ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

The New Maradona...

A title used fairly extensively for anyone who's Argentinian and can do a trick or two with a football. But the Rumour (I know it's only a rumour, but it's more exciting than Joey Barton or more DK slanging) that Pablo Aimar might be available for <£10M... well personally I'd bite Real Zaragoza's hand off. Obviously we'd still require a Defensive/Holding Midfielder but could you imagine any combination of him, Peanuts, Arteta, Ozzie and Cahill jinking through midfield!

Here's a couple of vids to whet your appetite:
YouTube video 1
YouTube video 2
Chad Schofield, Cirencester Posted 02/07/2008 at 13:20:20

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Comments

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Lee Smith
1 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:25:21

I’m not going to pretend I know anything about this guy, but by the look of his stats, his goals to game ratios for an ’attacking midfielder’ over the last few seasons seem pretty poor.

Michael McDonald
2 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:33:36

This guy has been hyped up, when he was first discovered he looked promising but has since failed to live up to his potential! I’d say he was no better than Cahill, Arteta, Osman or Pienaar to be honest!

Nelly Blythe
3 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:34:28

I?m sure You Tube could compile footage that would make Rod Belfitt and Bernie Wright look like world-beaters!!

That said Aimar is a good player but is very small in stature plus he didn?t play that much for Zaragoza last season....fell out with the coach because of his attitude.

Dan McKie
4 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:37:33

Michael, Aimar was a key part in a very successful Valencia side (winning the league, reaching Champs League Final and winning the Uefa Cup)! Valencia screwed up by selling him in my opinion.

John Williams
5 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:43:11

Used to be good but a little bit past his best and worth £10 Million or even 5.

Stefan Tosev
6 Posted 02/07/2008 at 14:46:08

There is no player of Aimar's class in any Everton side I have watched, the guy is pure quality, if we can sign him for less than £10M it will be a bargain.

Adam Hunter
7 Posted 02/07/2008 at 15:07:06

He was never ’world class’ and if he was, he certainly isn’t now! He had his best days at Valencia when he played behind Carew.. don’t think he even gets a sniff of the Argie squad these days.

steve
8 Posted 02/07/2008 at 15:07:15

does anyone know the latest on thetakeover with mattal intrseted

Paul Ramsey
9 Posted 02/07/2008 at 15:06:41

You do wonder if he is past his best. How has he done since he left Valencia? Why did he leave to a lesser club?
If Moyes buys he though on the other hand, trust in Moyes is my motto, he will get the best out of him. Would be great to see such a creative player in our side along with Arteta, Cahill, Ossie, and Peanuts.

Jose Baxter is a shout, heard alot, seen very little, whats the deal with him?

Barry Sherlock
10 Posted 02/07/2008 at 15:08:34

He’s a bloody midget.
No more midfielders under 6ft PLEASE!!!
We are in danger of being trampled to death by the rest of the Premier League.

Steve Collins
11 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:03:29

Aimar is a talented player. but hew is no maradona. It’s another case of the south amricans overhyping their talent. He was well revered when he was a youth but not so much anymore. The biggest problem with him though is he loses interest alot.

Paul Ramsey - He left to goto Zaragoza as he had a falling out with his manager as someone said that and the fact they guranteed him his game.

I definitely think moyes could get the best out of him but to me the biggest question is would her be worth the risk?

Mario Gonzalez
12 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:00:40

No lo subestimen, es un crack. No entiendo porqué hablan tanto de que en la última temporada no anduvo bien... ¿No saben que estuvo lesionado y le realizaron una operación? Así es muy complicado mantener un buen nivel.
Si hace una buena pretemporada, seguro que va a volver a mostrar su excelente nivel dentro del campo de juego.

Mike Coates
13 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:14:54

Yeah. What he said..

Connor Rohrer
14 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:20:48

He was class at Valencia but he hasn’t really done anything of late. He’s had injury problems and has also struggled in a poor team.

I’d take him personally for the right price. 5-7 million would be very reasonable for a player of his quality. He seems like a Arteta or Pienaar buy. They struggled at there former clubs yet have revelled under Moyes with a new challgenge and a good hardworking enviroment.

His stature isn’t a problem for me. We should definatly be aiming for bigger centre midfielders but Pablo Aimar isn’t a centre midfielder. He’s a play maker who can play on either flank. You don’t need to be a big brute to play on the wings therefore he’d be okay. If Pienaar and Osman can do it I’m sure Aimar can. He also has an advantage as he’s quick.

He has the right attributes to do well here and he’d provide good competition for Pienaar and Arteta. A loan would be perfect as we’d be able to acess him over a season.

Steve Collins
15 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:26:10

Inetersted to see what Mario was saying; here is a direct translation......

Do not subestimate it, it is a crack. I do not understand porqué they speak so much of that in the last period not anduvo well... Do not they know that it was injured and they realized an operation? This way it is very complicated to support a good level.
If it does a good preperiod, it is sure that it is going to show his excellent level again inside the field....

From what i gather it was his injury that made him poor last season?????

Stephen Downes
16 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:45:22

Aimar is the same height as Arshavin and only 18 months older...

He?s also available at a fraction of the price.

If he?s too small and/or past it, well then Arshavin pretty much is too.

Mike Allison
17 Posted 02/07/2008 at 16:56:15

Mario was saying that he hasn’t done well lately because of injury problems and that if he can stay fit he’ll be excellent again.

I think he could be a revelation, but the situation does remind me of Andy Van Der Meyde...

Richard Harris
18 Posted 02/07/2008 at 17:11:48

Ah, the edited highlights from Youtube leading us astray !! Going back many years agents would send selected video clips of their star players from Eastern Europe who would seem world class only for the reality to be very different. Some managers fall for this but (Koldrup and Van Der Meyde aside) Moyes has more common sense than most of them.......

Chris Williams
19 Posted 02/07/2008 at 17:32:12

Sorry to drift off the subject lads but does any one know what is happing with Andy van der Meyde? Is he moving to Salzburg? I think if he gets fit and DM takes a chance he could do a job for us... that's just my opinion though. Don't understand last season he wasn't even on the bench when we were struggling. We had youngsters instead on the bench when we could have done with a nice attacking player like him and as far as I could see he was not injured at the time. Anyone shed any light?

Tony Williams
20 Posted 02/07/2008 at 17:41:28

I am sure if you look hard enough you would find a video showing Pistone to be World Class aswell, if only he could have made that elusive 150th cap.

Tim Mongiat
21 Posted 02/07/2008 at 17:35:53

He may have won stuff with Valencia but doesn't mean his good now, i.e Mendieta. I?d be very suprised if we brought him and talks of £10million are absurb. His not at the standard of Arteta and although we are in need of some centre mids who like having the ball, an over-rated Argentinian who?s just been relegated from the Spanish Primera is not the answer. BTW, please don't use YouTube video as a reason for buying a player! I reckon the right video could even make Heskey look good. Well maybe not Heskey, but Kuyt possibly.

Paul Olsen
22 Posted 02/07/2008 at 18:16:08

Chris, Andy Van Der Meyde won’t ever come good, it’s time we face it now.

Yes, we all would have loved for him to make it, but honestly. IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!

Jip Foster
23 Posted 02/07/2008 at 19:54:15

Need I remind people that Peanuts used to be good, then a move later he performed poorly, Moyes snaps him up (on loan) and the rest they say is history... could turn out to be the same.

Will Bruce
24 Posted 02/07/2008 at 20:43:12

Jesus, just read the above, apparently Mario says our potential new signing takes Crack Cocaine...nice one Dan Mckie, and Andy Van Der Twats name cropped up, as well as Pistone’s, personally I cant wait for the season to start, this silly season is doing my head in, anyway, I am off to watch Everton TV on my 72 inch Plasma TV to see ’Ossies Exploits at Go-karting, wonderful stuff I am sure!!!!!!

Stan Sheppard
25 Posted 02/07/2008 at 22:07:05

Mutu liked to dabble in drugs too but he has come good again so I wouldn?t write Aimar off just yet.

Its all speculation at this stage, but there is no doubt that Aimar was a class player a few years back. Surely at 28 he is not over the hill. Remember what Andrés D’Alessandro did for Pompey a few years back before joining Zaragoza, falling into the doldrums and heading back to Argentina.

Some players revel in the English game. If Aimar was available at the right price he would be a viable option.

Anyway, as I said, no point having a stoke about it just yet.

Neil Moorhouse
26 Posted 02/07/2008 at 23:42:08

Mario says "Don’t underestimate him he’s a top player. I don’t understand why everyone’s going on about last season when he was injured and had an op. In such a situation it’s very hard to keep up a high standard of form. If he does a good pre-season, am sure he’ll show his excellent quality again on the pitch."

Steve Taylor
27 Posted 03/07/2008 at 01:03:10

Aimar’s quality - whether there’s any truth in the rumours is another matter. I do however, find it interesting, that so many Blues on here who know virtually nothing about him, assume he’s either shite or past it......the glasses of so many who frequent this site are most certainly half empty.............

Jason Lam
28 Posted 03/07/2008 at 02:46:31

From my distant memory Aimar had the nickname of ’Traffic Warden’, or something similar, when still playing for River Plate. He could find a pass (forward pass I guess) in a congested midfield, and hence the nickname. El Diego did mention he was the best Argentina player, at the time, which says something as Diego is a huge Boca fanatic.

Jason Broome
29 Posted 03/07/2008 at 04:06:39

Pablo Aimar is one of those rare footballers whose You Tube video doesn’t do him justice. He is more than just a box of edited tricks and A Moyes inspired, rejuvenated Aimar IS world-class and better than Arteta.

Last season Arteta needed resting & we daren?t. Aimar is more than capable of benching and rotating with him.

Last year Pienaar took us forward more than any other player (IMO). He was different than Arteta in the sense that Arteta orchestrated our midfield while Pienaar was our most potent creative option in the last third.

Aimar can do everything that Pienaar and Arteta can do. Add Fernandes and we will have the most creative midfield in the country. Feed The Yak Anyone?

So far I?ve read negative comments regarding Joaquin, Arshavin, Turan. Some of you would rather we sign noone. Calculated risk is part of the game. We either take it or get left behind.

Mark Cassin
30 Posted 03/07/2008 at 06:08:30

He had an Arteta type season last year by all accounts.

Still, he used to be awesome for Valencia and would be able to rotate with Pienaar and Arteta as Jason Broome says above.

For 7mil we could be laughing.

Connor Rohrer
31 Posted 03/07/2008 at 07:39:34

Jason Broome’s got it spot on there. Pablo Aimar is naturally a very very gifted player. People where licking Arshavin’s arse not so long ago and whilst Aimar isn’t quite hitting his standards at the moment I’d say he’s just as talented if if not more talented.

Currently I think he’d improve our first eleven. He’s better than both Pienaar and Osman and brings more to the game attacking wise. Him and Arteta on either flank would be a leathal combination.

I don’t see what’s going against him. He’s got all the attributes to make it here. He’s skillful, intelligent, he can pick a pass and he’s quite nippy. Thats definatly something he will offer us. A bit if pace down the wings somerthing we do lack.

Yes he’s small and lacks’s stature but he’ll more than likely be playing on the left/right wing so you don’t really need to be 6ft 2 clogger. In the centre we need presence yes but not outwide. It’s not needed.

He’s got the ex factor we need to be looking for if we can move up a level. Someone who can change a game with his creativity, cleverness or even a goal out of nowhere. Him coming would really improve the likes of Arteta who’d have to be consistent becaue they know they’ve get a quality player pushing them.

He’s a quality player and I’ve got to agree the youtube comp doesn’t do him justice.

Ciarán McGlone
32 Posted 03/07/2008 at 09:38:01

Anyone who doesn’t think Aimar was world class - clearly has never watched him.

He had a bad injury and has struggled a bit since...but the guy is definitely world class...and if he could pass the goodison medical then he’d certainly be fit enough..

Jason Lam
33 Posted 03/07/2008 at 09:58:28

I’ve actually seen the lad play (on TV like the rest of us, not YouTube). I think he’ll fit in with our bunch of little un’s in midfield. It’s the case of permanent quality over temporary form (or lack of) once again. If we are in for him we need to move fast as Spain/La Liga is the flavour of the month. Our medical is utter bollocks if Gravesen and Gardner got through. Moyes and our spending (or lack of) policy would override the medical results. I actually follow a bit of Argie footie, I believe they have the best of all worlds, South American flair, European tactics and defenses, and Italian temperament. Just what we need to move ’to the next level’. Aimar is on par with Riquelme in my book, if fit. Whilst we’re at it, why not sign the both of them!?

ronny roberts
34 Posted 03/07/2008 at 15:46:13

you dont get caps for the Argies unless you are mint....

remember Brown the center half ...class!

Moyes out! goodison for ever!

Mario
35 Posted 04/07/2008 at 00:47:30

Otra vez yo (Gracias por traducirme Moorhouse, Mike Allison y Will Bruce).
Creo que hay muchos que nunca lo vieron jugar. Para entender lo que es como jugador, no alcanza con mirar algunos compilados de Youtube, hay que verlo jugar varios partidos enteros. Yo de verdad creo que, ACTUALMENTE, es un gran jugador. De primer nivel internacional. Parece ser que hay varios Clubes Ingleses interesados en él, el que finalmente lo contrate, no se va a arrepentir. Los que dicen que es un mal jugador, es porque obviamente ni lo conocen y cuando lo vean en un campo de juego van a quedar gratamente (si es que no juega en su contra) sorprendidos.
Es cierto que Maradona lo elogia siempre.

Jason Lam
36 Posted 04/07/2008 at 03:16:51

I got the Maradona part. I think.