He’s simply not very good.

Not much more I can add to that.

Being just on 50 years old, I am trying to think of any player (in school, five-a- side... anywhere) whose control is worse than that idiot.

I can’t... he is pathetic.

That guy's first touch of the ball goes further than I can kick it!!

My Mrs has got a Brazilian... got a better touch than Jo as well...

He was banging them in left right and center in Russia, so the quality is there. He’s even shown it in flashes over here. He’s just finding the step up rather difficult unfortunately...

Just a couple of points re his past.

If you look at his goals, he linked up well with Wagner Love, and to be fair he was given far better quality balls to feed on that’s he’s getting at the moment.

The second point is that he was never really pressurised by Russian defenders — if you look they tend to stand off as most European defenders do and gave him 3-5 yards whereas in England he gets closed down, tackled, pushed from the back and he gets knocked off the ball all to easily.

I think in one way he’s a bit like Yak — give him a sniff from 20 yards and he’ll find the target — but, unlike Yak, he’s not strong enough to make his own chance.

Give him one sniff and he’ll find the target?

One of his major problems last year was that whenever he had the ball and was in a striking position - he couldn’t hit the target!

He is a striker? Could have fooled me.

He is one of the worst footballers I have ever had to sit and watch.

Him and Lucas must be the worst Brazilians ever.

The thing is with Jo is that David Moyes clearly likes him. Moyes was interested in Jo before Man City signed him. Moyes took Jo on loan last season. Moyes took Jo on loan a second time this season. Moyes continues to keep Jo at the club and uses him a lot...

So what does Moyes see in Jo that almost all of us fans don't? Personally I think he’s the most pants striker at Everton since Brett Angell. Average pace, no real strength, not particularly good with the ball and poor finishing.

My heart sinks when Jo comes on the field.

Last week against Benfica, I think the score was still 0-0 when they brought on Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola. Our response? Jo and Agard (nothing against the lad, but he’s way too young to make a difference right now). I knew at that moment we had lost the match.

Having said that, a glance across the park brings up the name of David Ngog, who was not too many weeks ago subject to the most vitriolic abuse from Liverpool fans after his performance against Lyon. However, with Fernando Torres’s recent injury problems, and long may they continue, Ngog has gotten game time, scored a couple of big goals, and perfected his Olympic diving routine for London 2012. Most Liverpool supporters now accept him as a reasonable backup to Torres.

We need to play Jo regularly, or hardly at all. Having him come on for the last 10-20 minutes of games is never going to get him ticking. He’s a waste of space at the moment, and that won’t change until he gets a consistent run of games.

The worrying thing is that there is an option for making Jo a permanent Everton player.

The most scary scenario:-

Rodwell joins Man City for £10 million plus Jo.

I have had a season ticket since 1987-88 when I was 13. In the folllowing 22 years, Jo is quite comfortably the worst player I have seen in an Everton shirt and, by the christ, have I seen some dross.

I disagree with the general concensus on Jo. I think the lad is given a hard time without due thought to his situation.

Being a Brazilian he is used to a style of play where the delivery to him is to his feet and generally in the direction he is expecting to run. When you have our defence hoofing long balls up to him at breakneck speed he ain't going to function to the best of his abilities.

I will judge the guy when we have our creative players back who can feed him and play him in on goal. Until then we’ll have to rely on our powerhouse performers of Saha and the Yak.

It wouldn't surpise me in the slightest if he left Everton for a better footballing side and started banging them in... it wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

Thats right, lads — put the boot in to Jo and slaughter him but don't dare say a critical word about the lame negative sterile defensive tactics Moyes employs which end up suffocating all the strikers at Everton.

When Jo first came here, he scored 5 in 7 games and was flying; once Moyes got a grip of him he ends up running the channels like Bent, Beattie, AJ, Yakubu and even Saha is being forced out wide.

Jo is no world-beater, I admit that... but you try playing up front on your own with a paceless midfield and the ball being pumped at your head for 90 minutes. His touch is off because he is under too much pressure once in possession.

Even the world's best strikers would struggle in the David Moyes Hoofball system. Yakubu scored 20 odd goals one season then dries up under the Moyes's method of play... WHY is that?

Yes, that's right all blame the player but no fault of the manager. Absolutely pathetic. If you play shit tactics you get shit performances. Learn a bit about how Moyes plays the game before you assassinate a young player so quickly.

Jo would be decent given the right service and the right manager.

Fucken hell guys do we have to put the boot into every young lad who’s struggling for confidence? If you thinks he’s slow, say so, if you think his first touch is poor, say so.

These are OUR players... do we have to be so spiteful?

I agree if most of the above — Jo has been shite this season. I was impressed with him in the early part of his loan last year and he had some well taken goals to his name. I was pleased when we got him for 1 year.

Yes, his touch is rubbish but his strength is when he is running at defenders as he does have a bit of skill and strength. But he is not suited to a sole striker role where he has been most of this season when he is brought on.

In his defence, I would say he is only about 22 — and I remember Phil Neville quoting David Moyes saying he had just been to Russia to see a player "who had everything".

Maybe an important goal from Jo soon will boost his confidence then we might see some Brazilian flair soon. There is no point getting on his back as we will need him — as Saha and Yak won't go through the full season injury-free.

To be honest, DM has made some really good signings and a couple of duffers, it’s always about opinions and he is paid handsomely to do so.

That said, I implore DM not to sign Hutton from Spurs, I haven’t seen him have a good game yet. Has anybody else?

Most intelligent comment on here is from Dave Wilson. Ciaran, your pithy throw away one liners, "he’s simply not very good" are meaningless.

How come the same kid scored lots of goals (44 in 77 games), and actually lots of very good and very difficult goals, for CSKA? And please, shove the wisecracks about the strength of the Russian league. Domestically and internationally Russia has been on the up for sometime. Their clubs have increasing wealth and buying power and are gaining a stringer foothold in European competition.

Valencia (Ranieri), Real Madrid (Capello) and Inter (Mancini) all asked after Jo before City took the plunge. And had Leonardo been managing AC Milan when he moved he has stated he would buy him in a heartbeat. He was also in the Brazil squad when he was just 20 and scored 2 goals in the Olympic 3rd place play off.

So, the kid is not currently ripping up trees but is that really all his fault? His reputation is as a 2nd or deep lying striker, not a target man. Where is the creativity in the team right now to exploit his kid’s talent & pace?

Managers of international repute and long records of success have openly expressed regard for Jo. he was in the full Brazil squad from very young. He scored lots of goals in a very foreign (and racist) country. Moyes wanted him. And yet people come on here with spectacular put downs for him, as though their view somehow means something compared to the managers of some of the world’s top clubs, the manager of Brazil and indeed our own manager.

Is Michael Owen a bad player? Was Rooney a bad player last season when he couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo for 15 games and just got booked instead? Have you considered how difficult it is playing in a team missing half its squad and almost all of its creative & dominant core? Have you tried playing with your back to goal, receiving 50 yard hoofs with two defenders stuck to you and no team mates within 20 yards?

It isn’t just Jo’s fault. And frankly I’ll go with the opinions of Dunga, Moyes, Capello, Mancini et all than that of a part time fan who rarely sees him for 90 mins, never sees him in training and makes no allowance for the type of player he is, type of service he thrives on (proven) and resources currently available therein.

Get off his back.

You make some good points Alan. The thing is though, there can’t be any excuses for having the touch of an elephant.

It’s been a while since I agreed with Alan Kirwan and Dave Wilson but you both make reasoned arguments. Jo has been good in the past and he will be good again. I have been very critical of David Moyes but I hate to see players who have never been given a proper chance being dismissed offhand.

I have similar feelings of shame Andy Crooks. I think I posted on the thread you refer to, or another of a similar nature. In defended Jo and made some bold (and in hindsight foolhardy) suggestions that he was a rough diamond who could, if he bulked out, be the new Adebayor. Or some such guff.

Having watched him more frequently, he is too lightweight and also a bit scared. I actually think he is a scared of players on the pitch. I remember last season at Chelsea, he had a few good chances. John Terry came across to him each time. Jo, to me, shit himself. He automatically resigned himself to losing out and rushed the shot. Net result — MISS!

I am not sure if the threat is physical and he fears getting hurt, or if it is mental and he panics. The Yak is far far cooler in front of goal. Maybe it is both. Perhaps he just doesn’t have the physical belief and utter steely mindset / cool calm to be a top forward...

Alan, Mark Hughes is not one of those coaches who thinks well of him believe me. He does deserve some support but it is becoming hard when, every time he brushes an opposing player, he falls over.

’Talent and pace’?

I don’t know who you’ve been watching Alan, but Jo has sod all pace... and I haven’t seen much evidence of talent.

Your poetic licence is a little over the top here...

As for meaningless comment — I always find it rather hilarious when someone lists a ’meaningless’ list of previous suitors — who were so interested they did sod all to sign him...

You may regard my comment as pithy — I regard it as an honest analysis of what I’ve seen. I choose not to base my opinion on anecdotal evidence of which managers might have been interested... I find that analysing his game is a little more informed.

I reckon we put a bid of about £10m in for him at the end of last season or as some part of the Lescott deal but City still were still hoping he’d end up being a class act. From what we’ve seen City would be lucky if anyone payed over £5m.

I would actually rather have Beattie than Jo. I never thought I would say that!

I think most fans posting on this thread are underestimating Jo. It is true he has been disappointing this season. Last season, people were lamenting that he was not available in the FA Cup.

I believe this player, who is still only 22, will be a major figure in the future, if not for us then some other club. He is struggling under a burden of expectation that a big price tag and his Brazilian heritage places on him. He has also had huge cultural adjustments — from Brazil to Russia and then to England — in a relatively short time.

He needs better service and he needs a regular strike partner. I think he will blossom when Arteta is playing behind him, placing balls for him to run on to. Don’t give up on him. As for worse strikers, have you all forgotten Ibrahima Bakajoke-o?

I’m just hoping Moyes is offered the Scotland job, takes it, gets Jo to change his Nationaility to Scotish and takes the "Bambi on Ice" striker with him.

I have also seen some Dross at Everton since I made the stupid decision to support them in 1978, and to be honest I’m struggling to think of much worse. Off the top of my head, John Spencer, Mo Johnson, John Collins, Brett Angell, Alan Biley... oh hang on there’s loads!

Peter Fearon — I did see Bakayoko score a 30 yard blinder for us, I think it was at home to Southampton. I thought he could have been given a better chance at Everton. Mikel Madar — now there’s a goal machine if ever, although even he scored a good one at Spurs.

Technically, tactically & physically enept. The Brazillian Brett Angell — if you combine the pace of Weir, the touch of Hibbo & the work rate of Beattie, you come close to one Jo.

His major failing is one thing you could never accuse the other 3 of, a total lack of back bone; the guy will fall over if somebody blows on him. I have watched Everton since 74 & Jo is a banker for a starting place in my most bollocks 11 of all time.

Well, Tony Marsh you are the only one who has identified the problem with Jo... SERVICE.

Everton are fast becoming the strikers' graveyard because of the style of football Moyes adopts.

If the service is shite the striker is shite and won't score.

Analyse everything you want about the lad... yawn (a life needed) — he has the talent but Moyes's style will kill that off.

Peter, you and Tony have got it spot on. Ciaran, you normally engage in serious debate but your response was totally dismissive. You, with reservations, admire David Moyes but cannot accept that he must see something in Jo.

Colin, Jo, Vaughan excepting, is the quickest in what is a pretty slow bunch of strikers.I believe the tactics at Goodison Park require a hold-up striker who won’t get too many goals. We may as well bring back Marcus Bent.

Bloody hell, some of you are cruel buggers. He isn’t a world beater, we all know that. We have better strikers in Saha and Yak but is there a need to bash this kid over the head?

It's the same case as Fellaini, people bag the shit out of these young guys as they don’t think they are worthy of the fees paid for them. How the hell is that their fault?

This guy has had a rough trip in England. He had limited opportunity at Man City and let's face it any stiker who looks the goods at the front of our current team must be good (all the more reason to praise Saha).

He has shown glimpses of good skill and will look better with some creative players to give him service.

Oh yeah forgot to mention. The guys is on loan for christ sake, what is the massive problem. If we find a better option then it's no skin off our noses.

Ciaran... you’re a bit more harsh mate. I think Chris and Tony are spot on, he’d be good with our midfielders back. First things first, he’s not had that much playing time. He has been generally poor, but that’s because he’s not a lone striker and we don’t have our midfield.

Jo, yes, is still our third best striker, but he’s still young. He has enough time to develop attributes to adapt to the Prem, Sadly, it would probably be with another club.

Realistically, he’s not that far from being a decent player. Before he can legitimately play in the PL he has to fix 2 things. 1) Field vision; look around you. Where is the space in the defence? Go there. 2) Laziness. This is what makes good players, like Jo, suck.

It’s not that the other 10 guys don’t get him the ball, he doesn’t give them the opportunity to get him the ball. He has skill but he doesn’t always use it.

Until he gives 100% all the time, he will never be anything more than average. We’ve all seen his potential, the kid can play, I’m not denying that. The question is whether or not he wants to.

Tony —
"Jo is no world-beater, I admit that... but you try playing up front on your own with a paceless midfield and the ball being pumped at your head for 90 minutes."

Made me laugh out loud! So comical and so true. The main thing we need to worry about are the continued pathetic tactics deployed by Moyes.

’Ciaran, you normally engage in serious debate but your response was totally dismissive. You, with reservations, admire David Moyes but cannot accept that he must see something in Jo.’
-------------------------------

For a start, I’ve done Jo to death on here - so I don’t feel the need to be anything other than dismissive - because I haven’t been proven wrong in any single performance he’s had!

Anyone who can’t see that he’s lacking in several required areas, is either very patient or high as a kite...

As for what Moyes sees in him - could it be the fact that he was free?

I also simply reject the idea that because a manager has taken a player on, then there must be something that us commoners don’t see...I think that’s a bollocks argument actually.

’Yakubu scored 20 odd goals one season then dries up under the Moyes’s method of play... WHY is that?’

Because a few games after the start of the season after he had scored them 20+ goals the yak got an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season remember?!

Tony Marsh - I assume that in his spell when he was flying you did actally see the games.

One was a penaltythat Arteta was about to take until Phil Neville went and got the ball off him to give Jo a bit of confidence, one was from 3 yards with the keper lying on the floor out of the picture and one was when the kepper let it slip under his body.

He has actually improved since then and that tells you just how bad he was. His goals masked dire performaces. Yakubu scored another 5 before he ruptured his achilles last season - in a side that wasn’t playing well.
Get a grip lad and stop looking fo

r an excuse that doesn’t exisit

Oh by the way...Im not so sure where this lone striker thing is coming from...the majority of games he’s made an appearance in have been as a second striker.

I also fail to see how having midfielders back is going to suddenly make him capable of staying on his feet..., knowing where the target is or not having the shooting power of a kitten.

However, I do admire the optimism...or should that be hypocrisy...Marsh slaughters Hibbert, who’s probably been one of our best performers this season - yet advocates patience over a player who has yet to show anything...

Strange.

He’s not playing that well but he shows glipses off potential. He has the ability to beat a player one on one which not many of our forwards do.

I could see him being a real success in a team like Arsenal where there movement and pace creates space.

"staying on his feet..., knowing where the target is or not having the shooting power of a kitten"

Amen brother Ciaran, couldn’t have put that better myself.....perhaps I would have mentioned he has the first touch of a baby elephant.

Lets be honest here for one second lads. We have a major injury crisis and are missing the very spine of our team. Two of our younger strikers are injured, one just back and one is always only one game away from injury.....this leaves Jo.

Whether we like it or not the guy is there to fill what could be a big void come the AFCON tournament early next year. I fully believe that a fit Arteta and Pienarr will revitalise our attacking options and we will see the best of Jo as he will get more playing time due to the reasons above.

Lets not forget that only recently it was Jo that provided the assist for the much needed equaliser against the mighty Wolves.

We are not a club that can afford to knock our players incessantly, there is no moneytree or production line from an acadamy, what we have we should hold and give them every encouragment.

Sorry, Tony Marsh... while I agree totally with your comments on Moyes's tactics, the fact is that the guy is shite. He really is pathetic. He can’t trap a ball. He is one dimensional. His finishing is woeful.

No one be fooled by the goals he scored that he literally couldn’t miss. Did anyone see him in that awful night in Lisbon. Of the few times we had a move on he fucked it up everytime because his distribution is awful.

Loius Saha plays up front on his own and has fuck all service and yet look at his return this season. It tells you just how good the guy is and he most certainly shows up them other two pricks.

However I agree 100% with anyone who questions Moyes hoofball tactics. That he would play a bone idle striker in a 4-5-1 system tells you everything and it totally contradicts the work ethic he expects.

I think you owe the swear jar about £60.00 James!

Most intelligent comment on here is from Dave Wilson... I don't think so. By far and away the winner on this front is Tony Cheek. Priceless!!!

Jo is pants. He may be an everton player but he's still pants. If he was with the RS we'd be laughing our cocks off!!

i agree with James Boden. i don’t care what this lad is ’capable’ of. the fact is, he ain’t doing it for us and seems he never will! he’s got a worse touch than Fellaini, awful distribution and zero confidence! he’s been in England long enough, with City and with us, and he still hasn’t ’adapted’ to the EPL. well then i’m afraid he’s never going to. don’t give a shit about his goal return in Russia, he’d probably do the same in the Championship. doesn’t help us much does it??? we need strikers like King Saha who can turn the game for us from out of nothing even with shite service (coz that’s all we have now) make their own chances and bury them! nothing but the best is good enough and it applies to this waste of space, if he can’t put them away every half a chance, then jog on son. simple as.

I initially had high hopes, but now I feel he has no future at the club. He was a success in Russia, but that is it. He was not even highly rated in Brazil. He came through the ranks at Corinthians, and he was not highly rated.

I was in Brazil earlier this year and converted a few people from Chelsea fans to Evertonians. When I mentioned Jo, every single Corinthians fans laughed and said ’Jo is Shit’.

He will remain until end of season and will probably be suited to the slow pace of italian football, but he has no future in the Premier League. He has shown glimpses, but lacks the cutting edge for English football.

Tony Marsh

I agree with you - a bit.

Jo isn’t a world beater - he wouldn’t have being plying his trade in Russia or in Europe and the rest of the world as so many Brazilians do if he was. Semi-pros in North Wales are often from Merseyside. Its a similar process.

But Jo is a good footballer. I think his best role, in the 4-5-1 that I think serves us best, is wide left with Billy boy central and with Baines holding it all together.

Arteta back? Still only a dream.