ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Replacing rather than building

Is it just me or are Everton constantly having to replace players rather than build on what we have got? Losing Lescott now is an example of this:

Southall - Gerrard - Simonsen - Myhre - Wright - Martyn - replaced by Howard
Weir - Krøldrup - Lescott - replaced by ???? (Taylor/Distin/Hangeland?)
Stubbs - replaced by Jags - now need cover for him
Pistone - Naysmith - Valente - replaced by Baines
Carsley - Castillo - replaced by ???
Pembridge - Kilbane - Davies - Pienaar
Bent - Beattie - Johnson - Yakubu - covered by Jo & Saha

If we want to be progressing, shouldn't we be looking to bring players in to give competition to the ones ahead of them? Prime example is Hibbert: how many more years are we going to be exposed with him playing at right-back?

It's no good having a good atmosphere in the squad (currently ruined by someone greedy). We need to be building on 5th place. Surely coming 5th 2 years in a row and playing in Europe should be a good start to attract quality players instead of having to replace them year-in, year-out.
Peter Keating, Dunstable, Beds Posted 26/08/2009 at 11:47:00

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Michael Kenrick

What a very odd post. Of course older players who can no longer cut it are replaced by younger ones... isn't that the way it's always been? Replacements may be better, may be not. Again, isn't that the way it's always been?

And yet there have been a gazillion posts on this website saying that Moyes has progressed the squad every year since he's been here (although recently... not so many). There have also been a gazillion posts about the Moyes's shrinking core squad size, the reasons for that (be it dithering or financial restrictions), and the strange galvanizing backs-to-the-wall, us-against-the-rest effect this has had on team spirit. And there have been a gazillion posts about building on 5th place... or failing to. Quality players cost MONEY! And teams with MONEY snap them up. Again, isn't that the way it's always been?

Dan McKie
1 Posted 26/08/2009 at 16:50:00

Why oh why did we get rid of Southall? He would have kept Howard on his toes, and Pienaar would defo keep up his good form if Pembridge was breathing down his neck for a spot!

Steven Connor
2 Posted 26/08/2009 at 16:58:21

WTF!
Southall is over fifty now, Weir 39, Stubbs retired, Pistone retired....What sort of fucking team would that be??
Why did we ever get rid of dixie...

Jimmy Saville
3 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:01:47

So Michael, if the post is very odd, and you’ve troubled your self to let us know... Why bother to post it in the first place?

John Gaulton
4 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:11:23

What!!!! That makes no sense.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
5 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:09:18

Good question, "Jimmy Saville"... (is that your real name?).

After being in serious overload mode recently, the mailbag is slim pickings today... And you know, if someone has taken the trouble to write in, I feel a certain duty to post their effort, even if the content is (ahem) questionable.

These days I try to say nothing... but like Cairan, sometimes I just can’t hold back. Part of the issue here may be related to our Membership system, which I think is on the whole working very well... for the regular posters at least.

What seems to happen, though, is rare posters probably find it easier to bash off a Mailbag item or Fan Article rather than log in and comment on an existing thread. That would also behoove them to actually read the threads — something which again seems to be a growing issue, if the content of this OP is anything to go by.

That raises the question: Should we limit original submissions to existing members? My feeling is No... but perhaps I need to ask Lyndon for a flag on the initial posts that indicates if someone is a member, and how frequently they are posting. [Next we could have you all choose those cute little avatars and have ranks for differing levels of membership participation...??? er, perhaps not!]

So, to answer your question, I guess I’m kinda using this as an example post in the occasional series "What not to post on ToffeeWeb".

Alex Naylor
6 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:35:33

I "actually read the threads " all the time (almost every day in fact) but rarely post.

On another note this post is so bad its just crazy. Maybe I just don’t get it.

Sean McNally
7 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:48:57

It’s just you, Peter

Stuart Mitchell
8 Posted 26/08/2009 at 17:56:03

Maybe the point Peter was trying to make is that we often lose valuable players to the team/squad who are not always replaced with better players.

Andy Johnson, McFadden, Rooney, and now Lescott, come to mind.

Maybe if we had signed some decent players at the start of the summer, Lescott would not have been tempted away to a brighter future at Man City.

Now we find ourselves trying to shore up the defence with a cover player till Jags is back.

I am still confident that we will again have a sucessful season, top 6 and a few cups runs, but we must learn next season and build on what we have.

Steve Edwards
9 Posted 26/08/2009 at 18:08:20

Stuart - Not much is certain at Everton but one thing is for sure and that is we will have learned nothing. We learned nothing from last season, in fact this is almost groundhog day come round again.

I agree very strange post. It's a pitty Dixie died, I’m sure he would have score another 60 goal this season.

Ken Williams
10 Posted 26/08/2009 at 16:55:54

So the official Everton Web sit has closed its forum 'the Blue Room' due to persistent abuse of the acceptable use policy. I am not surprised... the forum was getting worse by the day; some of the racial and personal comments that were posted were well out of order. In my opinion it was up to the forum moderators to act quickly and delete offending posts, this is not the first time that the forum has been withdrawn. I can only hope that the idiots do not find their way onto this forum.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
11 Posted 26/08/2009 at 20:22:18

Thanks for the ’heads up’, Ken. In part, our membership system is designed to combat that threat, and we have a couple of other ’speed bumps" to slow down those who may wish to misuse our facilities. But to a large extent we rely on readers to Report Abuse if they see it, and we can strive to nip it in the bud.

I know our rules and Conditions of Use seem Draconian to some, but they were developed in part to prevent such occurrences here on ToffeeWeb. Thanks for all your help and continued support!

Mark Stone
12 Posted 26/08/2009 at 20:46:58

Peter I think that’s what all teams do really ... with the exception of those who have a sudden injection of money (i.e. Man Citeh)

Rick Tarleton
13 Posted 26/08/2009 at 14:51:37

Late August, 2010:

After a late recovery inspired by young Jack Rodwell, Everton have ended up in seventh place. Everton, realising that Rodwell is a hot property, a player who's made the England party to South Africa, desired by both Manchester clubs, Tottenham and even Barcelona are sniffing, and having learned from the summer of 2004 when Rooney was allowed to go, decide to offer him £15,000 a week and a ten year contract.

By the end of August Rodwell's agent is claiming his boy has to move to further his career and Kenwright and Moyes have been saying all summer that they won't let him go. However on August 25th he signs for United for £30 million and we get Hargreaves on a pay as you play basis.

Jo's loan is extended again and we sign David Bentley after his stay at the Priory. We start the season by losing the first four games....

I'm making it up, but it has a familiar scenario.

Guy Hastings
14 Posted 26/08/2009 at 21:19:03

What’s odd about this post? It’s a perfectly good point: ’If we want to be progressing, shouldn’t we be looking to bring players in to give competition to the ones ahead of them?’ - Everton consistently replace players rather than seek to have competition for places. Can’t really argue with that. And it makes a rather refreshing, rational point compared with some of the mouth-frothing rants from some of the TWeb regulars.

Peter Keating
15 Posted 26/08/2009 at 22:12:13

Sorry if I was bit unclear and I can see that, yes, I was using examples of replacing older players. My point was that the players we do have never have any competition to push them into playing better and getting into that Champions League spot and any player that does stand out with their performances or becomes and England international gets sold i.e. Rooney, Lescott. But like I said two 5th place finishes & European football should be enough to attract good quality players to the club. Why is it not?

Sean McNally
16 Posted 26/08/2009 at 23:32:25

Because of Kenwright and his lies Peter. Its a disgrace our great club should suffer like this.

Only today it was confirmed that Peter Storie had found another middle east buyer to take over Pompy, however that wont be needed now.

And also, news of a new American bidder for Newcastle who SSN reported was loaded. How can these people be found????

Brendan McLaughlin
17 Posted 27/08/2009 at 00:00:29

Aye Sean, we do hear of these investors queuing up to invest in other clubs but how come we very rarely hear any reports of buyers looking to invest in Everton. Lets face it, after transfer speculation takeovers are the biggest footballing headline in the tabloids & yet despite the fact that BK has been very public in respect of his 24/7 search for investment there has been precious little speculation with respect to Everton. Is it possible, blue-tinted spectacles aside, that we are not the ideal investment opportunity that many would have us believe.

Timothy Laynge
18 Posted 27/08/2009 at 11:09:50

And,Brendan,can anyone explain why "the old lady" should be abarrier to investment when Fratton Park in such aderelict state is able to attract such investors,willing to invest stadium wise.

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