ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Forcing Moyes's Hand

I believe that David Moyes is going to have his mettle tested even further over the Lescott saga. His handling of the affair so far has pushed him down a road that may indeed bring about his resignation. vIf City come back with another increased offer, then I can see the board at EFC telling Moyes to accept the offer in order to provide some much needed funds.

His dogged statement that he is in charge of the buying and selling of players, and he alone, will surely be tested, as will be his pride and reputation. He will then be backed into an alley way with a dead end. I think this will be too much and he may resign over the board's decision to sell Lescott.

Just a thought, but things are very fragile at Goodison right now and need to be handled very carefully...
Andrew Ingram, Ontario, Canada Posted 17/08/2009 at 21:57:29

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Paul Conatzer
1 Posted 18/08/2009 at 03:50:09

Sell him, it won’t be easy to replace Lescott. But, he’s not Labone or the Rat or Watson is he?

Matt Traynor
2 Posted 18/08/2009 at 04:12:00

Not at all. Moyes can do a volte-face if he gets an acceptable offer from Hughes. Plus the club already started the hatchet job on Lescott (do you really think he handed in a written transfer request whilst in Holland, knowing he’d still have to return to Finch Farm after?)

My concern is not Moyes. He’s on a nice earner, and despite what the delusional think on here, there is no way he is being lined up as successor-in-waiting to Taggart - you think Man U fans would stomach that football? Not to mention Rooney’s history with him.

My concern is on the other players. Senior pros like Cahill, Arteta and others in their mid/late 20s who realise that for their future at Everton - they’ve peaked. As long as money is being squirrelled away for DK, we can’t compete. Bill can’t sell to investors as he’s committed to DK (at the behest of "advisors" (who loaned money to EFC), as that’s where he’ll make his money.

It’s already been proven that we lost out on signings as we wanted to stagger payments. Why? Because the money wasn’t in place, in it’s entirety. Anyone can make bids based on guaranteed future income (Sky TV - season tickets already mortgaged).

Steve Carter
3 Posted 18/08/2009 at 04:38:53

Agree 100%, Paul. We should have bitten their hand off at £20M. Plainly his true status and worth is what Capello assesses him to be — a fourth or fifth choice emergency only bench warmer (in, let’s face it, a no hope of winning the World Cup / also-ran national team).

I don’t think Cahill is a risk of leaving unless we look like being a serious relegation prospect. Tim’s priority is the Socceroos and, given how he’s rated by Pim Verbeek, something would have to go seriously awry to put his Socceroos automatic selection at risk.

You’re right about Arteta — his national aspirations aren’t going to be helped if we can’t go forwards. Him wanting out is a serious risk unless we right the ship pretty soon.

Jon Barrett
4 Posted 18/08/2009 at 01:42:17

Go Joleon, I'll pay the taxi! You were at fault with both goals in FA Cup Final and you were shambolic on Saturday, Let them pay £22M, it's a a good deal for us. Use the money to bring players who wear the blue and while with pride. Not the Barry/Lescott greed train. Nil satis nis optimum.

Russell Buckley
5 Posted 18/08/2009 at 07:00:37

We have nothing to gain if Moyes walks. I’ll admit that there are more experienced and elite managers in Europe that may be attracted by the huge salary but they wouldn’t stay long.

Any top manager wouldn’t put up with a board that can’t support them against the competition.

Saegaran Kanalanadan
6 Posted 18/08/2009 at 07:52:53

Who wants to manage us if the club cannot guarantee transfer funds for the new manager to build his squad? If Moyes leaves... expect shite to happen. We’ll probably end up in the Champioship sooner than expected.

Ellen West
7 Posted 18/08/2009 at 08:02:41

I think Moyes is going about all this in the right way. I think he will sell Lescott, but he will want to get a few signings in before he goes or the price of the new signings will go through the roof if other clubs know we have money. Moyes knows exactly what he is doing, but he is keeping he’s cards so close to he’s chest that it is making the fans anxious.

My only concern is what reaction the team will give on Thursday. We need to go into the second game with at least a 2 goal advantage and a clean sheet.

Paul Walsh
8 Posted 18/08/2009 at 07:36:45

Andrew, that’s how I perceive things too. The key to this is, in my opinion the current state of Kenwright’s and Moyes’s relationship. I still see Moyes as the man who, when he came here said he wanted to win things and that’s still his only overriding ambition. How hard and how long has it taken for him to create our current promising squad?

He doesn’t want to sell his best defender. He knows he’ll not get a better player in that left side berth. I agree. Lescott has set the standard in our defence and when he goes we’ll miss badly in my opinion. He’s Champions League quality and I find it amazing how easily people highlight the few mistakes he’s made since he joined us. Granted, he was nowhere near Drogba for the equaliser in the final but what’s that? One, of maybe a handful in three years?

People believe Moyes is a hostage to his generous salary. I wouldn’t be so sure. He holds all the aces here. His stock outside the club has never been held higher. I’m not even sure he holds Destination Kirkby close to his heart. He could walk away. Take a year out and count the offers rolling in then.

I could be wrong and am watching events closely, as we all are. It’s a worry. What we’ve built over the last seven years has been really precious but always so very fragile. Every Evertonian deep down must be holding their breath as to how we’re going to get through the next fourteen days. Anxious times indeed.

Ray Burn
9 Posted 18/08/2009 at 08:00:55

"Do you really think he handed in a written transfer request whilst in Holland, knowing he’d still have to return to Finch Farm after?"

Yes I do.

I think you are giving the sulky prick far too much credit and doing the club something of a disservice to suggest otherwise.

Alan Clarke
10 Posted 18/08/2009 at 08:45:40

It’s ridiculous to suggest Moyes would ever walk from Everton. It’s as if you think he’s paid nothing to do the job. Moyes easily has the cushiest job in football. He’s paid £3.5 million a year. He’s put under no pressure to actually win anything for that salary and even when his team gets twatted 6-1 at home or 7-1 away or 5-1 in Europe, he doesn’t have to take any blame, it’s all directed at Kenwright. He can always pull out the "glass ceiling" argument to hide behind his own tactical inefficiencies when we lose.

Moyes is so well suited to Everton FC, don’t ever worry about him leaving.

Zaid Omar
11 Posted 18/08/2009 at 08:57:04

Moyes has just revealed in the Echo that Everton were keen to sign Fabian Delph but lost out to Villa because we didn't have the funds. The same with Naughton. This confirms my view , that Everton only have a chance of signing a decent player if they are the only club in the running for the player.

Moyes also sings the same old song of ’the club have no funds’. If that's the fucking case then Lescott should have been sold a long time ago and the money should have been used wisely. What's going to happen now is Moyes will swallow his pride and sell Lescott a couple of days before the window closes, which leaves us with no time to use the money effectively. Moyes was good at getting Everton into a top 6 club , but unfortunately he doesn't have what it takes to takes us further.

Ray Roche
12 Posted 18/08/2009 at 09:06:27

Jon Barrett, I think that’s a bit harsh on Barry, he spent 12 years at Villa and you can’t blame him for moving when he’s 29-30. Lescott, however, was only too happy to sign a lucrative 5-year contract with Everton and now either feels he’s worth more, or can see the gravy train at Comedy City.

Let’s keep things in perspective, Lescott's contract with EFC should earn him approx £10m in addition to what he’s already earned, and in addition to what he can earn afterwards. How much does he think he’ll need? Mind you, if he carries on buying black BMW / Audi / Mercedes drug dealer 4x4’s every few months his money might run out sooner than it should.

Ciarán McGlone
13 Posted 18/08/2009 at 09:09:06

I have no doubt that we lose signings because of our pitiful deal structures.

That’s one mans fault... an it isn’t Moyes — although he may like to pontifcate about how he’s in charge — he’s not.

Our financial state determines our actions — and it should determine the sale of Lescott (along with the little matter of team morale) — and hopefully it will once Moyes stops sulking.

Howard Don
14 Posted 18/08/2009 at 09:14:49

Zaid Omar, We all know Moyes doesn’t have what it takes to take us further than the top six, it’s called MONEY. His actual ability can’t be questioned, given what he’s achieved on a shoestring.

Zaid Omar
15 Posted 18/08/2009 at 09:40:10

Howard, I agree that Moyes has done admirably on a shoe string budget. However, knowing that you don't have any money should cause a manager to make decisions to maximise whatever little resources he has. In this summer that would have meant selling Lescott early on and utilising the resources effectively to bolster the squad.

Moyes also believes that he has 13 or 14 players in the current squad that form the core of his plans to take the club forward. He feels that all he needs is back up. Unfortunately the likes of Osman, Neville, Hibbert and Yobo are part of Moyes ’13 or 14 players’ and therein lies another problem. If he feels that the club can move forward with players mentioned above then he is deluded. They are squad players at best.

Adam Baig
16 Posted 18/08/2009 at 10:49:02

I still think Moyes is waiting for City to phone him with an offer he thinks is suitable. Problem is, Bill won't give City his number till 31 Aug, when a £25m deal will be rushed through, with a promise of new signings in January...

We all know what happens after that.

Alan Clarke
17 Posted 18/08/2009 at 11:13:43

Why so cynical, Adam?!

Mark Hill
18 Posted 18/08/2009 at 12:39:18

Turns out that our pal from down the road has decided to tell us that we should sell Lescott to Citeh as well! He really isn’t endearing himself to the Goodison faithful is he??

What suprises me more now is Sharpy on the box yesterday almost stating outright that we should sell Lescott to Citeh..

I mean crikey it doesn’t make good reading about the club when people are saying from within the club we should sell on of our players.

i think if we can get an adequate replacement, then sell him, we clearly need the money, and whilst i wouldn’t say we are a selling club, and this may send the wrong message to other clubs should we sell him, but we need the money. However i would say i don’t think either Senderos, nor Taylor are the answer in replacing Lescott. I also think Yobo isn’t good enough either...!!

Mark Hill
19 Posted 18/08/2009 at 12:55:08

Our Pal being Harry Rednapp...!

Kieran Fitzgerald
20 Posted 18/08/2009 at 06:32:10

A small thing I know, in the context of the game overall on Saturday, but I was happy to see Saha score on Saturday. A full pre-season and a goal in the opening game of the season. I know a lot of the gloss will be taken off the goal by the game and result, but you would hope that Moyes will have taken Saha to one side during the week and given him an ego massage. A fit and confident Saha will get you goals. Hopefully Moyes will give him a start on Thursday night.

Pablo Mc
21 Posted 18/08/2009 at 16:18:52

"Doing the club something of a disservice to suggest otherwise."

Hahaha — that has most definitely been the "modus operandi" of the club with several former players — if they want/need to get rid they will make damned sure that the player is vilified before they go and Blue Bill comes out looking squeaky clean.

I’m not saying that is the case with Lescott, but I wouldn’t put ANYTHING past Kenwright and Co — he just wants to keep hold of his train set — end of.

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