Everton cagey on Naismith move

If Baines goes to Man Utd, and Pranjic comes in to replace him on a free, then we could be in a position where we have £20 million+ in positive transfer business and have reasonable replacements, which might mean we don't have to sell any further players...

a) the euro's are over and
b) players starting to come back from holiday and
c) players contracts generally expire end of june don't they?

So transfers before 1st July usually few and far between...

Seems we have missed the boat on Fernandes or Barnetta though.

Old crock McGarth managed in the days when medical science wasn't 'medical science'. You were took a few shots, drunk a silly amount of pints and got on with it.

He'll be a good good signing and - as Jeremy rights points out - in our circumstances, one we should not be disheartened with.

As Phillip also points out, Peter Red didn't do too bad. 4th in the world footballer of the year awards 1985 wasn't he?! Don't think Naismith will quite be emulating those giddy heights but totally wrong to write him off.

COYBB

Hope we can secure this deal and then try and get a creative midfielder such as Pienaar or Donovan.

I would try to keep Baines, unless Man Utd offer £20M plus, then we have to sell for that money.

I've spent much of my working life chasing around the middle east on contract. Money is the driving issue and footballers life at the top is short normally.

Home grown players are the ones to keep and let the foreign mercenaries move around wherever they can get the most bucks.

We should build Everton on the backbone of the likes of Baines, Jagieka and Rodwell.

Hopefully young Barkley will fulfill his potential too.

The only foreign players who want to stay at EFC are the older ones who are not wanted so much elsewhere.
Its not a coincidence that Heitinga has never been coveted elsewhere and Cahill, Distin and co are now nearing the end of their careers at the top.

Think carefully before you encourage our club to let Baines or Jags go, unless its them who want to leave.

They are the nucleus of players who are much more likely to show loyalty to the club.

Moyes should partner Jelavic with Anichebe and end this silly spending. IMWT.

When I've seen him play for Rangers (on the telly) he seems to float behind the main striker and pick up scraps - though his partnership with Jelavic was developing nicely before his injury and he fed him lots of chances.

He's not a bad midfielder - he reminds me of a young Alan Smith before he was crocked and became shite.

Jelavic rates him highly according to the press - and that's good enough for me at the moment. It's no lose gamble anyway as he's cost us nowt but his signing fee and wages. I've a feeling either Vic or much more likely Cahill will be moving on soon.

Anyway...The deal is apparently completed according to Skysports. Great bit of business and I hope that the completion of it signals that we don't have to sell because of significantly reduced wages and the financial rewards of a good FA cup run. However, we MUST sign at least one creative midfielder, even if they come in on a free. Naismith will add something, but if the creative burden falls on Osman until January, we will be struggle for the first half of the season. If we can't get Pienarr, we must look elsewhere, and if need money, than we must sell. Creativity is essential for this team, because however good Jelavic is, he can't score if know one is giving him the ball.