Who Will Blink First?

Or maybe we are plain old skint again.Thats what I have heard these past couple of days but dont understand how it can bo so.

We enquired about bringing in Koumas on the never never and got
the knock back from West Brom.

If we cant afford him God help us.

You are a wind-up, surely?

Moyes has money, and i believe lots of it. If we take into account our 6th place finish and the extra tv income for next season, Everton would have budgeted last season for maybe 12th/14th place. This gives him extra money for transfer not even including the bounty that sky tv have so happily parted with.

I just think that Moyes is risk averse. I doubt he will buy Fernandes and its a risk he should most certaintly take given the amount of money being paid for average players at the moment. £12m seems a lot, but that is now the going rate and the board have to realise this. If he is going to be at the club for 10 seasons, then thats £1.2 a season. Not bad at all.

Also, theres no getting away from the fact that Arteta wont want to stay if Moyes and Everton do not show intent in the transfer market.

On a side note, i would rather two quality signings come in than five average players.

Jagielka and Fernandes on a years loan are my predictions. Dont expect to see much more.

Realistically Moyes has to buy 5 or 6 players, we clearly need a right back as Hibbert is too inconsistent and proved to be too injury prone. Lescott will keep the LB position and a new CH needs to be brought in. We have the makings of a good possibly great midfield if Cahill and Arteta stay fit, add Fernandes with any one from Ozzie/VdM and PN/Cars filling the wing/holding positions. Jag’s will be an extrat utility player but we need the flair of Fernandes that can change a match...God knows we don’t have a Berbatov or Keane, AJ had a reasonable season, but much the same as Beattie in his first. We also in my opinion need to be securing some good 17/18/19 yr olds that can come in as reserve playes as per JV and VA have come through when first choice are injured. We don’t seem to have enough up and coming youngsters!! So imho, 3 big signings and 3 youngsters and keep most of the present squad as back up - it’s gonna be a long season with 3 cups and a fight to qualify for Europe and we need all the experienced back up players possible.

Why would we want to waste £12m on Fernandes? Yes, he has flashes of great skill, and he scored one great goal, but for £12m we would want someone who knows how to defend and doesn’t go missing for big parts of a game. And there is no way that Moyes is going to spend that much money on a player who doesn’t give his all and has not bonded with the other players.

First, with regard to how much money Moyes will have to spend, I believe that we still owe up to £6.8M on Johnson and Lescott. As I recall, we only paid £5M up front for AJ (out of £8.6M) and £2M for Joleon (out of £5M). Unless that money was allocated 12 months ago, and EFC do not have a good record in this area, our spending power could be seriously dented this summer.
Today the rumour mill has turned again to Yaya Toure (£8M?). Is this another Kenwright smokescreen (remember the ridiculous bid for Alan Smith a few years ago) or merely media mischief? Could we seriously compete with Barcelona or Roma. Perhaps if the lure of the EPL is great enough we may have a chance. Can you imagine Toure AND Fernandes in the same Everton midfield...wow!! Nice dream anyway. I watched Fernandes the other night for Portugal U21 and I think I can understand now why Moyes is not entirely convinced. Perhaps a loan is a good option but I would like to see a rider that it is with a view to make the move permanent in 12 months time if he improves sufficiently next season. I believe that Jagielka will be a good signing if we can get him. Personally I have no problem with the idea of Naysmith going in the opposite direction. We should offload Beattie, it will be difficult for him to win back any kind of respect from EFC fans now, VDM and possibly McFadden as well. McFadden has had 4 years to prove himself but he still can not command a regular 1st team place. Money from selling those three could provide the funds to bring in another striker, possibly Nugent, without using current transfer funds. Offloading current players has the downside of shrinking the overall squad, so clearly we would need a few ?bargains? if possible. My possible selections would be Stephen Hunt ? Reading (£1.5M max) left midfield, Michael Kightly ? Wolves (£3M max) midfield (great prospect), Leighton Baines ? Wigan (£3M) left back, Johnny Evans ? Man Utd (nominal) long term replacement centre back. Probably an exaggerated dream sheet but it might cause some comment!!

Transfer fees are only part of the problem - spiralling wage demands are the hidden cost. To compete for the £8-10m players now you are having to pay at least £50k per week - that’s about £2.5m for every year of their contract. So the prima facie cost of buying the player is only half the actual cost. When bidding for a new player, the nouveau riche clubs (Chelsea, Villa, Barcodes, West Ham....and now the RS) can easily pay the transfer fees and fund the wage bill too; this is where we are at a significant disadvantage - and where we are relying on Moyesey’s (and Kenwright’s) guile. To the untrained eye it looks like we’re under-bidding on the fees...

hmm.. I actually dont mind too much about the lack of transfer inactivity at the moment.. just as long as it doesnt spur on too much. I like Jagielka.. we should sign.. his versatility could be vital and he could play centre back when Yobo’s off to the Africa Cup of Nations.

But I’d rather have a winger instead of a centre midfielder.. why so much speculation on centre midfielders? Toure, Barton, Jagielka etc we need a winger (preferably left footed) to help Arteta dictate play. I like the idea of Stephen Hunt,which someone suggested earlier, he showed his class this season and wouldnt be too expensive I dont think, but I’d rather see a foreign classy player, maybe the young Swiss winger Barnetta from Leverkusen. Dream buys in this category would be Riquelme or Van der Vaart, even though they’re not technically wingers, but can play anywhere in midfield. I’d love a huge signing for us, to show Moyes’s ambition and to shows Everton can attract big names.

Fair point Ben. I mentioned Toure because he is the flavour of the day on the rumour mill. Personnaly I don?t think we have a cat in hell?s chance of signing him. As for central midfield, the thought of relying on Phil Neville in that postion horrifies me. I want to see this great club move forward not backwards. No problem with PN as captain at right back but not midfield.

I have said for a while that with regard to EFC intent this summer who we ship out will be as significant as who we bring in. Wright & Pistone have already gone (zero input last season), while Beattie, McFadden, Naysmith and VDM provided very little. Even if we only trade one for one; i.e. six out and six in, as long as the six incoming are immediately effective squad members then I believe we will have gained. It would of course be preferable if we could bring in as many as eight but that is probably unlikely.

I do agree with you 100% that we need a left sided midfielder to take some of the heat off Arteta. Central midfield is every bit as important though if we are to truly get the best out of AJ and the rest. We currently rely far too heavily on the long ball and particularly the ball over the top towards the corner flags for AJ to chase. While this can occasionally be effective it is not really where we want AJ to be. It would be great to have a couple of midfielders who are capable of picking out a class ball into the channels where AJs first touch is in sight of goal. Then we could realistically expect a 20+goal season return from him.

I think Moyes did say at the end of last season there would be no quick deals, unlike last year. So there you have it, Moyesy told you so.

I think we definately need to bring in more players than we have, both in quality and as squad players a we will have a gruelling season if we have a half decent run in the cups, uefa cup and finish top 6 again! If we do not bring in more numbers especially a little more creativity, class and leadership (players who do not go missing and WANT the ball) then i can see us failing to land a top 6 finish, have ANOTHER crap run in the cups and yet again be a laughing stock in the uefa cup. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to seem to negative, but i am merely being realistic, if we want to move forward while we have the chance to do so and build on what we have acheived and not keep doing this frustrating yo-yo season thing.

It will be difficult as many comments have noted, prices will be over inflated more than normal due to the increased revenue gained by Premiership clubs, but i am confident that moyes is no fool and will sneak at least 2-3 quality players before next season.

As an example i would say we need:-

1. Jagielka
2. Koumas
3. Nugent/Smith
4. creative, pacey winger
5. Fernandes on loan

For the season we have ahead and if we want to progress to where we belong, this is a MINIMUM requirement, period!!

Moyes has always been cautious when it comes to signing players and he even said towards the end of this season that transfers wont come quickly like the previous season.

In some respects I'm worried about leaving signings late as they wont get enough time to blend in with the current squad and take advantage of what pre-season offers. But on the otherhand I would rather Moyes wait to get the best possible signings than rush and get poor/average ones. I agree that the transfer market at the moment is producing inflated prices and there is also the wages which account for more than the transfer itself.

Given my opinion on the transfers Everton should acquire, I believe we need a combination of both versatility and creativity. We don't have a big squad and with the African Nations Cup taking away Yobo and Anichebe from our squad weakens it further. I like the prospect of Jagielka because of his versatility and have heard rumours of Scharner as well which I feel would benefit the club. I think a young centre back like Jonny Evans from Man U wouldnt be bad cover for Stubbs, Lescott and Yobo and is someone who would develop.

As for the midfield, Joe Parkinson said it himself .. we need creativity! We as a team cannot depend on the likes of Arteta all the time, my own opinion is that Fernandes is not worth £12 million, any loan deal for him would be a welcome miracle but I would look elsewhere if we cannot obtain him. I watched Koumas in the play off final and wouldnt mind him, I feel he has developed over the last two seasons, but I feel any deal depends on the price. For creativity I would look across the continent and im sure Moyes has players in mind. I agree we need a winger, preferably a left sided one, after losing Kilbane in August, who I would get I wouldnt have a clue, preferably someone with flair and a decent cross. Our current strikers, five including Mcfadden, I feel is enough for next season, if Beattie goes than that changes things, i would prefer to see someone with years ahead of them.

One thing I would like to end on is that I feel Moyes should keep the bulk of his players as by selling even the likes of McFadden and Naysmith will weaken us further, by having fewer players and any replacements we do get needing time to gel into the squad. I would also look into the lower divisions for players. There is enough young talent there that can be explioted, just look at the likes of Lescott, Cahill and Johnson. I wouldnt be suprised if Moyes were to look into the lower divsions this summer and hope he does.

just reading the comments on this website compared to others just shows the brains of the fans compared to a lot of other sites. im glad we are being realistic, but many also see the need to be ambitious.

Football is however haunted by Risdale and his misguided leeds utd. Risdale went with the philosophy that if you spend to get into the champions league, you will end up there etc. Of course, this clearly didn’t work, and many managers/chairmen are cautious about overspending that dont have financial investment like Chelsea.

I think everton are over cautious in their budgeting sometimes, and because of this miss out on some players that Moyes would otherwise want.

This close season is just like 2 years ago when we got in Europe. Everyone was certain Moyes was biding his time but in fact he dithered and nothing happened, no striker, no nothing.. So here we go again.

12 million is a lot of money but people need to realise the affect Fernandes had on us. No he is not worth twelve million but you can understand where Benfica are coming from. They only get 6 million and the other 6 goes to whoever owns his contract.

I dont understand why people are saying he just showed flashes, he dosent defend etc. He, Arteta and Kanchelskis are the best three players I have seen at goodison for the past 2 decades. When did he ever go missing? Yes he released the ball to his own player. That is his game. He played well in every game I seen him play this season home and away.

If Everton ever want to progress we need to mix hard working British players like Stubbs, Johnson, Carsley and Lescott with foreign technically gifted players like Arteta and fernandes.

I have a feeling poor Moyes and Kenright will be outbid for their intended targets. Unfortunately there a too many billionaires floating around pointless clubs like Pompey and Villa. The best signing we could make this summer is a blue billionaire with more money than since but unfortunatly I don?t see it happening. So Moyes hold onto what you have and get your hands on Baines, Nolan, and Jagielka.

Everton has this problem: A need to strengthen the squad with at least 4-5 GOOD players, and can only afford about 3. Even if Moyes can loan Fernandes for another year(I think he should sign him if those rumoured 8£ millions are available), the club still needs a CB, a LB and a LW at the very least. If you look at the players that are linked with Everton, it would look a bit like this:

Baines(at least 4 mill)
Jagielka(4 mill if SU stays in the Championship)
Koumas(at least 3,5 mill)
Nolan(at least 4 mill)
Fernandes( unknown loan fee or at least 8 mill)

That adds up to at least 15,5 silly season millions not counting Fernandes! If Moyes can secure Nolan he won´t go for Manny of course, but I think Fernandes would be a super signing, if nothing else but to show Mikel and the other big guns that Everton means business.

If we don’t have any money then my question is, Why?
We finished 6th and have the injection of the Sky money. We have had similar crowds to Liverpool, Spurs etc. We have a relative low wage bill compared to many other teams, and Goodison can’t cost that much to run.
So again why do we not have any money to spend?
I have seen over the last few weeks on this site everyone talking about Nugent, Nolan, Koumas and Jags. I am not adverse for one or maybe two of these signing but we need players of class now to move the club forwards and create a new history for the club.
I think that the following players would be great additions, Kightly, Hunt, Ibanez, Guily, Toure amongst other players that seem to be available in the transfer market.
We need to keep up with Spurs and try to close the gap on Arse and Liverpool this coming season. We can only do that by adding quality players to the squad. I agree with the comments on PN in midfield, his distribution is not the best and is a good right back.
So come on Dave and Bill take the club forwards as you have promised and add the already fantastic history of this club.

For me the real issue over signing or not signing Fernandes is the tactics Moyes intends to play next season. Witness the Portsmouth game...a 1st half of him coming short for the ball and being completely ignored and a 2nd half where he was finally getting the ball and consequently changing the angle of play to great effect. With a hopefully refreshed Cahill to come back I can see a 4-1-4-1 again next year. With Arteta & Fernandes providing the craft, Carsley the base and Cahill the advanced player in front of goal, I believe there is room for one more taller, combatitive holding player and a jet heeled Johnson or Vaughan option up top. Add a couple of full back options and there is the makings of a squad that has enough nous and flexibility to start turning some of those drawn games into wins; whether it be Prem league, domestic cups or Europe.

following the additional money coming into the club from the tv rights, plus the 6th place finish and I do believe we were on Sky more last season than ever before, and the fact that the debt has been ’mortgaged’ so is not instantly payable, we must have 20-30mln to spend, even if we have to make payments on last year’s buys. If we don’t invest, and invest wisely, then we will never move forward. Martin Jol seems to be a perfect example of how to build a team with good buys, also Portsmouth, Bolton, Reading have all been competing this season for the UEFA places and they are nowhere near Everton in terms of support, history, and one would hope financial clout (except Portsmouth have a backer with deep pockets!) So come on BK, flash the cash and let DM get in the quality that we need.

I agree 100% with Gary - it’s great to see intellgient comments and observations on this site - similar RS forums would have you believe the shite are guaranteed to win the Premiership this season!

My thoughts follow a similar pattern to those above - we need to make a statement of intent this close season - not only to bolster our chances of finishing in a UEFA league position, but also to convince players like Arteta, Cahill, Yobo and Lescott that they should stay Blue. I didn’t mention AJ in that list because although he’s a quality marksman, I just wonder whether we shouldn’t cash in on him and use the funds to buy other players. We could use the currently inflated market environment to our advantage, raise £15m+ for AJ and buy Fernandes (or Toure) and Jags. We performed well this season when AJ was injured - and when he did play, he was often seen down the wing, in the corners and chasing back. Getting a more balanced and technically superior midfield would surely remove the need for our centre-forward(s) to operate in these areas and concentrate on the issue of goal-scoring.

I also don’t understand why AJ and Darren Bent are being mentioned in the £18m category when Owen has a £9m release clause. Granted, he’d probably go for more than £9m, but despite the pace he’s lost since he played for RS, I’d be more confident of scoring goals with him in our side than AJ. Would Owen come to us after his time at RS and feeling he owes Newcastle a debt for supporting him through injury? Who knows.
The future is bright for us up front anyway. In a few seasons JV and VA will be ready for full seasons. What about testing RS’s resolve over Crouch? He would be a perfect foil for our younger whipper-snappers. I guess it all depends on Moyes’ tactics this season. We haven’t played with 2 up front too much recently, so a target man might not be on our shopping list - and a return to the play we adopted when Big Dunc played would not be welcome, but Crouch would give us an option we lacked last season.
Ultimately, I just hope we make one (or two?) signings to set my pulse racing over the next month or so. I can’t help feeling that Spurs will finish even further ahead of us if we don’t make our mark in the transfer market this close season. For however inflated the current market is, it is likely to continue increasing - which means unless we win something this season, we will find it even harder to buy quality next season. Come on BK - dust off your wallet and get out some readies!

Moyes did say there would be no quick deals As for the midfield; Fernandes is not worth £12 million (yet).
Everton need 6 players.J.B and AVM need to go. But let the manager decide.Have a bit of patience.

Does anybody have any details of pre season games? Exiled blue needs to make travel arrangements asap. I live in USA and fingers crossed here again but Thailand wasn't too shabby.

I hope we can keep our good players and add at least two quality players.

Jagielka would be a good signing as he can play in a number of positions. We do need more creativity in midfield to complement Arteta. Koumas is over priced and not the answer. I also doubt Fernandes will stay at the club. Hunt would be a good signing. He gives 100%, provides width and can score goals.

I am not convinced by Nugent. Okay, he scored a tap in against Albania. However he is unproven in the Premiership. Alan Smith would be a good option.

Let VDM go for nothing. This makes sense rather than pay another million pounds for his beer money.

i look at it like this,we already have a team capable of finishing in top six,add 3 top players to this team(owen,smith,scholes)and get rid of some players like beattie,mcfadden,van der meyde,and bring in some lower league players on the cheap to back the team up,commons from forest looks good and i belive we could challenge top 4 and maybe with a bit of luck bring home a decent european trophy(uefa cup)and get this great club back on the map where it belongs come on david moyes we trust you

Living in Grays in Essex and having seen Michael Kightly a number of times, I thought he was a super replacement for Mitchell Cole (and a far better player) in the Conference. I could not see him in the Prem.(esp for Everton) but having seen Van De Mayde then MK gets my vote every time.