FAN ARTICLES
Fernandes — That Old Chestnut
Comments (30) : I will confess that I am one of his fans and, while he did not have a spectacular return last season, I believe he is worth a further punt. What follows may well spark a debate, but as I am the one writing this article, I will put forward my point of view....
When Manny turned up for the Blackburn game last season it was widely reported that he would be signing for us within the next 48 hours (how many times did we hear that last summer?). I personally do not believe that he knew anything about the Valencia bid at that point. If he had then it seems highly illogical that he would turn up at Goodson Park, we would simply have received a call from his agent informing us that we had been outbid and asking if we were still interested. If that did indeed happen, then we have not been told so by the board. After the match I suspect that he was ?summoned? by his agent/owners to return home where he was effectively presented with a ?fait accompli?. He still had to make the choice to sign, but was it really a difficult choice?
He was offered the chance to play in Spain, which is virtually home territory for him; he was offered a higher salary than was on the table with EFC; Valencia had qualified for the Champions League and Valencia clearly thought that he was worth the full asking price, while we had publicly said on numerous occasions that he was not. Forget football for a moment, forget, if you can, your allegiance to EFC, consider this as simply a job offer and then put yourself in his shoes. What would you have done?
Whatever the truth, he signed for them but a short while later, with the appointment of Koeman, it turned into a nightmare and I dare say he must have wished on numerous occasions that he had signed for us. Enter DM in January offering an olive branch and the chance of escape. Did Manny use that chance fully? Even as a fan, I would have to admit that he did not, at least not until the last four or five games of the season when we started to see the kind of form that had us all purring the season before.
Fundamentally, he is a good player and potentially a very good one. Why then did he struggle last season? It has been reported that he was carrying an injury and that his self belief was at a particularly low ebb. DM has himself stated that Manny is the kind of player who needs ?an occasional hug? and to generally feel wanted, which may well have some of you choking on your beer! But, we have seen/heard this kind of thing before and Manny certainly did pick up his form towards the end of the season. So, the question, should we sign him again?
I can fully understand why many fans, particularly the detractors, would say that EFC should absolutely not spend any of the summer budget (????) on a permanent Fernandes deal and, even as a fan, I would agree. There has, however, been a suggestion that DM will try to secure him on a season long loan. This, in my view, would be a clever move. Assuming that Valencia are prepared to play ball and Manny does return on loan, then DM has to make the situation crystal clear to him. This is (and must be) his final chance with EFC.
To secure a permanent move, he must prove over a full season that he is both good enough and consistent enough to warrant the club laying out a substantial fee for him next summer. In the fans? eyes, he must have at least as big an impact as Peanut last season and possibly more, given the difference in transfer fees.
Assuming that EFC are strong enough to negotiate an acceptable future transfer fee should we wish to take up the option, then a season long loan is, in my view, a win/win situation. If he does prove his worth and the fans are baying for the club to buy him outright, then we will have gained a very good season out of him for very little outlay. If he doesn?t quite convince enough for the club to consider a permanent move as being value for money, then we wave him goodbye at the end of the season, but even if this is the case, I dare say that he will have had enough good, perhaps match winning, performances during the season to make the outlay worthwhile.
Although I am not generally a huge fan of the loan system I think this one could work well for us. Fernandes has Premier League experience, he knows us (and we know him) and he knows what DM expects and demands. At a time when we desperately need to add depth to our squad, but with available funds an uncertainty, then this would seem to me to be a sound and sensible option to consider.
Reader Comments (30)
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2 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:08:00
3 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:20:10
4 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:26:04
6 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:52:20
Benfica couldn’t wait to get rid of him, sending him here, there and everywhere on loan. Portsmouth were hardly impressed with him enough to want to make the deal permanent. He’s been here twice now and still hasn’t convinced everyone. Now Valencia have pretty much admitted they made a massive mistake in buying him and can’t wait to get rid of him....
What am i missing with this guy? are we still harking back to his goal vs Man Utd or his showboating vs Arsenal?
7 Posted 26/06/2008 at 15:58:06
http://217.116.5.146/noticias/prelimin.asp?idnoticia=13783&idioma=1&IdBanner=Aleatorio
that is Manuel Fernandes in Valencia LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER turning up at Goodison. Please get your facts that support your presumptions straight. He wasn’t "summoned home" unless you think he is from Valencia. Do you really think he didn’t know as he sat through the Blackburn game what was really on the cards?
Fernandes is in his agents control which is why Koeman got rid of him twice and why his footballing stock is on the decline...
For me he would need a major change in attidude to be worth a punt...
8 Posted 26/06/2008 at 16:11:50
He is worth a punt at between £6 - £8M. Valencia are financially screwed right now, so if you offer them anything they’ll take it for a bit of cash..
9 Posted 26/06/2008 at 14:43:28
I think last year DM stated that he was not going to pay over inflated prices for mediocker players (inflated prices down to Chelsea and there endless cashflow) but Manny is worth 6-8mil all day long.
10 Posted 26/06/2008 at 16:26:30
Some of you people are just as bad as the already full of shit media. Do you really believe all you read?
To me, he is a bit of an early Gravesen. On his day, he is excellent, but his day is far too few and far between. He has flair and ability, but can you honestly say its consistent?
He is not the answer to me. Carsley wasnt the most technically gifted player ever, but consistency was his middle name. Thats what we need in that area. Fernandes just doesnt look like a player who can break up attacks, and foresee potential danger.
12 Posted 26/06/2008 at 16:46:15
Manny has the potential to run the show on a regular basis he’s young gifted and talented and all he needs to do is put those attributes together and use them week-in-week-out.
13 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:15:45
People need to actually research things before they talk bollocks saying no one wants him. Benfica got rid because Fernandes wanted to leave. He was a regular there yet obviously wanted to experience a bigger and better League which is what every young, talented player does. The likes of Nani, Anderson and Ronaldo also moved for the same reasons. You move on to better yourself.
On the Portsmouth situation: Redknapp rated him highly, the fans rated him highly but he wasn’t willing to pay 12 million for him after only three games which is fair enough in my opinion. Portsmouth isn?t a big buying club and quite frankly Fernandes isn’t worth 12 million.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11674_2390668,00.html
This link pretty much sums up how much Redknapp rated him and Portsmouth as a whole rated him. He did well there yet a deal because of the third party ownership couldn?t be agreed. At Valencia he hardly got a game. He made 7 appearances which is hardly enough to prove yourself. If where going to judge players on 7 appearances then the likes of Pienaar, Yakubu and Jagielka would have been out the door straight away. Players need time to get into there rhythm and Fernandes certainly wasn?t given that time at Valencia. He left because he and Koeman have never seen eye to eye.
Really his owners have made him move from club to club and it?s not like he?s being rejected because he?s a poor player. He has alot of talent but the fact of the matter is he isn?t a 12 million player.....yet. I thought I just clear that up.
On the current situation I?d like to see he signed permanently. I?d take a loan but realistically he needs to settle down if he?s ever going to reach his undoubted potential. Personally if I was Fernandes and we offered him another loan I?d reject it as he?s at an age where he needs a club.
Anything between 6-10 million would be a fair price in my opinion. For his potential and current ability alone he?s worth that. People have said nothing over 5 million but that?s just ridiculous. We?d never get him for around that as the transfer market is so inflated.
I?d love to watch a confident and fully fit Fernandes personally. He?s a very exciting player in my opinion when he?s half fit never mind fully.
14 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:27:24
15 Posted 26/06/2008 at 17:37:10
A ball winner is also priority. Fernandes is not a ball winner and he’s not Carsley’s replacement.
16 Posted 26/06/2008 at 18:24:07
17 Posted 26/06/2008 at 18:39:13
18 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:07:06
He is a genuine talent, who when playing with confidence, can dominate games. He has an ability to hit penatrative long passes, along the ground, that no-one else at Everton currently has.
However, he shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for Carsley. He’s more of a deep-lying playmaker like Pirlo. If we place him in the centre, alongside a decent DMC, wth Pienaar and Arteta on the wings, then we will have a midfield of real quality.
Players of his quality are few and far between. Another season on loan will simply serve to advertise his ta;ent to others and inflate his transfer fee. Buy now!
19 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:20:11
20 Posted 26/06/2008 at 19:45:43
I also do not think he is inconsistent to be honest. If he had a full pre-season and was in the right condition I think he’d be a reasonably consistent player. He was consistent in his first spell which proves when he’s got some fitness in him he can perform to a high level.
21 Posted 26/06/2008 at 20:34:32
22 Posted 26/06/2008 at 23:38:47
Will someone please call Rambo and get a 0% non repayable loan!!!
Then we could even discuss someone to partner Manny(BUY HIM) IN MF.
23 Posted 27/06/2008 at 00:35:13
I think we will really need to still play 4-5-1. That’s where we’re best and otherwise we get over run by the top sides (who effectively play a similar formation). As such, we can lose AJ to the highest bidder but we REALLY need to sign 4 top class midfielders or else we are screwed. We also need to re-sign our top class manager.
If i’m sat here in 4 weeks time still looking to answer the above then i’ll be panicking.
24 Posted 27/06/2008 at 03:59:19
25 Posted 27/06/2008 at 08:00:50
But..........
Can some of you Manny fans answer this question.
If he has such a bright future,why do we seem to be the only team linked with a move for him?
26 Posted 27/06/2008 at 08:54:09
27 Posted 27/06/2008 at 09:30:23
We didn?t try out VDM on a two year loan, we just just bought him and took the risk . With Manny there is no ?risk?, we know what we are getting.
28 Posted 27/06/2008 at 10:22:16
http://www.setantasports.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/06/26/Prem-Fernandes-to-leave-Valencia/?facets/sport-space/football/great-britain-locale/Everton/
29 Posted 27/06/2008 at 14:13:37
We should definately buy him if the opportunity is there, not to mention the readies.
30 Posted 27/06/2008 at 17:20:56
Fernandes needs stability and at the moment he isn’t getting that. Once he gets that like Mikel I’m sure he will shine.
31 Posted 27/06/2008 at 19:59:09
32 Posted 28/06/2008 at 04:21:47
The reality is that we cannot afford to spend £6-8M on any player if we don?t have £25M+ to spend or don?t sell someone who is worth a few quid.
A difficult issue that cannot be resolved until DM knows the budget. We will spend some money ? no doubt ? but it needs to spread across the minimum 5-6 players we MUST get to be able to play in Europe ? and even then we are vunerable to late season fade due to limited rotation ability.
Given the money and my druthers, I?d buy Manny given the available money as he?s a decent player. But, if I had to make a decision (like DM does) over a real quality holding midfielder at £8-10M and Manny at £6-8M I?d go for the real quality holding guy ? because we don?t have a single option in this area and cannot play without one.
So, don?t rule out us seeking another loan, as it may be the balancing act that we need to get both the quality holding player and Manny.
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1 Posted 26/06/2008 at 14:35:50
All this loan talk gets on my tits, he should just buy him and put the whole saga to bed.