Klaassen seals Werder Bremen move

I for one will be following his progress in Germany and hoping he does well.

Has to be one of the most hopeless players I have even seen.

It was always on the cards we would take a heavy loss when his inevitable departure came about. It was interesting that his old club, Ajax, were never remotely interested in taking him back on a similar deal, despite him being club captain?

I wish him well, he never once moaned or sulked about the lack of first team opportunities at Goodison, some weeks he didn't even make the 16 man squad!!

I think in a few years time, we will look back and realise what an absolute tosser Koeman was at Everton, from tactics to team selection, but most of all, the amount of money squandered on players.

I will be fascinated to see how he gets on in Germany.

Wish Davvy all the best. He never moaned or stopped trying from I’ve seen. Still think there’s a very good footballer in there who will emerge again if well managed in the right team.

We’ve done well to shift his wages on and must now do the same with Bolasie, Williams, Martina and Mirallas to name a few.

I think of this as reducing the wage bill and getting some money into the transfer coffers than worrying about what we lost.

Certainly can't fault his attitude, or his willingness to fight for his place.

Koeman was probably as bad as Mike Walker.

Ajax could never get near his wages due to Dutch wage caps etc.

On an accounting basis we've just about broken even on him and, of course, we get him off the wage bill.

I wish him all the best as he hasn't complained, or moaned.

We are now in a similar situation with Richarlison.

Good luck to him, though, and I hope things get better for him.

Koeman and Everton made him a multi-millionaire where probably his kids and their kids won't have to worry about money.

No doubt he can play in the slower less physical Dutch league – he just wasn't very good for us. Onwards.

He was like a really bad version of Naismith. I just don't get all this crap about he was treated poorly blah, blah I'd love to be utter shite at my job, offer nothing, refuse to go to Napoli because it would affect marketing rights, play a handful of games where I'm an embarrassment... and we make him a multi-millionaire!!

I don't want to say what I really think in case anyone is reading in Germany... Ajax made him captain to increase his value – they played a blinder.

Who's Derek?

True, he isn't quite in the same category but we are paying twice as much money for a player who has failed to score since last November. We are hoping but cannot be certain that Silva will get the best out of him and the fee will be justified.

I wonder if any other manager would have paid £35m - £50m for him?

I recommend a watch of that 2017 Europa final. It says everything and reveals him as exactly how he looked for us. He'd struggle with the pace and bustle of a library. A perfect display of how to hide from passes by staying static and close to or almost behind the nearest opponent, until the teammate in possession looks for someone else that actually wants the ball.

Not his fault he was brought here but I suspect he was shitting himself from the off.

Frees up a lot of money for new signings.

You know that things aren't going well for you at a club when you can't get into a midfield as mediocre as our current crop of non-performers.

All the best, Davy.

We have massively overspent on players even if they had performed to expectations. Most haven't. We have not been in a bidding war with other clubs in any of the cases where we shelled out huge fees for players. This makes the situation even more puzzling and me question the negotiating strategy and skills of those responsible at our club.

I had expected that the new management team and structure would deliver far better performance in the transfer market, which is why the Richarlison fee has come as such a shock.

The overspend could have been committed to the new stadium or even more players if we had bought at the going rate. I look at the diminishing expectations/specifications for the new stadium where an extra £50 million would make such a difference. If we continue on our present 'buy high, sell low' path, I doubt whether there will be a new stadium at all.

Nonetheless, I hope that Klaassen is successful at his new club and wish him all the best.

I'll be fascinated to see if Werder Bremen can get a tune out of him. Good luck to, Davy.

Maybe we could give Moyes a job as head of scouting, player acquisition, and cheque signing. His career and reputation have fallen off the edge of the world so he's available. Thing is though, he wouldn't cost us anything in a transfer fee but Everton being Everton we would probably give him £60M as a signing-on fee.

Bottom line, he wasn't good enough, as with a number of players they have brought in during the last 10 years, and there are a few more to get shut of yet.

I think Gana is okay. He breaks the play up but that's all he's got. For me, we don't have anyone capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck or that can carry the ball forward and dictate play. Other teams pass through our midfield like it isn't there.

I remember seeing an interview with Silva when he took over at Watford and the first thing he said he knew he had to get into the side was pace and energy. This is exactly what we need, in my opinion, from a new midfielder – someone who can carry the ball forward, pick a pass, and weigh in with a few goals.

I would love to hear your point view on your beloved Klaassen's exit!

Didn't happen in the end. We had to let him go, he was rubbish. He was rubbish.

Mike (#21), no, Ajax didn't "make him captain to increase his value" – they made him captain because by every account he was a universally respected leader in their club. Even if he wasn't their best player.

It isn't his fault he lacks the natural talent to succeed in the Premier League. And it isn't his fault we overpaid for him.

I'm not comparing him to these players, as such, but if we were gifted David Silva, Xavi, even Christian Eriksen... we'd end up fucking them over too.

What would the combined loss be selling Williams, Klaassen, Bolasie, Schneiderlin and Keane?

Various estimates came up but all of them basically fell in the £35M to £60M range, Klaassen already started the ball rolling now with a 10M loss.

Personally I would give Keane another season as he is a better player than he has shown but that's by the by.

Anyway, good luck, Davy; I hope and expect you to do well in Germany.

Why the need to look back and reflect on Koeman's performance? We already know!

What an absolute shite squad we've got. Here's hoping the new regime has a bit more up their sleeve than the last two had or we are stuffed. We'll be lucky to finish top 10 with this squad, it's that bad.

How the hell do you buy young and still lose a fortune?

The one thing I will not forgive, is that he failed to persuade the other deadwoods to follow a similar path, or follow him Pied Piper style! 🤔

What a way to spend it!

Due diligence is not a strong suit at EFC and he joins a very long list of transfer failures:

Per Krøldrup – couldn't head a ball;
Claus Thomsen – turning circle of a super tanker but not as quick;
Stefan Rehn – came on as a sub and got subbed in same game;
And all the others... too many to mention.

Good luck to him as he did wear the royal blue and white.

I presume we're covering some wages or gave him a one-time pay-off, so the net fee we receive will actually be much less.

I'm guessing we just about come out of it with a zero balance sheet. It's a shame we couldn't have capitalised on it. Nice one Koeman, superb legacy you have left us.

I thought you guys from the 80's were known as Steel Blues, there was definitely a fan club then, when we were winning things. I'm an ‘authentic' blue but I have lived in Sheffield for 18 years. Some guys I used to work with told me about the Steel Blues, but I think the 1990's killed it.

Revive it, mate. Go for it. I'll sign up. However, if we sell Pickford to Chelsea I'm out for good. Because seriously, what is the point then? You can't help being negative as an Evertonian but I'm trying to stay positive.

Klaassen needs to be the first of ten departures, and five ruthless, skillful winners need to come in, hopefully in the next two weeks. Even then, Silva will struggle to integrate the team, and I'm prepared for another long hard season. But I believe Silva needs at least two seasons, and that's what I'm ready to give him, even if this campaign is really poor.

But I'm sure it won't be, there will be signs of something progressing. Please, God...

Heey, Davy, you know your problem, you just weren't playing for Man City. Instead, you were not man enough for the Premier derriere, too Dutch – not butch. No matter your skills were wasted in a chips, mayonnaise and saveloy of a team, dreamt up in a Moshiri-Walsh-Koeman slow-food diner (let's not forget Bill – he must be in there somewhere).

Thank goodness you never appeared in the black and pink – it would have pushed half of ToffeeWeb to the brink. Some here mocked rumours of your image rights – believe me, the ToffeeWeb "let's be a ruthless, steeely, manly business cut and cull, "Who cares about brutal billionaire oligarchs?" Let's kick everyone in sight, back four are kicking the life out of your afterimage, hacking you down at the back.

But, don't doubt, there are many here who appreciated you, wished we had unwrapped a genuine School of Science toffee transfer and now genuinely wish you the best. Davy, good luck at Werder Bremen. Sorry we wasted your time.

If (as we all seem to agree) this is correct... Why the hell are questions of everyone involved not being asked and more heads rolling?!?

Throwing away £10m with such a simple mistake? If this was Walsh's and Koeman's fault, Moshiri and Kenwright should be at least coming out and apologising for the utter shambles that resulted in them employing such incompetent staff and then following it up with the employment of the Gravy monster and some of his purchases.

I remember having some optimism last year for about two weeks. This year, I hope the total lack of optimism I feel is balanced out with some solid management and players who actually give a shit about wearing Royal Blue.

Good luck, mate.

Koeman doesn't use his Kloggs, the club in my view must have deemed Davy Klassen was beyond coaching.

You don't become a bad player overnight... but, day by day, it must have been a massive jolt to his mojo.

I hope he does well at Werder Bremen; interesting to see how he fares.

Good luck in Germany... if only 12 months on and it does feel that the life is being squeezed out the club.

I hope we don't loose Pickford!

Did Moshiri learn? Nope! Still a few more (waste of space) to get rid of. Mr Sandro, step this way please.

Good luck to them? No way! They have enough of that already.

It seems rare recently that anyone expensive plays well for us actually. Lukaku, Fellaini and perhaps Yakubu bucked the trend.

Will we get a percentage, Bill? Nooo, this is Everton!

Goodbye to £9 million... again, waste of money and time.

Show us what you got Silva etc. How deep is your pocket Mosh... feel sorry for em.

Fellow Toffees, Ever thought (nothing but the best thoughts) about the nightclub where your mate pulls the bird you fancied? (Apologies Everton Women – no real excuse but I'm trying to reach some of my brothers.)

Move on – next! You bought her 9 million drinks! You were robbed! Move on! But she was looking gorgeous wasn't she – let's not be technical, maybe that's part of why it hurts. The German got her. Maybe that's why she had to be a bit below your level, so yes, move on!

Hey guys, I know we are talking Davy here, but show some steel, be strong, use your arms to embrace the loss of what might have been!

Link

He was as much a victim of Everton's wasteful transfer policy last season as a symtom of it. Like many, I wanted him to come good for us, but it simply never did.

I saw one live game at Goodison Park last year – the cup game against Sunderland. I wrote of that night that, based on the performances of that game alone, Davies looked a better option than Klaassen.

Now Davies had a poor season second time out, but, over the course of the season, he still remained the preferred option to Klaassen. I think Davy has the ability. Now we will discover if he has the capacity and resilience to rebuild his career elsewhere.

Worth taking a hit on the fee to free up his salary and squad berth.

Regarding those comparing Richarlison to him, get a grip. The lad, aged 20, played 67, yes 67, senior league or junior international games in the calendar year 2017, without a week's break. Might explain why he was fucked in late November last year, and carried forward to the end of last season, in which he played every Watford game.

I only saw the last 15 mins last night, and he did enough to convince me he will be a player. We just need another 6 to go with him, Jordan, Seamus, Gana and Gylfi.

Klaassen by his own admission feels that Werder Bremen will play to his strengths. That was never going to happen at Everton last season. It was a side in transition and no-one, the managers included, knew what the best side was. Also having Sigurdsson and Rooney, the record buy and prodigal son, he never stood much of a chance!

I really hope he does well in Germany. I wouldn't normally want a player to prove us wrong after losing £10m on a transfer, but Davy was a victim of circumstance and wanted to succeed at Everton as much as we wanted him to.

The difference for me is two-fold:

1. He never had anyone looking for that first-time pass. Players needed three touches before they bothered offering themselves.

2. He was expected to do a defensive job and physically wasn't up to that.

I feel like a broken record on this topic but it's very rare that players make it to this level without having ability. The question is whether a team can play to their strengths. Klaassen's strengths never fitted our style of play and his weaknesses were exposed. A total transfer and team management blunder. Bought the wrong guy and then played him wrong.

This is where a DoF comes in. Pick a style of play and then choose players who have those attributes.

It's basically why Leicester were able to do what they did. For example, if you're going to sit deep, have two grocks at the back to clear everything. No point paying for a cultured centre-back there where his skills are negated.

Us? We play immobile defenders high up the pitch! We pick strikers with limited pace and then play long balls over the top. We haven't made any sense for a long time.

Over to you, Mr Brands.

Remember Beardsley? Always one step ahead of the Everton players around him. It wasn't that he'd played a shit pass; it was actually a great pass, just the player who was supposed to be on the end of it wasn't because they couldn't think ahead.

Good footballers find space on or off the ball. We seem obsessed with pace, power & running with the ball, hence players like Bolasie, Walcott, and Zaha.

Clearly, it's why we are so successful and the top 6 + Euro elites are so jam-packed with English players full of "Premier League experience"(yawn), right.

Well done for the Blues on here for showing a bit a class.

Whilst I would agree that we are an average if not below-average team, to excuse Klaassen on this, I cannot agree with. Shou playing with players below Klassens level.

Where he showed up well is playing in a slow-paced league without any pressure applied; that is a level below Premier League standard at Club Ajax who are miles ahead of most other Dutch Clubs.

Well, good luck, Davy.