ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

Mike Green
1 Posted 28/04/2010 at 22:31:46

Can anyone confirm – and more importantly, anyone have any idea if he's got what it takes...?

Tony Parsons
2 Posted 28/04/2010 at 22:46:13

I saw him play and just thought to myself WOW

Brendan O'Doherty
3 Posted 28/04/2010 at 23:11:28

The new Pauletta? Doesn't exactly get the pulses racing. Never really rated Pauletta but then again he used to play as a lone striker, so maybe Silva would suit us.

Dennis Stevens
4 Posted 28/04/2010 at 23:38:13

Bad news for James Vaughan?

Ben Jones
5 Posted 28/04/2010 at 23:40:14

Pauleta was a great goal scorer domestically though, it is a good comparison.

And I think Dennis there was talk of James Vaughan going on loan at Leicester for all of next season?

Having never seen this guy play I don't really know what to make of it. But 13 goals for a 19 year old in one season so far, and only 500k, doesn't seem much ofn a gamble.

Can't really complain too much

Colin Ryan
6 Posted 28/04/2010 at 23:46:22

The Portugese Scott Spencer perhaps?? Think he cost us £500k too didn't he?

Ciarán McGlone
7 Posted 28/04/2010 at 23:49:13

The new Cody Arnoux.

James Stewart
8 Posted 29/04/2010 at 00:24:26

Who knows. I would expect him to start with a long stint in the reserves so hardly one to get excited about. We need to sign 2 or 3 First team level players to the squad.

And of course retain what we have. Well perhaps release Distin. That would be like a new signing!

Mike Green
9 Posted 29/04/2010 at 00:28:20

Looks like he's got the CMcG seal of who what know nought but what eh what approval.

The boys going to be fucking brill!!!!!

Well done Cia, love your work!

Brendan O'Doherty
10 Posted 29/04/2010 at 00:41:23

Slightly off topic, but has anyone else seen this Graham Dorrans lad at West Brom? Whenever I've seen him on TV he looks to be outstanding. Great trickery, pacey, can cross a ball, looks the business. I know his price is going up by the day and it's rumoured that we are one of the clubs that are tracking him, but surely we should push the boat out on this one. Especially if Pienaar goes.

Jay Harris
11 Posted 29/04/2010 at 00:58:38

We also need to consider the impending rules regarding the number of ENGLISH players in a squad.

We sem to be going the other way, i.e. getting rid of English players and bringing foreigners in. Lescott for Distin. This lad for Vaughan.

Eric Myles
12 Posted 29/04/2010 at 02:25:24

But this lad's under 21, we can have as many under 21s in the squad as we want, of any nationality and when he's over 21 he'll be classed as 'home grown' as he's been in our Academy.

They had to bend the rules a bit to fit in the 47 Spaniards that the RS have on their books now didn't they!!

Jason Lam
13 Posted 29/04/2010 at 03:26:09

Can't even find him on youtube. Not looking good..

Dave Wilson
14 Posted 29/04/2010 at 06:47:57

Brendan

According to Talk Shite (sport)yesterday. West Ham recently chanced their arm with a £4 million bid for Dorrans.

From what I understood, the second word in West Brom's response was "off"... You`re right, though, he looks the part.

Ciaran Duff
15 Posted 29/04/2010 at 07:52:56

This would fit in with the strategy of picking up promising young talent in the hope that they come through. If not, then it's not a huge loss. Given our lack of funds, I reckon we'll have to do a lot of this type of thing in the future.

In terms of "real signings" (ie, established players), I'd be happy if we picked up a right side midfielder hopefully with a bit of pace. IMHO, most other areas are covered fairly well given our budget, so I'd settle for that this summer.

Gavin Ramejkis
16 Posted 29/04/2010 at 08:22:01

Bang on the money Dave Wilson, I can't see them letting Dorrans go for less than £6M and probably hoping for a bidding war on him.

In response to the article though, I can't see him breaking into the first team any time soon, it's another Scott Spencer type gamble; if it doesn't work out he only cost £500k and he disappears again, if he does we save a few bob.

Dave Southon
17 Posted 29/04/2010 at 08:28:26

Unfortunately, I do not believe EFC should be spending £500k on a punt. We are not blessed with wealth and thus need every penny to either secure our top players on new contracts or invest in 1st team players.

Chris Keightley
18 Posted 29/04/2010 at 08:36:59

Again it gets on my tits — give the lad a chance!! Comparing him with Spencer what a joke!! He is a youth international who has scored 13 in the equivalent of our League 1 at 19 years of age, could be a good squad player next season, not a ressie as some of you have suggested.

Tommy Gourlay
19 Posted 29/04/2010 at 08:41:57

If he's scoring in the Portuguese 2nd Division then is that not the equivalent of the Championship or the top of English League 1? So he's a player a bit like Jermaine Beckford but younger and with room to improve.

Gavin Ramejkis
20 Posted 29/04/2010 at 08:57:20

And Tommy — without the ingrained Howard Wilkinson school of anti-football ethos engrained here.

Tony Waring
21 Posted 29/04/2010 at 09:12:11

And also Gavin he hopefully has the terrific work ethic that seems natural to all players from the Iberian peninsula!

David Hallwood
22 Posted 29/04/2010 at 09:14:45

Jay Harris (11); Dorrans is Scottish! and if we have signed Silva, at least see the lad play before slagging him off. I'll put my hand up and admit that I'd never seen Pienaar play or even heard of him before he signed, and I wasn't that fussed on Arteta either. Give them a chance FFS

Anthony Millington
23 Posted 29/04/2010 at 09:51:12

Bloody hell, lads... give him a break, haha. What 19-year-old footballers are on Youtube? For half a million maybe worth a gamble, let's hope he turns out to be a Wenger-like signing.

Ciarán McGlone
24 Posted 29/04/2010 at 10:40:46

"We also need to consider the impending rules regarding the number of ENGLISH players in a squad"
------------

There's no such rule Jay.

Mike,

Tongue in cheek mate, tongue in cheek.

James Newcombe
25 Posted 29/04/2010 at 10:50:24

As a side note, after drifting to and from a number of lower league clubs, Mr Spencer is making a little name for himself at Southend now. Good for him.

Dick Anderson
26 Posted 29/04/2010 at 11:04:05

James Newcombe

Can scoring 4 goals in a season at Division 1 level really be considered making a name for one's self?

Dan Walshe
27 Posted 29/04/2010 at 11:23:32

I would say that the Portuguese second division is fairly poor but I think that even if he doesn't make it with us Portuguese top division teams will just think he couldn't cut it in the Premier League and still be willing to pay at least £500k to bring him back to Portugal. There is no real risk in that sense. Players with bigger reputations in Portugal (Helder Postiga) didn't cut it in the Premier League) but were still in demand at home.

Does anybody know what type of player he is - i.e. a target man/ a poacher etc?

Personally I'm all for these type of speculative punts so long as they are on players who are expected to chalenge for squad/first team places and not fillers for the reserves.

Rob Hollis
28 Posted 29/04/2010 at 11:35:50

With Fellaini and Heitinga coming back from injury, that will be like three new signings already.

Craig Taylor
29 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:00:33

is this just another youngster signed to keep the reserves playing?

Spencer, Jutkiewicz, Mustafi, Arnoux..........

Or is he likely to be used?

Alan Clarke
30 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:28:13

Is this on Nuno Valente's recommendation? Isn't he now employed as a scout in Portugal for us? If so, expect to see a few more of these types coming our way.

I imagine he's already better than fat Yak and is also more willing to actually run so I'd put him straight into the team.

Jay Harris
31 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:42:10

David Hallwood, what are you on? I never mentioned Dorrans, nor did I slag Silva off!!

Ciaran; I may be wrong but I thought there was a rule being introduced in the near future that every club had to have 70% homegrown talent in the squad and that the definition for home grown was nationality.

Can anyone elaborate on this?

Aidy Dews
32 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:30:39

I think it's a gamble worth taking: he's 19, 6' 2½", a target man that likes to hold the ball up, bring others into play, and likes to use his physical presence. His game would suit the Prem (that's according to him, btw).

In his first full season as a professional, he as scored 13 goals with possibly games left to score more in and that's not bad in any league you debut in. I think he's got a 1-in-2 or 1-in-3 record which isn't bad at 19.

I know it's a poor Portuguese 2nd division but when we forked out for Jutkiewicz he was playing for Swindon and made over 35 appearances, 20 starts 15 as sub, and only scored 5 goals. Spencer wasn't even tried or tested but we paid out for him and he didn't make the grade.

Joao Silva in his debut season has proved himself a little and I reckon he would get better and improve whilst being at Everton and it's definitely a gamble worth taking IMO. Like someone has said, if it doesn't work out for him and he doesn't make the grade, then a team in Portugal would snap him back up and give us our money back no doubt.

Norman Merrill
33 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:53:43

I read some time ago that Nuno Valente was scouting for us in Portugal and, apparently, it's Nuno who has passed the info on this lad to Moyes.

Mike Elbey
34 Posted 29/04/2010 at 12:55:46

Apparrently he has been scouted by Nuno Valente who is working for us scouting abroad.

If he is as good a scout as he was a player then I trust his judgement will be good. Let's be fair, it's just the equivalent of us buying a promising lower-division striker — the only difference is that promising strikers in this country would cost at least a 7-figure sum whereas this appears to have cost us only a few hundred thousand.

Let's give some credit where its due, we are scouting for good players and trying to get value for money — no-one actually knows how much we have paid initially so I say give him a chance. You never know, in 2 years time we may have a top player on our books .....

James Newcombe
35 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:05:07

Dick, four goals in ten appearances (not necessarily starts) isn't bad, and he only played for the first time for them in January. I just like to see kids who were released still in the game.

Ciarán McGlone
36 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:15:38

The defintion of 'homegrown' talent is 3 years registration before the age of 21 in a club in England or Wales.

Michael Brien
37 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:16:54

As was stated above by David Hallwood - it was hardly a case of organising street parties to celebrate the arrival of Cahill, Arteta and Pienaar was it? Who knows... this lad may turn out to be a very good signing.... but whatever, let's give him a chance. I seem to recall Wenger a few years ago signing some young guy who couldn't get into the Inter Milan first team squad, was was his name now.... Veiera or some name like that... I wonder what became of him?

Ciarán McGlone
38 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:44:57

I don't think it's a matter of 'not giving him a chance' — it's more a matter of being completely indifferent to such signings based on our track record.

Alan Clarke
39 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:53:49

I'm with you Ciaran, of all the youngsters we've bought there's only Gosling who's done well. All the other youngsters who've done well - Rodwell, Rooney, Hibbert, Vaughan, Anichebe and Osman - came directly through our youth system. It's hardly headline news that we've bought a 19-year-old 2nd Division Portuguese player.

Charlie Dixon
40 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:51:27

Surely a good signing if only for the songs that we can sing...

"And it's that tall blue Joao Silva,
Everywhere you go you scare em.
And though the suns not shining,
Thank God you're not N'Gog, or that ladyboy"

On other thoughts, I'll stick to the day job.

Dick Anderson
41 Posted 29/04/2010 at 13:59:23

James Newcombe

Because I live so far away, I rarely get to Everton games but I love live football. So I am a season-ticket holder at Colchester United.

I was present at the Colchester V's Southend game. It's the Essex derby.

I watched Spencer play and trust me he's nothing special. He may have found his level playing for a struggling Div 1 side but why Moyes ever though he was good enough for Everton is beyond me.

James Newcombe
42 Posted 29/04/2010 at 14:07:10

Thanks Dick, I wasn't for a second suggesting he should have been keeping Yakubu or Louis out of the side. Or even that we made a mistake letting him go... Pleased that he seems to have found a club — I find it sad when people like Kissock get released and drop out of the game. But that's football I guess!

David Hallwood
43 Posted 29/04/2010 at 19:39:11

Apologies to Jay Harris; that's what you get for posting when in the middle of a 4-way snotty emailfest at work! I was having a go at all the posters who had judged Silva before he'd kicked a ball, and I mixed up your post with a some that said we should go for Dorrans (which by the way isn't a bad call) but no offence meant.

Jay Harris
44 Posted 29/04/2010 at 21:01:50

No apology necessary, David. I figured that.

Karl Masters
45 Posted 29/04/2010 at 21:22:08

Brendan O'Doherty

So right about the lad Dorrans. Pacey, strong tackler, likes a shot and will be a revelation in the Premier League even if he stays at West Brom who, I have to say, have been a pleasure to watch when I have seen their games on TV this season.

Silva? Well, nobody knows yet, but he could be another Jutkiewicz, but maybe another Cristiano Ronaldo, who never forget, was destined for Liverpool for £4m, but the Anfield Board baulked at his wage demands of £20k a week. Whilst they dallied in nipped Manure, paid way over what Liverpool were going to pay, but got their man. There is a hugely satisfying story of Phil Thompson who had scouted young Ronaldo and wanted him signed, choking on his lunch at Anfield when he saw on Sky Sports that United had done the deal. :)

James Flynn
46 Posted 29/04/2010 at 23:22:55

What's important is whether the kid's a predator or not. Years ago I read an article about Brazil's Renaldo when he was a kid. His coach said Renaldo didn't even know how to play football. He just wanted to kick the ball into the net. Predator defined.

Silva is one or he's not. Given the way Moyes has assembled the team of these years, I'm for he knows what he's doing and Silva's the real article.
The best part is we're now at the point where the team is being stacked. Next season is going to be great for EFC. The money will follow.

I respect all of you Toffee lifers year in and out suffering for the team. But I have to say I'm happy for me to have come in just as the pilot turned off the NO SKY'S THE LIMIT sign for us. Multiple injuries done with. The base team playing together for a few years with the same Manager.

I know I'm not the only one picturing it and KNOWING it can happen. This time next year, League Trophy lifted at Goodison, pandemonium there, here, in our homes. How cool is that going to be.

Pat Finegan
47 Posted 30/04/2010 at 03:29:35

I really want to agree with you, James, about the title being lifted at Goodison. I can't quite agree but I support those of you who are that optimistic. I hope you're right.

Eric Myles
48 Posted 30/04/2010 at 08:55:42

Jay (#31), see post #12.

'Homegrown' can be any nationality as long as the player has been at our academy as an under-21-year-old.

Martin Clark
49 Posted 30/04/2010 at 13:30:34

Maybe this fella has pace and can play right Mid??

Never know... but I hope he's got some pace and can hit the ball as well as Pauleta!

Jay Harris
50 Posted 30/04/2010 at 14:27:34

Thanks Eric. I mistakenly thought they had to be English.

That rule doesn't make much sense though because all it will mean is a mad rush to sign under-21-year-olds of any nationality.

What a Cosmopolitan world we are becoming!!