ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Arteta's Injury

Does anyone else have the feeling he could be out for a good few weeks? The way Moyes worded it was "we don't know how long he'll be out but we've sent him to a specialist in Spain".

That sounds like a fairly bad one, because a normal groin strain would be dealt with the physios, wouldn't it?

And Howard has said, "we wish Mikel well." To be honest, I'm really worried that it's the end of his season.
Dave Trudgeon, Runcorn Posted 13/02/2008 at 13:37:53

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Jimmy Crack
1 Posted 13/02/2008 at 18:13:50

Or worse yet, he could ACTUALLY be in Spain to meet with another team!

But let’s not start that...

Paul OHanlon
2 Posted 13/02/2008 at 18:50:53

It is worrying that he’s had to go to another country to see a specialist. IT could be that the club realise he’s going to be out of action for the next week or so and thought it’d be good for him to take some time off in his homeland? That’s what I’m hoping anyway!

Nick Toye
3 Posted 13/02/2008 at 19:49:01

Or it could be just that he’s from Spain and its an opportunity for him to get some home time in too.

To be honest though, if there is a Spanish side out there who wants him and they offer in excess of £15m - on this season’s performances I would take that.

Peter Stone
4 Posted 13/02/2008 at 21:05:29

I’m guessing that as we don’t have a match this w/e, Moyes has let him have some time to r&r back home in Spain.

James Arnold
5 Posted 13/02/2008 at 21:26:09

Nick, you must be joking, he hasn?t had a good season but he is one of the few players who can excite me when I watch Everton, you only had to look at tonight's game to see what we would be missing if he left.

Nick Toye
6 Posted 13/02/2008 at 21:47:43

JL, well done. Cliche comment of the century there.

Arteta has the ability sure, he can excite, and of course I am more happy when he is on the pitch. But, his deliveries this season from wide areas and set-pieces have been poor. Not what we should be expecting from him.

I think we are missing Piennar more than Arteta. Sorry, but its true. Piennar has been miles better this season.

Paul Whitehouse
7 Posted 13/02/2008 at 22:12:20

I agree with Nick Toye. Let's hope he?s agreeing a pre-contract with Athletico etc.
£15 mill plus must be good...

Dave McK
8 Posted 13/02/2008 at 22:40:12

Regarding Artetas injury saw this quote from Moyes.. so i dont think his injury is that bad:

"We need to show respect because Brann showed themselves to be a very good side and we know they will come to Goodison Park desperate to get revenge for this.

"But we are getting our players back from injury and the African Nations Cup. Mikel Arteta should be back from injury by the time the second leg comes around and we have players suited to European competition becoming available again."

Tony Williams
9 Posted 13/02/2008 at 22:45:26

I see all the flappers are out in force again.....So Mikel goes to Spain to see a specialist and that equates to him signing a pre-contract contract or at least being in talks with another team.

Lord, give me strength!!

Joel Lardmilk
10 Posted 13/02/2008 at 22:49:17

Sell Arteta and we are no more than a selling club once more.

Why sell one of our best players?

Who would you buy for £15m that is better?

Charlie Percival
11 Posted 13/02/2008 at 22:57:35

Your ALL CRAZY, ARTETA is amazing. Hes what we have built our team around! Why sell our BEST player? He has had a great season and you look at him when he plays, he never gives the ball away or draws a foul. Hes a hell of a player and still young. He’d walk into Arsenal, Man U and Chelseas team easily.

Be realistic and dont talk about selling our best player just because youve got nothing else to talk about.

How about we sack Moyes and get Alan Hansen in charge?

Oh BTW Arteta was left in Spain to get treatment cos Everton have been in Spain as a break leading up to the Brann game. Thats why.

Rob McFawn
12 Posted 13/02/2008 at 23:04:26

Moyes is on the BBC site and says that Mikky should be back fit for the 2nd leg

Nick Toye
13 Posted 14/02/2008 at 00:00:25

JL, every play has his price. I don’t think we would be a selling club just because we sell Arteta if a decent offer came around. Its business at the end of the day.

Hopefully though he can have a better second half, truth is I am as excited about Pienaar as I am Arteta. That’s a tribute to Pienaar.

Roy Coyne
14 Posted 13/02/2008 at 23:58:23

Well done Nick ,you must be the loyalist fan we have ,if Arteta plays great and throws in a transfer request you would be on here asking where his is loyalty few games not up to his own high standards and you want to sell him great Idea how about AJ not been that great lets sell him and Lescot never scored last week whats he worth. Words fail me!

Nick Toye
15 Posted 14/02/2008 at 00:33:33

@Roy, well don’t speak then if words fail you.

Funny that Barry Horne ( a well respected pundit, and well sought after) has also noticed that Arteta’s delivery has been poor.

I’m not going to go around and kiss players arses because they are my heroes. Because they are not heroes, they only get that when they win trophies. Sheedy, Steven, Stevens, Bracewell, Reid, etc.... - they are heroes.

Arteta is a player who has great ability, but at the moment he isn’t providing the final ball that we all know he can. I am just saying that Pienaar has had a much better season.

Also please don’t presume to know what I am going to say or what I feel, because you don’t know nothing about me.

But I will tell you this. I will say it as I see it. And as it happens if AJ gets sold, then so be it, no great loss. Cash in and spend the profits. Faddy was sold and I was delighted, because basically he was poor for Everton, and the same with Beattie. I am not going to kiss players arses just because they play for Everton, they need to provide me with a reason to say yes, you were great tonight.

Eric Myles
16 Posted 14/02/2008 at 01:19:18

Moyes has just said after the Brann game that Arteta will be back for the second leg at Goodison next Thursday.

John Charles
17 Posted 14/02/2008 at 03:41:25

Mikel has gone back to Spain to see a specialist because the specialist knows his medical history having treated him before. Therefore it is logical he see?s the same consultant to give himself the most time to recover.

SIMPLE AS THAT. He?s said a hundread times he isn?t leaving.. give the boy some credit.

Alan Irvine
18 Posted 14/02/2008 at 08:34:51

Arteta........30million, for 15 million you can have AVDM!

Nick Toye
19 Posted 14/02/2008 at 10:12:56

I will give Arteta credit when he starts providing the crosses and deliveries he used to.

Like I said earlier on another post - I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, Arteta is a great player, but I want end products, not reputations.

Dave Lawley
20 Posted 14/02/2008 at 10:59:41

Nick, you can’t sell someone bacause he’s had a few bad games, arteta is proven in our squad we know he can play, tackle, cross, score, we know he has the most skill in our squad, that he is loyal to us and wants the club to do well, what price do you put on this, who is to say the player we buy with this £15m (too cheap) might not be a mercenary, not suited to the english game, doesn’t gel with the players etc, etc. You might say its upto moyes to make sure the player is all these things but more successful managers have fucked this up, Veron anyone? Do you think Liverpool will sell Gerrard?, he has been average for them this season after scoring a few at the start, I know his crossing has not been upto his usual standard,but not so long ago he was an excellent crosser of the ball, so he isn’t playing his best, he is still our best player. You say you want an end product, C Ronaldo had no end product until halfway through last season, If only united had cashed in when they had the chance. Your entitled to your opinion Nick but how anyone who supports everton could want us to sell arteta is a bit crazy if you ask me.

Lee Spargo
21 Posted 14/02/2008 at 12:52:10

You dont sell your best players, unless a crazy offer is made. Simple as.

Just imagine if we’d have sold Jagielka after he had a run of poor games at the start of the seaon.

Moyes knows his squad and knows who’s worth keeping. Lets not pretend that we all know better than him, eh?