ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

No-one is too Good for Everton!

As I was scanning the internet, hoping to see an Everton headline, I noticed that Thomas Gravesen might be on his way to Sheffield United. It made me think about other players who thought they were too good to play for Everton only to watch their carears turn to shit.

Gravesen was a hero when he left and could well still be, but he thought he would rather warm the Madrid bench, then the Celtic one and now might be on his way to the Championship. Franny Jeffers is probably the biggest victim of leaving Everton but there are a few others like Richard Dunne, Micheal Ball (although I'm not sure of the circumstances surrounding them leaving). Stubbs is quoted as saying 'it was the biggest mistake of his career' when he left and was soon welcomed back, Carsley understood this and signed on as well.

The only player I can think of who has asked to leave and actually done something is Rooney. Players do not realise how big a club we are until they leave... then it is normally too late. I'm glad Tim an Mikel seem to undertsand that already.
Andy Baker, Liverpool Posted 04/07/2007 at 10:04:07

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Allan Barratt
1 Posted 04/07/2007 at 11:30:42

How about bringing Tommy G back to the club?? Seems like he's available for very little if not free, would add depth & experience to the club.

Pat Mustard
2 Posted 04/07/2007 at 13:46:50

Don’t forget that TommyG had several mediocre years before he shone in that 4-5-1 formation. Since he left he seems to have returned to his erratic former self.

It’s never the same when you go back - ask Mr. Kendall.

Andy Baker
3 Posted 04/07/2007 at 13:50:44

PLEASE do not mis-understand me on this.

Im talking about players who have played for us in the past and are playing for us now.
Just clearing that up befor someone comes on ere and says Kaka and Ronaldino etc are ’too good to play for everton’.

Adam Carey
4 Posted 04/07/2007 at 15:05:44

I think it?s fair to say in Tommy?s case that he only really left because it was Madrid calling, so you can?t really blame him.
Good point with a few of the others though. Hindsight, eh!

Dex Winter
5 Posted 04/07/2007 at 15:18:02

Gravesen was allegedly offered £75K a week (tax free), a house up to £2M and a choice of cars as his take it or leave it deal from Real Madrid. I think anyone in his situation would have snapped their hands off! He was a good player in the 4-5-1 but very unpredictable in a 4-4-2. Good business when you consider we bought Arteta as a replacement for the same money!

Tony Marsh
6 Posted 04/07/2007 at 15:56:06

A little bit of information on why two of our best youg players left the club

Ball and Dunne were forced out of
the club during the Smith /Knox era.
Dunne for threatening to smash Knox,s head in who was a terrible bully boy towards all the young players at Everton. In the end Dunney snapped and the rest is history.

Ball had a training ground bust up with John Collins around the same time.Collins was Smiths blue eyed boy and very soon Bally was out the door as well.

What wonderfull times they were at Bellfeild during the Smith years.

Shaun Brennan
7 Posted 04/07/2007 at 16:07:21

Madrid come knocking, few would turn it down.

Tommy left and nobody really complained. it’s a case of fair enough.

Trudi Dench
8 Posted 04/07/2007 at 16:54:44

So today Liverpool get Torres for 26 million we get Jagielka. And it looks like Nugent is going to Fratton Park. Of course Gravesen was a effective and influential player and was a key factor in our top four finish. If the shite on the side of the park can reach two champions league finals in three years with the rabble they had. (Gerrard and one or two others aside) then who knows what they are capable of when they get rid of the dead wood and steady their ship with new fresh and better talent.

I am a 100 per cent Evertonian born in Tuebrook but living down south for 23 years now. But the lack of activity in the transfer market so far is not good enough. And why would Gravesen go from playing in front of 120,000 at the Noucamp to joining the likes the Sheffield Utd playing against the likes of Coventry in front of 10,000 on a cold wet January night? And what happened to the interest in Trundle. If he was as stated a dyed in the wool Evertonian then why is he still playing Mickey Mouse football at Swansea?

The best we can hope for this coming season is consolidation and jostle ourselves past a once great arsenal side and fight for another uefa cup berth. I?m sorry, fellow blues, but a Champions League spot is maybe a bridge to far at this moment in time. But did they say that FA Cup winners will be given a said Champions League place in future or is it just more ambiguous bullshit from the powers that be? :(

[Oi, Learn yerself mixed case (Initial Caps only) please! ? And use yer proper name! ? Ed]

Daz Stewart
9 Posted 04/07/2007 at 18:57:57

Just a question for Tony. Thats really interesting re Dunne and Ball, I hadn’t heard about that bit but it ties in with something else re Ball’s view especially of Kendall at that time. Can’t post what I’d heard on the site as I’d probably be done for libel, but you may know what I’m talking about Tony having mentioned Kendall’s name as he liked something else a bit much too alledgedly which some of the players didn’t agree with. Speed apparently left for exactly the same reason for speaking out of turn.

Michael Kenrick
10 Posted 04/07/2007 at 19:47:09

Daz, that to which you refer is fairly widely held to be the reason for team unrest at the time. Speed in particular was not impressed with picking up a Lucazade bootle during one match (apparently) only to find it contained something a tad stronger(reportedly). The circumstances certain persons engineered to get Speed moved on after that were indeed quite shocking, and still leave a bad taste in the mouth. But confidentiality agreements are a wonderful thing...

Les Tanner
11 Posted 05/07/2007 at 03:49:37

Football particularly in the Premiership is a team sport. Team cohesion and the skills of trainers and managers is often far more important than the skill of the individual player. Tommy G sadly fell into the trap of assuming he was individually better than his collective contribution to the team. Pity really because him and Carsley were a great midfield combination delivering far more than the sum of their individual worth.