Wasted: VdM on Radio 5Live tonight

http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/

Still waiting...

It's a shame he only realised he had a problem when it was too late.

Royston Drenthe take note...

Nothing against EFC: getting that sort of thing into a contract is probably impossible with the strength that players and their agents have when it comes to negotiating contracts.

It's clearly rife in football, but the authorities seem more interested in Kolo Toure's slimming pills than helping sort it out. Sad.

The question I have is how much (if at all) this, or the potential for it, was recognized when he was taken on by Everton? Are players subjected to psychological profiling before signing?

Say he was fine but only went downhill after moving to Liverpool... his wife with or without her zebras... [Hang on, she must have had her zebras in leafy Cheshire...] What provision do Everton have for addressing these kinds of developing problems? If he was 'punished' by being made to train with the Reserves, and that made him even worse, it doesn't sound to me like very good man-management.

I'm sure it's tough to act and prevent every such case of derailment, though, whatever you do.

This Michael Kinsella bloke...[fantastic scouse accent!] So he's the brother of Gerrard Kinsella, who was in the Everton Academy for a number of years. I think we tracked him for a while. Interesting point about how little basic education they were getting. I know Everton boasted a few years back about keeping young players in school... possibly in response to this and similar.

I'm sure being a young footballer requires tremendous self-discipline. It could of course always be done better. But then again, how many do drop away like this? Probably only a very small number in the total scheme of things.

But back to VdM: the biggest thing in his case was that we had paid so much for him and continued to pay him an obscene wage, which only enabled him further.

Only sometimes eh Andy? Bloody hell!

In order to get to the next level we are still going have to look at Van der Meyde-style gambles, as we are not quite at the level to sign proper world class players, and therefore either need to gamble on potential (Fellaini and Mirallas) or repairing a damaged player.

I can't think of any bad apples Moyes has turned round, save to say, Cahill was always a bit feisty, but Moyes kept that more or less in check. Howard and Gibson were more or less done when we took them on, Lescott had a dodgy knee, Pienaar was badly out of form and (on the second signing) had legal troubles, and Arteta was something of a gamble when signed on loan.

On even more of a tangent, has anyone heard rumours about Gueye and any truth to them?

Firstly, how is it that Moyes handled VDM well? In my opinion, handling it well would have been selling him, rather than letting him sit back and do nothing for four years and take a massive wage out of the club.

The other is the Cahill comment. Feisty? Do you mean he had a bit of attitude on the pitch? If not, I don't know what you mean, and even still, I don't recall in Tim's eight years ever worrying about him being sent off (I know he was a couple of times, but once for taking his shirt off and one against the RS don't really equate to a worry), and since he was a teenager he's been nothing but focussed and driven to succeed.

On VDM, what a waste. I was so stoked when we signed him, and then nothing ever came of it. I'd love to know what other TWers think regarding how we might have gone in that first season and beyond had he turned up ready to play and not had any problems?

We can all think of someone who has come through and taken their last chance and others who haven't.

Moyes banished him to the reserves and it didn't improve. This wasn't necessarily about him, but maintaining club discipline so that others wouldn't follow that path. Everton should of perhaps sold him, loaned him or terminated his contract. The first 2 requires on someone wanting him, and that depends on how well understood his issues were that went down hill when on merseyside. Put it this way, would you have signed him?

If we terminate the contract, we have to pay the remainder so best to have him there just in case he manages to turn it around.

Waste of a talent. I was gutted I didn't get to see him at his best or manage to watch his goal celebration. Ahhhh well, you live and learn. Drenthe didn't stand a chance.

As for Cahill being first I was referring to his on the pitch antics whereby he was hot headed and perhaps over eager when he first signed. I recall, maybe mistakenly, that he had a few reds whilst playing for Millwall. However, moyes seemed to address that.

As for Gueye, I've heard Moyes wants rid due to behavioral issues and there's more rumours of a severe gambling addiction leading to alienation from the rest of the side. However, I doubt the truth of this as no one else seems to have heard about it other than the one guy who told me.

AvdM was worth a punt. The blokes a complete nutter. One that got away.

I'll tell you VdM is lucky Moyes didn't have a shotgun that day, as he would have immediately put it to some use.

Shame it didn't work out. He clearly had ability and we gave him a chance - he just couldn't take it. These gambles are worth taking from time to time.

If we can replicate our form of the 2nd half of last season it will have them choking on their cornflakes.

Patience my friend... revenge is a dish best served cold.