The Mail Bag

Steven Appiah

Comments (24)

Just getting used to the transfer window being shut when I read an article reporting that Steven Appiah, as a free agent, is considering a few offers. Despite his recent knee injury, I think he would finish our midfield off nicely. I'd be surprised if Moyes hasn't considered making an offer.
Tom  Sullivan, Liverpool     Posted 02/09/2008 at 18:09:09

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Nick Entwistle
1   Posted 02/09/2008 at 18:47:38

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The only time I hear this guys name is when it is mentioned in terms of a transfer.
Is this guy a God on Football Manager or something because otherwise I’ve never heared of him...
adam wightman
2   Posted 02/09/2008 at 19:00:33

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I think he is/was captain of ghana??
Simon Birdsey
3   Posted 02/09/2008 at 19:04:19

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I think that’s a fair shout, actually. If we can take Saha without him likely of playing that much football, Appiah must be worth a punt. I’d rather have him than Steven Hunt, anyway!!

The interesting thing is that most Fellaini and Castillo have reasonable goalscoring returns from midfield 1 in 8 and 1 in 4 respectively for recent seasons, compared to 1 in 6 for Osman and 1 in 8 for Arteta. Appiah has about the same goalscoring ratio as Leon Osman.

The reason that I bring it up is because we do have a reliance on Yakubu, Cahill, Osman and Lescott for the goals. We’d normally expect no more than a few from any other player. Imagine if we had a midfield engine room of Castillo-Fellaini-Appiah capable of getting around 15 goals between them?!!
Chris Bradshaw
4   Posted 02/09/2008 at 19:37:12

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I think that stephen Appiah would complete our midfield. Also think that if we want to push the team further then osman should just be used as a squad player, going to the games and hearing Phil Neville being used as the scape goat, if theres a player that isnt good enough for the team then thats leon osman. Hopefully when the rest of the lads get fit we will have a top midfield.
Jeremy Benson
5   Posted 02/09/2008 at 19:48:44

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Nonsense. Ossie is one of our most consistent and threatening players. He works his socks off, and is a fantastic link-up player in a 4-5-1. There is only one player for us who can score from outside the box form open play. And he’s the one.

Out of all of the players who currently put the jersey on, he is one of the top few who deserve it the most.

Trevor Lynes
6   Posted 02/09/2008 at 20:08:25

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Everyone talks of Saha being injury prone..Dunc was far more injury prone.He played over 30 games just once in a season when he was with us and he totalled altogether only 22 goals...Saha is a much better bet than Dunc was plus he wont get sent and suspended as often...Baines must be given a run in the side, he was by far our best player against pompey....how on earth could one character write that we played better than pompey...that is just not facing the truth.
Martin Pratt
7   Posted 02/09/2008 at 20:12:09

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Sorry Chris but your wrong. Ossie is a class act and a true blue.

With all the problems in the middle of the England team i think he’d do a good job. Id rather see Ossie in there than Bullard!
Robbie Kirkham
8   Posted 02/09/2008 at 20:34:13

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Only time i’ve seen Appiah was in world cup over 2 years ago looked decent there but so have a few players at world cups. I don’t know what people see in Osman i think he’s shite spends most of his time lying on the floor appealing but he is a good player to have in the squad just not a starter.
Viv Sharma
9   Posted 02/09/2008 at 20:39:02

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Come on guys, Osman is a class act!
Great movement, good feet, inteligent little player.
As for Appiah, I have been willing us to sign him for a couple of years now. He is similar to Essien. Big, strong, good on the ball and powers his way through the opposition. Good leader and box to box type player.
However, if Castillo and Fellani are the types of players I have been told they are, all these 3 are very similar in style.
I think Appiah would be a great signing and is a world class player, but funnily enough, if we sign him, we would be overloaded with DMs!
Oh the irony...
Jim Slade
10   Posted 02/09/2008 at 21:10:44

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If Osman wasnt local everyone on here would be down his neck worse than neville. For years people canvassed for him to be given his chance and he was and rightly so. He is an okay squad player when he is at his very best, but anyone with even the tiniest bit of ambition would admit that he is not the type of player who a top four club would have on their team.
He tries hard but Manchester City wont exactly be knocking down our door for him.
Ste Lewis
11   Posted 02/09/2008 at 21:22:31

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Appiah wants to go back to Juventus. Forget it.
chris bradshaw
12   Posted 02/09/2008 at 21:24:59

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Having watched both of Evertons homegames and for most of last season watching osman play is like watchin a young kid as he gets muscled off the ball so easily and he isnt technicaly as arteta of pienaar this is just my opinion but come on class act hardly mate
Chris Jones (Wakefield)
13   Posted 02/09/2008 at 21:23:14

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It’s perhaps a shame Shitty aren’t interested in Leon (who I like, btw), I just read in the Torygraph that...

"It is thought a transfer fund totalling around £250m has been allocated for the next two seasons, by which time it is ?expected? that the club will be as successful on the pitch as Man United and Chelsea."

Eeek, that’s a lot of dosh.
Nick Entwistle
14   Posted 02/09/2008 at 22:02:43

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Dam that is alot of dosh... and even though Robinho goes against this theory, I just can’t see Man City getting in the top four because CL quality players will only go to CL teams and the top 4 are locked in.
Everton had by most views a good season last year, Liverpool had a poor one, yet they were 9 to 12 points ahead of us...
It would take Liverpool (more likely than the others) to fall out of the top 4 through their own down turn to be replaced by someone else, and that doesnt mean it will be city anyway. Soon enough if it does happen, one team will rise above others and take that 4th place and cement it for future seasons keeping an elite 4... well that’s all before the world league comes in place which is the CL is the fore runner of.... to those of you listening to radio 5, yes so was I :)
Gavin Ramejkis
15   Posted 02/09/2008 at 22:53:03

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Nick before Abramovich bankrolled Chelski they were no marks with a few Euro cup runs but nothing spectacular, he bought them a crack at the league and into the "Sky 3" the money on offer at Shitty could easily do the same and as I said on another posting those in Dubai simply don’t understand or accept the phrase "it can’t be done" pity BK couldn’t find himself such a buyer in his 24/7 then again that would be as fanciful as it actually being true he has ever looked.
Brian Temple
16   Posted 02/09/2008 at 23:00:55

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I can only assume that those of you laying into Osman don’t actually go the game.
Whilst he may not be a so-called "class act" he has quick feet, is always available for the pass from his team-mates and gets his body back to defend. Oh yes and he pops up every now and then with valuable goals.
Over the last season and a half I’d have Osman on the sheet before Mr "I’ve got to take every bloody free kick and corner" Arteta.
Mike Whittaker
17   Posted 02/09/2008 at 23:11:12

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Osman - a loyal trier- thats about it though. His height and weight is very similar to Lionel Messi, but unfortunately the similarity ends there.
matt bone
18   Posted 03/09/2008 at 00:04:07

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Cant see how you can suggest that Appiahwould ’complete’ our midfield when what we are crying out for is WINGERS (Mr Moyes). Thats Wingers who attack defenders and put in decent crosses. NOT another ’midfield dynamo’ who can do a bit of running, a bit of tacking and a linited amount of passing
Jimmy Crack
19   Posted 03/09/2008 at 00:40:32

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If Appiah would complete the midfield, what midfield are you guys envisioning? I was under the impression that Felliani, Castillo, and Appiah were all "midfield generals". My 5-man mid:

Baines , Castillo, Cahill , Felliani, Arteta

I agree with matt bone, we need wingers. WOuld have loved to see Obinna....still wouldn’t mind seeing VdM back. When is he fit again?
Tim Coates
20   Posted 03/09/2008 at 01:59:37

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Osman is awesome....say wat u want about the guy but when hes playin centre midfield for everton we play short passing football, he has the best first touch in our team. Hes also sharp enough not to have to worry as much about strength. He has his bad games dont gt me wrong!!! but he scores goals, always works hard an is technically a very clever player. Appiah is nothin on essien...whoever said that!!!
Martin Berry
21   Posted 03/09/2008 at 04:00:47

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Appiah is considering few offers including from West Ham and others across Europe, dont be surprised if we are already on his tale, Juve will not have him back, look at their midfield. It would be a great signing, a real leader in midfield, we will be very fortunte if we can bring him in, he will add much strength and power to our midfield
Paul Kish
22   Posted 03/09/2008 at 05:07:12

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Gavin, if I can pick you up on one point..the guys who have taken over at the Middle Eastlands are NOT from Dubai.

They’re from Abu Dhabi.

They’re both part of the United Arab Emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is the capital, but it’s a different emirate all together and run by a different Royal Family.

They shouldn’t be confused.

The good news for Evertonians is that BK can still fly to Dubai and try to do a deal with the Al Maktoums for a takeover at Goodison!
Jason Lam
23   Posted 03/09/2008 at 07:34:34

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Right then, it’s become an Osman thread:

Look, this Osman bloke is the cleanest bestest blue you could ever meet. He’s also good on the go-karts and likes to read children’s books. No doubt a beautiful person.

On the pitch, he does have a unique method of linking up play, and finding space to make the pass or shot. Technically he’s sound.

However, linking up play is a fundamental prerequisite of any modern midfielder. The other attributes required of a midfield he certainly lacks: the steel in the tackle, sheilding the ball WHEN THERE IS NO SPACE TO SWORM TO, box-to-box engine, heading for those goal kicks, and the long range howitzers to name a few.

With Castillo and that jolly-good-old-Fella on board, maybe was can link up play and keep possession better now? Cahill is more of a goal threat than Osman. Arteta and Osman? - Arteta. Pienaar and Osman? - Pienaar.

So where does that leave Ossie? On the bench.
Colin Potter
24   Posted 03/09/2008 at 13:55:32

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I think Moyes would need at least 18 months to assess him the way he dithers!!!

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