ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Transfer Hopes & Fears

Okay, so everyone's gone nuts over the long drawn-out transfer sagas of late but I'm pretty sure both the Yakubu deal and Manny Fernandes can be summed up in fairly short order.

Manny is going to be part-owned by us; we've fronted the money to Benfica for their 50% stake in the player, the other half being owned by a third-party management company. So why is it taking so long? Well, unlike West Ham, Everton have gone through the correct FA and Premier League channels to ensure avoiding a repeat of the controversy surrounding Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano last year. There's nothing sinister going on, just look at how long it took for Tevez to sign for Utd, around 6 weeks I believe. That's not to say it'll take us that long to sign Manny, it just has to be ratified by the FA and the Premier League so that everything's above board and nobody is left with egg on their face. Be patient, we will sign Manny before the end of August.

Yakubu is also pretty straight-forward. Boro don't really want to sell him but he wants to leave and we want to sign him ? therefore, we offered £11M, they said yes, then Pompey and Man City showed an interest so, in light of them shelling out £6M on Mido, they hiked up the price so they could finance their move for Alves (not the full-back). Basically Boro don't care who he signs for, as long as they get as much money for him as possible, now that's business and you can't blame them. They want a bidding war, and it looks like they're going to get one so, unless we up our offer to the alledged £12.5M that's being reported, then I would suggest Man City could get him as they've just lost Bojinov for 5 months due to a knee injury and aren't short of a few bob.

Pompey are his old club so he could be tempted there, but I don't believe he'd want to go back to them, not least cos it's a long way to uproot yourself and your family, but also because he sees us as a more competitive outfit (Uefa Cup etc) plus he's good mates with Yobo so that helps.

I don't think its helpful for us all to be crowing on about the speculation in the media and that this is the true story behind both transfers. Sky Sports News are still not reporting anything about the deal collapsing and it's nowhere to be seen on the Internet either.

Spurs however are lining up Riquelme, unless there's been an embarrassing mistake on the Sky Sports website!
Allan Hobbs, London Posted 21/08/2007 at 09:22:05

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Comments

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Michael Kenrick

Ah... bless. That reads like a nice fairytale you'd be telling the kids before you put them to sleep, Allan. Makes me feel all warm and happy inside...

Robin Byrne
1 Posted 21/08/2007 at 10:55:04

All sounds very reasonable and sensible, but I’ll believe we’ve signed them when they’re paraded at a press conference holding their jerseys. I’m certainly hopeful of Fernandes and agree that its being held up by red tape. Yakubu is quite another story and I’m nowhere near confident that we’ll get him or indeed any other quality striker in before the window shuts. Moyes and the Board wont want to pay 12.5m for Yakubu and we’ve left things pretty late to pull a top class striker out of the bag.

Joe C
2 Posted 21/08/2007 at 10:54:02

Michael: In my opinion your criticism of the above letter is harsh and displays personal bias rather than objective editorial comment.

Objectively, I find this summation perfectly plausible and able to stand up to some scrutiny, rather than a "nice fairytale".

Whether it’s true or not, well who knows, certainly not me or you.

Only time will tell.

Michael Kenrick
3 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:00:14

Since it actually came straight from the Daily Post, I think "fairytale" is about right, don’t you?

matteff
4 Posted 21/08/2007 at 10:58:00

Joe C, I completely second your comments regarding editorial bias. Alan’s summation is not based on fact but at least it is a reasoned and plausible explanation for current events. It may contain a twinge of optimism but better that than the endless mania and abuse being thrown at Moyes and the Everton board all due to completely unfounded and unsubstanitated rumours on talksport and SSN (since when did either of these outlets become the bastion for authoritative journalism). The unrelaistic desire for minute-by-minute updates is leading to a gross proliferation of rumour and nonsense to fill 24 hour news airtime and we are all suckers for it. What we need to demonstrate is patience, we cannot influence dealings and the basic code of journalistic ethics is that only facts are reported on.

Michael Kenrick
5 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:13:40

"the basic code of journalistic ethics is that only facts are reported on" Hahahahahahahaha

What planet where you born on, sunshine?

Joe C
6 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:17:06

Michael

Are you having a bad day or something? We would all be upset if the transfers of top quality players into our club broke down but I would say that historically and on balance the Daily Post is pretty much the most credible source for all things Everton. If you think it is either now just a Pravda for EFC or even worse making things up well then I don’t share that opinion. It is true that good relations with the club would have to be maintained from the Post’s perspective, but that is a two way thing and overall - again in my opinion - that will balance itself out over time.

However, I thought that objective and credible comment is something you would want to promote on this site. At least this speculation is well thought out and presented based on the limited information we all have.

Or is it that the obsessive, polarised, blinkered,one-dimensional and irrational rantings (I could go on here) of people like Tony Marsh are the direction you want to go in?

Is this site a credible information site for Evertonians or would you prefer the Daily Sport/Star?

Please advise.

matteff
7 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:19:36

I didn’t say it was upheld by either of the Post or the Echo, that doesn’t mean Toffeeweb should follow suit. All that has happened this close season is poor responses to equally poor newspaper journalism. If the Echo, the Post, Talk Sport, SSN are going to peddle rumours generated by agents, bored hacks and message boards, it is not a website’s place to give any credence to such nonsense but instead to higlight it for what it is. No one outside the club and the players involved knows anything about either the Manny or Yakubu situation so why the need to throw accusations at Moyes and the Board based on poor journalism. Alan’s summary of the Manny sistuation is spot on and regarding Yakubu, we are attempting to sign a player who is (i) wanted by other clubs and (ii) at a club very reluctant to let him go as they have even fewer options upfront than us. Such a transfer is never going to be easy and may well collapse but to try and masquerade our efforts to sign both players as a media-placed smokescreen is to ignore the few facts that we do know about both deals. That principal code of journalistic ethics does not change because certain media outlets and journalists choose not to uphold it. Stories based on rumour and unsubstantiated claims may earn a journalist a by-line for a week or two but those that garner the most respect from their readers and have the longest shelf-life are those who get things right.

Michael Kenrick
8 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:42:00

I’m sorry but trying to apply your high-brow journalistic principles to coverage of the Premier League transfer market is not going to get very far. But you are absolutely right in saying that no-one, other than those directly involved, really have any knowledge of what is going on. Which is why my attitude to ALL transfer speculation published anywhere is total cynicism. And do the the maths: 95% of transfer stories do not come to pass and are therefore essentially worthless.

Trouble is, no-one can tell you which story in 20 is actually gonna happen. Sure, we can all have our opinions, which, incidentally is what this Mailbag is for, but facts and transfer stories do not make good bedfellows.

Dan Mckie
9 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:51:27

According to some,David Nugent is available from Portsmouth haha,think we dodged a bullet there!

Matt
10 Posted 21/08/2007 at 11:51:14

Its obvious we will sign Fernandes, how else would we have tied up the contract extensions so early of two top quality players in Cahill and Arteta, without the lure of more quality coming in. Theres alot goes on behind the scenes with these things.

Nick Harrison
11 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:00:29

What’s your 95% figure based on, Michael? Can you back that up?

Michael Kenrick
12 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:06:57

A few years ago, when I was admittedly less cynical about such things, I looked at the stories we had tagged over the season in our Rumour Mill. I counted the number of players "linked" with a move to Everton, and I divided that by the number of players named who actually moved to Everton. Back then, I think it was 1 in 10, which I found quite shocking.

But I’m pretty sure if I did the same thing with this summer’s stream of transfer speculation, it would be a lot closer to 20. But sadly I have better and more important things to do with my time... sorry!

Shaka
13 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:20:06

More rumours Yak was missing from boro’s traning sessions yesterday and today. Now there are making all kind of stories out of it. Here’s my rumour his away on international duty!!

Samuel
14 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:32:20

Is David Nugent really leaving Portsmouth? Jesus Christ!!

Nick Dawson
15 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:37:31

Why dont we put a bid in for the player that boro are after instead?? He scored a shed loads a goals last season, only young and half the price!
Failing that, get riquelme in and stick with 4-5-1 with the midfield of arteta, fernendes, cahill, riquelme,osman. (okay last suggestion was a bit daft!)

Tony Marsh
16 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:51:31

Matt we should welcome Cahill and Arteta to the Evertonians who have been promised more quality by the mangement club.We are made the same promise year after year
and to be fair the board actually delivered on them promises last season.Still I am hopefull that fernandez will sign.I can see the lure of £ signs elsewhere attracting Yakubu more so than a EUFA cup spot.

Samuel
17 Posted 21/08/2007 at 12:56:52

I’ve just had an e mail form a mate saying that Sky Sports are reporting the COLLAPSE OF THE MANUEL FERNANDES DEAL!!!!!!!!!!

Confirmation?

Steve Ferns
18 Posted 21/08/2007 at 13:23:01

Samuel, sorry it that is rubbish.

We own half of him now. Benfica say so, that’s why he’s living in Liverpool and training with us. If the third party don’t reach an agreement to sell the other half then the deal cannot fall through. What will happen is we will just get him on "loan". Its just red tape and it’ll sort itself out. Be patient and DON’T PANIC

Tomisme123
19 Posted 21/08/2007 at 13:00:24

There’s nothing on SSN at the moment. Let’s hope it’s just conjeture...

Matt
20 Posted 21/08/2007 at 13:41:56

Its just been on sky sports news that Yak didn’t turn up for training again today with Boro. It ended with Everton continue their interest.

Matt Fearon
21 Posted 21/08/2007 at 14:53:02

Unrelated but AJ is out of the England game, fluid on the knee, the poor boy seems destined to never establish himself for England.

Kieran Doyle
22 Posted 21/08/2007 at 15:36:30

So we have just signed another Keeper! Ok dont mind that, good cover was needed....

Allan
23 Posted 21/08/2007 at 18:02:14

Micheal,

Since I’ve been out all day I’ve not read any of this until now and I have to say that your opinion is pretty unpleasant, not to mention incorrect.

Its also unfair of you to say that its ’straight from the daily post’

It isn’t.

I stand by what I said regardless.