ToffeeWeb - Season 2010-11

The Mail Bag

Baines's Bayern Blowoff

It's nice to read this morning Leighton Baines' comments regarding the apparant bid from Bayern Munich. It's good to hear one of our players commit publicly to the club and say that he has no intention of moving (Johnny ? take note!).

Leighton has been in fantastic form all season and for him to come out and dismiss the rumours will ease the worries of losing him for the fans and can only boost the squad.

Well done, Leighton! I look forward to seeing you continue your good form in a royal blue shirt and look forward to seeing you sweep the board at Everton's end-of-season awards. NSNO!
Tony Hale, Liverpool Posted 23/12/2010 at 12:23:39

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Craig Taylor
1 Posted 23/12/2010 at 14:54:36

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A Big WELL DONE to Leighton Baines!!!

Aside from the fact that he has been by far and away our best player this season (not too hard, some may say), I would like to congratulate Baines on his thoughtfulness and professionalism, how he has dealt with speculation surrounding interest in him from Bayern.

He doesn't want to go so has simply come out and said so.

We as fans can rest easy, Moyes can rest easy that he won't lose his best player, and the squad won't be affected by rumours. And Baines can continue with how he has been playing.

Paul Olsen
2 Posted 23/12/2010 at 14:59:35

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THAT is how to do it.

Thank you Leighton Baines for a nice christmas present!

KPR Williams
3 Posted 23/12/2010 at 15:08:40

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Well in Leighton. One less bone for the gutter press speculators to chew on...

Paul O'Hanlon
4 Posted 23/12/2010 at 15:25:07

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It won't stop the gutter press, but it's good to hear. When we signed him I thought he'd be our left back for the next decade and he's confirmed that now.

KPR Williams
5 Posted 23/12/2010 at 15:45:01

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I remember going to Bellefield to drop a car off for Fernandes when he came on loan and Baines had not long signed I think. Baines's car in the car park... Shitty old silver Vectra with Everton emblem on the number plate reading L8 BEY.

Mark Murphy
6 Posted 23/12/2010 at 15:52:32

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"Moyes cagey on Baines Injury" it says on the home page!
Shit! I thinks, but on reading the report theres no mention of Baines at all?

Hopefully an error then, mistaking Baines for Jags?

Not that I'm happy that Jags is injured, just that I dont want Baines out as well!!!

Ajay Gopal
7 Posted 23/12/2010 at 15:57:17

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Mark, ditto. I got a shock opening my TW home page. "Oh, no" I thought. Thankfully, it appears to be a typo. Michael & Lyndon - please don't do this to the weak Everton fans' hearts...

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
8 Posted 23/12/2010 at 16:06:24

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Ooops!!!

Trevor Lynes
9 Posted 23/12/2010 at 16:26:52

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He has only said he does not take any notice of the press gossip... he has not said that he would not leave.

Brian Waring
10 Posted 23/12/2010 at 17:01:31

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This isn't having a dig at the lad, but it's easy for players to come out and say these things, when it's only media rumours.

Also, Bayern, top European club, always in the Champions League, some top quality players... would be interesting to see, if a great offer ever came in for Baines, would he still be saying what he's said? ? And could BK afford to turn down big money?

Gavin Ramejkis
11 Posted 23/12/2010 at 18:34:10

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Of our remaining assets, Baines has to be one that could respect a decent price in a sale. Unless there's a miracle before the end of the season, the empty piggy bank at Everton isn't going to make any offers for the likes of him less attractive.

David Holroyd
12 Posted 23/12/2010 at 18:40:54

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I liked Baines at Wigan, when he came, he had to wait cos of Lescott's form but is now the best left back since... well, ages. He is one of the first names on the teamsheet. The team that played at City plus Arteta and Pienaar is the one that Moyes trusts.

Dick Anderson
13 Posted 23/12/2010 at 19:54:26

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Did anyone actually believe for a minute that Baines was gonna be interested in joining Bayern Munich?

We are talking about Leighton Baines who spent a week with England and got so homesick that he effectively ended his International career.

Baines got himself dropped from the World Cup squad because of his homesickness comments.

There was no chance a family man and confirmed homebody like Baines was ever gonna decide to uproot and move to a different country.

Jamie Sweet
14 Posted 23/12/2010 at 20:55:32

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I get the feeling that Bainsey is starting to step things up another notch and his confidence going forward and the threat he poses on the left in an attacking sense is still improving. There aren't many better. I would be surprised if he doesn't force his way back into the England team, homesickness or no homesickness.

I still love watching his part in Beckford's goal against Chelsea. Pure class!

Gavin Ramejkis
15 Posted 23/12/2010 at 21:59:21

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Will people stop this homesick bullshit, Baines knocked that on the head at the time, he felt shite after a poor performance in the Mexico game and wanted to get away and back home to his family - http://www.nsno.co.uk/everton-news/2010/12/baines-clarifies-homesick-interview/

Craig Tomasinski
16 Posted 23/12/2010 at 23:33:27

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Maybe instead of Baines we can sell Heitinga to Bayern. They seem to like Dutch players and have a Dutch manager. Maybe even a swap deal with one of the decent players that never get a game there.

Maybe we could try for Hamit Altintop as a wide right midfielder, he is a decent skillful player who can score a good goal or even be cheeky and try for Mario Gomez although he may not be suited to our style.

Gavin Ramejkis
17 Posted 24/12/2010 at 07:48:48

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Craig, if you think Beckford's finishing is bad watch Gomez, fourth or fifth choice striker at the World Cup and for a reason.

Trevor Lynes
18 Posted 24/12/2010 at 08:42:54

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We do not have any cover for Baines so God help us if he does leave or get injured.
At least when Lescott was here he could play full back...now we dont have anyone good enough.
I still reckon we have very poor cover down the left side defensively.

Jon Ferguson
19 Posted 24/12/2010 at 09:26:39

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We are incredibly lucky that we have three quality players Cahill, Baines and Arteta (I know Arteta is out of form but he is still class) who are fully committed to Everton. I would love it if you could put Jagielka in that bracket as well he seems like an honorable guy but he's never fully nailed his sail to the mast.

Baines has undoubtedly been the left back of the season. Cashley Cole has played at a higher level for a number of years, but right now Baines is playing the best football. That is what Moyes should have said not 'we think we've got the second best left back in the league' (I'm not part of the anti-Moyes crew, I just don't think he is perfect).

Thanks for the commitment Leighton!

Mark Pierpoint
20 Posted 24/12/2010 at 10:41:54

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I agree, Baines is a great professional and his commitment is appreciated in comparison with some. A word of caution though, like Dick #13 says, was it ever likely that Baines would go to Munich? He is not a player who will move abroad, regardless of the validity of the homesickness story, I think that is clear. It is different if Man Utd come in for you though, I think then Baines's desire may be tested a little more?

This may be unpopular but I am going to stick up for Heitinga here. Why should he come out and say he wouldn't move to Bayern? He is a careerist. We got him from Atletico because of this and we will in turn lose him because of this. Not all players will die for the cause. Now, his performances this year have been dire, mainly as he is no midfielder, but some of the criticism of his personality and his motives for being here is a little unjust I think.

Simon Jenkins
21 Posted 24/12/2010 at 15:20:59

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#13 Dick, it is unfair to continue this Myth about Baines & 'homesickness', when the player himself has explained how he was effectively 'done up like a kipper' by the London media.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/23/leighton-baines-everton-bayern-munich

'Leighton Baines has explained his ?homesick? comments from the summer.

The defender was left out of Fabio Capello?s England squad, for the World Cup in South Africa, amid rumours of Baines being homesick. The 26-year-old has, however, finally moved to clarify those comments to put an end to unwanted stick from some fan quarters.

?In the build-up to the World Cup the media is crazy,? he said. ?I am not used to dealing with the media on that level.

?I was down after the Mexico game but I was down because I had played rubbish. We had one day where we could go home and I ended an interview after that game by saying I want to shoot off, my family is here, I want to get back up the road.

?I was asked if I didn?t like being away and I said it was the hardest part of the game but it?s the same for every player, you go away and you miss your family. It?s natural. Not once did I mention the word homesick but that is the way it was manipulated.?

Mark Pierpoint
22 Posted 24/12/2010 at 17:52:55

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All you have done is added a bit to what Gavin #15 said though Simon. The issue is do you see Baines being the sort of player who will move abroad? How many English players do? As I have said previously, suggesting loyalty is very easy when the only offer on the table is over in Germany. Would he turn down Utd if they theoretically make an offer in the summer if Evra went? That would be a true test...

Ben Jones
23 Posted 24/12/2010 at 18:02:03

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He does seem the sort of lad who is committed. The main point is, even though we could sell him for a lot of money which we do need, we should NEVER sell him. We would not get a good enough replacement and, seeing a lot of our attacks are based on the left hand side, this would ruin it.

Well played, Baines, I say!

Robert Moore
24 Posted 24/12/2010 at 18:05:43

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Baines, you are a True Blue!!!!

Trevor Lynes
25 Posted 26/12/2010 at 13:35:00

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I've been saying for ages and started when Baines was not being selected because of his supposed lack of inches. Top full-backs do not need height, they need pace; centre-backs need height.

I will reiterate: We DO NOT have adequate cover for Baines and, if (God forbid) the lad gets injured, we will be in the mire... it is bad management to have this situation and it should be remedied ASAP. Ever since Lescott left, we have lost that utility situation whereby Lescott could play in Baines's position if needed.

We need cover on both flanks and a different set of tactics for home games as we are basically too predictable. We do not produce enough guile from Arteta when he is played so deep and Pienaar may well be on his way. Our attackers are either very raw or injury prone/ageing.

DM is making do and mend and we are survivors scrambling results by stifling opponents when we are away from home. When we are at home, we struggle to create and do not seem to have the ability to change tactics. True, we do get results that raise spirits and optimism, but generally the results are gained by effort rather than real class.

Our squad need an injection of quality players, not just loaners who cannot get a game at their own club. The only players worth taking on loan are from the better clubs and we should not be scraping the barrel looking at journeymen who do not have the ability to excite the fans... we deserve far more.

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