ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Hit or Miss

I like most would like Everton to sign the best possible players for our team and I get disappointed every day with the news of "no new signings". It now seems that maybe another one has passed us by in the name of Alan Smith. But wait, is this such a good thing? I cannot remember him being a prolific scorer of goals except one season for Leeds. Then take a look at the other players we have missed out on in recent years — Scott Parker: mercinary, goes where the money is; Emre, does not break any pots for me; Milan Barros, where is he now? Mikel Forssell, crocked again.

I am sure there are others! I am not saying Alan Smith would not be a good asset to the team but we do now seem to have a core of players that are loyal to the club and not just themselves. I am sure Arteta had a few offers but look where he stayed — loyal. These are the player we need.

Yes, we need more numbers in the squad but not at the risk of the team morale and the "spend for spending's sake" teams that seem to be in the Premiership at the moment. I would not bet on West Ham being above us come the end of the season, would you? Can you recall the signing of the two Argentine world beaters on deadline day last season and the fans saying that the league was as good as there is on Sky Sports, they scraped in to staying in the Premiership on the last day.

Come on, you Blues. Sixth or higher finishing above the mighty spenders of Newcastle, West Ham, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Manc shitty etc will give me great glee and let them keep spending there ill-got gains on no hopers.
Paul Lovatt, Leigh Lancs Posted 02/08/2007 at 18:17:06

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Gavin Ramejkis
1 Posted 02/08/2007 at 19:58:49

One minor thing with anyone detracting from another failed signing is that in Smith it was a player DM wanted, it’s different if it was only paper talk but if DM had what seems a miniscule target list and we seemed to have missed the majority of these then who does that leave us with; an even smaller squad with two strong players out injured before a ball has been kicked in anger.

Ray
2 Posted 02/08/2007 at 20:29:12

Thsi is exactly why we need a big squad..The season has not yet started but we have already lost two of our biggest goal threats to potentially long term injuries..I will have anyone a bet we dont see Cahill before the start of October..Another point..Can we really afford to sell Beattie no matter how tempting the Sheff Utd offer is?. I dont think we can..Everyone was thinking selling Beattie would pave the way for Smith to come in but it looks like all its for is to fund the Baines deal..That for me is a disgrace..Is there any player out there who we can afford?. Would we be able to sign Ronaldinho if he was available for 6 million?. Or Gerrard?? Whats happened to Everton these days?. The coffers should have been swollen this summer not only by the T.V money but our league position gave us 7.5 million in prize money..Im disgusted by our situation now.

David Chait
3 Posted 02/08/2007 at 20:47:33

I feel I have to say something about Parker being branded a mercenary... why? Because he joined Newcastle? He was awesome for Charlton, and the only consistently good thing in Newcastle. I for one still feel he would be the final piece in our midfield jigsaw. Yes they do have money seekers, but Parker has never shown he is anything other than a professional. Anyway, I for one wouldn’t mind seeing Smith in our side. Would give us even more street cred.

Gavin
4 Posted 02/08/2007 at 21:23:19

I read this on the toffeeweb website, WToffeeWeb understands that Everton have agreed a deal with Manchester United and Alan Smith but that the announcement won’t be made until the eve of the ballot on "The Kirkby Project" so as to maximise the "feelgood" factor ahead of the vote.

As our source says of his source, "I know he’ll be dead pissed off with me for sharing this but just had to show everyone how cynical these buggers are!"

We have no idea as to the veracity of the information so, as usual, don’t shoot the messenger! We’re just passing this stuff on..."

Isn’t this liable?

It seems toffeeweb and Ben were talking nonsense about alan smith because he has been on sky tonight talking about his move to newcastle. Why have people got this so wrong?

It seems Moyes has got it wrong too, we missed out on a 4.5m nugent and have yet to sign any attack minded people which has recently been highlighted as a major mistake considering the fact that cahill and vaughan are out for a few months. On tgop of that Moyes has agreed to sell beattie which will reduce our squad even further!

I hope moyes has a plan otherwise we are in the shit.

Mike Oates
5 Posted 02/08/2007 at 21:53:06

How can we make any more signings before deadline - were broke and to make matters worse we’re not even negotiating with anyone - as all the lads are tied up elsewhere
BK - auditioning for next Celebrity Big Brother, Bully is fully occupied in getting ballot right. Moyes is busy ensuring that we do move from Bellefield to Finch farm a month late , Grantchester has done a runner as his only task this year was to ensure that the move was done on time on cost. Irvine is taking players to Formby sands everyday and making them run up dunes 87 times as we have no balls as they are in Moyes’s vans . Rathbone is hiding somewhere as he told Moyes’s that Cahill was now fit to resume playing.
And we aiming to become a Top 4 club ?

roy coyne
6 Posted 02/08/2007 at 23:03:51

I will be glad when the window closes as I am sick of us being made to look fools .As has already been said if its paper talk it matters not but Smith like him or loathe him was wanted by Moyes as with Baines are we now going to see Biffa turn down Sheff utd and Kenwright tell us him staying is like a new signing

Chris Dottie
7 Posted 03/08/2007 at 07:32:17

I agree whole-heartedly with Paul Lovatt’s original post - I think DM has done enough to earn our trust and I can’t understand the overwhelming negativity amongst blues at the moment. If you go to buy a car and the garage offers you a Ford Focus for 50k would you expect your mates to take the piss because you only had a short shopping list and weren’t able to buy anything ?

Scott Parker wanted 60k a week, which is 15k a week more than our top 4 earners. If you buy him, you either risk losing AJ, Cahill, Arteta and Yobo or you increase their salaries to match, which is an extra cost of 3M per year, on top of what you are paying Parker. Is he a decent player ? Yes. Is he worth that ? No.

Similarly, do I like the look of Nugent and Richardson ? Yes, useful additions. Do I think we should have paid 9M on the 2 ? Absolutely no way.

Finally, can I just remind everyone of the worst close season in living memory, with board wranglings, Trevor Birch leaving his car running, losing our best player on deadline day and "only" getting in 2 untried lower division players in Bent and Cahill. What happened next ?
Keep the faith, blues.

Milo
8 Posted 03/08/2007 at 09:47:03

Paul, from Leigh, I just thought I’d query your comment which included Newcastle as one of the summer’s ’might spenders’. As a Toon fan, I must say this is completely wrong. We’ve brought in six players and released nine, with a net spend of only £1.5m.