Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Nine thoughts on Arteta's move.

By Peter   Hall  ::  03/09/2011   43 Comments (»Last) 1. Arteta was our most influential player of the decade and at his best one of the finest footballers I have seen at the club in 52 years, easily in my top five midfielders. Everton treated him with respect (eg, letting him recuperate from injury in Spain) and he returned that respect. He is loyal and intelligent and I admire him as a footballer and a person.

2. The 5-year contract at £75k per week was an unaffordable mistake by a cash-strapped club for a player who has never reached his pre-injury heights, and whose best was gradually receding into the past. Kenwright and Moyes were confusing their respect for him with his five-year value to the club. I believe that Arteta came to see it this way and was troubled to be on this contract while Everton could barely buy a match ball, and this made him feel that the transfer made sense all round.

3. The club in crisis on Wednesday was Arsenal, not Everton, making a panic move due to the failure of their youth strategy and the excessive pricing of ?marquee? players; Arteta was well down their wish-list. They have to qualify for the Champions League and they knew they wouldn?t with their existing squad. They?ve bought for the short-term in a desperate hope of CL qualification. Probably a forlorn hope, so enjoy it this year Mikky, and the best of luck, I?ll be shouting for you. You may be past your best but at least you?ll bring some determination to a feeble-minded squad.

4. Arteta took a pay cut, or at least no extra money, and the same length of contract left (4 years) ? why would he do that? Champions League opportunity, yes, but also, if you look carefully at what he has said, because he knew it was best for Everton as well. He?s intelligent and rounded enough to see all sides of the situation. All right, maybe he was worried about Everton?s ability to pay his contract over the next four years as well ? hence his remark about avoiding being a ?broken club? in a couple of years.

5. Arteta asking for a transfer increased the value of the offer to the club ? this absolves the club from some contractual payments and clubs will say to players ?all right, if you want a transfer, put it in writing?. The same happened between Liverpool and Meireles that night, probably without the same goodwill.

6. The last-minute timing was the worst thing for us and it might not look good on the pitch in the next few weeks (can it look worse than last Saturday?). Against this, Everton have gained flexibility with this change. Over the next couple of years this could prevent the cost-cutting seen since last January from strangling all our ambitions.

7. Fittingly, Mikel scored with the last kick of his Everton career (don?t tell me if you saw him touch it in the final minute, I didn?t!) but was there anyone watching who wanted him to take the penalty? Blackburn fans perhaps. Or the second edge-of-the-box free-kick against QPR? Everybody was praying for Baines to take them. Things have moved on, and Mikky found it hard to let go on the pitch.

8. Fellaini has never played to his peak with Arteta in the side. When Arteta was long-term injured Fellaini?s performances were terrific ? ?best midfielder in the league? ? remember that from Moyes? Then Arteta returned as substitute to a great ovation, and Fellaini subsided into the bit-part player he can be. Why? Because Arteta demanded the ball, and got what he wanted. And ? as with the free-kicks and penalties ? Arteta got his own way. Arteta is a very strong character, which Fellaini isn?t ? yet. Things should have moved on but again Mikky found it hard to let go on the pitch.

9. Now we will have to play to our strengths, and we will get some breathing space to allow Moyes to shape things a bit. For me, Moyes (though generally excellent) is too sentimental to go the last mile as a manager. But sometimes fate makes things happen that you are too weak to do yourself, and last Wednesday?s events are a good example.

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