ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

It's Difficult to Fault Moyes

I have just read the article in the Telegraph and must say that Moyes must be congratulated for how he is handling the Lescott affair.

People are saying sell him. Why keep someone who doesn't want to play for us? I agree, but where is City's third bid? They know the valuation (everyman and his dog knows what figure to suffice), so where are they?

City and Mark Hughes are a disgrace. If they were serious about the signing, or if they had any honour in how they do business, they would have made their bids over a relatively short space of time and if they felt Everton's valuation was over the top, they would have moved on. One month on and they are still "talking" — to whom, I don't know.

Moyes is right to stick to his valuation. Johnson went for £17 million and he can't defend. Moyes's points about Terry and Ferdinand is spot on.

I still think he will go. But I think City are dragging this affair out deliberately for sinister reasons. Dropping Lescott is a brave decision and only time will tell how costly this whole affair will be.
Paul Lenehan, Armagh Posted 20/08/2009 at 05:40:10

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Ciarán McGlone
1 Posted 20/08/2009 at 13:50:27

So what is his valuation, Paul?

Dave Roberts
2 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:06:22

Well...a darn sight more than Johnson for a start.

Pablo Mc
3 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:11:57

I think there is probably a lot more to read into City’s targets this summer — if you look at the players that they were after, they were all playing for the top teams and I don’t think that is just because "obviously the best players are at the best clubs" :-

Adebayor and Toure at Arsenal, Tevez at United, Terry at Chelsea, Lescott at Everton, Barry at Villa. The only of their "rivals" that they didn’t go near was Liverpool and you could argue that them signing Barry so early was a blow to Liverpool, especially given Alonso’s eventual departure.

I think Moyes has tried his very best to keep hold of him but he now seems to be very much fighting a losing battle; however, he has conducted himself with dignity at all times — which is more than can be said for a lot of the other parties involved — and he’ll still have 100% of my backing no matter what the outcome is.

Jonathan Bradley
4 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:17:41

Good article, and its good to finally read an article in the national press that doesn't insist Moyes will have to sell him and/or that Lescott is overvalued at £20 million, which were so prevalent last weekend you would almost think there was something going on.

Dave Whitwell
5 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:27:16

I wonder how Lescott is feeling now personally.

Clearly his advisors have pushed him in this direction, he & they now have there wish, they have a willing seller at the right price. So its time for us to use his agents to drive up the deal.

But where are Man City now, that’s right its all gone quiet, perhaps Joleon they don’t value you as highly as you thought!

Ciarán McGlone
6 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:36:30

Irrespective of the fact that I’ll say what I like within the confines of this sites posting rules - Sean, did it ever cross your little mind that I disagree with the article - and my question was a premise to further debate?

A question which no-one has answered by the way... interesting that Moyes once said he would never buy a player who was not valued at the level he valued them at... now he’s nicely turned this logic on it’s head without a hint of irony.

Phil Bellis
7 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:49:18

Ciaran,
£30 million + Richards and I’ll cover Joleon in sky-blue bubble wrap and deliver him to Eastlands myself. And, as I’m sure you know, I am not a realist, I’m an Evertonian.

Ellen West
8 Posted 20/08/2009 at 14:53:08

Lescott valuation = £10 Million. This is based on the fact that I feel he has already had his best season. I’m sure that if he wanted to go to Villa to the point of putting in a transfer request he would of gone for no more than £12 million.

However, because Man City are throwing money away, we might as well get as much as possible. If this deal breaks down and Man City withdraw their interest, there will be a lot of egg on a lot of peoples faces.

Phil Bellis
9 Posted 20/08/2009 at 15:00:41

Ellen, well said

Regardless of the outcome, I fully agree with Pablo, above... David Moyes is acting with the dignity of Evertonians of days gone by (Will Cuff, Joe Mercer, etc) and will remain yolk-free.

Chris Wilson
10 Posted 20/08/2009 at 15:20:05

Also, what Moyes is doing is not just about Lescott - it’s about Arteta, it’s about Rodwell, Jags, Baines, Yakubu, etc. If Moyes simply capitulates to Man City like so many folks want him to, what’s to prevent similar tactics being used in the future by clubs who can promise “double your salary” contracts and/or Champions League to our other prized players? We could get fleeced.

Matthew Tait
11 Posted 20/08/2009 at 15:26:24

I don’t believe for a second that Moyes thinks that Lescott is worth anything like £30m. But he’s doing a good job of pretending he does, and maybe we can screw a few extra mill out of City - when money’s virtually no object, why the hell not.

But I do think that Moyes has acted extremely well in the wake of Saturday’s thrashing. Dropping Lescott from the squad was the best possible thing he could do - it sends a message to the player and City that we’re not going to be pushed over lightly, and is a strong response that might just get the rest of the squad’s heads in the right place. Well done Davey.

Steven Pendleton
12 Posted 20/08/2009 at 15:57:39

We’re waiting Ciaran?? He must be referring to his thesaurus Anthony to try to give credibility to a useless point.

Brian Lawlor
13 Posted 20/08/2009 at 16:22:45

It’s called negotiation.

Once city came in with an official bid, it was obvious to everyone in the country that he was gone. Instead of saying to them "he’s not for sale", they should have said after the 2nd bid, "you can have him for £25 million".

This is no good for anyone and it is harming us far more than it is City. The longer it drgas on, the longer there’s a negative vibe at training and the less time we have to find replacements.

Once a player wants to go (and they would have know that prior to the official transfer request) it’s time to fuck him off.

It genuinely surprises me how many adult Evertonians are disgusted that he wants to go and hang on to the naive belief that he’s not arsed about doubling his wages and he loves Everton.

Whether we like it or not it’s business and trying to hang on to a player who doesn’t want to be there has a detrimental effect.

Paul Lenehan
14 Posted 20/08/2009 at 16:39:55

Ciaran, judging by the current market I would say we should be looking at £20-25 million — probably closer to £20 million.

For all the press conferences Hughes has done since his last bid, he hasn’t once said Everton’s valuation is high. So why have they dithered with a final bid?

I agree with Brian Lawlor, in that this saga is harming us more than City and it is no longer tenable for him to stay.

However, I also think it is clear that Everton’s stance has thawed. In reality I don’t think Everton are still maintaining the stance that Lescott is not for sale and if City were to offer a figure close to Everton’s valuation, then he would go. I guess the point of my article was, it’s put up or shut up time for City.

Ciarán McGlone
15 Posted 20/08/2009 at 16:52:46

Thanks for the answer Paul...What happens if they don’t meet that valuation?

Because I think they’ve the upper hand now...what do we do with Lescott after the 31st? This being a world cup year may be of some merit - but to be honest - he’ll be sitting on the bench in south Africa - while the rerlaitonship between him and us is not repairable.

Paul Lenehan
16 Posted 20/08/2009 at 17:14:30

I agree with you Ciaran. The thought of having an unhappy Lescott in the squad until the new year and beyond is not worth thinking about. Neither is the thought of City concluding deal on deadline day ala Rooney, giving us no chance to spend the money.

So there is no doubt that we are on dangerous ground. Having said that (and perhaps I need to swallow my pride here) the thought of giving in to City’s tactics and accepting their second bid - wihch I still think is too low - is just something that I can’t bring myself to accept.

Kirk McArdle
17 Posted 21/08/2009 at 02:19:04

Why are Man City dithering with placing a third bid?

Bloody obvious people. The longer that they drag the third (and in my opinion the last bid ) out, the less time we will have to spend the money before transfer window closes. Every man and his dog knows we are skint and will rely on any money Kenwright and Elstone let Moyes spend from said sale of Lescott. Hughes know that still this season Everton will be one of his main rivals. Why not stifle their spending power when he will be giving it to us!!!
THIS IS FOOTBALL. THIS IS A BUSINESS!!!!!

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