FAN ARTICLES
“Sensible Season”
Comments (16) : My point here though, is this; People have been so negative about our lack of signings in the window and I'd just like to take a moment to reflect on what people have been getting so downbeat about by taking a look at some of the more prominent players we 'missed out on'. Now I don't profess to know the ins and outs of WHY we didn't sign these players (and I do have my doubts over the sincerity of some of our 'bids'), but be it for genuine reasons or otherwise, I think that we have done very well out of what has been perceived as a terrible close season, and here's why:
Joey Barton
I was always anti this one. A good player he may be but when your team is based around team spirit, I think Mr Dabo will confirm, he's not the man for us.
Alan Smith
Straight into his combative midfield role for Newcastle. Not good enough to get the nod ahead of Martins and Viduka, do we really need MORE cover in the combative midfielder role? Not a genuine starter even under these circumstances.
David Nugent
Blue or otherwise, he would still have to work amazingly hard to get above VaughAn (when he's back), Anichebe and Johnson. Good for squad size, bad for the wallet.
If Moyes had any incling we would lose two or three of our major attacking options in pre-season mishaps, I think he would have gambled on Nugent, but a gamble it would remain. Only time will tell.
Jason Koumas
Did okay against us today but he's no world-beater. He would have been another 'making up the numbers' signing.
Enricho Gonzalez
Would have been an excellent addition, I'm sure, but for that price not even I was optimistic/naieve enough to believe it.
Keiran Richardson
Decent and relatively cheap, maybe would have been a good addition to the squad. I think we missed the boat on him, but mainly as a squad player, again not someone who would have changed our season dramatically.
Manuel Fernandes
The only one I will really rue. If we don't get Manny back and there was a chance we could have, that would be a bad miss by the Board.
It seems as though we haven't lodged a bid and we now stand no chance. If we could get him, I say go all out and spend what it takes to get him. He is proven quality.
Now I know the argument is that we need numbers, (and I don't dispute the fact) but equally, I believe that we did the right thing by signing a couple of quality players as opposed to splashing vast wads of cash on the wrong players.
Now that the funds are mysteriously available for a couple of pricier players, I'm all for it, but only if they are right for us. IF we get Manny back (or someone with some creative flair if he's not available) and another striker, then coupled with Jags, Pienar and Baines, I think we will have genuinely strengthened and simply by replacing Beattie, Naysmith, Pistone and Wright with class individuals (thus making crap bench a strong bench), we gain an element of squad depth by having decent players to fall back on. Quality not quantity.
Of course I would love to see one or two more quality signings to stand for a decent run in all competitions, but my final thought is that of Vidarsson, Jutkiewicz and Anderson. All three are of decent calibre and I don't think they get taken too seriously when counting up the numbers. I saw them all play in the pre-season against Palace and, despite being scrawny and easily muscled, I thought Vidarsson in particular gave a good account of himself and made up for his lack of brawn with excellent positional play and simple but effective passing.
Anderson also looked good and was quite creative and any experience we can farm out to Jutkewicz can only be good for the club, he looks like he will be good in the future.
My one and only genuine concern with cover we have for our first team is in goal. God forbid anything happens to Howard, not because I have no faith in Ruddy or Turner (I haven't seen much of either yet barring a couple of tentative first team outings) I just think he has been on of our best signing over the past few years (Cahill and Arteta aside) and he really sures us up.
A splash more honesty and a little less treating us like mushrooms (ie, 'keep em in the dark and feed them shit') from the Everton PR machine would be nice in terms of letting us know where we stand, but overall, not too worried and as for Europe, bring it on!
Reader Comments (16)
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2 Posted 12/08/2007 at 06:25:17
The lack of cover up front was totally unforseen. It does, however, leave us with a need for extra cover and the mention of Yakubu in the press was interesting. I’m not convinced about him but he has consistently scored goals at this level.
I would love to see Manny back permanently but like yourself I fear we missed the boat there.
I get the impression that our current board offer embarrassingly low first bids for players. Its like there at a car boot sale! There are two ways of looking at this strategy.
1. It’s all smoke and mirrors designed to appease the fans by making us think that we are going to buy someone when the offer is never going to land them.
2. The low bid strategy can get people’s backs up and I’m sure we have lost out on deals for being time wasters.
I’m all for getting value for money and I don’t want us to make expensive mistakes (Kroldrup!) but if we are to bid on the likes of Fernandez who we KNOW is class then lets put our money where our mouth is.
COYB.
3 Posted 12/08/2007 at 07:21:41
4 Posted 12/08/2007 at 09:05:50
5 Posted 12/08/2007 at 09:27:29
Its patently obvious that Jason means that as CEO of a ftse listed company, if he doesnt tell the truth concerning public statements then he can be imprisoned etc...but the you knew that ,didnt you..but lets stick the none existent knife into the non existent arguement as is your wont.
6 Posted 12/08/2007 at 10:12:28
Reference your comment designed to put doudt into Terry’s open letter "I’m not saying Terry Tesco is or isnt telling the truth" can you confirm your stance on if you believe Tesco Tel’s statement is the truth or not?.Up until this letter I was voting no, but although Im still totally pissed off with BK, Bully and the way we have been treated. As well as the leaving of Liverpool. It now appears a no brainer YES.
7 Posted 12/08/2007 at 11:09:56
8 Posted 12/08/2007 at 11:38:07
9 Posted 12/08/2007 at 12:55:06
My son won the bet..he reckoned you would have posted your usual doom and gloom today, I had you down for about 18;00 yesterday
10 Posted 12/08/2007 at 14:01:49
11 Posted 12/08/2007 at 14:26:34
Questions answered? All with no name calling beyond my light hearted opening line as an icebreaker
12 Posted 12/08/2007 at 15:05:04
How under handed can you get. Viv Talks about team Matters, transfers etc and makes some interesting observations, you somehow twist what her comments into some deluded no brainer, for the yes voters.
The only no brainer I can see here is you, How gullible are you ? - do your mates send you to buy magic beans ?
You cheer the comments made by Tesco Terry’s in his open letter - did peter Mandleson write this for him ? - and on the basis of them you urge the rest of us to sell off the body and soul of the club
With regards to what Tesco Terry says in his open letter, to use the words of sombody else very famous for selling herself " well he would wouldnt he "
He is running scared - why else would he write this peace - he’s terrified some other investor/company might just want the very lucrative deal he’s trying to get for Tesco, only inside the city
13 Posted 12/08/2007 at 15:18:23
I do think we really need a quality creative midfielder and a 20 goal a season forward at the very least in order to at least do well in the league and the uefa cup.
Yakubu? I would pay 5-6 max but not a penny more, if we buy hgim for 11m+ then it will be a waste of money.
It was obvious yesterday that we really missed Cahill and Hibbert?s passing was crap!! Neville and carsley were very very ordinary and their passing was poor also.
AJ worked hard and did well for the second goal, but for me he comes to wide too often chasing long balls and often trying to win headers against 6ft+ centre backs, this will not get him any more than 12 goals a season.
Anichebe i thought played well in parts, but seems to struggle to win headers to flick on to AJ and together they need to find a better understanding of each others game.
I really hope we do pull at least 2 fantastic signings out of the bag before the end of august!!
14 Posted 13/08/2007 at 02:19:11
15 Posted 13/08/2007 at 04:42:46
Anyway, ever the optimist, here’s to 4+ points (6 would be nice!)from visits to the Lane and Madjeski. COYB!
16 Posted 13/08/2007 at 20:15:51
Tesco Terry is running scared, every time I go to the official EFC site, I see a new pro Kirby face presenting the same old spin. Where have Tesco Terry or Wyness been for a year when we were all desperate for imformation ?
now they’re singing like a pair of canary’s
Be of no doubt, they see the loop as a very real threat to their plans and are indeed running scared, having told us there is no plan B they are hell bent on trying to rush through a yes vote, if it was so "undeliverable" why go to such pains to put together such lengthy letters ?
you say TT was throwing out a challenge to others to prove their are alternatives, he only issued challenge yesterday ! ! !
Is he prepared to give them a fraction of the two years he’s had ? I think not
You also say state you were’nt prepared to trade personal insults but you read the most one sided, loaded version thus far in this debate and declare to all " its a no brainer "
cant you see, you insulted the intelligence of not only me but every no voter out there
were both blues and you have at least found common ground in your optimism for the next couple of games I really hope your right - at least on your last point
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1 Posted 12/08/2007 at 06:43:49
Accordingly, to succeed on the pitch we need to be a successful business off it. Hense the correct business decision is Yes to the ground move to Kirkby. Read Sir Terry’s Open Letter carefully twice if you don’t get it...it truly is a NO BRAINER.