ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Aren't we supposed to be improving??

I thought the purpose of the transfer window was to improve your squad? Now, with Fernandes gone never to return (terrible mistake on our part, should have pulled out all the stops to sign him as I was generally excited when him and Arteta played together last season) and only the Jag brought into the ?first? team, surely this cannot really be classed as improving our team.

Jutkiewicz (18 years of age & only 13 starts for Swindon) will not START a single Premiership game for us next season, I guarantee you. He was bought for the future. And the resigning of Da Silva... well, he will probably get a few cup games if he's lucky to add to the whole 6 minutes already under his belt, this cannot be classed as a move forward now can it!?!

This is no disrespect to Jagielka but I'd rather have Fernandes in the middle of the park than him any day. So, unless Moyes pulls out some classic buys in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, we have not improved our first team no matter which way you try dressing it up, this will be a mistake and will cost us dearly!!

I personally think we did very well in the league last season (no cup run yet again tho!!) and need to kick on. The one signing so far signals we have not even got the balls out of the bag yet. Bottom line is, we have a decent squad but we NEED to improve, say otherwise and you are running on false hope and blind faith. I am not either a Moyes lover or hater, I just want Everton to succeed. For this to happen we need more investment than the measly £4 million already spent this summer; it's not all about the money as Moyes has demonstrated in the past but it sure helps.

I know some people are saying "Wait and see what happens" but it's my right as a blue to question ALL things regarding MY club and not just sit round and hope, pray that it all turns out fine and dandy in the end... haven't we already done that one??

Prove me wrong, Davey, and tell Kenwright to blow the cobwebs off his wallet and get his arse in gear, Panto! I mean pronto!!!
Chris Mckenny, Huyton Posted 16/07/2007 at 10:40:03

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Dutch Scaffaer
1 Posted 16/07/2007 at 14:21:37

Dickie Wright, Sandro Pistone and Gaz Naysmith have improved the squad by their absence.

Something could still be sorted out regarding Fernandes, who lets be fair is a very good player but £11 million??? No way Moyes is going to pay that, a season long loan maybe.

Youngsters like Jutkiewicz, Rodwell, Vidarsson and Boyle have hopefully all improved over the summer and will provide some support.

When you weigh it up:-

Losing Fernandes: BAD

Losing Wright, Pistone & Naysmith: GOOD.

Signing Phil Jagielka: GOOD.

Youngsters improving/developing: GOOD.

Improved AVDM: Jury Out.

I would argue Everton have taken a small step forward this summer but its only a small step and not what most of us were looking for, especially if the others around us have taken bigger steps.

Connor Rohrer
2 Posted 16/07/2007 at 14:45:30

Im sorry Dutch but Wright, Pistone and Naysmith are squad players and will be needed. Vidarsson is to lightweight. Boyle has been out for a whole year. Jutkiewicz is not ready. Rodwell is still a kid along with the likes of Agard, Kissock and Molyneux.

So I would say we have worsened. Jagielka is a good signing but is he actually going to be in the first eleven. Is Moyes going to drop Neville, Carsley or Yobo for Jags? I very much doubt it. It is good to see a leaner and much fitter AVDM but can we trust him I dont no.

Losing Fernandes for me is the biggest loss. He and Vaughan in my opinion, are the main reasons we qualified for europe. Before the Arsenal game we where looking a very dull team and then Vaughany and Fernandes gave us that extra bit of spark. Fernandes for 8-12 million? Why not. If we want to improve we need to start taking chances. Reo-coker for 8.5 million. Scott Parker for 7 million. These are players who are older yet nowhere near the ability of Fernandes and are going for huge amounts of money. This shows that the premiership is moving on. Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Man utd, Spurs, West ham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Newcastle and even Wigan are spending money. We have to change with the times.

Jake Stevens
3 Posted 16/07/2007 at 16:25:06

Just a quick comment:

Say if we did sign Manuel for £12m, providing he didnt get a horrific injury (god forbid), can we seriously see us making a loss in the future with the way the market is spiralling.

I mean look at Beatts. Bought him for 6, has been an absolute sack of sh**e and its looking like (fingers crossed) we’ll get 4 mil for him.

Fernandes is a class act and under moyes he could become a great player. Just look at Mika, his work rate is second to none.

Dithering over Fernandes will prove to be our biggest mistake, nevermind Koumas et al...

Ray Robinson
4 Posted 16/07/2007 at 17:30:23

"Losing Wright, Pistone & Naysmith: GOOD."

Dutch - only if better replacements are signed with the salaries saved!

Dutch Schaffaer
5 Posted 16/07/2007 at 18:54:45

Ray Robinson, I think losing Pistone, Wright and Naysmith is a good thing regardless of us signing anyone else.

Wright’s departure means that Turner is now back-up goalkeeper. Surely thats an improvement?

Pistone & Naysmith were left-backs and that has left us a bit short on cover but it has pushed Paddy Boyle up the rankings. Pistone never played anyway and Naysmith was very average, I think Boyle can replace Naysmith.

The only real loss is Fernandes but at £11 million you can understand why Moyes hasn’t attempted to make that permanent.

Ray Robinson
6 Posted 16/07/2007 at 19:33:15

Dutch, I’ll grant you that Wright was superfluous, given our current goalkeeping alternatives but the point I was making about the other two - probably not very well - is that we shouldn’t be depleting the squad when the it’s paper thin already. If we didn’t use these guys last season, then we’ve hardly strengthened have we - unless we put the salaries saved to good use - which we haven’t. So although we’re probably no worse off, we certainly haven’t yet made things better by getting rid.

In my opinion, Naysmith was a reasonably good squad player - nowhere near as bad as some made out but then again, vastly inferior to Valente. Nevertheless a squad player who could do a job.

Saw Boyle at Bury at the weekend by the way. Looks a good player but dare I say it on the small side?

And yes, shame about Manny.

Dutch Schaffaer
7 Posted 16/07/2007 at 19:56:18

I refuse to see the loss of Wright and Pistone as a bad thing. Neither of them have played hardly at all over the last two years.

Naysmith I’ll grant you was a semi-useful squad player but Boyle’s return from injury should be enough to replace him. And Jagielka’s added versitility helps the defence.

Sorry to disagree with you but I just dont see Everton missing Wright and Pistone because they wouldn’t have played any part. And the small part Naysmith would have played will have to belong to Boyle now.

I don’t see Everton weaker from their departures because it allows some promising youngsters to get closer to first team football, surely thats a good thing.

As I’ve said Fernandes has made us weaker but there’s still time for Moyes to bring in someone.

David Barks
8 Posted 16/07/2007 at 20:58:03

I know everybody has written this, but I really want Moyes to get Fernandes back with Everton. The kid looked like he had so much potential and quality. I know the price is high and it is 99% not going to happen and that we have all been through this talk weeks ago, but for some reason I am still holding out hope that he will be back. I want somebody though, some quality skill player that could add to the already good side we have. I do have a sneaking suspicion that the 3rd party ownership is holding us back from taking the risk.

Ray Robinson
9 Posted 16/07/2007 at 21:41:02

Dutch, I think we’re actually agreeing but you see the offloading of the three 3 players as a chance for the likes of Boyle to come through, whereas I think that the money saved on their salaries should be used to get replacements in.

Of all the youngsters on show at Bury on Saturday, I can’t see anyone breaking through just yet. The best player was probably the No 7 (Morrison?) and I’d never heard of him previously.

Dave Turner
10 Posted 16/07/2007 at 21:48:36

On the Fernandez thing.

From my reading of the whole situation. Benfica wanted 8million for him, but that was for them.

He is owned aswell by a third party who supposedly wanted 4million.

It one of those strange messey situations that seem to pop up in modern day football. I think possibly if the total free was 8million, Everton would have seriously gone in. But 12 is just too much for a club in our position financially.

I would love aswell to see the lad back next season, however, I think the only practical way that will happen is on loan, and I am not going to hold my breath over it.

Another thing has also struck me, is that, no one else has seemed to make a move for him. And to be fair, I am a bit surprised by that.