The Mail Bag
Manuel Fernandes
Comments (57)
Manuel Fernandes the type of player we have been missing from our squad for the last couple of years. All the successful Premier League teams have one of these players: a player that can pick out a great pass from nowhere; take players on with skill, strength and pace; score from nothing; purely boss the midfield; and make an impact when all hopes are down. This kind of box-to-box midfielder is our solution to the Gerrards and Fletchers of this world.
When you look at the top 6, every team has this type of player. In the summer, if we could get Parker or Adam, that would be great but sadly we don't have the money or persuasions to do so, with no Europe or money to challenge the top four... but a player certainly in our reach is Fernandes. His two spells at the club brought something different that I haven't seen for a long time.
He has had a torrid time at Valencia, apart from one season, 08-09, when he was outstanding, apparently... but for some reason couldn't get into the team. I think the good form of Banega was keeping him out but he subsequently can't get a game now either so he would be a great shout if possible. But Fernandes is certainly available and for the rumoured region of around £3 million as Valencia can't wait to get rid of him.
He went to Besiktas on loan ? for God's sake, we should've got him considering Arteta's poor form... but I believe that Moyes still has bad blood with him from when he went to Valencia instead of joining us. But Moyes should see what a great Everton player in the making he could be... With him and Fellaini in midfield, we could be unstoppable ? and still at the age of 24/25 he is definitely worth the bargain.
So, if we could sign Fernandes or Parker and get some frees in to help support the squad, we could also look at some quality Championship players, such as Gradale, King, Long, Eagles, Rodriguez and maybe Gary Hooper from Celtic, who looks very decent for a 20-year-old. We could give the Premier League a real go next season.
Obviously we would fund the new players with the sales of existing players: Bily (£6M); Yak (£4M)... maybe swap with King; Vaughan (£1M); Yobo (£2M)... maybe Heitinga (£6M) with Upson replacing him as he is on a Bosman in the summer. We could get cheap players who could really help us next season, along with Bosman transfers like Larson, Owen, Elmander, Gilks, Reo-Coker, Obinna, David Vaughan, Jonas Olson ? all good squad players on free transfers.
We could have a good team of:
Howard
Neville (big games; Coleman for the rest of games)
Jagielka
Distin
Baines
Gradle
Fellaini
Fernandes
Arteta/Gueye
Osman
Long or Hooper
Bench: Gilks, Upson, King, Beckford, Cahill, Gueye/ Arteta
That is a very strong squad and, with Everton being so injury-prone a lot of the time, we can afford a big squad of quality players as they will get games. The future is looking bright for the blues if Moyes can get signings in as early as possible.
Joe Burrowes, Posted 09/05/2011 at 08:37:14
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Considering playing Gueye over Arteta ? errr why? Gueye has showed glimpses of potential but isn't fit to lace Arteta's boots; never mind take his place.
I would take Beckford over Long and Hooper all day.
Fernandes WAS a good player, but is now overweight and I don't really see where he would fit in. We need wide men, not another centre mid!
We're trying to progress as a team and most of the players you suggest wouldn't let us do that.
However, I strongly doubt Moyes will bring him back again. I can't believe we signed Bily for £9 million when we could have had Moutinho, Fernandes or Adam Johnson for a similar price. I think one of these players could have helped us progress more than Bily.
Put £10 million back to clear overdraft, that leaves £18 million for transfers and a large percentage of the above are high wage earners, meaning we could afford to purchase three or four out-of-contract players, two or three loanees, and one or two, £6-7 million purchases ? who though is the difficult one...
I would like Everton to sign Jenas from spurs for midfield. He can play in the centre or on the right has a great engine and is quick too. Spurs are reportedly looking to slash there huge wage bill. Kyle Naughton, who we were linked with 2 seasons ago, also has had a great season while on loan at Leicester and made the PFA Championship Team of the Year and seems surplus to requirements.
The club has been fucked by Billy Bullshit, and every season you all fall for it. Wake up we will not be signing anyone over £7m this transfer window. And that will be after about £35M of sales.... Jags to Arsenal????
However, do you not remember Fernandes' second loan spell for us? He was terrible! And in any case I can't see him playing for peanuts, which is what we have.
Benfica didn't want him, Portsmouth didn't think he was worth the money, he failed a medical at Milan in Dec and now Valencia want rid with him currently on loan at Besiktas... Have you ever thought that maybe it was his good half season with us that was the fluke?? I don't think even Pienaar and Arteta were given that many chances before "reviving their careers" with us.
If he came for nothing and played for a similar amount I'd like to see him given a chance to prove himself, but can't see it happening. What is more likely is the lower league scouting you mentioned. Forget Eagles though - he doesn't even impress in the championship... I would like to see that Rodriguez fella given a chance though; he's held in very high regard by the Burnley fans (much more so than Eagles) and I reckon a cheeky bid including Vaughan might be enough to tempt them...
Well, I heard Riquelme fancied a mover to us and blah blah FFS.
Sorry Joe but not another summer of this shit please...
There's no reason why, if he has gone off the boil, that Moyes can't do a rescue job in the same way it worked with Pienaar/ Arteta. He surely wouldn't cause a disruptive influence should it all go AVDM either. Love that player.
Every time we are my heart sinks.
We don't need anymore god dam versatile players or defenders!!! (unless its cover at LB).
We need people good on the ball and ability; or at least people who are actual midfielders.
Gradel has pace but so does Beckford and most don't seem to think he is good enough. Leeds seem to think he will become a striker but Beckford has more to offer for me.
However, I've said before that if we have any kind of budget for new players it needs to go on width and creativity behind the striker.
People say, "Yes but we can dream." Well, dreaming is intensely personal... at least before Matt Damon came along ? and really that's where it should stay, imho.
ps: Is his name Gradle or Gradel? Not that I even care...
stopped reading you at Arteta. On your Bike!
I think if we make quality improvements, like adding Seb Larsson who in my opinion, has been the most consistent right winger in the league this season, and the experience of someone like Miroslav Klose (unlikely that may be) on afree transfer and we don't sell any of our current squad except deadwood like Yak and Yobo, then we can give the top four a good go as I think our squad's learned some valuable lessons from this season ? along with our manager.
Very little will change; he's a fair-to-good manager ? not a great manager.
Also what about that Banega fella?
Did you notice the U18s team that was paraded at half-time in the Man Shitty game? Not one of them look tall or built like a brick shithouse; expect most of them to disappear meaning, yet again, there is little youth coming through.
That guy came to Goodison, shook hands on a deal, sat with Kenwright during that nights match and the next day signed for another club who offered him more money.
Frankly, I don't care that he couldn't cut it at that other club. I don't care that his career has stalled in recent years. I certainly don't want him back at Everton.
Manuel Fernandes showed Everton no respect and, if I was Moyes, I would refuse to even consider him now.
Sometimes you get what you deserve in life; after his behaviour the last time Everton tried to sign him, Manuel Fernandes doesn't deserve another chance.
It wasn't Fernandes.
His club accepted Valencia's better offer at the last minute. This meant he was left with a choice of stay at his current club and not play or go to Valencia, where he was wanted.
Valencia trumping our offer meant that we were out of the running once their bid was accepted.
I can't beileve anybody in their right mind would want to buy Matthew Upson who is a lazy, greedy, injury prone waste of space who will desert West Ham to save himself.
And sell Saha? He may be injury prone, but he's still our top scorer again this season and short of us finding about £15m under the sofa for a top class forward, the best striking option we still have. Those 4 goals against Blackpool were sheer class.
As for Fernandez, they say you should never re-heat a souffle, never mind try it for a third time. Surely we learnt that with Howard Kendall as a Manager.
No idea where our transfer are going to come from this summer but I won't be holding my breath for anything special!
ps
Gavin Ramejkis... this is the same U18 team that beat Villa today to get to the final of the national league?! Give them a chance FFS! Messi isn't exactly tall or a brick shit house but he does ok.
Gradel's ok, Fernandes on the cheap might be worth a punt.
Personally I'd like Wolves' Kevin Doyle; he is a Moyes type striker as well... But we don't have £8M ? or even 50p do we....
Just say no.
Oh. My. Word.!!!!!!!!!!
Messi is only the height he is now because Barcelona paid for the growth hormone treatment but comparing him to anything we have in that squad is pathetic. They are a good squad of kids, if they were amazing world beaters they would be in the first team, they aren't in both cases.
For years we have all heard about kids coming through as the next bright thing only for them to disappear or fuck off to fend off the banks.
FM = Frequency Modulation. It's where you listen to the pop songs on the radio. AM is where you listen to the sport.
BFD: That's a book by Roald Dahl.
My work here is done.
Look we've no money, end of.
Banega? Dream on.
After last summer's spend of £0 there is no point in this indulgence FFS.
As long as BFD is not Baines For Dalglish....
Oh Kenwright "Don't come 'round here no more, What on earth did you do that for?"
It's a big NO.
A talent that obviously never progressed and never probably will due to bad advice and a bad attitude.
Let's put a full stop to the Moutinho, Fernandes, Riquelme bullshit that always jumps up.
We're skint and we will be rifling through the bins this summer for signings.
I couldn't find where BFD was written and it doesn't ring a bell of the top of my head.
I'm fairly sure I knew that already. Was that not clear?
* Hits irony button frantically.
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment to the MailBag, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 09/05/2011 at 13:13:06
Report abuse