The Mail Bag
Neville?s Positive Attitude
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You?ve got to take your hat off to the lad ? he?s right, we did finish strongly & performed against the top teams which has been our downfall in recent seasons. We are all frustrated with the board knowing we need some key investment in the team eg, a winger & striker(s), knowing that some dead wood will need to be shifted to free up the wages but I think we do all get bogged down with the politics.
We?ve got some great kids coming through on the horizon in Barkley & Hope & our youth system seems to be producing which is vital for us but it?s the immediate shortfalls in our squad that we just don?t seem to have the capacity to fulfill.
When you?ve got the likes of Stoke commanding far superior speculation (£15M for Scott Dan) to us, it does worry you. Sunderland have sold £40M+ & Newcastle £35M so their spending power will reflect in the market... Even promoted teams seem stronger financially than us.
I don?t want to sell Rodwell but we seem to be in that predicament where we have to, just to fill gaping holes in our first team. I hope we find a way to fund the N'Zogbia bid and a decent striker without selling a key asset.
I think the lack of a clear strategy & plan for dealing with the forthcoming season is killing any enthusiasm & positive outlook for most Evertonians.
This could however be reversed with some decisive & concise action one way or another in the transfer market, with the board stepping up to deliver some funds & stop hiding behind Moyes like a pathetic frightened child...
Alex Buckley, Posted 26/06/2011 at 00:23:04
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He has been saying the same thing every preseason for the past four or five seasons, and it never eventuates. I'm starting to wonder whether he gets the nod from Moyes to say "we're definitely not going to be able to bring in any transfers, can you start spouting some of this 'best squad ever - verge of success' crap to keep the fans on side?"
Cynical I know, but seriously, is be happier if he said "next season is going to be a bastard", that way when we win nothing and finish 7th or 8th I will be pleasantly surprised.
Then again, maybe I read too much into this.
The one player who speaks his actual genuine opinion, and not some scripted waffle, is Arteta. When asked what we need to progress, he simply said, "a lot of investment".
Whereas we have to painfully listen to Neville trying to kid us into thinking we are going places.
As for the transfers, I've a funny feeling about the N'Zogbia one, Wigan's chairman, Big Dave who in my opinion is the most honest open chairmen in the league, said that Everton would be a good move for N'Zogbia... Now that the whole nzogbia rumours have died a sudden death, maybe we have him already in the bag so we are keeping it quiet till July the first? Wishful thinking I know but Moyes also stated that he wants transfers wrapped up early so he can get the team in early to bond, which could be the key to a good start.
How many more of these dark winter seasons are we going to have Puxsetawney f'kin Bill
Cue Sonny and Cher, I got you babe
We should change to that instead of Zcars
Groundhog season
' They say we're young and we dont know..........'
Its all PR crap and pathetic
Until the board man up or Moyes uses his undoubted powers behind the scenes (Like threaten them just a little bit with the idea of quitting if he isnt given a little money) to make them man up we are sailing in circles.
Moyes WONT say a word though as he has the best Chairman and Board in the Prem............
If Neville is here next season expect the same pointless soundbite
Very depressing
We were poor last season and I don't think we finished particularly well either, 6th spot was there for the taking and we blew it....again.
If we are top 5 at Christmas I will eat the proverbial hat
DM has said nowt about transfers in and budgets etc...BK has joined the cast of the Wizard of OZ I reckon..
All I see is every other team in the league doing transfer business except us and its not good enough !!
We drastically need a fit striker to partner Becks, cover for Baines and someone to cross the ball and beat his man from the right...
All we did last season was loan out virtually a full squad and bring in no one....we were very lucky that Peanuts filled in well for Arteta when he was absent and Ozzie played his best football since making the first team...Baines got through the season without injury and the defence played magnificently.
We have no decent back up for numerous positions and we need to strengthen the squad not weaken it !!!!
Realistically we are no longer a buying club, just expect who ever gets sold to not be replaced.
Actuall I think Yakubu could have a good season up top if he stays, but I would try and sell Bily even at a loss and get N'Zogbia or similar in.
That would at least make us balanced and not carrying anyone
We all know that we are short of a first rate forward, I am sure that Moyes knows that too. But let?s not hide behind the investment side of things for a moment. Moyes has often said that he has to work with what he has got, and on the whole he has done a great job in keeping us where we are. Is that really enough though? He is the man, the Johnny on the spot, the big Honcho. The buck stops with him. It?s time to show that he is more than a make do and mend manager. The first game of the new season is the most important game of our entire history and we must win it. Then the next game becomes the most important game in our whole history and we must win that one too. I get the feeling that Sir Alex makes his players believe that before every game, it?s time Moyes made our players believe that to.
This also makes me think about next year that we have no chance of breaking the glass ceiling above us. The RS are hugely improved and will be back in the top 4. And unless something catastrophic happens at City or Spurs then what chance do we have?! I predict 7th.
My suspicion is that he`s frequently asked to put his name to a few bland quotes written by the Press Office and they are then pushed out via the OS and the Echo.
Difference being that my comments are heart-felt and come from an outside observer.
I don't really mind Nev's rallying calls. It's better than saying, "We're shit and we know it."
I believe our league position is an actual reflection of what we are: pretty good also rans who won't be relegated, but neither will we reach the very top. Of course if half the side get transferred in the next six weeks that could change. But I am certainly not expecting any huge funds to emerge from the Board in the next month or so.
For the first time i agree with you
Good point sir
Also, £20M for Henderson, lot of cash for someone who can only pass the ball 5 yards sideways. He was shocking for the England U21s. Let's not envy others.
Does this mean we're about to sign Manuel Fernandes? Moutinho? ... ????
What pre-season year is this?
Neville's yearly pep-talk comments are so surreal that they rip a hole in the "space time continuum" thingy...
ps: Beware the Klingons.
However, maybe, possibly Neville knows something we don't ?? Maybe he knows Moyes is hoping Man.City are planning to offload half their team to half their wage bill using free transfers!! What do you reckon on Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Bellamy and Wright Phillips ? ALL on frees!!!!!! Hope is eternal!!
Most Evertonians can see that we are becoming totally stagnant while those around us strengthen.
The current top 6 are all looking to spend to strengthen putting an even bigger gap between them and us while the teams around us like Newcastle, Stoke, Sunderland are also looking to strengthen significantly.
A new signing gives supporters and the existing squad a lift and freshens up the banter in the squad... While no investment depresses most of the players just as much as the supporters.
Not forgetting that we have also lost Pienaar, Gosling, Vaughan and for all intents and purposes Yobo and Yak and not replaced any of them except for an oxygen tent.
Some teams will not play as badly as last season either for example can anyone honestly see us taking 6 points off City and 4 points off Chelsea again next season.
I hate to be a glass half-full person but unless there is a radical shake up in the squad I can see PN's comments coming back to haunt him.
Eh?
Others?
WHAT 'others'?
Captain twitter should keep in mind talk is cheap.
He should say fuck all and show his 'leadership' on the park.
(and whoever these 'others' turn out to be - fuck 'em)
Every year I look forward to these summer weeks just to listen to your sunny take on what a bright & fruitful future we have to look forward too. What with managing to keep hold of Yak, Bily & the mighty Big Vic, we are truly blessed to be Evertonians in these years of benign leadership under Mr K.
Hear, hear.....three cheers to you & Amen to all you say.
"What's that, matron? Time to come off the computer...? It's ok I'll come quietly tonight, my imaginary friend Philip says it's going to be ok ... so no need for the straight jacket eh...."
Taking a chance on players who play in obscure leagues and are names we have never heard of, who show potential, may well be the better value.
It would be very easy to waste money in today's transfer market; for instance, Man City are lucky to have a bottomless pit ? look at the list of shite that has been bought for megabucks and are no longer seen as good enough. Getting the right players is more important than getting the costliest and there is still plenty of time to do business in the transfer market. I for one am happy to wait rather than bring in players who are way over-valued.
Very few players could be considered to be worth these sums, we all know who they are. The problem we've got is even mediocre players are now being priced out of our reach.
louissaha08 louis sahaEven he wants new players in and no more to leave
One more week and we back training. Hopefully new players in nobody out. Trophy in injury out. More fans In Crisis Out. Sun In rain Out.
Look after the pennies........
He wants the job and will toe the line and say the right things until Moyes walks.
The suggestion that those against something should calm down etc, implies (nb: doesn't state, just implies!) instability.
This is imo is bogus and disingenuous.
(nb: there's a world of difference between 'fuck em' and 'FUCK THEM!!')
Also, until we read (offending) threads/articles, how can we know whether we're for or against?
That's like Kenneth Tynan being asked to review The RSC's Hamlet and saying "Nar, I saw a play once and it was shite".
Well...ok it's not REALLY like that but...it is a BIT...type stuff.
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1 Posted 26/06/2011 at 00:50:35
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What I find laughable is the similarity between what Capn Phil is saying now and what plenty were saying before the last season started so badly ? optimism that was roundly lambasted as unreasonable expectation after the fact.
"Bogged down by the politics"??? Not sure what that's about... we're talking football ? not politics!
I remain completely unconvinced by them, be it the players, Moyes or both, and they will need to show us on the field, starting Day One at White Hart Lane, that these are not just more meaningless platitudes, the like of which we heard on a weekly basis last season from our gloriously verbose captain.
The strategy for next season is quite simple: same as the last... and the one before... and the one before that. Nothing could possibly be as clear. Moyes believes the key to success is pre-season in America, where the facilities are to die for... What more do you need to know?