Everton confirm Schneiderlin transfer

That's two; now for the others...

Also saw a couple articles on interest in Gibson.

With probably a few more who don't immediately spring to mind. Did Mark Higgins play for Man Utd after his injury?

I was watching him a bit there on YouTube and as well as his tackling he can hit some good long forward passes which could suit Rom rather than the hoofball we have been playing.

I hope Depay is not on his way too although maybe on loan wouldn't be too bad.

Now, lets get the Nurofen lad in next.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

I'm about 7 out of 10 for this one on the hope scale, so pretty satisfied. I will feel even better when we see how he can provide midfield solidity to link with and augment our attack – which might stop just about every mainstream media sports news outlet trying to sell Barkley to Spurs.

What certainly appears true is that Ron has no interest in him. Strange we signed him again recently, but I'd guess it was for "pennies" compared to his previous contract. Worth the risk for Leeds, I imagine, since they're a point off 3rd place.

Expect this to form as 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 formation. Havn't seen that much of him, just hope he can pass the ball forward.

But having 2, hard running and tireless centre mids will be essential for Koeman to implement a high pressing game.

A French midfield of Schneiderlin and Payet. Go and do it, please!

I've been hoping for this for three years.

Hoisting a cup to Moshiri, Koeman and Walsh.

(Okay, so it's only decaf, but the spirit is there.)

Don't know if you heard, Mark, but in regards to West Ham, Payet has apparently now said* he "Doesn't want to play for the club again..."

I doubt he'd ever end up here but who'd want him with such traitorous tendencies.

* if true.

As a number of fans have expressed ,despite poor performances Koeman deserves time to place his stamp on the team, to see what direction we are going in. These new signings, with the possibility of more on the way, may not show immediate changes, but one of the things it will achieve is the rest of the squad will have to raise the standard of their play as it appears that the manager has the full backing of the ownership to make changes.

This January window is possibly showing the true direction the owner wants for the club, and let's hope it continues.

Yes Mark Higgins played for MU after they compensated the insurers for paying out when he thought he was finished through injury.

I've been racking my brains but I don't think you have missed anyone else – where do you get all this data from? Surely not just memory??

At last, some ambition by signing a quality player who is better than what we have.

Top drawer signing this; now let's have some more...

Tommy Jackson!!!!

COYMB

Seven new players brought in by Koeman now and good reason to suspect more might follow before the end of the month (a rock solid keeper and a nasty centre-half would be good, oh, and a creative midfielder like Payet...).

Are we finally going to begin seeing 'his type of team' at last?

Sorry, Stephen - simultaneous posting...

Sam Byrne, who plays for our U23s, was signed after being released by Man Utd.

I'm sorry for missing him out, I will write a thousand lines "I will not post anything unless it is gospel and I have checked out every single clubs records in detail." :)

I did write "with probably a few more who don't immediately spring to mind"!!!

We'd never be able to out-do you on this sort of stuff!

A good window so far, but will be interesting to see how much more Moshiri spends as it will be cheaper in the summer and we've little to play for.

I'm not convinced that 7th will be enough for the Europa League.

What about Ted Buckle, early '50s, one for the oldies?

Tony, I'm getting on but not quite that vintage – I assume Johnny Carey played for Everton and Man Utd too?

Carey played for Man Utd but not Everton. He was the Blackburn Rovers manager before he came to us.

A bit weak at the back but Championship material?

Schneiderlin is a good signing and is at a good enough level for other potential signings to sit up and see we mean business!

Ted Buckle was before my time but I worked with him in the 1970s in Standard Triumph, Speke. Jimmy Tansey also worked there.

Of course, they had the misfortune to play in an era when players had to get a job when they finished: usually a pub or a newsagent or, often, anything they could get.

Geoff Hurst, a World Cup winner, worked as a Co-op Insurance agent when he finished.

Different world!

Also can imagine he's told a few of the squad some home truths and the garbage is finally being put out.

Don't really want to see Barry starting another match so hopefully we're not done on the transfer front yet. Creative mid and a striker and I'll be over the moon.

Two in and we're not even half-way through the transfer window! Times really have changed.

Not surprising given that the shirt has only been worn by Krøldrup and Hibbo since then. A hat-trick by the new lad on Sunday and a 4-0 win would be fantastic... :)

If memory serves me right; Mark Higgins (very good player) was forced into early retirement through injury. His insurance company paid him out, but he forfeit the payment to have another go with Ron Atkinson at Man Utd. Didn't last long.

Not a hundred percent sure on the details, hopefully somebody will have a clearer recollection than me.

I never knew that!

One who went the other way was John Gidman.

It looks like Moshiri could be the real deal. A real quality signing!

Sorry Mate, missed your post (#31).

Welcome Morgan!

I saw him play one Saturday afternoon for Man Unt Reserves at Goodison – the next week, he played for Everton versus Man Utd in a First Division game. Both matches finished up 0-0.

Ted cost about £7k... he was later transferred to Exeter City.

Any chance of buying some decent goalkeepers?

I remember Higgins played for Man Utd against us at Old Trafford in 86.I think it was a 0-0 draw in the Lineker season. He came down our end to get his applause and got roundly abused for being a traitor. His face was a picture.

My early 50s memories of Ted Buckle were he played without his false teeth in and always looked knackered. Different era, but I had the impression that he was always given a hard time by our fans of that era.

Maybe much doesn't change.

Oh wow... Gidman hated Kendall with a passion and said some really nasty stuff about him which was totally out of the blue for me.

Sorry to go off topic here but it may be of interest to some Blues.

This has to be good news for Lukaku and Barkley. Getting that ball in better situations closer to goal will only accentuate the positives there.

The interesting thing for me is will Koeman move to a back 3 with wing backs?

Devoid of pace unless Holgate is in the side, Koeman looks like he only feels happy with Holgate in a three.

if not I expect a quick centre-half to be in before deadline day.

Yes, he looked like death warmed up but he had a tremendous shot with either foot, but he did look knackered, as you said, and looked like he could collapse at any second.

Nevertheless, he scored some important goals for the Blues. Patrick (if he's finished his tea) might come up with his goal record for Everton.

Virgil van Dijk???

Ted Buckle: 107 League and Cup appearances and 33 goals.

Didn't Kidd come via Man City?

Payet is a superb player... but!!!

I would bite my own hand off for Gylfi Sigurdsson fits the profile perfectly. Creative, strong running, dead ball specialist... mentally solid. He would inspire the Icelandic in us all... uuuuuuummpph. or however the chant goes.

New goalie too please.

For once, I think (or I hope) that its not a matter of spending the money, its doing the right deals to shift around players in order to meet the imposed budgetary requirements (free up wages) rather simply than not stumping up the cash.

Anyone with a better knowledge of FFP care to confirm or correct me?

We had David Ginola. I think Oliver Dacourt was French as well, if my memory serves me right.

Players that captained Everton and Arsenal?

Very quick, mate.

I will set the ball rolling.
Italians?

On Payet, I would love every club to come on and say they wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. Money-grabbing prick.

Joe had an American/German heritage

The man is a beast and was unfortunate in his first spell.

I know it's pie in the sky but that's who I would be buying. You don't lose that kind of talent, as he is now proving for Monaco.

I'd take another 3-0 win and to see Schneiderlin play. :-)

(Here's hoping the snow stays away!)

I don't think Van Dijk is worth the fee being branded about for him if I'm honest, I do rate him but not in the £35m+ bracket.

I'd love to see us bring in some players of his age and ability, I just think we missed our chance with him when available from Celtic, his price now is just crazy.

If we do happen to spend that type of money on a player, I'd love it to be a top class attacking player who could compliment Rom, not exactly sure who but we pay people good wages to pick these players. (Just don't let the guy who scouted Niasse use our funds!)

Goalkeeper and striker/attacking mid would be my choice 2.

If Ronny does go with a centre-half, though, I'd really hope it isn't Fonte.

Only pride to play for now so I don't see any improvement. Summer transfer window is the next thing to look forward to.

Koeman has brought in 8 players in total (albeit one on loan). Morgan Schneiderlin, Ashley Williams, Yannick Bolasie, Idrissa Gueye, Maarten Stekelenburg, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman and Enner Valencia (loan). I agree I think we'll have at least 2 maybe 3 come in this window and perhaps 1 more leaving. I want Galloway back for rotation.

When he gets his own squad is the time to judge him.

I would still Iove Koulibaly. Tah at Leverkusen looks a real gem too. Someone big and fast to command the centre of our defense.

One of my favourite Everton players was Joseph Yobo. He had a few slips in him and got a bit stale but at times he was a one man fortress and much of our solidity under Moyes was thanks to him initially.

Now I still want a top-drawer keeper, beast of a centre-half, midfield tiger and a proper No 10 (like Inchy).

Yep. I was a big fan of Joseph. Too much mileage made of his occasional slip ups (stones makes more goofs in 45 mins than Joseph managed in half a season, and he always will).

However, I want a real fuckin beast of a centre half !
Someone with character, presence and who intimidates not only the opposition, but his team mates.

Put an end to "Nice Everton"!

Ratters was the business, fast as fuck, determined but with the ruthlessness of an assassin. Ask Kevin Moran. Knocked him out cold on the centre spot in the opening minute. Loved that!

Plus, he scored for me at "Our Old Ground" against "The Whale hunters".

Here's one that got away: Alfred John Schofield (A.J) sometimes Joe Schofield played for Everton from August 1895 till August 1900 and then transferred to Newton Heath. According to my friend, James Rees, who is a descendant; 'He then went to Newton Heath which then became Man Utd, and played for them till 1907.

His first match with United was against Glossop on 01-09-07. He had 157 appearances for Man Utd in the league and 22 in cup matches. (Total 179). He scored 30 league goals and 5 cup goals for them (Total 35)'

James inherited a medal awarded for the 'Football Combination Championship' with AJ's name on one side and the Everton logo on the other.

We tried in vain to unearth a photo of him in his Everton days but could only find one in Man Uretd strip. If anyone has one let me know.

This really is one for the pub quiz in the Wilmslow.

I really hope that isn't our spending done but I suppose it depends on the kind of players were after?! Koeman did say he only wants his No 1 targets this month and if he can't get them then he will go without and won't just bring players in to make do. So if we are in for say, Van Dijk, then we won't be signing him or another centre-back I bet even though imo we desperately need one!

Still think we need some better quality brought in for out wide. I think we will probably see Depay come in. Koeman wouldn't make the noises he did about him leading up to January and then not go through with trying to get him surely?! This one could drag out throughout the window though as I think we probably fancy a loan right now compared to a permanent deal.

But we could do with a better option for down the right. What we have at our disposal currently just isn't good enough imo so we need some quality out there.

We look to be wanting to get a target man through the door this month in Belfodil and tbh I don't know a great deal about him. I know a few years ago he did okay at Parma and earned a move to Inter but that didn't work out and from there he moved from club to club and ended up in the Middle East and then released from there and now he's at Standard Liege and seems to of found a bit of form. But previous to that his record wasn't great, not the most prolific goal scorer you ever see but obviously Walsh and his team have seen something in the lad to recommend him to Koeman and Koeman likes enough about him to want to sign him so I guess we need to trust their judgement.

I think Koeman is wanting a centre-forwardin the Pelle mould that can hold the ball up and link play, get our attacking players more into the game in the final third. We all know that part of the game isn't a strong point of Lukaku's and he struggles and it looks like Koeman is trying to bring someone in to help take up some of that burden off of Rom in games, wether that's playing directly upfront with him from the off or from off the bench at times.

But if we only end up signing Lookman, Schneiderlin, Belfodil & possibly Depay, would we all be happy with that? That alone could be a big lay out but personally I think we will need more than that. Add a centre-back and another, more first team ready winger to that list and for this month I'd be more than happy with that. Then come the summer it would be about fine tuning and we could go and get another centre-back, a top goalkeeper, a creative central midfielder that chips in with goals and a couple more better quality squad fillers (right-back & left-back competition, centre-forward option) to sort the team out a bit more.

Alfred Schofield at Man Utd

The Everton collection has a photo of the 1897-98 team, it's not very clear and doesn't have a list of the players in the photo. It probably doesn't include Alf, as he didn't appear for Everton too often, during that season, but you never know.

1897-98 team photo

The first mention of him to appear on the excellent Blue Correspondent site is in Sept 1895 as he played in a reserve match against Leek.

Blue Correspondent Sept 1895

Apparently "Shaking hands with Tansey" was service slang for something rude...

I'm pleased about the news and we'll see how they perform against Man City this weekend.

I know talk is cheap but I love it when someone at least has the decency to make the right noises.

I like your sentiments on Payet but it's far too late now. Clubs should have taken such action back in 1999 when Pierre van Hooijdonk did the same to Forest as Payet is now doing to WHU. By failing to stand behind Forest then, they allowed the genie that is player power out of the bottle.

Sadly, that won't happen and the Hammers will be forced to ship him out as they won't want to pay his big wages too long as a non-starter although there may be a stipulation in some contracts about wages being frozen upon refusal to play.

If your links don't work, after the "Everton" issue you've identified before, the second cause seems to be a line break [br] in HTML-speak creeping in at the start of the embedded link that may be the cause.

Just saying!