ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Baines Means Heinze

Hopefully today is the day that Baines?s move to Everton is finalised. Sky were reporting last night that he?d had the first part of his medical yesterday and will have the second part today ? I?m sure its just precautionary with his hamstring injury/strain. If he does join I think it?s a great bit of business. £5million (rising to £6m) is pricey for a defender but in today?s market its not that bad. Baines is only 22 so the best is yet to come, has 2 years Premiership experience under his belt, is an England U-21 international and should be a full international sooner than later, scores some cracking goals, and appears to be a Blue. Compare that to Gabriel Heinze at Man Utd ? similar market value apparently/allegedly, he?s 29, has 3 years Premiership experience (1 of which was mostly on the treatment table), is a full international for Argentina, and in my opinion is a sly dirty player (with some more ?honest? refereeing, he wouldn?t have been on the pitch very long at Goodison a few month back).

Put against Heinze, Baines looks great value to me at the price and would be an improvement to the team, rather than just another squad player. I?m not even going to mention Gareth Bale as I feel the amount of money Spurs spent on him was utterly stupid on someone so young and untried ? it may well turn out to be a bargain but somehow I doubt it. Anyway, fingers crossed there are no complications with the medical today and Baines joins, even if he?s not fit enough to play on Saturday.
Robin Byrne, Dublin, Ireland Posted 07/08/2007 at 10:57:36

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Comments

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Allan Hobbs
1 Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:26:30

At last! Now we can all smile a little, say well done to Davey & the board for paying the money for a player I think (hope) we all wanted and maybe, just maybe, calm down with the frenzied speculation! Good buy this I reckon, hopefully we'll get a decent striker in as well, I still hold out (vague) hope that we might buy Santi Ezquerro and even Lucho Gonzalez.

Michael Ferguson
2 Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:33:30

Now lets move onto a getting a new striker. Also does anyone have any news on Gonzalez?

Dutch Schaffaer
3 Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:26:44

Baines is exactly the sort of player Moyes is attempting to build a team from. Young, passinate, pacy and a decent bloke.

Hopefully Baines will now become Everton's regular left-back, a position which has been a bit of a problem since Hinchcliffe departed and Ball failed to fill.

Everton's back four will now consist of Baines, Yobo, Lescott and Jagielka. Possibly three of those will also be in England's back four someday soon.

Garry Kirkby
4 Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:49:49

Lads, When I was a kid I used to play with Leighton Baines and he has always been a great player. One thing thats annoyed me though is that I always knew he was a red. He used to wear the kits all the time and when I kept seeing he was a blue it was driving me crazy... Now I have cracked it... have a look at this

"As a boy I supported... Liverpool. As a local lad I used to watch from The Kop when Robbie Fowler was making his name. I started out at Liverpool's Centre of Excellence and although it was disappointing when nothing came of it, I was lucky that both Wigan and Wolves wanted to sign me.I spend my cash on... My son. He's only 11 months old, so I make sure he never goes without. I haven't bought him a mini Liverpool kit. Yet!"

From the Leighton Baines interview, last year...!!! So Thats why you will see him now on the website saying, I wanted to come to Everton, I am a local lad and all my family support Everton, yeah, except him!

Brett Bradshaw
5 Posted 07/08/2007 at 11:54:09

I am so glad we have finally signed Baines! One more first team player and I will be pleased with this summers transfer activity. But will he play on Sat?

Tony Marks
6 Posted 07/08/2007 at 12:47:22

Bright News: Leighton Baines has signed! I'd just like to thank KEIOC for buying him. What do you mean they didn't? I thought they were running everything to do with the club and the supporters! Welcome to Everton, Leighton, I hope you enjoy your stay but don't unpack too much kidda coz we're moving soon.

Dan Parker
7 Posted 07/08/2007 at 14:22:49

Despite this summer not being the greatest, good to see Baines sign. We definately need another striker with Vaughan out and fatboy gone.

Richard Dodd
8 Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:39:24

Yes,another cracking piece of business by the ’Transfer Moyestro!’Odd isn’t it that just as so many Toffeewebbers were screaming for his head-some had even had him resigning,Our Davey comes up with this gem.I hear there’s more to come.Watch this space!

Tim Banks
9 Posted 07/08/2007 at 17:44:14

In my opinion, Heinze was a terrific player in his first season for United, right up until they came to Goodison Park in April. Ferguson absolutely ravaged him that night, and I swear he’s never been the same since.

Allan
10 Posted 07/08/2007 at 18:33:13

Baines was on Sky Sports earlier and he admits he was a kopite. I dont give a monkeys who he supports/supported.

Anthony Newell
11 Posted 07/08/2007 at 21:35:10

Sorry, so how does Baines mean Heinz? A fiver says you just wanted to get that title up there. One of the tabloids got there before ya last week chief