smith is now a journeyman just like Savage, Barton, Carsley etc etc...lets get a bit of flair in the side and stop buying stopgaps.
I’m starting to hate David Moyes! I really can’t believe we are about to go into the season with 3 fit midfielders and 1 available striker! Obviously this excludes the reserve team players like Rodwell, Gosling etc, who simply should not be first choice players for the starting 11 of a team that has just finished 5th! Pathetic! We may aswell give up now. So much hope and now we’re going to have to watch the pain of our squad disintigrating to bare bones through the season and half a reserve team being fielded against top Premier Legaue teams. I could have done better than Moyes has done over the summer up till now, I would have brought in some decent players on the cheap for numbers who have experience of playing first team football.
AJ was brought into Everton to score goals. Moyes was hoping that AJ could be a 20-goal a season striker but despite a strong start ? goals in 5 games ? AJ never really produced the goals Moyes was looking for. Nobody can fault AJ for his work ethic and willingness to be a team player but at the end of the day he just couldn't deliver enough goals.
The simple fact is despite his hard work and pace AJ had no cutting edge to his game. He rarely troubled defences and was never going to get 20-goals a season. AJ also suffered many injuries and when Yakubu arrived AJ's days as Everton first choice striker were gone.
Of course Moyes liked AJ's work-rate and wasn't desperate to sell him but when Fulham made an offer of £13 million ? a lot for a 10-goal a season striker ? you can understand why Moyes reluctantly agreed to sell. AJ was a good hard working player but lacked the cutting edge or magic touch a Top striker should have. It's no mystery why he was sold.
Anthony it’s been out of Moyes’s hands.
First it was Wyness responsibility and I think even he quoted we were going to make some quality additions.
Then we find that Green/Earl are pulling the strings.
Moyes has been left infuriated that we didnt sign anybody yet and according to some was ready to walk out if he wasnt given some assurances about beefing the squad up.
First it was Wyness responsibility and I think even he quoted we were going to make some quality additions.
Then we find that Green/Earl are pulling the strings.
Moyes has been left infuriated that we didnt sign anybody yet and according to some was ready to walk out if he wasnt given some assurances about beefing the squad up.
This whole summer debacle has weakened our hand to the point that Fulham were essentially dictating terms to us. We have only a few days to the start of the season and any negotiating is poisoned for us as every team can see how desperate we are. The sale of Johnson can be seen as "good business" on one hand, but how can you put a shine on a team that is selling off an already threadbare squad.
At this point we may be better off looking to the lower divisions and trying to find a diamond or two. Either way we are on the threshold of a truly desperate start to the campaign.
At this point we may be better off looking to the lower divisions and trying to find a diamond or two. Either way we are on the threshold of a truly desperate start to the campaign.
I’m glad he’s gone and for a good price looked at 1 point he was going 2 cry good luck 2 him though
Some on this forum are very quick to fall for the spin on this transfer, £10.5 - £13 million yeah right !
The fee was UNDISCLOSED so only a few people know the truth. I certainly don’t BUT please apply some objective, logical reasoning here.
Fulham played hardball on this & called Everton’s bluff, who despite tough talk soon backed down & did a ’Deal at any price’ rather than loose out on the readies.
If our board had any balls they’d have called the player back in a bid to firm up the price.
When a buyer Knows that a seller is desperate for cash they can hammer down the price its a simple economic fact.
Also don’t forget that 15% of any profit goes to Crystal Palace.
It suits both Everton & Fulham to talk up the numbers to appease both sets of fans i.e We get a supposedly good price & Fulham look like ambitious big spenders.
Don’t be surprised to find a much lower figure emerge over the coming months.
The fee was UNDISCLOSED so only a few people know the truth. I certainly don’t BUT please apply some objective, logical reasoning here.
Fulham played hardball on this & called Everton’s bluff, who despite tough talk soon backed down & did a ’Deal at any price’ rather than loose out on the readies.
If our board had any balls they’d have called the player back in a bid to firm up the price.
When a buyer Knows that a seller is desperate for cash they can hammer down the price its a simple economic fact.
Also don’t forget that 15% of any profit goes to Crystal Palace.
It suits both Everton & Fulham to talk up the numbers to appease both sets of fans i.e We get a supposedly good price & Fulham look like ambitious big spenders.
Don’t be surprised to find a much lower figure emerge over the coming months.
I can imagine Beattie giving johnson a ring and having a little bitch about Everton.
Good luck to the lad, I hope he does well and manages to get back into the England squad.
Also, did anybody read the David Prentice article and notice any (word for word) similarities to the Paul Doyle article earlier in the week?
Permission to plagiaries, Sir
Good luck to the lad, I hope he does well and manages to get back into the England squad.
Also, did anybody read the David Prentice article and notice any (word for word) similarities to the Paul Doyle article earlier in the week?
Permission to plagiaries, Sir
He’s a fool, he sells players without having another player lined up to replace them. Also, Everton must save a packet on wages compared to other clubs, because the squad is tiny, surely this money could be used for transfers? But we’re probably too skint due to lack of income etc. Enjoy the season anyway guys and pray it doesn’t go how many of us think it might. It looks like Rodwell, Gosling and Baxter will have a big role to play. COYB!!!
’’He?s a fool, he sells players without having another player lined up to replace them’’.
What an absurd comment, Moyes is not a fool. He has done a brilliant job at Everton.
I can’t be arsed going through the statistics and the timings of incomings/outgoings etc. It is as plain as day and there for all to see that this fella has hauled our team up the league and got us back into Europe.
Whether you’re satisfied with that or not he is anything but a fool.
What an absurd comment, Moyes is not a fool. He has done a brilliant job at Everton.
I can’t be arsed going through the statistics and the timings of incomings/outgoings etc. It is as plain as day and there for all to see that this fella has hauled our team up the league and got us back into Europe.
Whether you’re satisfied with that or not he is anything but a fool.
Ballo Johnson,
Gramatically incorrect, permission to plagiaries (multiple plagiarisms) sir, or permission to plagiarise sir??
God loves a wise guy the rest of us mortals just buzz off them.
Gramatically incorrect, permission to plagiaries (multiple plagiarisms) sir, or permission to plagiarise sir??
God loves a wise guy the rest of us mortals just buzz off them.
Let?s be honest one of the other comments was right: when the penalties dried up so did the goals and let?s be honest after the miss in the Uefa Cup his head went. Like Beattie, he will probably be okay at Fulham because of the lack of expectation placed on him.
I will not knock him,he gave his all and the marvellous afternoon against the shite !!
But to be brutally honest he lacked the quality for us and England, if the Echo are right and this Milito ends up at Goodison we?ll have got the best end of the deal.
And maybe we won?t have to go 38 league games without a spot kick again!!
I wish AJ all the best. I’d rather 11 workers than 11 fancy-dans. Good luck AJ. You worked like a trojan. And I, for one, will be grateful that you worked like that for us.
It may be no more than a memory,
but if it is a worthy one I shall not regret the price.
3-0
It may be no more than a memory,
but if it is a worthy one I shall not regret the price.
3-0
Let?s be truthfull here his body language since the start of last season was dreadful added to the rumours that his missus hated scousers and anything northern didn?t fill me with confidence.
We look to have done fairly well of the deal and let?s be honest who thought he was worth £8 mill anyway.
I?ll applaud him when he returns and at least he didn?t spout the Radzinski line of Fulham are destined for the top crap!!
We look to have done fairly well of the deal and let?s be honest who thought he was worth £8 mill anyway.
I?ll applaud him when he returns and at least he didn?t spout the Radzinski line of Fulham are destined for the top crap!!
I’d rather we had 11 fancy dan’s for a change -have you seen the fucking shite we play most of the time with a combination of grafters, workers and the assortment of defensive strategies that David Moyes has to employ given the fact that we perenially dont have a pot to piss in. AJ was sold for purely fiscal demand, we need the money to strengthen the midfield - period. Anyone drawn in by Kenwright’s latest meglomaniac performance on Sky news needs a lobotomy.
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1 Posted 08/08/2008 at 14:30:38
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If we manage to sign the ?three, four, five possibly six? players, Kenwright was spouting about yesterday then he?ll have come up trumps. If it?s Alan Smith and a few other makeweights then you are right on the button.
I know what I?m hoping for!