The Mail Bag
I'm just not happy with Pienaar
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I suppose this has already been done to death... however, the comment in the News section from Pienaar's agent has started getting me irked again.
This guy had nowhere to go when we picked him up, by his own admission he was 'lost' in German football. We give him a platform, give him some love and attention (awwww) and he cant even be arsed to tell his if he's staying or not.
"An announcement will be made shortly"... I'm sorry mate you're hardly David Beckham in terms of status, and to be honest your ability divides opinion here on the forums.
Now I know somebody will come in with the 'modern day footballer' 'players rights' bollocks. But all I'm asking for is some old fashioned decency from somebody who could easily be playing in the second tier of German football.
Ste Boyle, Posted 07/12/2010 at 15:56:03
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Sorry, I've not much sympathy for Pienaar either but that statement is miles off!
We should have sold him before now, as well as he may have played since turning down our offer (and personally I dont think he has been that good!) but he's still good enough for most teams outside the Champions League and even a good few in it.
Bye, bye.
We should have sold him six months ago or offered him the extra cash... after all, he's done more than Arteta this year, who seems to get off scot free with all the "money-grabbing twat" jibes.
I would give young Steven four words of warning when it comes to Spurs 'nicking' Everton players and targets: "Kyle Walker" and "Kyle Naughton"... at least I think that is what their names were.
Spurs are playing well, are in Europe, have money etc etc, but the grass ain't always greener, son.
Only the absence of genuine pace over a distance of more than 10 yards prevents Pienaar from being a truly world class performer and he really will be missed. Perhaps we'll see this in the impact on Baines more than anything else?
He is one of the very few players who generally plays well and ALWAYS gives 100% effort in every game, chasing and running and playing football the way most of us want to see it being played.
Yes he was having a bad time when we got him, but he signed his contract and honoured it. He has kept his head down worked especially hard this last season. If he now wishes to move on once his contract expires, he has my good wishes, at least. No-one can say he's been anything less than honest. We all knew this was coming from a long way off.
In fact, if we can wrangle some sort of deal with Spurs so that we end up with Bentley then I will be over the moon.
I have little time for mercenaries, but somehow can't bring myself to dislike Pienaar, despite his renegotiating tactics. And he HAS consistently played well this season, face it. Good luck to him, I say.
To be honest, I don't rate Pienaar to be anywhere near good enough to play for any of the top 4. Why Spurs would want him with Bale on the left and Lennon of the right, I don't know.
As others have already said, Baines will miss him. The two are the best pair in the league. The club will be the poorer if Pienaar does go.
Everyone is mercenary, we all want more money and football clubs don't show much mercy when they want players to leave... we are hanging on to the likes of Osman and Hibbert because we don't have the money to buy replacements.
Redknap has the midas touch and always sniffs out the clubs who will give him money for his wheeling and dealing... DM was just as mercenary when he held back on signing his new contract and I'm certain that, if Baines continues to turn in top performances, he will attract the usual vultures. We don't have many players who top clubs want so I can't blame Pienaar for wanting to go to a club that has ambition and realistic chances of winning trophies.
Get off the lad's back... he never fails to try his best in an Everton shirt and definitely never hides.
Negative points: Not enough goals, not enough assists.
Summary: We need someone more productive if we want to be a top 4 side.
I make him 29 in the new year. if someone wants to give him more than our £60k/wk 5-year deal than they are welcome to him. Anything over that looks dear on a player who will not score more than 5-6 a season.
I would like to him to stay ? but not for a ransom.
Love the agent's blather, it's guaranteed money putting a bet on him being at Spurs next season.
I love Pienaar. He's been one of our best players this season. I'll leave the hate for when he leaves in January.
Having said that, I think Pienaar has played well so far this season and been a true professional.
Arteta can be a match winner, of that there's no doubt; however, he blows hot and cold too often for my liking. We should be offering Pienaar parity with Arteta and, if he rejects it, then good luck to him... but the current disparity between the two is ridiculous given that Pienaar is far more consistent. I'd sell Arteta if need be and hold on to Pienaar.
He was honest enough to say he wanted more money and refused to be beaten down.
He did not seek a big payday and break his contract as Lescott did. I say good luck to him and thanks for the memories.
However, I do think EFC lost out by not getting a fee for him last year and using this season as time for somebody new to bed in.
There again, our leaders think we'll get back into Europe this season.
Watch this space.
Pienaar will be off, nice big signing-on fee, thank you very much. If he was going to sign he would have put pen to paper during the summer, or does he just like losing money every week on a less improved contract?
He will be missed.
He is reaching the twilight of his career and is entitled to want trophies and as much money as he thinks he deserves. Sadly, that's not with us. And yet he has not shirked this season but continues to give his absolute all every week.
Farewell and thank you.
No bones about it Pienaar may not be in the elite of world football but if you don't recognise that he is consistently among our top performers than you need glasses.
Who gives a shit where we got him from. This is modern football not charity. The days of players sticking to one club and being loyal to the day they die are long gone. He is not a blue he is a South African living in Europe wanting to look back at the end of his career saying he made the best of it.
We should have either sold him for a decent fee and bedded in a replacement or secured this guy with the funds the clubs should have.
Put yourself in his any any other decent players shoes. You only get a short career in football. Everton don't pay huge wages and are a long way off European football of any kind. Would you be tempted by a club on the up like Tottenham?
The only thing worth talking about is whether a player who has decided to leave should still get into the team. His performances dictate that he should ? there's no way he's let his standards drop. For all his failings he's comfortably our best left sided midfielder by a large margin.
If I'm proven to be wrong on this then it will be a pleasant surprise.
I think Bentely is handy enough but I want better. Do I think we will get it? ...no. All I want is a real winger. Pienaar, Arteta, Vic, Coleman, Bily etc are not wingers. I want an out-and-out winger with pace.
Pienaar classically 'flatters to deceive" going forward and is poor defensively. No great loss.
I don't hold any grudges because he gave his best. I blame the club for not tying him down while hiking Arteta's wages. Pienaar has outperformed Arteta again this season.
Ok, Rooney is playing ok, but as previously stated, you always think he could have been so much better.
He will be sorely missed by both many fans and his team mates too I suspect (especially Baines!). The real sin here is not selling him back in the Summer when we could have got decent money for him. I've written about that a while ago, so won't go over old ground.
Our left side is the one of the most productive in the league, he's fully 50% of that, why lose this over 10 grand a week? Throw in another who is probably not in his correct position and you have a player doing a job for his side and being slated for it a la Heitinga.
He's going, I hope off to Europe for a fresh challenge and not on the bench at Spurs for a quick money grab, although with some of his off-field history it wouldn't surprise me if he's tied up a deal with Spurs already & is just waiting to see if it's January or June.
The nearly man.
You'll be sorry, Pienaar.
He is one of the worst players we have for over-playing and it's no wonder we have won 1 game ? yes 1 game all season ? when Pienaar has played. Maybe someone should throw that fact at his agent before he tries to screw every penny out of us for Pienaar's "fantastic performances"!
The Spurs interest has been mooted for some time, and Nelaj's comment (16), you are correct about why would they be interested, with Bale & Lennon, but who is to say that Bale is staying with Spurs?
I don't know a single professional player who is paid a fair wage.
I love football. I hate footballers.
Finally, there has been nothing in Stevie's actions to suggest that there has been a falling out between him and the manager, and I for one put a lot more stock in the player's actions than the agent's words.
All to often flatters to deceive. Baines is better with his deliveries than Pienaar.
Yes he works hard but so will his replacement. No great loss.
At 29 this is his last shot at big European nights and winning trophies. For this reason, I can't see him at Tottenham and certainly not Everton. He will go abroad, Inter or Bayern Munich is my guess.
Pienaar owes us NOTHING. He has come, kept his head down and honoured his contract, playing well along the way, we didn't save him from death row, simply Broussia Dortmund. Cream rises to the top so to speak, and whilst he is no Messi, I am sure that he would have found his way at another club if he had not come to us.
He was a promising prospect who was given the chance to shine at our club. I supported him 100% as he made those initial steps and regularly praised the spark he gave the team during our 'glory' spell of a few years ago. What happens? Typical increase in ego, fully supported by a greedy agent, and we end up with a player cruising to the end of his contract (no windfall for us!) and also cruising from a playing perspective ? ie, good but not great.
I would like him to sit on the bench till the Summer and start figuring out how to deal with him no longer being with us from now! Let's get the youngsters or a January purchase (I can dream!) to fill the gap, and tell the mercenary where to sling his hook. Loyalty ? where are you now! Goodbye Pienaar, you could have been a legend, but now your a footnote!
If he goes, he goes and if he stays, he stays. Good player, worth decent wages.
I'm more concerned about us picking up some points and moving up that table.
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1 Posted 07/12/2010 at 16:56:43
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Goodbye and good luck.