ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

Trevor Thompson
1 Posted 18/01/2008 at 11:10:18

5 mil for Mcfadden? A great bit of business. Not being funny but for the amount of time he was at Everton we only saw glimpses of his talent. Frustrating really because for Scotland he looked classy. I'd love the money to be spent on Arshavin.

Alan Attwood
2 Posted 18/01/2008 at 11:33:22

Just read on various websites that McFadden has signed for Brum. Are we going to spend the money on a replacement or will it go into the coffers for the summer?

Neil Humphrey
3 Posted 18/01/2008 at 12:15:03

Just wanted to wish him all the best for the future - good luck Faddy.

That said, I can't believe we got (potentially) £6m for him. Absolute daylight robbery! His fans will always remind us of his occasional stunning goal, but I think his record speaks for itself - 137 appearances, in which he netted 18 times. By anybody's standards, that's a poor return for a so-called striker.

I'd like to think that my abiding memory of Fady will be one of his stunners - the last-minute winner against Charlton last season would be a prime candidate. However, I suspect it will be him sat on his arse, both arms raised in the air, berating the ref for not having given him a free-kick when he was all too easily tackled after having taken on one too many defenders rather than having passed to a team mate in space.

Chris Keightley
4 Posted 18/01/2008 at 12:30:08

I want to say that he will be missed by many, on his day a special talent, but was just too infuriating. I will miss those glimpses of magic but feel 5 million represents a great piece of business for Everton, and I'm sure he will be delighted to start his relationship with McLeish again. Good luck, Faddy; score plenty, just leave the magic out when you meet us!!!

Sam Morrison
5 Posted 18/01/2008 at 12:57:21

Whilst I think he's a good player his lack of consistency means the price is good business for us ? and I couldn't quite believe the eulogy McLeish had for him. Apparently Faddy was our best striker...

Dominic Duerden
6 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:10:55

Getting £5 million for Faddy is a great bit of business. It also means that Vaughan , Anichebe and Johnson will be used more. In my opinion they are all better than Faddy , so the team will be stronger without him.Well done Moyes.

Michael Cowhig
7 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:16:08

Considering Fulham paid £5 million for Marlon King, I can't help but wonder if we could have got £20 million for Faddy.. ;)

Dan Mckie
8 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:17:22

Good luck Faddy, hope Moyes replaces him this month tho and I personally think he will because of the fact we have struggled a little numbers wise over the last few weeks! I dont like the idea of it being downing tho, id like a player with the flair that Faddy has but with more of an end product!

Andy Fearns
9 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:22:40

5 million plus for a player who has no pace, can?t go past a man, can't pick out a pass, has no strength and spends most of the time harrumphing at refs when he gets tackled.

I haven?t laughed this much since keegan took over the loony bin again.

Paul Gladwell
10 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:21:38

Good luck to the lad I say done his bit for us but he just never took it in when moyes was telling him time and again about his beagrie ways in one touch too many.
I see wymess is bleating on what a good deal it is just weeks after making a statement how James is a valuable part of our squad and is not for sale, another bullshit to his long book of them.

Mark Griffiths
11 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:22:23

Good luck faddy, you tried your best and did contribute to the progression of EFC, but it just was?nt meant to be here.

Alan Codd
12 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:26:57

I wish him all the best but thank god hes gone and for over 5 million.
Frustrating inconsistent player.
The main reason he was infuraiting is that you know the guy can do it but he very seldom did.
Instead he was caught in possesion and gave away the ball and always had to take on another defender before passing

Paul Jones
13 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:24:42

Good riddance!! I say!! he aint worth 5 million, so good bit of business for EFC. After seeing his efforts in the last few games, showing little or no interest, complaining about little nudges from opposing players, going missing when backs are against the wall. I cant forgive him for that. Just because the media in Scoltland think he is hot shit doesnt make it so. I would have shown him the door and threw him through it!!

mick Mc
14 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:25:36

Goal return speaks for itself, I liked Jimmy and I just wish he would have done it for us but like everyone said consistency, just never had it, dont know if it was our style of play, high tempo, closing down the play, I dont know, but I wish him good luck.

iain Thomson
15 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:22:30

We played him wide almost always.....so slating his goal record in comparrison to other strikers isnt valid.

He will play upfront of just off a lone striker for Birmingham and at the end of the season he will have most likely scored more than AJ, Vaughn or Anichebe manage. (just a prediction not a wish)

Birmingham overpaid and we can rightly be smug if he plays how he did for us, lacking confidence,however if he plays like he does for the scots then Brum got a bargain. People here refer to recent performances for Scotland as the France goal in particular caught national attention, but he has played well for scotland for years. Im sad to see him go, and would say that in the era of players like Ghaly sulking and mouthing off in the press, Macfadden has been a good proffesional and a credit to our club.

Until the Yak returns we have AJ who just doesnt score enough, Vaughn who has huge potential clearly when fit and Anichebe who isnt imo hugely convincing. Most seem to think thats enough up front i disagree.

Anyways, lets hope at least the cash is used wisely.

Andy Fearns
16 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:29:10

Paul

Do you think we would have got 5 mill + for him if Wyness had come out and said "yeah, he?s cack, quite frankly we can?t wait for someone to come along and take the numpty off our hands?.

Not bullshit but good business sense. If you want top dollar for something you have make it look like you don?t want or need to sell.

Craig Price
17 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:28:21

I’m glad to see the back of him. The guy is just crap and you sometimes wonder how some players actually make it as footballers. One of the worst players I’ve ever, ever seen in a blue shirt and I will not miss him one bit. If you want to give the ball away, pass it to McFadden.

James Elliott
18 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:30:19

Although I slated faddy, he did score some good goals for us. But I can?t help thinking that we should have sold him to a team outside the Premier League. I have a feeling he may come back to haunt us when we next play against him.

Paul Gladwell
19 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:34:33

To be fair Andy you are right

Mark Murphy
20 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:28:03

So now we have lost the Scottish Rooney as well as the original!!

I?m sad it didnt work out - I had great hopes for Faddy and remember talking to Motherwell fans up at Worldnet who loved him and had nothing but praise for him. I also think its a good deal for him as, as someone up this thread pointed out, he is a so called striker and was never given a run to prove his worth in that position here and is unlikely to in the future. I think it unfair that although he has scored "only" 18 goals in 137 appearances he is being judged as if he is a predatory striker when in fact I reckon more than half of those games were played in wide midfield. How does his strike rate compare with Osman or Arteta for example?
Still, I cant see a way of fitting him in our team now and I wish him the best of luck. Bet he comes back to bite us on the arse and I hope the Brummie supporters arnt as quick to get on his back when he tries once too often to get past an extra defender.
He should have gone to Celtic!

Murf

Tom Abdy
21 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:39:25

I’m afraid that I’ve only been to Goodison once and that was for the game against Charlton last season in which Faddy scored that wonder goal so he will always be held in high esteem by myself. I wish that he could have played more consistently for us, but hey, it wasn’t to be. Looking forward to my second game at Goodison on Wednesday :-) COYB!!!

Brian Noble
22 Posted 18/01/2008 at 14:28:06

Moyes should be locked up for daylight robbery-£5M for the Scottish Rooney,do me a favour! Most of the time I thought he was more like Mickey than Wayne and whoever compared ’his mercurial talents to Alex Young’must be off their head.
As a long-term Moyes sceptic,I have to say the man ’sells on ’well and is beginning to thaw my attitude towards him.

Ian Macdonald
23 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:02:20

I?ll wish him all the best but made up he?s gone, infact I haven?t been this made up about a player leavin since we had Wigan?s kecks down for Kilbane.

One of the most frustrating & overated players I?ve seen.

Craig Price
24 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:17:12

He?s a ...

Naughty words removed by request

Mick Simo
25 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:13:28

I have mixed feelings about McFadden, I dont think he found his best postion with Everton, but he’s gone now so time to move on, I just hope we bring someone in before the end of the month.

Mick Mc
26 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:20:49

Bit heavy Craig, seems like a nice fella. Anyway I just hope Moyes has got someone lined up, we cant afford to sell players half way through a season without replacing them.

Andy Shaw
27 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:24:14

Good riddance to bad rubbish.....not a team player, selfish, will not accept critisism... does not chase down... do i need to go on...

Hary Everhard
28 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:37:10

Hay craig how dare you call him that, he’s a very nice boy, I had a dance with him in Garlands

Peter Laing
29 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:46:26

Abiding memories of Mc Fadden are his inability to keep it simple, he should though be proud that his wonder goal against Charlton went along way to securing the chance to play in the EUFA Cup and the memorable goal against Kharkiv kept us in the competition to date. Everton have outgrown player’s of McFadden’s calibre simple as that.

Ed Fitzgerald
30 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:41:18

Craig

What a sensiitive and balanced individual you are. Get a grip!

5.75 M is good business given his form which was always in and out. To be fair to him he was never played consistently in his best position (up front) and the way fans got on his back it is no wonder his confidence is shot. When he did know what his role was meant to be (i.e. when he played for Scotland) he was excellent against some good opposition. Lets hope the money gets spent on players and not get put in the bank for Kirkby or other projects.

Dave Edwards
31 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:49:55

I wish him all the best, and I even suspect his overall consistency of play might improve for a lesser club who make him a regular - but he’d come to the end of his shelf life here at Goodison, and I think £5M for him is a great bit of business by Moyes & Co. That Charlton goal is a great memory, but this season he really hasn’t added anything of that calibre to the team’s undoubted progress, and in some games I’ve actually felt he was filling a space on the pitch which could be filled much better by one of our young guns.

I didn’t like some of his shows of attitude of late and I’ve never really forgiven him for that transfer request of a few years ago. Everton have moved on....thanks, faddy....but it was time for you to move on too.

Jason Broome
32 Posted 18/01/2008 at 15:49:50

Somebody pass me a bucket... I think i’m gonna puke!

Such lamenting, tearing of garments and the rubbing of gravel through hair for a player who, on his final day with us has a report card that reads...

Not Good Enough For EFC! Has Failed To Make The Grade!

He has done NOTHING... and we just got paid £5M for it.

I don’t care how good he might become, as long as we improve he still won’t be good enough for us. Now lets nail Fernandes & Pienaar & move forward!

Tommy Jones
33 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:04:50

Rude message removed by moderator at the request of prudish and sensitive readers

Jason Broome
34 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:09:53

Tommy your sexual preferences should be reserved for the Redshite website!!!

Patty Beesley
35 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:25:18

Tommy Jones - There is no need for that - just remember that there are some Everton LADIES on this website every day and, mate, I don?t think you can be much of a gentleman to talk about Fadders like that.

Ian Tunny
36 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:20:09

Tommy, that was a malicious rumour started by Stubbs and Hibbert as a bit of fun and spread further by red shite. Faddy is married with a baby.

Anthony Newell
37 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:27:48

Moyes seems to be getting better and better at recognising driftwood, eeking it out whilst getting the best money for it in the process. Lets just hope the money is invested wisely. I think £5 mill + add ons is 4kin fabulous business. I don’t believe anyone else would offered bonkers money other than AM’s with his obvious enthusiasm for the player. Glad to see the back of him!

Ken Russell
38 Posted 18/01/2008 at 16:30:56

I am no great fan of censorship but such posts as those by Craig Price and Tommy Jones must make more than me shake my head in despair.

Tom Carter
39 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:08:21

£5M nowadays is peanuts. Who is going to replace him for that sort of money? And more worrying, who is going to play on the left on Sunday? If we put Arteta there then who is gonna play on the right? And don?t even think about putting Fernandes or Cahill on the wing... And Baines won?t handle it either on the left.

Dan McKie
40 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:33:47

Tom Carter, 5 mil may seem peanuts nowadays but lets not forget that our entire midfield cost about that, including Cahill,Arteta,Carsley etc..

Colin Jones
41 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:38:46

It doesn’t matter if he’s brilliant for Birmingham, he was never going to play regularly to the standard we need

Ste Lewis
42 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:31:31

Saw Faddy looking as bored as me as our wives sauntered around the make-up counters in Selfridges at the God-awful Trafford Centre. Nice bloke. Cant help but feel we let him down a bit. We never gave him the position or confidence to perform and the move was best for everyone. Best of luck to him. Ive got a nagging feeling he’ll be great but were moving onto bigger, better things no doubt.
P.S. - Arshavin would be a lovely but defo too many rubles for us!

Kenny Jones
43 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:40:58

I never rated McFadden that much, bit like Beagrie. Wish him the best though. prudish and sensitive readers? maybe they are on the wrong site, I seen a link to Mary Whitehouse web page, you might want to try that. Come on this is football, do these people actually go to a football game, the odd swear word and profanity is like bovril and shit pies, oops I mean poo pies

Tom Carter
44 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:42:49

Dan Mckie, i get what your saying but we bought them a few years back and with the revenue that premiership teams gets now from t.v deals means teams won’t sell there players cheaply.

Stuart Mitchell
45 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:58:34

Lets hope we bring Andrei Arshavin in as soon as possible.

A great replacement for Faddy, Andrei has bags of pace, scores goals, can pick a pass out.

He is looking for a move to the Prem, so lets get in there before another club nabs him.

Kevin Sparke
46 Posted 18/01/2008 at 17:56:16

I wish him all the best - he was 95% a very good player... unfortunately it’s the 5% that counts that was missing.

Frustrating, mercurial and not much of a football brain when making split-second decisions approaching and in the box.

If her ever finds that 5% - watch out!

Stuart Mitchell
47 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:00:35

Andrei Arshavin

Honours
2001 - Russian Premier League, 3rd position
2003 - Russian Premier League, runner-up
2003 - Russian Premier League Cup, winner
2001 - best right midfielder according to Sport-Express
2004 and 2005 - best second striker according to Sport-Express
2004 - voted Player of the Year by the readers of Soviet Sport
2006 - named best player by Russian Football Union, Sport-Express, Soviet Sport, named Russian Footballer of the Year
2007- Russian Premier League, winner

Mick Simo
48 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:13:52

Stuart so do you think we will sign him then? Me dont think so for some reason. According to his agent 3 premiere league clubs have shown an interest, you just dont fancy us in a bidding war, but you never know

Stuart Mitchell
49 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:33:05

I am just keeping my fingers crossed, will really add to the squad!

Have to just wait and see.

Allan Hobbs
50 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:37:27

Lots of talk about Sidwell coming to us now he?s blown out Sunderland - apparently Avram Grant won?t let him leave till the 31st January though so we?ll have to wait a while. Plenty of Arshavin talk too but I doubt that one personally - Spurs & Arsenal also being linked. Sidwell?s been terrible for Chelsea but then he hasnt played much, played really well for Reading though so worth a punt on loan for sure. The other thing about Arshavin is that he can’t play in Europe for us either; whether that matters to DM currently, who knows.

Steve Pugh
51 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:32:52

For all of you who slate Faddy and say that he is rubbish a quick question.

If Vaughny is made to play left midfield against Chelsea and doesn’t perform will that make him a bad player?

What if we had played Lineker out wide on the right?

Faddy is a striker who has played out of position most of the time he was at Everton. Most Premiership players would have walked years ago but he stayed at the club and tried to make the most of it. He put up with the boo boys and the criticism on the forums and he kept on trying. If anything he tried too much. Scottish fans don’t complain about him trying to go past too many players and not passing because when he plays for them he doesn’t do it as often - maybe because he isn’t trying to impress so much.

Personally I would like to thank him for some wonderful moments of breathtaking skill, some fabulous goals and for giving me hope every time he got the ball. Yes he lost it again a lot of the time but there was always the possibility that he was going to do something magical.

By the way some of my colleagues who support various red shirted teams cannot believe a) that we have sold him, and b) that we sold him to a premiership club. I hope that next time we play Birmingham Faddy rips our defense apart and scores a hat-trick, of course Timmy will get a couple for us on top of a strike from the Yak and a rocket from Cars, 4-3 to Everton

Tony McCann
52 Posted 18/01/2008 at 18:54:41

What happend to that Vogal? Does anyone think we are a bit thin on the striker front, Johnson, Vic and Vauhgn, I am not convinced they can play the single striker, If that is how Moyes plays it. I think Vaughn is a fantastic prospect but him and Victor are inexperienced and Johnson not back to his best yet, just a little worried, everyone seems to be calling for more midfield players without looking at the forwards, and what one injury or suspensions could do to the team.

Jay McGrady
53 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:02:04

People might slag off Kenwright and the board but you can’t deny they get good returns on players. £5m raising to £6m for Faddy is over double what he’s worth. Beattie the same return as Jagielka, Davies for £3 and Kilbane for £2. Keep up the good work.

The McFadden sale needs to go to signing Pienarr first and foremost.

Stuart Mitchell
54 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:10:11

AJ has played as the lone striker for large parts of last season.

But I do agree some cover is needed till Yakubu comes back.

Allan Hobbs
55 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:14:07

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220193111286#description

Just because!

Make sure you read the description.

Terry Lloyd
56 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:08:59

Steve ? take your head out of your arse, too much sentiment. Look he did play out wide, but he also had a few go?s up front. He never delivered what was promised, I actually thought he had bags of natural ability, but he never produced it enough, it's as simple as that. I can't remember him being outstanding in more than halfa-dozen games. Yeah he scored some great goals, but overhaul preformance, he just never done it. I think he could still be a success, but I am not sure in this league though.

Allan Hobbs
57 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:19:44

2 words.

Lee

Trundle.

Mick Simo
58 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:21:28

Priceless Alan.

Steve Pugh
59 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:16:28

Allan, priceless, absolutely priceless.

Jay Campbell
60 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:15:08

Steve Pugh he was fuckin shite in every position he played. Over-rated and a legend in his own eyes nobody else?s.

JAY MCGRADY it?s Moyes that has the say on the transfer dealing not the board. If it was left up to Zig and Zag we?d be had off by every club in the league.

It?s common knowledge that Moyes has the say on players valuation?s not them brainless idiots. Thank fuck we have a manager that fights the club?s corner which is more than can be said for those two.

Jason Broome
61 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:18:03

Steven Pugh: McFadden was given chance after chance, position after position to show his ability and failed. AVD & Beattie weren’t shown as much favoritism as McFadden.

Fact is McFadden is quite simply a poor forward, an equally poor right-winger/ central midfielder, goalkeeper... whatever!

And regardless of what you might read on various websites... Moyes is delighted otherwise he would never had sold him.

Steve Pugh
62 Posted 18/01/2008 at 19:54:23

Jason, So Faddy had a longer, unbroken run up front than Beattie?

Jay, He hardly ever played in his position for Everton. The only time he did was for Scotland when, surprisingly, he did well. If you are not aware that is in a free role behind the strikers.

Like I said, you cant judge a player until you let him play to his strengths.

Nick Thomas
63 Posted 18/01/2008 at 20:16:36

Good luck Faddy lad, thanks for the last couple of years, you wore the blue shirt with pride when you were given your chance. you will certanly get a round of applause from me next time i see you at Goodisaon or st.andrews.
good luck mate

Jay Campbell
64 Posted 18/01/2008 at 20:32:46

Steve, upfront was probably his best position but like I say he just wasn?t good enough mate. Vaughan and Anichebe are far more effective and better centre forwards than him.

Ian Macdonald
65 Posted 18/01/2008 at 20:31:48

Playing well and scoring goals against players from Lithuania & Faroe Islands is completley different than playing against top players and defenders in the Premier League every week..... Before you say he scored goals against Italy & France, which I appreciate, they were one-off games in which he produced a bit of magic, which he is capable of and he did producef or us from time to time (Charlton), but bottom line week-in, week-out he just wasn?t good enough. Simple as that.

Jip Foster
66 Posted 18/01/2008 at 21:53:29

Okay so people go on about, what was it, 137 matches, 18 goals? But surely, as he was only used sparingly, a minutes per goal ratio would suit him better, after all, 137 x 20min appearances with 18 goals is quite a good record... has anyone worked it out???
But best of luck to him. I reckon he’ll be given a cheer next time he’s at goodison. he’s tried his best, just din’t work out...

Mike Coates
67 Posted 19/01/2008 at 00:56:25

:(

Roy Coyne
68 Posted 19/01/2008 at 00:48:02

I can accept that a lot of our fans where frustrated by Faddy's tendency to take the wrong option, but why the venom? He was a honest player and as already stated his goals per game ratio is a sham, I remember Cryuff playing Lineker on the wing and guess what he never scored either. I think we should have done the same as Chelsea and told Brum they can have him at the end of the month, allowing him to at least be an option for the second leg. But my best wishes to Faddy, I hope you do well mate.

Jason Broome
69 Posted 19/01/2008 at 01:23:49

Stephen Pugh: How many chances does he need? Unlike the rest of us, Moyes saw more of him in training and still decided to relegate him to 5th choice, before selling him.

FACT: Had Faddy not scored that wonder goal for Scotland, he would of gone regardless (probably for £3M).

I wish the guy well, but great teams are built upon great sacrifices and it is a welcomed sign when we require more from a player than a snapshot of brilliance!