Fifa kick back late loan deal

, 7 September, 173comments  |  Jump to most recent
No Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe for Everton
Everton have confirmed their failure to secure the services of young Belgian star Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe on loan. Fifa have confirmed that Everton were too late in completing the required paperwork and have kicked the loan deal into touch. However, Everton claim on their website that they lodged the relevant signed paperwork in advance of the international transfer deadline on August 31.
FIFA have today refused to ratify the loan transfer of Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe to Everton from Club Brugge.

The decision comes despite both the Football Association and Premier League giving their full support to the loan agreement and Everton lodging the relevant signed paperwork in advance of the international transfer deadline on August 31.

An Everton spokesman confirmed the Club will consider all available options before making any further comment.

The Echo claims Everton did their bit but Club Brugge were late filing documents on transfer deadline day. But then they confusingly say Vadis put the blame on Everton for being late with their loan request.

Quotes or other material sourced from EvertonFC.com



Reader Comments (173)

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Jim Knightley
1 Posted 07/09/2012 at 20:43:03
Shit, that's depressing. I don't see why they have to be so particular over what surely must have been a matter of minutes. Really hope it's untrue, but I doubt it.
Si Cooper
2 Posted 07/09/2012 at 20:54:10
You have got to be strict with your deadlines otherwise there is no reason to have them at all.

What I would like is a bit more detail, as it seems strange to take nearly a week just to decide to whether a deadline was missed or not.

Did we get our paperwork to the FA in time, and have they messed up by not processing it quickly enough, or was our paperwork just not ready in time? The second scenario I can accept as it seems likely that this was a rush job and the time was always against it, but if it is the first I want heads to roll.

It is a shame though. I was happy enough with our transfer activity this time last week, now it is like having a really good night out but finding in the morning you have lost a tenner on the way home!

Have to hope everyone plays well enough that we aren't left saying 'if only...', and maybe it will happen in January.

Jim Knightley
3 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:20:07
Si, problem is, Spurs were granted an extra hour in an attempt to complete the Moutinho deal...so Fifa are not so strict with their deadlines.
Jim Knightley
4 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:24:56
The decision comes despite both the Football Association and Premier League giving their full support to the loan agreement and Everton lodging the relevant signed paperwork in advance of the international transfer deadline on August 31.
Zaid Omar
5 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:27:08
Any chance of an appeal?
Paul David
6 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:29:58
Can a deal be put in place now so we get him in Jan or can clubs only discuss transfers when the window is open?
Kunal Desai
7 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:27:17
That's what happens when you don't get all your transfer business done in good time, why do we need to scramble around for players in the last few hours of the window, it's just ridiculous.
Si Cooper
8 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:29:07
If that is true Jim (#278) – I've heard that but not seen it confirmed), how can they possibly rule it out?

Is what you have written at 282 official as well? That would be an obvious example of double standards.

Possibly not a good idea to take on Fifa but they should have to give a proper account of what has happened. Holding my breath now...

Ian Bennett
9 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:37:41
Inevitable. Why does this always happen to us.
Jim Knightley
10 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:36:19
Kunai...it's not just us, everyone does it. Why is so much money spent on the last day of the window? why are so many deals completed? I'm assuming, it's because at the end of the window players and clubs run out of options, and have to buy/sell and replace people.

I'm not sure about an appeal...It seems we have grounds for one, but I can't recall any recent ones.

Nick Entwistle
11 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:36:33
Shit balls. Reo Coker could be brought in and then get this guy again in January.

I was really hoping that Nev and Heits would stay out of midfield so let's hope this desire to play Fallaini up front isn't shown often.

Jamie Barlow
12 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:34:44
It's not ridiculous Kunal. We were after midfielder and obviously went all out for Essien who chose to go elsewhere very late in the day.

Ofoe was a last ditch attempt to sign a midfielder and unfortunately we were late in getting the deal done.

We've lost one of the last twelve games without him so we just have to get on with it and maybe try for him again in January if Moyes is determined to get him.

John Crook
13 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:41:23
It's because Essien was clearly 1st choice and then even N'Zonzi was spoken to by Moyes. This guy Ofoe was 3rd on the radar, deal not done in time....

I can just imagine him coming to a rival team and coming back to haunt us at some point in the future.
Zaid Omar
14 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:45:31
Players starting to fall one by one... Gibson, Pienaar, Mirallas.....
Mark Tanton
15 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:46:16
This here loan dealing's fallen through. Very frustrating - we should have moved more quickly for a midfielder, it was clearly a priority. I hope perhaps Barkley can step up, but predict Neville will come in.

I notice Mirallas went off at half time today for Belgium, hope he's not injured, or early optimism may start to drain away a little.

Phil Bellis
16 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:44:52
Jamie
"Watch this space" or "Don't hold your breath"
Your choice

In other news:
"And who is this Everton? Aren't they in Chile?"
"No, this is the other Everton, from Liverpool."
"Ah! Liverpool, why didn't you say Liverpool – OK, make the exception for the 5 timers."
"No, you misunderstand, Fifa World Team of the Year, 1985..."

Mark Tanton
17 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:48:14
The Mirallas thing is worrying. I hope he's just taken a knock. That's the thing about internationals in your squad, they always come back injured!

Well, I hope we see Barkley, but Neville will probably step up, along with Hibbert and Osman. As you were... And optimism takes a knock.

Kunal Desai
18 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:47:46
Jamie, I understand what your saying but we were desperate for some midfield cover, surely Everton would have got someone tied up even a day before the deadline as opposed to waiting on targets (A and B) and taking that risk, knowing that if those didn't come of then it would have been touch and go with targets C or D, which is precisely what has happened in this instance.
Sam Hoare
19 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:48:43
Balls. Was saying ever since we sold Rodwell that we were short in the middle of the park and I think failure to get in another CM could really bite us in the ass.

Shame as this guy looked the business. Bets are off that he ends up at another club now in January...

Mark Tanton
20 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:57:06
I am sure Moyes had a big list, but none of them came off. It's a real irony that the area we need back up was the one we left latest. I mean, Oviedo coming in is clearly a good signing, but surely N'Zonzi or Charlie Adam should have been pursued first.
Chris Smith
21 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:57:07
This is bad news. With Gibson out Fellaini will have to drop back and Mirellas will play in the Cahill role.
Mark Tanton
22 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:59:18
Chris,

Mirallas has some kind of injury too. Sometimes you need a few injuries and some adversity to find what you're made of I guess. Could be the making of Barkley... But Moyes won't trust him, is my betting.
Andrew Presly
23 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:52:29
Still don't think this makes top 10 EFC transfer / admin fiascos of all time. It's probably just inside the top 20, though, to be fair to the lads.

Al Reddish
24 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:59:41
Unless Mirallas is injured then it's back to Big Vic on the wing with Naismith behind Jelavic..... or maybe Oviedo on the left with Pienaar on the right.
Peter Mills
25 Posted 07/09/2012 at 21:54:40
So, the player wanted it, the two clubs wanted it, their respective national footballing organisations wanted it, but a Fifa/Uefa official decided otherwise, and presumably some other club will now come in in January for a player Vincent Kompany thinks is a snip.
Hmmmmm.
Tony McNulty
26 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:13:19
Plan D now unfolds?
Mark Tanton
27 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:16:07
I wonder if we'll wheel and deal in the unattached market, and bring in someone there. Either that or we accept that the young uns now play. But Junior is injured and Moyes doesn't fancy Barkley. Neville it is.
Ian Bennett
28 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:16:27
Mark — I watched the Welsh game. Did he definitely go off injured rather than subbed as he's not 100 percent match fit?
Denis Richardson
29 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:01:06
Bollocks – guess it serves us right for trying to sort this out last minute. Happy with the transfers done this summer but given we sold Rodwell well before the transfer deadline, I don't really see why we had to leave it to the very last minute to bring in centre mid cover.

If Neville or jonny play a lot of games in midfield this year, it will be depessing. Get some magic water and sponge on Gibbo's leg quick!

Can we at least sort out a loan for January NOW so the lad can join 1 Jan 2013?

Steve Guy
30 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:17:20
Told ya. Club management at Everton is a complete fuck-up. Wouldn't pay them in baked beans.
Paul David
31 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:17:08
I wonder if Junior is the man to step up but its far more likely we're gunna have to put up with Neville.
Mike Keating
32 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:20:18
I'm not fluid in Flemish but I have a horrible feeling that this article is saying we missed the boat on our new Belgian 'Wonder Kid':

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/2730/Belgisch-Voetbal/article/detail/1497646/2012/09/07/Vadis-mag-niet-naar-Everton.dhtml?utm_source=RSSReader&utm_medium=RSS Normal Service?

Al Reddish
33 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:19:10
I can't understand the ruling if the paperwork was meant to be in on time? Especially as they were gonna give Spurs an extra hour to do their deal.
Si Cooper
34 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:16:07
Peter Mills (#309) — now THAT is going to stick in my mind. Thanks a lot!

From the statement on the OS the club haven't given up on this yet. European Court here we come???

Peter Mills
35 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:20:20
This stinks. Of FIFA incompetence, intransigence, or corruption.
Mark Tanton
36 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:21:36
This is a massive opportunity for Barkley. I hope Moyes gives him a go. Barkley is a real, natural, talented midfielder.
Paul Columb
37 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:21:10
Either Everton are the unluckiest club on the planet or we are run by a shower of muppets. We know FIFA is.
Phil Sammon
38 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:28:22
Steve @ 314

Classic Toffeeweb nugget.

Pete Gunby
39 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:36:25
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that FIFA would approve the same deal had one of the glamour clubs been attached. The realist thinks we probably screwed it up without any help. Hopefully, there is some sort of appeals process that will work for us.
Chris Owens
40 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:56:11
How much would it cost Everton Football Club to bring in a legal expert to advise on transfer deals? The transfers of Joseph Yobo, Dan Gosling and Manny Fernandes are just three examples of poor business acumen. The ‘glamour clubs’ undoubtledly employ good lawyers and/or know whose palms to grease to get these deals done.
Simon Harris
41 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:48:20
He's been tweeting "I knew there was a chance that the transfer wouldn't go through since Everton was late requesting the transfer... I would be lying if I said I didn't want to play in the Premier League, but now we need to look ahead..."

Oh well, suppose if we'd have wanted him badly enough we wouldn't have dawdled.

Although must admit, I was like a kid at Christmas on deadline day and the YouTube clips of this guy just heightened my excitement and expectations — I should have known better, this is Everton!

Si Cooper
42 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:57:59
The three you have cited Chris all broke down at a personal level, leaving us at the mercy of agents and opportunistic clubs.

This one is seemingly just down to not having enough time to get it done or maybe encountering double standards thanks to a jobsworth.

James Smith
43 Posted 07/09/2012 at 22:59:45
Who will be playing in mid? We are short of numbers!
Si Cooper
44 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:03:01
Simon (#329) - that can be read two ways, depending on how good you think his English might be.

Maybe he means that it was always going to be tight because negotiations didn't start until we got in touch late on Friday (after our moves for Essien/ Nzonzi had failed and his dealings with Fulham had come to nothing).

It is that, or he is stating out right that we messed up.

Peter Mills
45 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:03:49
Si#330 - Hand on heart, honestly - if this was Manchester Utd, Real Madrid, or a club closer to home which is part of the inner circle, would a jobsworth have been allowed to deal with it?
Jamie Barlow
46 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:08:13
Mirallas didn't look injured to me. He looked to be running freely right up to half time.

Probably just a tactical sub with Wales having had the centre half sent off, Belgium then brought an out and out striker on.

Jamie Barlow
47 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:12:45
Nowhere in that quote does he say we messed up. He just tells it like it is. It was touch and go because we were late going in for him.
Barry Stevens
48 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:01:11
Fifa still haven't forgot our threats of legal action if we were pulled from Champions League after the Red Shite won it. Started with drawing the Yellow Submarine instead of the Norway/Latvia/Poland etc Champions you normally expect in Champions League qualifiers. Then shafted us with Colina when it looked like we might pull it off.

No drama, though, Fellani will have to drop back to his normal position, with Naismith or Mirallas in the Cahill role.
Michael Kenrick
49 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:16:34
So Jamie, if that's true, why can't we have a simple admission from the Club? Instead of the totally gratuitous bullshit they are feeding us, stating they got everything in on time....

Followed by withdrawing in silence to consider their options BS. It's shockingly pathetic, or am I reading it wrong?

Dave Kelly
50 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:16:21
I'm sure if it was LFC in the same situation there would have been a bend-over-backwards attitude from Fifa.

There again, I'm just an old cynic.
Mike Powell
51 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:08:56
Mark, Barkley is nowhere near ready for the first team. He maybe okay to play a bit part, come off the bench, but not to start. Neville is a seasoned pro, he has been there and done it... so, out off the two, Neville should start — although, if Junior is fit, he could step in.
Tony Foxwell
52 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:19:33
Idiot company. What's the point in countries having FAs when the idiot Fifa just ignore them? If the FA's agreed it was done in time, they should just accept it. Spurs got an extra hour,

So the idiots at Fifa just disrespected our great club. Everton and the FAs should start legal proceedings to force Fifa to agree the deal due to victimisation as they allowed Spurs and not us. Get a grip, parasite Fifa.
Kev Johnson
53 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:19:05
All this conspiracy theory stuff is pathetic. Grow up. What some of you are calling "a jobsworth" is just someone actually doing the job properly. There is a transfer deadline and it's been enforced, that's all.

We were waiting on other targets and when they fell through we were too late to do the necessary paperwork on VOO. End of.

Simon Harris
54 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:27:11
Chris #328 they have apparently

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2012/09/06/liverpool-law-firm-advised-on-everton-fc-transfers-99623-31772656/

Michael Kenrick
55 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:27:58
Kev, Everton say they got the paperwork "lodged" before the deadline; if true, none of what you say applies.

Who's telling porkies here, and why?

Kev Johnson
56 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:32:43
I agree, Michael. The club statement makes no sense. They either got it in before the deadline or they didn't. If they did then there was no problem, if they didn't then they should say so. It wouldn't necessarily count as inefficiency on the club's part - this kind of thing is liable to happen with so many dominos falling in the last 15 minutes before the deadline.

If, on the other hand, it's a cock-up by a FIFA administrator then that person is the very opposite of a jobsworth - it is someone NOT doing their job!

Si Cooper
57 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:32:49
A jobsworth is someone who sticks hard and fast to the 'rules' (as in "Can't do that, more than my job's worth") not (necessarily) some low level minion.

Used jobsworth because people are claiming other clubs have had the rules bent for them, and the club are claiming that they did their bit in time.

James Flynn
58 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:33:59
Shit happens. I feel an Everton Ewing Theory scenario coming.
Si Cooper
59 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:38:45
Michael, agree with your post at 343.

Is it possible, however, that the club did indeed submit in time but some administrative cock-up between the respective FA's meant it wasn't processed before the deadline. In that case the FA's would back the deal but a 'jobsworth' at FIFA could look at the timing and rule it out on that basis. That would be unfair and we would have a good case.

Suppose we all need to wait and see what actually happened before we can point the finger.

Michael Kenrick
60 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:42:49
Somewhere else it says Everton missed the deadline by 4 mins. They probably appealed at that point, and it went to Fifa for arbitration, which would of course take a whole week!!! At least that would fit with the story released that was made public on 1 September.

But today, Everton seem to be in denial. Significantly, they don't quote the 11 pm deadline, but the 31 August deadline...

I just wonder if some numpty thought the deadline was midnight...

That's my contribution to the conspiracy theory. If true, it ranks alongside Messers Gosling and Nyarko for sheer incompetence. (There was another one but thankfully I've forgotten it.)

Kev Johnson
61 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:41:45
I know what a jobsworth is, thanks very much.

People are indeed claiming other clubs have the rules bent for them. Sheer paranoia. Just before the cup semi final, there were a lot of people on here saying that LFC should be known as 'The Victims' because they were full of self pity and thought the whole world was against them. Well, let's try and avoid doing the very same thing shall we?

I repeat: either the club did NOT get it though on time (which I am inclined to believe) or FIFA have fucked up, in which case someone has not done their job properly. But the whole point of a deadline is to provide a meaningful cut-off point. If 1 minute late is actually OK then so is 5 minutes or 10 minutes of whatever. There simply has to be a point which is "too late".

If we appeal successfully then I'll be chuffed because the lad looks useful.

Tony Marsh
62 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:53:19
FFS — why always us? I was looking forward to watching this kid more than anyone else this season.

Ah well... Pip gets to be midfield general all season.
Neil Wood
63 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:51:46
Just watch him go to Arsenal now in January. Ruined my weekend and there's still 6 minutes to go until Saturday!

Got to give Barkley a run out now... Please not Neville centre mid.

Si Cooper
64 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:49:45
So three questions remain for me.

When exactly did we submit the paperwork?
Did any other club get an extension that we didn't also exceed?
Are the EPL and the two respective FA's really happy to back the deal?

From what was on the OS last Friday no-one should have been unaware that the deadline for transfers was 11 pm. There did seem to be a belief that loan deals may get treated slightly differently, though that may have been limited to the fact that they were quicker to process.

Si Cooper
65 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:01:52
Wasn't you that was directed at Kev, was for Peter Mills at #333.

As I have said, I used it on the basis that there may have been double standards applied in this situation (based on the information that is being touted by the club).

Jamie Barlow
66 Posted 07/09/2012 at 23:54:44
I've only just read that they lodged all relevant paperwork on time Michael.

I don't know who's telling the truth. Neither FIFA or Everton cover themselves in glory when it comes to truth telling.

Kev Johnson
67 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:10:27
Si - I think your idea that it we submitted the paperwork before 11pm but the deal wasn't processed before 11pm is feasible. God knows what is involved in "processing" this kind of thing, but I'd have thought it had to be factored in by both parties in the first place! I mean, you can't turn up at the bank at 4.59 and say: "I'm here before 5.00 and I want to do a complicated transaction" - they will refuse, as the bank closes at 5.00.

No doubt Robert Elstone will be down the Citizen's Advice Bureau in the morning, saying: "It's really unfair. It was 11.59 and I was going to sign the loan form when my pen ran out of ink. I scratched my name on the paper with a dagger but FIFA said that was no good. Naturally, I had a bit of a funny turn, as a result of which I lost my job. What are my chances of claiming disability benefit?"

Jamie Tulacz
68 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:17:55
Interesting how FIFA and the FA can come to different conclusions based upon the same set of facts. You'd think it would be something fairly clear cut based upon timings being before or after the deadline, but maybe not! It's obviously something too complicated for us mere mortals to understand...

Personally have never really agreed that the transfer deadlines are a good thing, creates a very artificial market and if we're going to argue it down to its legal bones, surprised how it escapes the European restraint of employment transfer?

Si Cooper
69 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:20:24
Depends what the 'rules' actually say doesn't it Kev and whether there is any room for a discretionary call.

For instance, if you can prove that you pressed the 'send' button at 10:55, but some failure of the internet meant it didn't get through to the FA until 11.04, should you be penalised if someone else pressed 'send' at 10:56 and their's went straight through (I am presuming the use of modern technology in this case).

We need to hear exactly what happened before we can decide who to castigate.

Ernie Baywood
70 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:21:26
This is disappointing.

Part of me thinks, the guy was behind N'Zonzi in the pecking order - how much would he have featured anyway?

The other part - we just lost one of the most exciting Everton signings in years.

FIFA won't turn back now. It's practically mid September. Let's just get on with what we've got.

Fellaini in his best position is a big bonus to me. Please don't put Phil there!

Kev Johnson
71 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:33:17
We need a scapegoat, that's for sure!

I wonder if we can pin this 'Deadline, what deadline?' fiasco on Big Vic? Worth a try, I'd have thought...

Peter Thistle
72 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:28:39
What a pisser, FU Fifa. We coulda used him but shit happens. Hope we get him in January.
Si Cooper
73 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:41:20
If he is as good as Kompany reckons then there is no way some richer club won't be sniffing around come January. Unless we are in the top 4 at the time, I would be amazed if we are in pole position.
Andy Crooks
74 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:37:14
Whatever the reason for dragging transfers out to the last day, and, frankly, I don't see any after Rodwell was sold, it was what it was. So, Everton had targets. One by one, we didn't get them. Finally, the last one was eventually missed.

Bad luck? Conspiracy? Johnny Foreigner doing us down? Well, I'll settle for complete and utter fucking incompetence. The kind of amateur, mind-numbing incompetence that has permeated this club for years.

Surely to God someone was overseeing the last day of the transfer window and had some sort of contingency plan in mind?!? Oh, sorry it's Everton... We don't do things that way.

James Flynn
75 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:44:04
Haha. All this moaning.

Not exactly a Ewing Theory but a derivitive. Let's see what happens now we lost this great player.

The Ewing Theory in brief: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Ewing%20Theory

Andy Crooks
76 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:51:32
James, we lost a player that David Moyes wanted to sign.
Si Cooper
77 Posted 08/09/2012 at 00:50:04
I'm just left with a tragi-comic image of sweaty palmed blokes trying to suss out how to get the machine to scan both sides of the document because someone let the office staff bugger-off after the Oviedo deal had been done.
Anthony Jaras
78 Posted 08/09/2012 at 01:31:37
I am gutted about this lad not being able to join us.

However, it would make sense to leave Neville at right back and move Pienaar into the creative central position.

Put Oviedo into left midfield and switch Fellaini to central Midfield to cover Gibson.

Pienaar is our most creative player anyway. Alternatively, leave Osman with Fellaini in the centre and put Pienaar out on the right.

It's the versatility of Pienaar that helps us here.

Then, either Naismith or Mirallas can support Jelavic.

No panic guys. Although again, I am gutted.

Phil Bellis
79 Posted 08/09/2012 at 01:40:30
Kev Johnson
341
What? Oh dear!
James Stewart
80 Posted 08/09/2012 at 02:24:30
I am gutted at this. Someone has fucked up because it was leaked well before 11pm on the bbc that it was a done deal. My bet is we wasted time on Essien and N'Zonzi bids.
Jarrod O'Neill
81 Posted 08/09/2012 at 03:31:44
I agree with your post Anthony (#368) that we can move the team around till Gibson is back, though I am hoping the defender in Moyes doesn't come out and he utilizes the good job he's done in the transfer window with the attacking players he's brought in.
Julian Batti
82 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:12:31
Fuck FIFA! This deal got the go ahead from both the English and Belgian football federations. I really hope that Kenwright can afford a decent lawyer. What about Jacques Vergès?
Martin Mason
83 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:35:32
The world is still going around, people here in Atyrau are carrying on with there life as normal. Shit happens and we need to just get over it and get on with it. Only worry about that which you can do something about.

Disappointing yes but we have a ver good young midfielder in roass Barkley with the potential to be the very best and he cost nothing. Perhaps we can use him?

Richard Jones
84 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:23:09
SHOCK HORROR Everton involved in another bout of incompetence!! I don't know why anyone would be surprised by this latest round of fuckwittery, we have a PHD in it, anyone waiting for a clear honest statement on what happened, good look with that Everton place anybody??
Peter Barry
85 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:40:17
There are a couple of things we can now be certain of :-

1) Oviedo will NEVER join Everton - not in January and not next summer either. Because either HE or Brugge or BOTH will be totally pissed of at Evertons inept, inefficient, indecisive dilly dallying.

2) Spurs, Man City or the even the RS will snap him up in January.

Peter Barry
86 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:48:42
Make that THREE things :-

3) FIFA will not change their minds no matter how much Everton cry.

Rory Slingo
87 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:01:13
Sam Hoare, so you see why optimism isn't good for the modern Evertonian's health? From Jeffers and Cadamarteri to King's Dock, to Wayne Rooney, to James Vaughan, Moyesies 5-year plan Mk.I to Moysies 5-year plan Mk.II, Villareal, Chelsea, triumphant late charges up the table followed by tragic starts the following season, bent refs, injuries, FIFA, Sky moving our games around, hobbyists in the boardroom, I could go on...

So I'm all optimized out. Murphy hates us and has conditioned me to expect nothing these days. No signs yet that anything's about to change. If we were one game away from winning the league, another World War would probably break out.

Richard Jones
88 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:48:07
Ah Martin regular as clockwork, with your aw well what can you do statement , the problem is Martin we as fans can do nothing about what these idiots in charge of club do. All we can do is analyze it and decide on whether they fucked up, you on the other hand.... without exception dampen down or apologize for everything !!!
Chris Hudson
89 Posted 08/09/2012 at 05:00:33
Peter Barry @378 your first fact is no fact. We signed Oviedo!
Rory Slingo
90 Posted 08/09/2012 at 04:53:17
Anthony Jaras, just watched Oviedo and Costa Rica go down 0-2 to Mexico. He gave away silly fouls coz he couldn't cope with the Mexican right-winger. I wouldn't have him replace Pienaar on the left just yet and he's definitely not cover for Baines. Round and Moyes have some work to do with this guy.
Peter Thistle
91 Posted 08/09/2012 at 06:11:37
We don't know the details of the deal so having a go at EFC messing it up is a bit harsh. He was third choice target if the stories of Essien and N'zobia are true so it was always going to be a last minute thing, hit n miss.
Peter Thistle
92 Posted 08/09/2012 at 06:19:33
*N'zonzi ..... typo / brain error.... sigh....
Bobby Mallon
93 Posted 08/09/2012 at 06:53:46
Mike Powell, unless we give Barkley playing time in his best position, then we will never know how good he is.

People keep saying he is not playing well for the Under 21, well that maybe because he is fed up playing at a level beneath him, fed up that players who are no better than him are starting even when they don't play that position.

Take Vellios: he had a good season last year and where is he now? I'll tell you where he is: pissed off and getting Under-21 time because he is not very versatile, and that's what it all boils down to.

If you can play 3 or 4 different positions then you play irrespective if you're not very good at a couple of them. If you are specialised at one position then your fucked. That was Rodwell's problem, and it's now Barkley's and Vellios's problems too. Barkley needs games at centre mid with Gibson (when fit) or one other and that for me is Heitinga — top pro.
Shane Corcoran
95 Posted 08/09/2012 at 07:31:31
Peter Barry, I think we've already got Oviedo in the bag.
Sam Hoare
96 Posted 08/09/2012 at 07:25:19
Peter Barry, am pretty sure that Oviedo has signed for us. Might want to check your comments when using your attention demanding caps!

Rory, sadly I can't disagree. At least when it comes to the numpties running the club. Strongly suspected this deal was doomed when we had heard nothing by Wednesday.

This must be frustrating for moyes as he needs another central midfielder, have the club a list of at least 3 (apparently) and the managed to miss out on them all. Now we are short in probably the most important position on the park. Would say Neville playing regularly in midfield destroys any shot we had at top 4.

Jon Beck
97 Posted 08/09/2012 at 07:50:15
None of us know the facts, none of us really need to, shit happens! I must be one of the few on here who makes mistakes himself, therefore can accept others do without getting a rabid sense of injustice and a need to find a victim.

Most of us were happy with our transfer dealings before the deadline, most of us weren't convinced we would sign anyone on deadline day. To quote Meatloaf, "two out of three ain't bad". Time to move on and support what we have. If you get depressed watching Neville in midfield, suggest you don't watch! Personally, I wasn't depressed watching him against Man United.

On a positive note, I had a very positive experience buying Swansea tickets yesterday. Very efficient service by phone and I had a confirmation email before I had hung up. What will I moan about now?

John Malone
98 Posted 08/09/2012 at 08:08:38
Like Kevin Bacon says in the film Sleepers "You gotta have have rules" And we all know what ne turned out to be. Fifa are wankers la!

Gotta get on with it now but what does my head in on here is people saying play Barkley now, have these people watched him play he is totally wet behind the ears even more so than Rodwell when he come through. There is no way you could rely on him every week he nedds to physically and mentally mature I'd loan him out anyway and put Junior on the bench he looks a lot more at it than Barkley at the minute.

Mike Hughes
99 Posted 08/09/2012 at 08:17:49
Jon #393

I almost completely agreed with your post until your comments about the ease of buying tickets for the Swansea match. Don't expect us to fall for that one. We weren't born yesterday, you know. What next? You think our marketing department is excellent? Unbelievable.

Sean O'Brien
100 Posted 08/09/2012 at 08:43:18
Morning All
Not fully aware of all the transfer deadline regulations but the comment stating Everton failed to lodge the relevant signed paperwork in advance of the international transfer deadline on August 31 does not make sense to me. Did Meireles not sign for a Turkish club after this date as their window closes later than ours (as does the Russian window). Does this deadline only close as per the national regulations and so if both parties feel this has not been breeched, orhas been done so in an acceptable manner (i.e. similar to a Moutinho extension) where can the issue lie.
Like most have been really pleased with this windows activities but based on other players comments, particularly Kompany (and not You Tube) feel we have not only lost out on a potential bargain but we will not have the opportunity to sign in Jan as someone else will come in for him.
Andy Meighan
101 Posted 08/09/2012 at 08:52:24
Can anyone on here honestly hold their hand up and say they'd actually seen this kid play, let alone heard of him? We've done alright without him and will continue to do so.

Having said that, the skulduggery that goes on within the corridors of Fifa is truly shocking. Full set of greedy cunts.
Chris Verghoden
102 Posted 08/09/2012 at 08:45:55
No one had even heard of this fella before last week. Suddenly he's the best thing since sliced bread. Now he's going to get snapped up by the big boys. Get real. If he was that good he wouldn't be a big secret would he.

Disappointing yes, but some of the whining is over the top. And I know whining when it comes to Everton.

Eugene Ruane
103 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:04:50
"Everton claim..blah waffle etc"

Yeah - claim THIS!

- grabs ball-bag, Paulie Walnuts-style and thrusts hips -

Andrew Bone
104 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:16:00
Although this is frustrating and probably smatters a little of incompetence or favouritism, it is likely that the club did not apply for the extension in the same way as Spurs. Hopefully a lesson can be learnt, and regarding "assessing all avenues before commenting on the situation" may well mean that it is hoped we forget about this. It is likely now that the scouts will be alerted, his value will go up and we may miss out unless we act fast and tie him into a January move on the opening day of the window.

It may however, force Moyes's hand into giving Barkley more game time and introduce some of the younger players, although the recent run of losses in the reserve league may indicate the depth may not be there.

I do feel we are covered in midfield, possibly better than last year, I just hope we have a bit more of an attacking approach rather than resorting to Phil in centre mid against teams like Norwich and QPR who do not necessarily have the play maker that needs to be stifled.

Gibbo flipping Ireland off could be a saving grace come then end of September.

I still feel really positive about the season, more so than in the recent 4 or 5 years. Hopefully we will have a good run, and the fact we are on TV more times before the end of the month is a bonus. What with the Man Utd game, that means we will have been on TV 4 times in September – I think that is the same number we totalled up before Christmas last season. Almost parity with the RS.

Chris James
105 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:10:19
Is this really such a disaster? 8 days ago none of us had heard of this player and it's not like he's a proven star.

Obviously it's unfortunate as we need the cover, but as has been said above we had two targets ahead of this guy who didn't come off, so this was a last minute grab.

We're not the only ones to miss out (Spurs and Liverpool had terrible windows comparatively) and in previous years we've always managed to sneak in a cheeky one before the deadline. This time we didn't quite manage it and Fifa aren't cutting us any slack, which I agree seems a bit ludicrous considering the fact that the rules have obviously been bent elsewhere.

Clearly it's not ideal that Gibson's out and Rodwell's gone (although to be frank I never thought Rodwell was that good for us – still can't see what £12-17M has been paid for), but Felliani can move back (with Mirallis, Pienaar, Osman or Barkley ahead) and if push comes to shove we've always got the Neviller!

Martin Mason
106 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:44:38
Richard@381

There is not a shred of evidence that they “fucked up” that’s why I don’t bray about it. They made a late attempt to get what they saw as a very good but non-priority player late in the window and whilst believing that they had got the papers in on time EUFA has not accepted this. Tragedy of International proportions, how can they do this to us and lose a game as well.
Remember they actually know about transfers and running a football club, you don't

Oscar Johnathan
107 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:51:00
People who are saying we needed cover in midfield more than the cover at left back we got through Oviedo, who are you kidding? Last year, Distin had to fill in at left back when Baines got injured, whereas whenever any midfielders got injured there was always cover. And also, we have made 3 signings who can play in midfield this Summer - Pienaar, Naismith and Mirallas. So please think about what you are complaining about before you make a completely false statement.
Ian Bennett
108 Posted 08/09/2012 at 09:51:54
Fulham and West Brom were apparently scouting this guy and didn't obviously sign him, so he's not quite the world beater we all have him down for – well certainly not in the mind of three Premier League clubs. An extra body would have been handy and if Moyes still wants him then we have the next window to grow grab him permanently or on loan.

He was 3rd choice it would seem, and I am sure other options be out there with another half of season if we don't snap him up then. His fee might go up, or by the same token it could drop if he is unsettled and fails to put the performances in.

Perhaps we should go in for Lucas: When he plays for the RS, they are going to win the _____ [fill in your own gaps]; when they lose, it's because he isn't there. Sounds class....

Pete Anthony
109 Posted 08/09/2012 at 10:03:34
In 'old money', not so long ago, there of course used to be Peter Reid and Bryan Robson types who were box-to-box midfielders. Now the trend is more to have a deep lying defensive midfielder or two, a Makelele or Carsley type protecting the back four. Who we have, other than Gibson, to perform this role well for us seems the issue.

Neville and Heitinga are both limited in that role and playing out of their best positions. Osman is more creative and lacks the physicality and power to play the role perfectly and the players you mention are all very much attacking rather than defensive midfielders. Fellaini seems to be doing the biz nearer the top end of the pitch and so, unless Moyes drops him back, we are light in the defensive area of the pitch if Gibbo gets a knock. Especially when we want to play two deeper in the midfield.

Personally, I think if we can get the creative attacking players in full flow i.e. three from Mirallas, Naismith, Pienaar, Osman buzzing behind the Jellyman, then Gibbo and Fellaini can sit further back and hold and pass long and short to keep us pressing forward with good shape and plenty of movement to unlock the back door of our opponents.

Squad depth would be that much better with Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe on board, since he looks to be able to step into midfield and play a deep midfielder role, exploding forward when the opportunity is there. Hopefully BK has some pics of Septic Bladder and Michelle Plasticbikini spitroasting Monica Lewdinski to facilitate a successful appeal.
Eugene Ruane
110 Posted 08/09/2012 at 10:29:16
Martin 'that's why supporters don't run football clubs' Mason (406) you say..

"Remember they actually know about transfers and running a football club, you don't"

In other news.

Gazza knows about self-control.

Dale Winton knows about natural coloured skin.

Gordon Ramsey knows about not being a twat.

Etc blah.

Seriously, is it some 'uninformed dumb posts for charity' thing you're on?

Get your pea-brain around this.

I am not a military strategist, nor a general, nor have I ever been in any branch of the military.

But I KNOW......the charge of the light brigade was a total fuck up.

See how it works?

Consequently, your 'logic' is piss-weak.

"Not a shred of evidence"?

If Everton had all summer to sign the player and missed out by an hour (or whatever) they fucked up.

Plus to anyone touting the 'shit happens' theory - bollocks.

Far more accurate would be shit, lies, bullshit, fuck-ups happen....a lot!

Jamie Barlow
111 Posted 08/09/2012 at 10:59:20
The Echo are saying the fuck up was at the Club Brugge end.
Mark Wilson
112 Posted 08/09/2012 at 10:48:00
Only at Everton could optimism disolve so quickly, it's in our collective DNA ! A few minutes before the window closed most were reasonably pleased with our transfer activity, then the tempting prospect of something even better emerged and hey presto the hype started. Now it's all off and we put in a poor show at West Brom which co incidentally highlighted a gap in midfield minus Dazza. Cue collapse of optimism. It is disappointing tho but I cannot see why so much anger at the club. We had other targets, one of which would have been a bit of a coup, the other (Nzonzi) is in my view vastly over rated. We then dived in late for a really sound deal but it didn't come off. It's a pain but hardly Dan Gosling territory and by the way how well rid are we of that moron.

Overall the squad remains stronger but still thin in terms of numbers. I'm worried that Ross B is now looking very much like he isn't going to have enough defensive quality about him to be that holding player in centre mid but surely still has it in him to be quality in the attacking midfield role. So why not put Felli back into the holding role and give Ross a chance in the more advanced role ? There will be chances now for Oviedo and when fit Junior. Plus Mirallis will only get stronger with games.

It's a bit of a let down but all will seem brighter when we beat the Toon under the lights at Goodison and hopefully Sunderland give the shite a going over.

Brent Stephens
113 Posted 08/09/2012 at 10:58:20
Eugene Ruane. For the benefit of all of us, can you please tell us, in relation to this particular attempt to sign the player: what are the facts (I want to put that in caps but won't do a PB)? and how do you know these facts. Tell us, for example, what facts there are concerning when Everton started to sniff out the guy; where he was in our list of priorities viz a viz Essien etc; when the Essien etc possible deals didnt materialise; when we started talks with Vadis and his club; how protracted long those talks took; etc etc, I could go on.

The point being we want to see your piss-strong rantings supported by hard facts.

Kev Johnson
114 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:13:14
Here's the ECHO link, if anyone's interested...

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2012/09/08/everton-fc-blues-miss-out-on-vadis-odjidja-ofoe-after-club-brugge-paperwork-gaffe-100252-31792275/

Michael or Lyndon - on ToffeeWeb, how do I/we make website links into hyperlinks (ie, so you can click on them and automatically open the web page)? Any advice much appreciated.

Keith Foley
115 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:08:13
I like many on here am disappointed that this deal will not now go through. He may have turned out to be a gem. However one question I think we all have to ask is if he is currently as good as we are being told then why was he not in the Belgium squad for the current internationals? The fact that he was (apparently) behind Steven N'Zonzi in the pecking order is another factor to consider; he in my opinion is nothing more than average at best.
Eugene Ruane
116 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:18:17
Brent Stephens (423) you (like many others) imo miss the point.

The details don't matter.

The facts are we wanted him and...didn't get him.

If this was some one-off fuck up, of COURSE you could not blame them, but it isn't.

That you choose to ignore the past is up to you.

I see it as part of a pattern and if you want evidence of that, just let me know.

Brent Stephens
117 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:24:17
Eugene #426: "The details don't matter.

The facts are we wanted him and...didn't get him.

If this was some one-of fuck-up, of COURSE you could not blame them, but it isn't.

That you choose to ignore the past is up to you.

I see it as part of a pattern and if you want evidence of that, just let me know".


Eugene, I'm not ignoring the past – I'm asking about the present. You claim this is part of a pattern; it might be, it might not. It might have been cock-up, it might not. Is it so difficult for you to see that I'm not making any claims, except that you haven't given us any facts about the attempted transfer – other than we wanted him and didn't get him!! Are you adding that one to your list of obvious statements like Gazza, Dale Winton etc?

Ray Roche
118 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:36:31
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

Have we fucked up before......?

Martin Mason
119 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:37:44
Eugene, the comment about not knowing about running a footballl club and transfers applies to many and if the cap fits then you have to wear it. I'd say as you patently don't know how these late transfers work and can go wrong that it fits- bingo!! The problem may have been at the Belgium end and again you don't know and I don't know so I say nothing. It's a fantastic policy honest.
Martin Mason
120 Posted 08/09/2012 at 11:48:45
Sorry Eugene forgot to add, you're very lucky today getting a cap that fits your head and your own size 10 to fit in your gob :-)

Ray@429, no I can't remember mate, when was the last time we lost a player due to late paperwork. Or should I say lost a player due to late paperwork by somebody else.

Phil Bellis
121 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:03:04
Well, at least he won't turn up wearing a red jacket and assuming EFC will pay his income tax
Brian Waring
122 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:07:42
Couple of points, I agree with Andrew (#403) Spurs will have applied for an extension. Also, if this lad is the next big thing, why was he only third choice on Moyes's list?
Jim Knightley
123 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:02:34
Eugene... looking at this as a fuck-up is subjective. To suggest we had the whole summer to sign him is firstly, not contextually relevant. We were likely only going for a central midfielder after Roswell's departure, whilst we have five seniors – Neville, Heitinga, Osman, Gibson and Fellaini – who play there with various levels of success, as well as the emergence of Junior. I consider Jags a nailed on centre-back now, whilst Barkley is nowhere near ready to play in a central midfield position for us.

Next, we do not know that Everton has fucked up... the indications are that we have submitted the necessary paperwork on time.

Next... clearly, unless you have no knowledge of football, so many deals are completed on transfer deadline day. It's not the case that every club waits to do last minute business without reason... the richest club in the league tied up 4/5 signings on the final day. There are a variety of reasons for this, which we could all speculate upon.

With respect to the player mentioned, he was also at the very most, a third-choice option. We do not know how many central midfielders were enquired about before, but we do know because of the intense coverage on deadline day, that deals were being attempted with Essien and N'Zonzi, both of whom offer Premier League experience and present less of a risk factor...

The transfer of Essien, providing he recovered fitness, would have been the coup of the Moyes era in my opinion, with regards to a high profile name. Indications are, that we also enquirer about Romeu. We haven't therefore missed out on a first choice... weve missed out on someone we tried to buy because other targets failed to materialise.

Finally... what other fuck-ups, Gosling aside, have we been involved in, and do you consider Everton to be a worse club in this respect than other teams in the Prem? Because, from where I look at it, various high profile clubs have made more transfer related errors than us of late: Liverpool's bizzare decision to leave themselves with two strikers and fail to land a cut price Dempsey... Arsenal's lack of striking depth and their rushed business last summer, not to mention constant contract issues. Spurs' failure to land Moutinho... etc etc.

How are we, as a club, worse than the majority? Or do you believe making transfers happen is as easy as it is on Football Manager?
Jim Knightley
124 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:19:18
Sorry for the lack of paragraphs.. My phone likes to ignore spaces
Jamie Tulacz
125 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:20:45
Will be interesting to see the club's next course of action. The statement on the OS seems very defiant, so sounds like they may take further action. The fact that the Premier League were prepared to ratify the transfer at least surely throws some doubt on the matter?
Brian Waring
126 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:25:11
I remember the club being defiant over the Blue Union taping Jamie, bringing in laywers etc.
Phil Bellis
127 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:21:34
C'mon Jim
We've been involved in some real crackers over the years, some stunningly funny...

• Muller who thought his salary would be tax-free
• Signing Nyarko on a deal longer than his work permit
• A centre-half with a fear of heading the ball
• Bakayoko
• Leaving Nigel Martyn sitting in a warehouse in Birkenhead before giving him directions to Leeds
• The Moutinho "delegation"...

Anymore, anyone?
Jim Harrison
128 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:26:14
Shame, he looked pretty useful. But then again, so did Shandy Andy!

Been a positive window on the whole, this or Essien would have been the icing but, hey, shit happens.

As for fuck-ups, Spurs and Liverpool hold the medals in that respect! Cash to spend, long term targets well and truly identified, but end up missing them.

Gibson getting injured is of concern, as he has been the glue that holds our midfield in its best position.

Martin Mason
129 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:43:24
Brian@439

The difference is that this is an almost serious problem for the club.

Si Cooper
130 Posted 08/09/2012 at 12:52:43
I see some people are trying to do the lad down now we probably haven't got him. This may be a defense mechanism, but seems a bit churlish.

We don't know how highly the club rated him. The fact that he was further down the list than Essien and Nzonzi may simply represent the fact that they were seen as more realistic targets in terms of price and known quantities. Maybe the club was actually thrilled when he became a viable target following the breakdown of his move to Fulham and Bruges desire to offload a player who wanted a move to the EPL.

I am not angry, I am disappointed and that has been sharpened by a lack of information on the process of transfers and the progression of this one in particular.

Martin Mason
131 Posted 08/09/2012 at 13:06:20
Si, the problem is that the dealing can't be open, interest has to be hidden or it can influence the price and risk raising the interest of other clubs. Much of the criticism above is based on a complete misunderstanding of how transfer window deals have to be done.

Having transfer windows is the problem.

Phil Bellis
132 Posted 08/09/2012 at 13:09:41
If you've been personally involved in and/or studied this system, Martin, would you care to enlighten us and correct the misunderstandings?

I presume letting deals take place after the individual association's season has begun is to cater for injuries but this possible benefit is vastly outweighed by the hassle of transfers being allowed post kick-off.
Martin Mason
133 Posted 08/09/2012 at 13:18:33
Phil, I should have said having transfer windows is the cause not the problem.
Steven Pendleton
134 Posted 08/09/2012 at 13:21:32
Nothing surprises me anymore with our club's dealings. I was actually expecting the bad news. Irrespective of why it happened, why does this shit always happen to us? Responses in the post please.
Kev Johnson
135 Posted 08/09/2012 at 13:39:25
Steven - "this shit" doesn't always happen to us. It sometimes happens to us but often there's absolutely no faeces at all. Excrement happens to everyone sometimes... er, because that's life! It's not a special EFC thing.
Steven Pendleton
136 Posted 08/09/2012 at 14:03:23
Just coincidence that Moutinho, Fernandes, et al fell through at the last minute as well. Sheer incompetence. We make faeces happen when we don't really need to go to the toilet.
Kev Johnson
137 Posted 08/09/2012 at 14:09:48
Ha-ha! I don't agree with you, Steven, but that's funny!
Jim Knightley
138 Posted 08/09/2012 at 14:34:29
Phil and others...every knowledgeable fan of every football club can refer to such a list...we are no different to anyone else.
Jimmy Sørheim
139 Posted 08/09/2012 at 15:45:04
The whole point here seems to be Spurs getting their deal trough after being 1 hour late, while we get nothing.

Our midfield is Gibson, and Fellaini, Osman can cover for Gibson, but Barkley is not ready and Junior is injured. Looks bleak when we resort to playing Neville as a midfielder.

We must avoid playing Neville at midfield at all cost, he does nothing for us there. Heitinga is also weak at midfield. I would go for Barkley over Neville every time. Neville is a 35 year old defender, not a midfielder.

I think the Belgian club fucked the deal, they maybe did not want to let him go.

Kevin Tully
140 Posted 08/09/2012 at 16:23:31
Surely Dan Gosling and the "gentlemen's agreement" was a total fuck up beyond ridiculous.

We lost a couple of million when he left for nothing. I wonder if anyone got the bullet for that one?

£10m up front for Rooney was daylight robbery – the best young English player of his generation.

Krøldrup was signed for £5m and never even given a go, what was that about ?

Yakubu was a beauty – West Ham offered £6m, we refused and they then offered £2m!! Did Blackburn really pay £1.5m for a striker who went on to score 17 League goals?

Don't even get me started on Yobo – the longest transfer saga in modern day football.

It may not have been the club's fault on this one, but their track record does not fill you with confidence.

Kevin Tully
141 Posted 08/09/2012 at 16:33:43
Shit - I forgot about Fernandes, signing autographs in the lounge before he took a sharp left !!
Phil Bellis
142 Posted 08/09/2012 at 16:54:55
Yes we are, Jim (457) besides incompetent, very unfortunate ...
2 World Wars, Heysel, Parkie's knee and Bracewell's Floating Bone, for instance
Ray Roche
143 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:12:13
Well, before this Everton fuck up/ Brugges fuck up/ Fifa fuck up (delete as necessary) I was quite happy with this transfer window. Naismith, Pienaar returns, Oviedo for the future, no sign of our best players sneaking out of the back of Goodison with Bill gurning his disappointment from the back pages, so I shall continue to remain upbeat. Add to this the fact that, largely because I can't get a Sky reception where I live, I'd never heard of the fucker prior to the failed loan arrangement.

I am still in a better frame of mind than I have been for most transfer windows in recent seasons, so maybe some of the doom mongers on here should take a large glass of red, go and sit in the sun, and reflect on how shite they've felt in previous years. And if that doesn't work, have a few more glasses...
Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
144 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:22:11
Kev (#424),

The HTML code for making a live link in a post is like this:

[a href="http://..." target="_blank"]Liverpool Echo[/a]

...except that you must replace the square brackets with angle brackets, <, >.

And when you do that, it looks like this:

Liverpool Echo.

The syntax is unforgiving, so don't make any mistakes!!!

Kev Johnson
145 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:27:32
Wise words, Ray, wise words.

Personally, I'm going for a large glass of ice-cold French cider, but each to his own...

Mike Powell
146 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:05:43
Jon Beck, you're spot on: Neville had a great game against Man Utd... what have people've got against him is beyond me, he has been a great servant to us.

Some people just believe all the hype about certain players without watching them: Barkley has great potential but is not ready to step up to the mark yet. Sending him out on loan will do him the world of good.
Ray Roche
147 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:33:07
As long as you don't pay more than £3.80 for it, Kev.
Kev Johnson
148 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:31:27
OK, thanks Michael. I'll give it a go. I'll probably make a pig's ear of it the first once or twice, but I'll get there in the end!
Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
149 Posted 08/09/2012 at 17:39:51
If you can master this vital skill, there's a non-paying job for life waiting for you at tw.com!
Jim Knightley
150 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:06:18
Kevin... how reductive is it to pick out just the bad examples?

How about this: I state, with a basis in fact, that we have one of the best transfer records in the last decade, in the Premier League. I make this claim based on net spend, and I'll cherry pick some, like you have:

Bought Arteta for £2M... sold for £10M.
Bought Cahill for only £1.5M!
Bought Lescott for £3M and sold him for £24M – 8 times his value.
Bought McFadden for £1.25M and sold him for £5M
Bought Baines for £5M, Jags for £4mil, Gibson for £500k, Saha on a free and Jelavic for £5.5M?

Yeah, but we are worse than everyone...

Remember when Alex Ferguson lost it one summer, and filled his team with the likes of Kleberson, Djemba Djemba and Miller? Remember when United spent £7M on a Portuguese lower division player they’d never seen play? Remember that goalie from Italy?

Remember when Liverpool let Carroll go, and then failed to bring in another striker, because they couldn’t find £2M for one of the best bargains in recent Premier League history? Remember when they bought Aquilani for £20M and then let him go out on loan twice, before a cut-price move to Fiorentina? Or signed Henderson for over £16M, when Steve Bruce supposedly told his chairman he thought they could get £4-6M for him?

Or when Liverpool paid £20M for Downing who somehow managed to not be involved in the assisting or scoring of one goal during a whole season? Or when they brought Carroll for £35M?

And Chelsea paid £50M (?!!!) for Torres, and wasted £25M+ on Shev, and all that money on Crespo, and on Mutu, who they subsequently fired? Or remember Bogarde? Or Casiraghi? How many appearances did they make between them?

Did you know that Arsenal, and one of the lower division sides I can't remember, both had Yaya Toure on trial? Arsenal also had a chance to sign Ibrahamovic, but would only take him on trial first, so he rejected them? And had a chance to sign Christiano Ronaldo.

I could go on... Please get out of your heads the notion that our failures are somehow unique...I can only assume it comes from an unawareness of other team’s failures, and because we, as fans of Everton, remember our errors in comparison to other teams. We are no different to the rest, and I think we are better than a lot of teams, most especially our floundering neighbours.

This guy wasn’t our main target. It’s unfortunate now, because we’ve all got excited, and we need a centre midfielder. But Gibson, even if he is out for a month, will only miss 3 prem games, and a Capital One game away to Leeds... Fellaini alongside Neville, is still one of the better central mids in this division... and yes, I say Neville, because we need someone disciplined, and Heitinga has been even worse than Neville in games in which I've seen him play in a midfield position.

Against Newcastle, we could line up with: Howard, Hibbert, Jags, Heitinga, Baines, Neville, Fellaini, Pienaar, Naismith/Osman, Mirallas and Jelavic...

One year ago, we lined up against Villa with: Howard, Hibbert, Jags, Distin, Baines, Barkley, Osman, Rodwell, Fellaini, Drenthe and Vellios...

It’s got a lot better, hasn’t it? And from the looks of things, we will have the capacity to bring someone in in January, and perhaps Donovan and Cahill on temporary loans.

Niall Hussey
151 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:08:33
Mike: Neville's leadership & defensive positioning has never been suspect, that's why he does so well in the holding role against the top sides. However, against sides we're expected to break down he's not worth a damn.
Ian Hogg
152 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:03:52
Sad depressing sense of expectancy as soon as I read everything appeared to be in order and it was simply a Fifa rubber-stamp formality...

I am just preparing myself psychologically now for a month of Neville in the middle. No matter what happens, I much prefer our captain at right back – he knows his stuff there!
Kevin Tully
153 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:19:16
Jim,

Maybe you are missing the point – the point I was trying to address was how we conduct our business, not our net spend or successful purchases. I believe Moyes has had excellent value for money during his tenure.

I would ask what other club in the Premier League has lost money because a player's contract ran out without someone even realising??? The Gosling debacle was gross mis-management – nothing to do with our transfer policy.

I also believe we let Rooney go because we were desperate for money and got shafted on that deal. Again, poor business on our behalf – what deal do you think Daniel Levy would have put together if they were selling Rooney?

Mike Hughes
154 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:49:49
On the BBC website, relating to the collapse of the loan deal, it concludes with Everton "are considering all available options".

Can anyone shed any light on whether we can appeal given the ratification by FA, UEFA, etc.? It seems that club officials are convinced that they did everything right.

(Before we get any conspiracy theories, this loan deal went completely under the radar as far as I can see. There was no lead-up to it so the usual "pacify the fans with an ambitious but empty gesture" theory goes out of the window. And if the FA, UEFA et al ratified it, how can it be a cock-up by the club? I speak with complete humility on the subject as the rules and regs of transfers are a mystery to me.)

Paul David
155 Posted 08/09/2012 at 19:03:40
Just guess work but maybe Brugge were in the wrong. A good way to keep hold of a player and to keep him happy is to say you did everything on time when in fact you know you didn't.
Jim Knightley
156 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:57:19
Kevin... With respect to Gosling...plenty of teams have loss money in different, but similar, scenarios. How many teams have allowed players contracts to run down, thus losing money? how many times have Arsenal done it alone in recent seasons? But I'm not entirely arguing with you, the Gosling issue should never have happened. It was foolish, and it was an example of mismanagement, but it is not indicative of a trend.

And with respect to Rooney...we got over 25million for him. We were not shafted. He was a fantastic prospect, with a very good strike rate, and over 25million for him was a decent figure, even if we would have liked to have seen more. In the market now, with Man City and Chelsea competing with Man United, we would have got alot more...but we sold him in 2004, not 2009, or 2012, and therefore retrospectively applying his future progress, or current market conditions, to his price, seems unfair.

And Kevin, if you bring up examples of poor transfers, and talk of 'how we conduct our business', then the good business we have done, has relevance.

Danny Kewley
157 Posted 08/09/2012 at 18:54:14
Soon as we get anything that resembles a problem on TW out come the 'Dead Poets Society' trying to outdo each other with metaphors, hyperbole's and similes. For Christ's sake, lads... so we didn't get a player (by the way, what a player) – we are still part of the glass half-full brigade. (In Mike Hughes' case that's £1.90 folks!)
Andy Crooks
158 Posted 08/09/2012 at 19:10:41
Martin, on every thread you bow to the superior knowledge of those in power at Everton. You know what? There are actually precedents for those in power being, perhaps, a tad incompetent, even a little self-serving and, believe it or not, being actually out of their depth.

When you talk football, you seem to talk sense, Could you consider the possibility that when you talk about the running of Everton, you might be wrong the odd time? When you defend the board every single time, it just makes it difficult to spot the one time you might just be right.

Jimmy Sørheim
159 Posted 08/09/2012 at 19:37:19
I thought we had done great up until Mirallas came, but after that things went very slow and I cannot help but think that Moyes is to blame for not replacing Rodwell as soon as possible.

We are never going to do well with Neville in our midfield, he is past it for sure; once a very good defender, now just a shouting captain standing still while others run their legs off. It irritates the crap out of me how Moyes can play him in midfield, while he has the choice to put Fellaini, Barkley, Osman and Junior there.

I hope Neville will refuse to play in midfield, where is his dignity? How can he play there knowing how little he contributes there? Going forward, Neville is invisible, he hardly pressed the WBA players while defending so I think it should be crystal clear to everyone that Neville is NOT a midfielder and never will be.

Without Gibson, our midfield will suffer, but it will suffer less if Moyes does the smart thing and plays Fellaini there alongside Osman or Barkley. Personally I would prefer Barkley because he is stronger then Osman.

Moyes's unwillingness to play Barkley will become very clear the next few games because, no matter how shit Neville plays, he will never replace him with a youngster like Barkley. Moyes has gone stale, he needs to take a chance on the few youngsters we have when opportunities presents themselves, like now with Gibson being out.

Moyes is overrated when it comes to blooding through youth, facts speak for themselves. Rodwell was the only young player from our youth system that got to play regularly, now he is gone and Moyes will rather play Neville then take a chance on Barkley. It is disgusting, we as fans should demand that our best youngsters get playing time.

It would be nice to start demanding that Barkley gets to play, force Moyes into action. Otherwise Moyes will let Barkley rot away in the reserves just like he did last season. Am I alone in wanting our best young local lads to play first team football?

Mark Wilson
160 Posted 08/09/2012 at 20:08:49
Game Set and Match to Jim Knightley #476 !!! And not just for this but for that heroic effort in which he tried to sort Eugene by explaining that some of his ranting wasn't "contextually relevant"....

Slightly surprised there wasn't a classic "bog off knobhead" response but hey this is Toffeeweb and you never know the direction a debate goes in, why we could even have an HTML lesson in the midst of rowing about who screwed up a transfer.....

However, one simplistic but telling question remains unanswered.....if the paperwork was late for our transfer and the "deadline" is sacrosanct, then how can Spurs be allowed an additional hour to try and complete a deal or how can ANY paperwork, even that delayed by slow fax machines etc, ever be allowed to stand if arriving as much as a second beyond the deadline????

Kev Johnson
161 Posted 08/09/2012 at 20:59:30
This has become the leading question of the age... 'Does God exist?' 'Is there intelligent life on other planets?' 'Will the melting ice caps cause global flooding?' All piffling questions in comparison to this one: What exactly went on with the Odjidja-Ofoe paperwork? Call in Sherlock Holmes, he'd find out...
Eric Turner
162 Posted 09/09/2012 at 03:06:18
What makes you all think Fifa are so competent? Aren't they the fuckwits who chose Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, temperatures 50 C and alcohol free?
Peter Barry
163 Posted 09/09/2012 at 03:37:44
What a fickle lover you are Jimmy Sørheim. Drenthe has not been gone for even three months and already you have given your heart to another — Barkley.
Mick Davies
164 Posted 09/09/2012 at 04:34:20
FIFA is an anagram of 'complete and utter gobshites'. They are as bent as candle wax face Redknapp's dog, and if this had been our red neighbours and their 'whinging persecution complex' then the lad would have been at Melwood days ago.

Sepp Blagger is a disgrace, not only to football but humanity. I don't care what anyone on here says about paperwork and rules, there are two sets of rules, and Everton are condemned to share a city with with a poor downtrodden fallen giant, who's players and fans bring the game into disrepute regularly, but play on past glories to coerce the powers that be to bend to their every whim.

We can't sign a player, even though we have a small depleted squad, due to the other side's incompetence, yet the rules can be bent out of shape when the kopites demand to be in the CL, despite the one city, one club rule.

We suffered the heartache of a European ban for doing no wrong at all. When Leeds were kicked out Europe in 75, no other English club went with them. Guilty by association... how fucking unfair!
Tom Dodds
165 Posted 09/09/2012 at 05:50:15
Re Jimmy's above post:

REWARD

$10,000 reward

For one Connor McAleny.

Bright young Up and constantly Not Coming talented striker...
Also known as 'The Invisible Lad'

Was once labelled the new Michael Owen, wanted in connection with a 'New Contract', Connor has been missing for months now; possible hideout Newcastle??...

To be continued... or not.
Martin Mason
166 Posted 09/09/2012 at 06:13:21
Andy@485

When the board does something that warrants me criticizing them then criticize them I will and same with DM too. The problem is that in general I, like you, don’t really have a clue what the board is doing in any given situation but the difference is that I don’t speculate and then find fault with what I’ve speculated. Of course I can be wrong but I try to not say anything that I can’t defend in logical discussion that’s all. I have no monopoly on being right. When I’m wrong I’m sure that somebody on here will correct me.
Where the board has failed is in not getting much needed investment into the club but I can also understand why they haven’t been able to. I completely understand their policy, a very brave one, of selling assets to buy players in a gamble to get us moving forward via success on the field.


Read what Jim Knightly says above, I couldn't have put it better myself. Remember that for every opinion denigrating the club there are equal and opposite ones to balance them. They are being heard now that's all.

Derek Thomas
167 Posted 09/09/2012 at 06:47:39
Martin #546 If doing nothing — putting in not one penny, messing up the KD and DK deals, stopping the AGMs, not coming clean on the £24M 'operating costs' etc etc down to not lagging the pipes — doesn't warrant concern, wtf does??
Ian Bennett
168 Posted 09/09/2012 at 07:41:06
He'd be better off staying in France or going to a lesser club and playing regularly, instead of being benched and picking up a fortune. He clearly didn't fancy playing at Widnes for the next couple of years.
Richard Jones
169 Posted 09/09/2012 at 10:18:30
Little question for you Martin.... Have you ever been accused of having no commonsense?
Martin Mason
170 Posted 09/09/2012 at 10:26:17
Richard, have you ever been accused of having no brains or manners?
Richard Jones
171 Posted 09/09/2012 at 10:41:20
To the contrary Martin I'm noted for my sharpness and the fact that I was brought up properly, I have been accused of being a little intolerant and not suffering fools!! so I do apologize for that !!
Martin Mason
172 Posted 09/09/2012 at 13:42:08
And blowing your own trumpet. It's amazing the number of people that I've met who apply the not suffering fools gladly statement to themselves who are fools. Sharp as a marblefor sure.

Anyway, if you'd like to phrase your question as one that can be answered I'll answer it.

Richard Jones
173 Posted 09/09/2012 at 19:24:52
Errr have you ever been accused of having no commonsense? Once again Martin we seem to be going around in circles.
Richard Jones
174 Posted 09/09/2012 at 10:18:30
Little question for you Martin.... Have you ever been accused of having no commonsense?

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