Because we're not Man City (who'd a thought of such a phrase a few years ago) we really are a feeder club, any player poking his head up above mid table standard is gone - it's just a matter of time.

The die is cast under the present regime and how anyone thinks we can SLOWLY build isn't paying attention.

Our ONLY hope is a mass influx of talent via the youth or Jelavic/Gibson type signings in one go and surprise everyone by doing a Newcastle - we had our Andy Carrol moment with the Rooney .money so it ain't gonna happen.

Not exactly inspiring is it?

Having said that I'm sure if Bill could make 1 Quid profit on Jelly he'll be gone.

Strikers and wingers we need, nothing else now that Distin signed back up. Over the next couple of years, we'll need to rejuvenate at the back, but right not now. We have one proven striker, and that has to change. Jela gets injured, and we're back to grinding out 1-1s.

I'm a afraid Cahill's insistence on playing Oz into his 30s means he is gone - it was so predictable.

If its going to be the same formation next year then we still need another forward for the same reasons.

It all depends on how much money we have to spend or if anyone will be sold.My priority would be to bring in 2 wingers first then a forward followed by a creative midfielder.

Luke Rodgers who plays with him reckons he is exceptional.

I've been really impressed with Whittingham everytime i've seen him and would love him at Everton but would rather we went with a proper forward in that position.

So, oh enlightened one - I know an intellect as razor sharp as yours has considered this - but have you ever wondered what happens to players when they sign for someone else? I'll give you a clue - they don't play for you any more...

So, with Baines and Fellaini already subject to transfer speculation and the fact that we've still not signed Pienaar (and most informed sources reckon we probably wont) Can you shine your illuminating wisdom on why every other player we've been linked with has been a striker?

Just asking - if you can avoid the ad hominem in your reply I'd be most grateful... cheers.

We always have been.

Lineker was sold (against his will) cos they were offered a treble return.

Gary doesn't go to Carter's BBQ to this day...

I think your right or it could be 3 teams in 1 season rather than a calendar year.Either way its a recent rule and wasnt around when we signed Unsworth.

From his "knife to a gunfight" comment, Moyes has been dropping comments on the need to improve AND the need to keep players.

Will ownership put him in his, what 3rd, 4th re-building program? When only the Manc teams had a better second half than us? Moyes doesn't need a fortune. Players are being dumped/not re-signed at a rate where he find quality without Sky money.

Little secret: They are our players.

Jela is superb. But he is only one player. As I wrote above, if he gets injured we're back to scrapping for 1-1s

We need another striker.

James #968 our 'stars' were loanees, we don't have them to sell, we need to buy them!

If we do get a striker, it will be to replace him IMO.

We also need a winger for the right side.

One would be nice, to offer backup to Jelavic, but if we had only money for a winger or a striker, we need a winger more.

Bring back John Clinkard.

Everton are known to be interested in Naismith but there is nothing remotely concrete at this time as far as I'm aware.

Having said all that; he's not the same player as he was a season ago and I think his time is up as a Premier League footballer - age get's to us all in the end and Timmy's time is near to think of either dropping down a level or hanging up those boots.

Anichebe - well, what can you say? The guy's an enigma, for 90% of the time he looks like a fish out of water and spends an awful lot of time sat on his arse or punching the turf in frustration as he's worked off the ball and unbalanced by even a half decent centre half. Then there is the other 10% of him - the 10% which saw him score 5 League goals from 12 appearances last season, most of them from coming on as substitute - if there was only a way that a manager could harness that 10% and turn it into some sort of consistency then 'Big Vic' could be one hell of a player - I just wish the miserable beggar would cheer up a bit; though if I'd had the stick from the supporters that he has had I'd be giving them the finger when I scored.

Vellios - I like the look of this lad, he has potential and he knows where the net is - but again, like Anichebe he looks an impact player at this early age and I've not been over impressed with his linking play or distribution as yet - though without games, is that ever going to improve. I've a feeling that he'll get a little more bench time this coming season.

A word on Jelavic - all strikers go through barren spells or have injuries leading to loss of form and if we keep hold of him for any length of time he'll have one or the other at Everton and it would be nice to have some class as back up - unfortunately class costs money... unless Moyes has another ace up his sleeve akin to the the Jelavic signing. I mean 5 million pounds for Jelavic!... just 5 million! ... un-fucking-believable.

He is just a year older than Rodwell but has been consistently performing well now for years,has an eye for a pass and scored a lot of goals for Reading,Hoffenheim and now Swansea.

Why keep hold of a player who has a history of injuries and inconsistent performances with plenty of comptition in his place in the hope that he might one day come good when we could have Sigurdsson,who will deliver the goods now.

If we have ANY money it must go towards securing Pienaar.

Bold prediction for next season: Big Vic will get into double figures ? you heard it here first.

Does that mean we can only go in for players that are unhappy at their club or the club doesnt want them?

He is a class player who has scored goals at every club he has been at and is still only 22.He is not quite there yet for the very top clubs but will be soon.He is exactly the type of player we should be going for even if it means moving others out.Swansea will be getting a very good player who will almost certainly get better and i'd imagine will get double what they paid for him in a year or two.

There is no guarantee he would have chosen us over Swansea but we are a bigger club,longer history in the top flight,better team and i'd imagine we can pay bigger wages so I would have fancied our chances.

Its been talked about on another thread about Fernandes choosing Valencia over us but I dont blame him for that,Valencia had a recent history of winning trophies and spending money which we didnt.

In every comparison with Swansea we are the better option unless he has grown a genuine affection for the club in the short time he has been there.

If we had money, I expect we would have gone in for him. I'm really suprised no one has attempted a rival bid.

That and Pienaar, while weeding out the periphery, is hopefully our strategy. On that score, I guess the release of Straqua, Drenthe and McFadden were good moves.

I'd look to sell Yobo - obviously - and Anichebe. The latter can only stay if we do not find a striker to buy. Unfortunately, most of the fees these would bring in would only get us the Pienaar fee, with perhaps a million(?) left over for a new striker.

Perhaps (hopefully), the release of the three above players means we can use saved wages to set up a fee payment method for buying a striker...say £5 m, but only £1 m now, the rest over the next two years.... in lieu of McFadden/Stracq wages? Bit of a leap of faith... Here's hoping...

I don't think he'll ever be truly free of injuries because he hasn't got the build for football myself. It's difficult to show your best form without any consistentcy or a run of games.