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Signing announced
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The official site has today announced the signing of Joao Silva.
Although we all had an idea this was a done deal, this does come to a surprise to me as we have recently signed Beckford on a free.
This news must surely mean that at least one striker is sure to leave.
I can't believe were in June and we have signed 3 players already!! Not used to this.
Josh Holmes, Posted 09/06/2010 at 17:22:52
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I don't know much about the lad apart from he a had a good season in Portugal's second tier.
How do we think he'll be used? Is he a quick player that Moyes might like to try on the wing?
Admittedly he's not a huge money signing but it's very encouraging that we're doing our business early though for a change. Keep up the good work!
With positive indications from Arteta and what appears to be a change in heart from Pienaar, plus rumours of the Yak being sold getting slammed by the club, we may actually have a squad that can realistically compete next year!
What is Moyes up to? Or does this signal the exit of one of our other strikers? If so, which one, or will it be more than one striker that goes?
Or maybe he is thinking of moving Vic into a wide midfield role, where he has been quite effective, and moving Baxter also into midfield? We have no European football so why do we need a big squad?
Anyway Silva looks to be a classy addition.
2006 - Johnson and Lescott
You fellows who remember the last time EFC lifted the trophy, what song was/is sung commemorating that great event? Just for me to start practicing.
This to me does definitely lead me to believe two strikers are leaving. I'm unsure of the Yakubu situation, if we keep him, great, just have to hope he can find previous form. If we sell him for a decent price, and have a replacement lined up then I'm more than happy with that. I do however think it's safe to say we wont see Beckford and Jo lined up together next season.
I imagine we shall now have to await the outcome of contract negotiations with our `stars` to learn what we need to start the season with a bang!
Three budget signings with very little hint of a "first team" signing in the works, with Pienaar, Heitinga and maybe Arteta on the way out.
No European football to entice new players, the club running in the red overall and on the back of a disappointing season that has seen us lose pace on Tottenham and Man City.
Silva, Beckford and Mucha are all second-tier players who will fill the bench at best, or rot in the reserves (unless Silva really is as good as Pauleta...).
I think Evertonians are getting confused between business getting done quick and business being done quick in the bargain bin.
Mucha could well prove to be a good investment and we can at least vet him during the World Cup and get some idea of his worth. I'm not excited by the three signings so far as none have commanded a 'real' fee and they are just helping to gloss over BK's reluctance to invest until we sell one or two of our first eleven for 'real' money.
Now that we've got Beckford and Silva on board, I'm pretty sure Vaughan and Jutkiewicz will be going and that will leave us with 5 strikers in our 1st team squad. Anichebe will be used out wide on the right, I just hope Moyesy doesn't see him as our long-term solution/answer to our RW problem!.
And I don't believe the signings of Beckford and Silva will mean an end to Yak's Everton career, although I do think that, IF we got the right offer for him and IF he wants to leave, then he will be sold... but I think Moyes would be happy to keep him.
I hope now before the transfer window shuts, we can sign a decent right winger and get some cover/competition in for Baines, tie Pienaar and Arteta down to a new deals; if we do, I think we could have a really good go at things next season.
Give Silva, and Beckford a chance and don't worry about squad size, that's the manager's (nice) problem to deal with.
I tend to agree with Lee though, the 3 signings are nothing to shout about... but it's still early days yet though, and I really hope Moyes will search for another decent CB/LB for cover. With Senderos off, I hope this means he has someone in mind already!
Beckford might get a few appearances depending on his pre-season form and Mucha is cover for Howard and might see the odd cup game pending on injury. Nothing to get overly excited about but does give us some depth in the squad.
Funny reading the head firmly buried in sand comments — doom and gloom my arse!
If we have any money to spend, it needs to be spent on a winger.
Suggestion:– if we can get £2 million for Vaughan and £8 million for Yakubu, would you sell in order to fund signing Donovan and keeping Pienaar?
Rodrigo, Guillaume Plessis, Anderson da Silva, Bjarni Vidarsson, Shkodran Mustafi, Anton Peterlin, Cody Arnoux... Joao Silva.
I'm afraid Joao Silva is just another name to add to that list.
Every season we sign 3 sub £1 million players, who then spend the next season in the reserves/on loan/Carling Cup appearances/released. No difference here.
The real business (if any is to be done...) will happen after the World Cup, as it always does.
I think its *very* unlikely that we won't lose a player or two. There is rarely smoke without fire — and I'd imagine Pienaar and the Yak will depart scouse shores for a total of about £20 million. Most of that will be used to service debt, and we'll make a signing in the region of £5-£10 million to placate everyone.
Sorry to be the doom-monger....(but, those who preach it, please come back and bow your heads in 3 months time).
As for the lack of "stars" being bought, don't expect anything to be sorted until after the World Cup when we will know if Pienaar, Arteta etc are staying.
We can't afford the best players so we buy young promising talent and develop it in the Everton Way.
I admire what Moyes does for this club. I'ts no coincidence that we have such a good reputation with younger players throughout the world. With a couple of experienced signings we have a great squad going into 2010-11.
COYB.
All investment is a risk. We have to assume that Joao Silva has been thoroughly scouted and at this price he is a rational risk. Some of our previous investments have paid off, others haven't. That's (football) life. Why don't we wait and see? Or does that not make some of your knees jerk?
Disagree with the comments about Beckford warming the bench though. At 26, I doubt Moyes would have brought him in if he isn't going to get games.
Silva will spend the year in the reserves learning about English football and we will also be looking in earnest at whether he's got it.
Both signings are basically on trial with a view to becoming our possible main strikers in the 2011-12 season.
But as regards all the negativity above this post, I just can't believe it. When we don't hear about signings we moan, then when we make signings, we moan!
Imagine the luxury of having a squad to pick from rather than last year's Euro teams! So come on guys, at least acknowledge that this is a step forward in terms of foundation building!
Good look, JV.
COYB
This is Moyes's defining season, he knows it and we know it and the players know it. I am more optimistic about this coming season than I've been since I started watching them in the 60's.. The reasoning for this is simple... It's taken years to assemble by a manager who has been honoured by his peers twice without winning anything — they know a good manager when they see one.
Lastly, remember 'Appy Harry's comment towards the end of the season when he stated he was so glad Everton had had such a poor start to the season. He knows he's got 4th by default and with the 2nd half to the season we had he (and the rest of the league) know it's Everton they're all going to worry about!!
For some reason, I still am hopeful we might sign a decent player or two but, knowing that we are skint and we endure this summer after summer, you can only hope the club will one day pull off something special. You just never know...
Whilst no other clubs have been active we can at least say that we're all in the same boat... that's until reality kicks in last week of August when everyone else has been active and virtually done all their deals. Our dreams are dashed into reality and brought back down to earth, knowing that freebees are all it will be :(
Otherwise, please give the lad a chance and back Moyes's judgement. Who had heard of Coleman before we got him?
IMHO we need a top class CB as a priority and I hope this gets taken care of. Other than that, I'll be quite happy if we keep the (new) existing squad new RW or not.
It's clear that the striking position was not a priority — I just hope we have the money to make at least one quality addition to the first team...
And please can we stop this 'polished diamonds' nonsense... take a look at Moyesie's lower league signings... there's been a couple of notable successes but there's also been a lot of crud.
But then again... they are gambles... if that's what we're reduced to then so be it. I find it rather depressing though.
It's all about getting value for money. There are "diamonds" to be found in the lower leagues — I know it may hurt Evertonians to mention this, but back in the 1970s Liverpool's squad that won the League title several times and assorted other trophies (it is too painful to mention in detail) included several players who started their careers in the lower leagues e.g. Clemence & Keegan (Scunthorpe) and Lioyd (Bristol Rovers).
The biggest money signings are not always the best e.g. Shevchenko at Chelsea and Reyes at Arsenal. At least we are bringing in new players at a very early stage in the close season, which has to be a good thing. And as regards not needing a big squad because we are not in Europe — what a load of rubbish. We have 3 possibilities of qualifying: via League position, winning the League Cup, or winning the FA Cup — to do well in those competitions and to challenge for honours, you do need a big squad. For goodness sake, one of the reasons we struggled against relegation for several seasons was due to the fact that we had a small squad and we couldn't cope with having several players injured.
As regards Beckford, the lad has scored lots of goals and had therefore become the target for several Premier League clubs. There are no guarantees, of course, but whoever you sign there will never be any guarantees. You have to wait and see... so let's be patient and give these guys a chance.
20 years old, big athletic centre forward 6ft 3in. Think the Yak will be gone now ... If we get £7/8m for him and get Donovan — happy days.
Any 20-year-old who scores around half his teams goals all season with a 1 in 2 goal to match ratio has gotta be worth being a little happy about signing?
Tom (19) – Fellaini was unquestionably worth the money. It's not even close, anyone that saw him play in the period before he got injured should know how good he will become.
Dick (24) – Bit harsh on Rodrigo, the guy played plenty in pre-season before getting crocked.
Other than that, these signings (Beckford, Mucha, Silva) are good gambles. Little to lose, lot potentially to be gained. We all know how much research Moyes does before making signings, there's a chance one or more of these guys will turn out to be useful.
Oh, and I don't think either Beckford or Silva means a thing for Yak's future. The thing that will decide Yak's future is Moyes's assessment of his fitness and whatever offers come in. Vaughan's and maybe Anichebe's on the other hand...
Sticking a couple of quid on an outsider is no gamble... but wacking your year's budget down on a young player that's never played Premier League football... that's what I call a gamble.
In my opinion, Bily and Felli both have to bomb on this season and become stand-out performers week on week... otherwise you could certainly argue that the gamble hasn't payed off.
If any of our `Big Three` do sling their hooks, Moysey now has World Cup time and contact to do preparation for key re-placement signings.
...And won't having Fellaini back be like a new signing!!!!
Jutkiewicz is probably not going to be kept though Moyes may be prepared to take a further look at him in preseason due to his success in Scotland before a decision is made.
Saha since the Chelsea game has been very disappointing and I would expect his position is under threat. Yakubu could be sold to finance Donovan who I expect to join us after the World Cup.
I also hope Yobo is now kept since Senderos has not been signed as he is a better option as a back up centre back and I think he has given us great service over the years. I also am not convinced about Distin for a very big man he is poor in the air. I would start Yobo over Distin myself.
I can see another centre half and a left back joining us in the summer along with a wide player. There are quite a few Bosmans about Ledley and Petrov for example so you would not have to splash out too much. I have been impressed by Charlie Adam but they want £6M for him.
I haven't noticed anyone released yet, I presume Nash will be leaving as he is out of contract but usually you get a ruck of reserves and academy players let go at this time of year.
Moyes has always said his priority this summer is keeping hold of his current squad so unless Moyes sells anyone don't expect any 'big' signings. I don't know where people's inflated expectations come from when Everton are involved in the transfer market.
http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/09-10/comment/mailbag/mbitem.php?submissionID=15077
The Star say that we paid £3.5million for him.
The Sun think we paid £50,000!
I guess we will never really know what we actually paid, but I would almost rather it were the former - at least it would mean that Moyes thinks he is less of a gamble!
I think Silva is a more exciting prospect than Beckford. At least he has time on his side and is highly rated. Until Beckford bagged his 3 goals in the FA Cup, we had barely heard of him. He seems worryingly like a Stoke or Hull type signing...
I hope I'm proved wrong, but these lads appear to be here to make up the numbers. So I don't see how we can sell Yakubu, unless we buy a proven replacement.
If Yak goes, we'll have a 32-year-old crock in Saha, a 22-year-old crock in Vaughan, average Vic and 3 completely unproven lads in Beckford, Silva and Baxter. Also, to counter all the criticism of the Yak, this morning I happened to watch the highlights from the Blackburn game in April and Yak (on as sub) looked really sharp in that game. The way he muscled in his header for his goal and turned the defenders to supply Cahill's tap-in were top class — he's still got it and we'll surely be worse off without him?
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/139072/Silva-is-Moyes-gold-kid
From where I sit I personally don't think Yak should or will be sold, but that's from my uninformed position - Moyes and the medical staff will have a much better idea about his long term prospects. I have no issue with Yak's ability or even workrate, assuming he's able to get fully fit.
I ask a question: I want Joe Cole. he's free. he's a right winger. He's boss. So, why not?
He scored 14 goals in his first professional season, but it was the Portuguese second division. But he was dubbed the new Pauleta, and he was Portugal's last world class player to ever play for them.
Now, he's clearly there for potential, but Moyes wouldn't have bought him if they thought he's gonna rot in the reserves and be sold on!!
We only need a couple of players to improve the first team, but we undoubtedly needed to improve and add to the squad, and with players like Silva, Beckford and Mucha, we're getting there. Hopefully Petrov to come too, who is another option on the right and the left.
Now can everyone chill and judge when people have actually seen him play!!
Harry Redknapp has made it abundantly clear that he wants Cole and he can offer Champs League football, bigger wages and money to invest in the playing staff.
Unless Cole is unlike virtually every other footballer and doesn't care about money and glory, then why not?
We can give him neither.
No matter how good a negotiator you are, you are not going to get a sought-after player to take a drop of about £40k a week to come and play for a team not in Europe.
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/518/newevertonkitreprise.jpg
I still think people are reacting negatively.
He's probably a big improvement on Lucas especially techically and he is a tall lad which gives him a chance but again were looking at the future and not a straight replacement for the Yak or Saha which is how many are prejudging him.
Your lack of fitness is Baz's fault. You should be OK next season.
Looking around at what is available for that sort of money, we can try a punt on similar age lads from League 1 and 2 — in fact, it would seem that we would have to pay twice that and still have no idea whether they are up to it. Jutkiewicz I am sure when he came cost more than this in compensation when he came from Swindon.
As for Beckford, he scores goals and in the cup run scored against decent opposition, he hasn't cost anything and we can always flog him at the end of the season and recoup the cash. Remember Marcus Bent, couldn't believe we had bought him, he did well then we made a bloody good profit when he went. In Moyes we trust, he's got far more right than wrong.
Whenever anybody is designated 'the new__________' — you really have to laugh.
Let's 'Treasure' the (Jim) lad, There you are — his namesake is already immortalised in Literature, and we can only hope that happens in Everton folklore as well? Or will he get the hook in his first game?
I know I'm sorry, this is corny.
ps: Wonder if Everton celeb John Parrott has met him yet?
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1 Posted 09/06/2010 at 17:51:11
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All I would say on a general note is, when was the last time anyone can recall us signing two players so early on in the summer? We're usually still waiting for a first buy in late July / early August! Is this Moyes really signalling his intent for next term?