ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Groundhog Day

I, like thousands of others, probably get excited about the prospect of new players who will add another dimension to the already excellent squad. I don't think many if any would argue that Osman, Hibbert and Neville are past their best and simply cannot compete with the athletisism and skill of many of the players the top 3 have (I do not include Liverpool in this).

This summer is panning out very much the same as last summer and as a result I am still "watching this space" but I wonder what has got Sir Philip Carter so excited; one American from the 4th tier of football, a German defender with prospects, and a 15-year-old English winger from Southend. Wow, I can hardly contain my excitement too!!!

We pull out of the Naugton scrap after he decides to join Spurs, we are linked with every player under the sun, and not even the Swedish Elm looks too convinced by Everton.

We appear not to be doing anything about the 2 critical positions:

Central Midfield — we are so lacking in physical stature, it's untrue, look at Portsmouth against us for example.

Right Back — how exposed are we!!!

Right Midfield — where is our pace? Please no more patient build up that ends up with a long-distance punt over the crossbar.

We have not learnt anything from last year's fiasco... it's just Groundhog Day.
Chris Perry, Chester Posted 24/07/2009 at 09:42:41

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Tony Williams
1 Posted 24/07/2009 at 13:34:02

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"Right Back — how exposed are we!!!"

Not very, I can only remeber last season seeing Young and Malouda taking the piss out of Hibbert, one was because Young was diving everywhere and Hibbert got booked so he couldn’t tackle and was brought off for Jacobsen and then the other was when, wait for it he was booked and couldn’t tackle and was taken off for Jacobsen.

Anthony Millington
2 Posted 24/07/2009 at 13:29:23

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Spot on mate. We need to make some signings before the start of the season, because we are going to have a lot more games next year if we reach the group stage of the Europa league. I appreciate players like Hibbert and Osman because they still do an important job for us, but in my opinion they should not be in the first choice starting 11. Osman always seem to do well against bottom half teams but as you say he doesn’t have the physique or pace to compete effectively with the top teams.

We definitely need a pacy winger to accommodate Pienaar and hopefully have Arteta in the middle, but I also think we need to bring in another creative type player, because we struggled at times when Arteta got injured because there is no-one at the club in a similar mould to Arteta, I think someone like Fernandes would have been perfect for this role if he’d have signed.

Ciarán McGlone
3 Posted 24/07/2009 at 13:44:21

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The fact of the matter is that Everton are at the zenith of their achievement under Kenwright. Realistically, we can achieve no more than 5th place while he is here... and it’s no coincidence that Williams have us at 1/7 to finish lower than we did last year. It’s likely that the only way is down for us — irrespective of Moyes.

So, if you were a young ambitious player — would you really want to come here?

Tony Williams
4 Posted 24/07/2009 at 13:51:34

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Ciaran, if I was a youngster for sale at the moment, I would have certainly give Everton a chance this season.

In Europe, as we have for the last 3 seasons and if I play well enough get noticed and look for a deal elsewhere after a season or I could go to the potential wastelands of the Spuds "promising youngsters".

Patty Beesley
5 Posted 24/07/2009 at 13:55:50

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Yes, if I was a young talented footballer, I would want to go to the best Club in the premiership especially with the comraderie that exists and a young Manager who knows what he wants and tries to achieve it under very difficult lack of money circumstances,.

Anthony Newell
6 Posted 24/07/2009 at 14:18:29

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Just as an aside to the usual lack of transfer activity tedium:

Can anyone believe that Gerrard got off with self-defence after punching a bloke 3 times?!!!

Jay Harris
7 Posted 24/07/2009 at 14:29:15

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Anthony thanks for the distraction from getting thoroughly depressed.

And the other Fella didn't even throw a punch!!

Self defence my arse.

Mark Hill
8 Posted 24/07/2009 at 15:21:59

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At which point did anyone say from Everton Football Club, ’Yep we are interested, and looking to sign Cana’? — they didn’t the only reason that we are talking about him in the first place is because the journalist have nothing better to do than link us with every Tom, Dick & Harry that might be available.....christ it wouldn’t surprise me if we were linked with David Villa at some point in the next two weeks.....

I hope we sign someone of stature who will improve the team, but until he is on the OS, whats the point in speculating, because if anything, the newspapers and cretins like sky sports news have told us, is that they are usually wrong when it comes to who we sign. (Granted they have been correct on a couple of occasions, but thats only because everybody and his brother knows).

And as for Stevie Me getting off.......its a bloody disgrace....Jay Harris — spot on!

Ciarán McGlone
9 Posted 24/07/2009 at 16:35:44

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HAHA,

Stevie G,

I wondered how long. Having seen most of the evidence as it’s been thoroughly done to death on tv - If I had been a juror...I would not have been able to say beyond all probable doubt that Gerard did not feel an apprehension which justified self-defence.

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