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Arteta and Pienaar

I have recently visited the Everton 2 store at Liverpool 1 and noticed that all of the pre-printed strips had the names of Rodwell, Hietinga, Saha, Baines etc. On questioning a shop assistant regarding the lack of Arteta's or Pienaar's on display I was informed that this had been given as a Club directive, ie, you print your own shirt at your own risk.

I suppose there is nothing to be read into this other than the fact that the Club obviously remains unsure regarding the future of either player. What is the likely return date of either player to pre-season training? And the burning question that needs to be addressed by David Moyes is: are they to be included in ongoing preparations for the curtain raiser against Blackburn or do we start looking elsewhere?

The recruitment of Joe Cole across the park is having a galvanising effect on the likes of Gerrard, the last thing we need is a repeat of the fiasco of last season ? a la Joleon Lescott.
Peter Laing, Liverpool Posted 21/07/2010 at 11:48:40

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Shaun Brennan
1 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:21:17

Did you get Lescott on your shirt before the 1st game last season?

Richard Harris
2 Posted 21/07/2010 at 16:27:16

Names on shirts? Whatever next with all this modern frippery! They'll be having goal-line cameras next....

Ste Traverse
3 Posted 21/07/2010 at 17:26:07

Who cares about names being on shirts and frankly who gives a shite what the recruitment of a Chelsea reject will do for Gerrard and his cronies.

John Daley
4 Posted 21/07/2010 at 17:42:52

I thought we would finally have a summer off from all the usual RS gobshite suspects banging on about how they're going to really, truly, honestly, not fucking kidding lad, challenging for the title this year. Now, in the space of 2 days, we' ve already had Stevie G La, Carra the clown and my childhood nemesis Ian bloody Rush getting ahead of themselves and claiming that Joe Cole joining the freak show is proof that Liverpool are the "biggest club in the world", and evidence that Woy the Womble is going to make them a much more attractive attacking team this season. When will they ever learn?

Mike McLean
5 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:03:09

What puzzles me is this: by all accounts, Cole is on £90,000 a week. How are they affording this, please?

Andy Crooks
6 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:08:22

Mike, I think it is linked up in some way to the Benayoun transfer.

Karl Jones
7 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:06:25

If the board had shown ambition by raising some cash for DM to sign a couple of quality players, these two would have signed the contracts by now.

Again, our manager is forced to come out in the middle of July to say "We have no money"... What message is that for our top players?... Two kids and a championship player on a free transfer is no incentive for these two players to sign contracts at their stage of career.

The old saying... In football, if you don't progress, you go backwards....

Chris Cook
8 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:30:39

It reminds me of my first shirt, when I went to get a Madar one, they said same to me

Two weeks later, he was a gonner.

Ste Traverse
9 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:44:25

Well said, Karl, you mirror my thoughts.

Could you really blame our top players for leaving our unambitious club?

Richard Reeves
10 Posted 21/07/2010 at 18:14:10

We should not be concerned with what's going on over the other side of the park. So Joe Cole has joined them, now they have four good players. Can't wait for the derby.

This year we should be setting our stall out to take the game to them, not having to addapt our game to cancel them out. I don't think there will be a repeat of last year in terms of morale being affected with a Lescott-type scenario because of the way things will be conducted this time. If any of the players go, then Moyes will have his targets identified and will probably leave it to the last minute to buy some decent replacements.

The players know and trust Moyes by now, his history in the transfer market (particularly recently) has been very good. He can certainly spot a player. And I really believe that, with the talent that we have in the squad now, the players will see other players leaving as an oportunity to work harder to get into the first team as they know it is only a matter of time that some other quality players will be arriving.

Charlie Percival
11 Posted 21/07/2010 at 19:25:23

Do they have any with Gosling on the back?

Robert Patterson
12 Posted 21/07/2010 at 19:34:16

Woy only bought Joe Cole because he did'nt have an R in his name.

Aiden Doyle
13 Posted 21/07/2010 at 20:34:13

Andy, how did they link it to the Benayoun transfer? Wasn't Cole out of contract and a free agent?

John Campbell
14 Posted 21/07/2010 at 20:39:53

I'm going for a Jeffers shirt.

Joe McMahon
15 Posted 21/07/2010 at 21:12:56

Did they have one with FUCK ALL TO SPEND on the back? Every season it's the bloody same. When will this twat Kenwright just piss off, exactly how many years of looking 24/7 does he need?

Peter Laing
16 Posted 21/07/2010 at 21:34:43

The Arteta situation demonstrates the situation of total player power. Moyes must be doing his nut at Mikel's decision to break from pre-season training to return to Spain for his marriage. However he is probably treating him with kid gloves, "Aye Mikel son, take a couple of weeks, mull it over with the Mrs. I'll have a word in Tim's shell-like, your future lies here son, just look at what happened to Tommy Grav. Uncle Bill thinks your mustard, just let me know as soon as you can. The grass isn't always greener ? ask Joleon."

Mike Green
17 Posted 21/07/2010 at 22:37:16

Aiden - what Andy may be implying is the £5m (?) LFC got for Benayoun will cover Cole's wagers for year one. If this is the case they're gambling that come year two they'll be Chs League Football etc back at Anfield.

Personally - their pot never seems to run dry though does it? Like Spurs. Think they've got a couple of golden geese sat under WHL and Anfield.

Mike Elbey
18 Posted 21/07/2010 at 23:09:04

With Arteta it is simple ? he still has 2 years left on his contract and he is not for sale. We could afford to be dictated to by Lescott as the money was too good ? this would not be the case with Arteta.

However, with Pienaar, we should tell him to either sign or fuck off. It will really annoy me if we miss out on Donavan because we have no money and then find on 31 August that Pienaar is allowed to leave.

As said above, the boardroom management of our club is a joke.

Matt Traynor
19 Posted 22/07/2010 at 02:10:10

Mike (18), but that wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility. Of course, 31 August would leave no time to "get a couple in" would it?

Then it's "January is never a good time to be buying players".

Ste Traverse
20 Posted 22/07/2010 at 03:17:45

...............And then whoever is coming back from injury is 'just like a new signing'!!

Lester Yip
21 Posted 22/07/2010 at 04:31:23

Mike (#17): I also have the same question in mind. Why some teams' pots never run dry while us is always dry to the point that the pot cracks and leaks ($4mil just gone from Gosling free transfer)?

Ellen West
22 Posted 22/07/2010 at 10:55:11

There is nothing wrong with wearing an Everton top that has an ex-players name on the back. That is why I am proud to have 'John Paul Kissock' on the back of mine.

Jimmy Hacking
23 Posted 22/07/2010 at 11:14:34

I wouldn't read too much into this malarky at all, the staff who advised you Peter were just being honest, if I worked at the store I would definitely give the same advice: wait until the season has started since nothing is 100% guaranteed in football, you can always buy a shirt now, then bring it back for name-printing later.

It does make you think though, admittedly... but seriously, would the club reveal their secretest secrets to some part-time 17-year-old behind the counter?

Steve Nikolovski
24 Posted 22/07/2010 at 13:07:55

Guys, you are getting it all wrong. They just sold out of the Arteta and Pienaar shirts!

Ian McDowell
25 Posted 22/07/2010 at 22:41:12

I am just concerned at the Arteta to Seville rumours as they are in the Champions League and Seville is a great city.

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