Kone a step closer to Goodison switch

I actually think he may well be a good purchase... there are goals in this chap.

I'm happy with this; him and Jelaviv up front (please play 2 up front especially at home, Roberto); Big Vic coming off the bench which imho is when he's at his best – that will do for me.

Erm... Kevin, Kone is not the answer to all of our up-front problems.

Not a thrilling prospect, quite frankly, Anichebe coming off the bench with Kone and Jelly starting. Not one of these three, admittedly with the exception of Jelly's first 4 months, is a top drawer - top-4 - quality striker. Not one.

Let's hope, then, that this signing is not considered to have nicely and neatly dealt with the strike situation. Let's hope that there is a marquee striker signing to follow.

Let's hope that we get rid of VA and that Kone is the one warming the bench (or Jelly if he is last season Jelly) with an as of yet unsigned quality striker making us all lick our lips with anticipation for August 18.

IHHFB

We'll sign who we sign and let's see what happens.

Keeping Baines and Fella is more important.

He's a damn sight better than what we have! Jelavic was the most useless striker in the league last year.

As long as he's not the only addition, I'm fine with it.

Paul, I don't know if you know this but we don't seem to have the money for a top four striker.

Martinez clearly knows the system he is going to use and if Kone fits into that system then great, me personally, I see him fitting in very well with Jelavic who isn't a lone striker and Kone is a hard worker, the combination of the two could see Jelavic get back into good goal scoring form and Kone adding some much needed goals as well.

But we could all just be negative and write him off before he's even signed.

Oh dear, what a joke. Martinez said we are getting one player for each position. So this is the only forward we are buying to take us to the next level?

Dire

On the verge of Champions League, the board say we don't need to sell, we've got rid of players costing about £10m a year in wages, extra TV revenue and we won't go and blow it all on a classy striker that could get us there.

Truth is, the whole of footy is a joke! What's the point? Have we got any serious intentions of ever challenging? West Brom, Swansea, and West Ham will all have better forwards than us next season. If we were a serious club, we'd be wanting to get back at Man Utd and improve our chances of challenging for fourth.

BK was right to drop the NSNO from the badge. We're just Man U's bitches.There have been over 125 years of our existence and the last tenor so have been utterly pointless as there has been no intention by the board, to put a plan in place in attempt become champs, in the medium to long term. That is a disgrace. Even Spurs, Newcastle and Villa have at attempted to mount a challenge. Leeds actually did.

Imagine Joe Royle running off blushing like a schoolgirl to Man Utd. Or an 18 year old Colin Harvey signing for Man Utd.

This shit has to stop!

We are always thinking, talking, and acting like a small club and this signing is just emphasising it. I'm totally uninspired.

No young kids are going running the shops asking for a Kone shirt.....an ice cream Kone maybe.

11 in 33 in his first Premier League season? No, he's not going to get the golden boot but for £5m that's a good return. Obviously we all want a Michu-type signing but I'm happy if this goes through. He's a decent player and still adjusting.

I know it's slightly different coz he's not a kid, but how many times was Felli written off before he found his feet in the Prem? 29 is not past it and I could care less about resale value if he scores 15 for us this season and contributes elsewhere.

Alan Smith, I totally agree with you!! I feel the same. Usually at this time of the year, I'm looking forward to the new season and watching by the minutes for updates. But I'm totally uninspired and hardly care any more. I wouldn't mind if we were hiring the next big things, but everyone has seemed to have forgotten – these clowns got RELEGATED!!! So what do we do??? Hire them all!!!

What annoys me, 22,000 people complained about a badge, yet all sit there and accept the appointment of relegation fodder and being Man Utd's bitches. We are a top 6 team, we need just a little more to get in that CL spot & push on. NSNO — your having a laugh.

I have a pit in my stomach that won't go away... we're going right back to Walter Smith days. Totally uninspired – you're so right mate!

Wow Alan Smith what a dope... We need to play 2 strikers? Well Spain done okay with 6 midfielders.

The great thing about Everton Is we can turn a £5m player into a £10m one... It's a business: if someone offered £25m for Fellaini, take it... laugh ya head off, and bring the next star through,

My point is let the club do the best they can, we got a new manager, he needs support.

At last. 5 new signings.
Martinez and his Wigan backroom staff.

No wonder there is so much anger and frustration.

We need some action.

Now.

I suspect that if we've paid compo for Martinez and his backroom boys, a sweetener for Alcatraz to sign and this £5 mill for Kone then that's our 'war chest' blown until someone is sold.

It's all coming together beautifully, the badge, the kit, the manager, the quality signings we are in for. Can't wait now for the season to start.

'Everton to sign striker.'

Toys out of pram, dummy on floor, mwah mwah MWAAAHH!!!!!

It really is embarrassing seeing people moan about us signing a striker who scored more than any Everton forward in a struggling team. No resale value, too old... bls bla bla.

How about Moyes signing Distin? I remember the uproar on here slating the players Moyes etc etc yet he has been a super signing. We are lacking pace, that's a fact and the one thing Kone has is pace; stop moaning, ffs.

For God!s sake lads give him a chance or have we all forgotten what he did to us last season.

Alan Smith @879. Totally agree. This is a club who's song is about how we don't care what our neighbours say (the implication being that they are superior to us) and where our chairman punches the air and shouts "yes" after a draw at Anfield like its some kind of success (a game we should have won by the way).

Are we a better team signing Kone? Yes. Now to improve defence, midfield and goalkeeper. Roberto says his aim is to have a stronger team at the end of the window than at the beginning.

If we are stronger at the end of the window than the beginning then I don't understand why people would not be happy.

One of our greats Graeme Sharp scored an average of 13 goals a season in a massively successful team.

Reason he is a great was not only based on his goals but the influence he had on the way the team played. His ability to receive the ball and bring others in to the game was exceptional. He also had a knack of scoring important and spectacular goals ask Bruce Grobelaar maybe Kone has been bought for qualities other than just scoring goals.

Asking Jela to do this role is a nonsense, a poacher and most often nets it with his 1st touch. Kone I think might be an inspired signing.

Let's give Martinez a chance and until he proves otherwise lets show him some respect the benefit of the doubt that perhaps he knows what he is doing. The negativity around everything Everton is becoming woeful guys.

Tristan,
Great post by the way.
The board have brainwashed our fans into worrying about resale value....we will get nothing back for him in 3 years etc etc.
Lets support the lad,if he comes in and scores 15 plus each season it will be money well spent.
I think he will improve Jelavic as well.

Because they're miserable bastards Peter.

I welcome him here, he's Everton now (well in another three weeks knowing our great club). He offers some pace and strength, and is about three stone lighter than Anichebe. Alcaraz also seems to have quality. It'll be interesting to see who else we want - a wide man and a goalkeeper it seems.

This time last year we had a top four class striker, what happened to him had a lot to do with the team tactics and the last days of AJ, Radzinski and even the Yak saw them spend more time out wide crossing balls over to where they should actually have been. How often do you see Van Persie chasing the channels?

Let's hope Martinez can get him back to where he was both in confidence and position, I live in hope and wouldn't be surprised either.

Whilst I agree this isn't exactly dream signing material either in terms of age or excitement, nor do I think it's a stupid move.

Last year, the rest of the Everton team was incredibly competitive, our only problem was putting the ball in the back of the net. Getting a player with a proven Premier League record of putting the ball in the back of the net (despite being in a team often under the cosh) that is already adjusted and ready for the premier league (unlike a prospect from the championship or abroad) and most importantly who Martinez knows and trusts seems a pretty sensible move. The same goes for Alcaraz really.

Granted if those two were the limit of our transfer expenditure I would be pretty disappointed, but to be fair the transfer window hasn't even been open a week and we're already looking at two in with plenty of links to players elsewhere (e.g. Barcelona youth prospect, Honda, etc). I know it's hard, but I think we need to have patience for a couple more weeks before we start putting the boot in and decrying the whole transfer policy.

If we can keep the rest of the team intact and add a couple more 'prospects'...

From what I've seen of Kone, he holds the ball up well and stays on his feet.

Two things Anichebe and Jelavic don't seem to be able to do.

Paul 915...you are right Robbie VP didn't run channels last season. I bet he does next though !

Regarding Kone, he didn't have class like Baines, Coleman, Mirallas and Pienaar feeding him last season and he got into double figures so I'm prepared to give him a shout. I hope Jelly stays and they can play off each other too.

Steve, will he be brought back for corners with everyone else? No chance, that in itself will prove something in who is still having a say.

If Kone signs as look highly likely at this point then I think he will undoubtedly improve our striking options and most importantly give us an improved ball retention in the final third.

My concern is that £5m for an almost 30-year-old is a very short-term approach. In my view the only way we will break into the top 4 is by developing a wave of young stars, similar to the Dortmund approach, and for that reason I had hoped to see money spent on younger talent with room to improve. If however Kone scores 15-20 goals for the next few seasons and keeps us in the top 6 or so then it will have proved a very wise purchase.

He's certainly a player RM knows well and for that reason I think we have to trust the new manager.

I don't know why people expected a new manager to result in huge bids for proven world-class strikers. We're not in that market and haven't been for quite a while.

He's a decent signing for the squad, obviously we need more goals ad he should provide some more. If we are lucky, he'll score a hatful more in a decent team. We have to take those risks, this board won't magic up money from nowhere and we can't afford proven.

To get a (also unproven) Wilfred Bony we'd have to sell Fellaini, one of the best midfielders in the prem. Given that constraint, I'd rather keep Fellaini.

I'm sorry if this has already been asked...but why did Newcastle allegedly offer £1million more than Kone's release clause?

#Phil 934

I would imagine they offered more hoping Whelan wouldn't accept our bid, but reports make out he has a release clause which we met. All things considered, we think we are run poorly, but the Barcodes are a shambles. Kone will do a good job for us, has good pace and potential to hit at least 15 goals.

I don't get everyone moaning that we are signing a relegated player, if Benteke had got relegated with Villa, we would be begging for him to sign. I trust Martinez to know who he wants, he has a fair idea we are skint now so I don't think he would be reckless with the cash.

No idea Phil, sounds unlikely to me. Could it be that the £1m was actually a signing on bonus for Kone? I always like it when players choose to come here despite being offered higher wages elsewhere.

Phil,

Probably trying to get Mr Whelan to pressure him to going to Newcastle.

Is there some joke where a lot of TW posters spell Alcarez's name Alcatraz?

@Sam (931) You would expect that the need to replicate the 'Dortmund model' would have been discussed and positioned as a pre-requisite by chairmen and CEO's on a number of occasions in boardrooms across Europe over the past few months in light of the all the recent managerial movement and Dortmunds recent success. At the same time though, they're not immune from the bully who comes calling and takes their sweets off them (Rooney, Lescott, Rodwell, Baines???) re. Munich taking Goetze from them in the run-up to the CL final.

In terms of the dialogue between BK and Roberto, I suspect it was more along the lines of "OK Robbie, so we've a couple of gems called Barkley, Lundstrum and a kid we got from Bradford called Green, amongst others coming through the ranks. Now, don't get too comfortable with these!! Davey's already told me that he'll be taking them with him once he's settled... He said he'll invite them round to his house and TELL them they're going to United and they'll have NO choice. It's a Jedi mind trick that Fergie taught him, apparently..."

Anyway, re. Kone, I'm glass half full gents. A few have mentioned it already but the stats say he scored more than any of ours last season. He's strong, quick, decent in the air and will have much better service and quality feeding him than before. I just cant understand how anyone on here can slate the lad before he's even pulled the jersey on...???

I really do not see why so many people are so downbeat on here about Kone. Yes we'd all like a younger signing, yes we'd all love Martinez to unearth the next Michu for peanuts; but as others have pointed out, we have been crying out for pace up front for years.

As far as I can remember (correct me if I've forgotten anyone) we've just had Bent (hard worker; not good enough), Radzinski (see before), AJ (see before) and Beckford (not a hard worker; not good enough to be anything other than a squad player).

Now Kone is clearly FAR better than any of those (anyone who claims otherwise is merely being argumentative) and has worked with Martinez before — who is unlikely to have him running the channels!

It may appear a short-termist solution, but frankly it has to be this way. Why? Because our number of playing assets that we will be forced to sell due to the appalling way the club is financed (or not) is wearing thin. The squad is already aging and we as fans don't want to see Baines et al leave. Therefore the only viable option for now as I see it, is to top up what we've got and try and blast our way into Europe. Just buying young (and lets face it) cheap players at this stage in our development will probably send us backwards – which we can ill afford – no pun intended. Get behind Martinez and give him a chance.

One problem with trying to sign up an coming young stars is that their price is inflated, because you are paying for what they may become as well as for what they already are. If there was a young striker with eleven PL goals last year I can guarantee you he would cost more than £5m! As for a top 4 marquee signing, where exactly would we get the cash for that? Got to be realistic.

I was convinced Kone could do a good job for us and would add another dimension to our strike force, and after reading the excellent analysis on the Executioners Bong I am even more sold on the idea!

If this guy doesn't bang in 15+ and we don't have a good first season under Martinez I will have a lot of hat eating to do. We need a goalkeeper, centre-back, central midfielder and a winger. If we can also keep Baines and Fellaini I would be overjoyed! If Felli leaves then we can afford to being in better quality players in the positions mentioned.

One thing that puzzles me about the article. Why on earth would Newcastle have offered £1m more to Wigan when the release clause is £5m? Surely that money would have been better offered to Kone as a signing bonus or as extra wages. Odd!

Big Posso waves - - Up The Blues.

Good. Even 10 goals a season are now viewed as a reasonably successful return. (Rooney & Tevez only bagged twelve last season)

I also think this age issue is becoming a little silly. Giggs will playing in the P.L. this year aged 40!! How old was Kevin Philips who scored the winning penno for Palace in the play - off's? 39.

If Kone gives us 3 decent seasons, isn't that better than signing a £9m flop like Bily?

If he's no good, the manager will shoulder the blame, that's how it works.

He has genuine pace, which can only be a good thing in our mainly pedestrian side. As regards his age, anyone remember Andy Gray?

Not sure on Kone, give him a fair crack at it, one thing I always worried when he played against us, for some reason. Hopefully we can keep LB and MF, and push hard to better what we have achieved on on shoe string. COYB

When was the last time we had a centre forward who was comfortable on the ball and not likely to trip over it?

Truth is we can't compete with other teams signing big money players. Be thankful we now have a coach who believes that needn't be a reason why we can't compete on the pitch.

If I'm honest I'd prefer a young upcoming Lukaku to a Kone, but in truth I don't know a vast amount about either or about the clubs budget, so let's try to reserve judgement of Martinez, his staff and his signings after we've had a good chance to look at what happens on the pitch. I'm sure people won't be complaining if Kone gets 15-20 goals next season, we play some good football, maybe get a trophy and stuff the RS and manure.

Well I think 11 goals in a relegated team is very good, I think with better players... etc — I mean you'd think he was 34 or something — he is 29 and looked a decent player. Man Utd got relegated with George Best in there team, so that doesn't make sense.

The new manager has only been here a week...

At the end of the day our manager knows him inside out and that is a plus full stop, I wouldn't know him if he walked past me and I am sure most on here would be the same as we have hardly seen the lad play unless you go to Wigan games.

Kone scored ONE goal in 40 games for Sevilla. He should sort our goal shortage nicely.

What about all the other clubs he's played for Steve?

Steve...you are embarrassing yourself with such a pointless statistic. He never played regular first team football, had injury issues and has played for two subsequent clubs since, where he has performed well. Your argument is about as nonsensical as a pro-Kone supporter claiming he will be a good signing because he scored 15 in 33 for Roda.

There are positives and negatives to this one..personally I wouldn't like to see us spending 5million on a 29 year old...but then that's because of our financial issues. He is a good striker, scored more goals than any of our strikers last season despite playing in a team who scored less goals, and made less opportunities. He also gets involved with the play, and is familiar with Martinez's style. It is also quite nice to have apparently fought off Newcastle and Swansea for him. I just hope we are able to bring in a wide player, and another central midfielder, who are the other side of 20, in order to bring the age of the squad down a little.

I think this could prove to be a useful addition to the squad, perhaps especially so if Fellaini does leave this summer.

Steve

He scored 11 goals in his debut season last year.

Stop conveniently forgetting other stats just to suit your argument.

He's a crock, he had a bad spell in Spain, yet in a worse team, he scored more than any of our strikers.

The transfer could go either way but he's got pace and he's direct, which none of our other strikers have, so Im gonna support this transfer, and hopefully bang them in for us this season.

I don't know why Martinez is so infatuated with this guy he never seemed like a guy to turn heads or do anything special.

I know that we're not a rich club, but if we seriously want to challenge for the top 4 or top 5 even we need to not waste money on bringing in low end mediocre, old strikers and invest a little more in young talent. Fer is eager to join Everton, and I'd rather have a solid young mid than an old striker any day.

It seems very simple to me. We can't afford a young, quality striker so we've gone for the next best thing - we also can't attract true quality because we're not a marquee name any more, nor are we in Europe next season. Simple.

We should be buying Fer, but I very much doubt we have the money for the deal.

Joel Robles should be our goalkeeping target, because it appears Atletico Madrid don't really want him - they have their number (his name escapes me) and they also have Thibault Courtois (sp?) on loan from Chelsea so he might be available as a permanent transfer.

We're about to sign Alcaraz, so that would cover every position mentioned by the new manager.

Whether these things happen is hugely open to debate.

Andy 907

I suspect he was cheering Liverpool's battle to save a point

I think he's a decent striker/target man, but £3M is the right price. I'm hoping to hear we've traded Vic for him.

Ok, so we payed a million or two over what we would have liked, but the price is not unreasonable, if Kone plays a part in a team that makes it into Europe and maybe even wins a cup next season, it will seem like the £5M is peanuts for him.

Whatever you say about Kone, judging by his FA Cup performances and some previous games, you have say he's no mug, so give him a chance

I'm actually coming round to thought of signing Kone . Initially, I was extremely reluctant to accept spending £5 million on a soon to be 30 year old. I had my heart set on a younger striker like: Bony or Van Vossen, but Kone is a very good striker IMP and he's not a one trick pony, he's got pace to burn and he's a real handful just as JH found out only too well at the DW stadium.

I just hope he's not our last major signing, I really hope Fellaini is sold sooner rather than later....so we have money to buy at least a winger and 2 central midfielders.

I don't see buying a GK as being that urgent, i'm sure there will be plenty of free signings that will be decent cover for Howard

Steve Brown.

In the season Ian Rush played for Juventus he scored 7 goals.

Thank fuck we missed out on signing him.

Two points in favour of this one as far as I see, we have been crying out for a different style of striker for some time now, when was the last time we had some one who could run at defenders like he does up front.

Plus £5 mil although undoubtedly a lot of money is not a lot of money for a goal scorer with a 1-in-3 record and Champions League /international tournament experience.

Add to that the manager knows him he won't have to relocate and he has as far as I know never had any disciplinary fall out drinking issues etc it's seem like a safe bet, if not exciting.

I am not sure it going to happen, thankfully!! I am not sure Everton have even bit for him, as there is nothing on the official site, yes I know but there’s nothing on sky either about him having a medical!

All we are going on is the Mail and the Mirror not the most reliable news outlets around!

Ian Hams
And one point against him...won't he be sloping off to the Africa Cup Of Nations?

Had it on good authority that Martinez is going to play 3-5-2. By all accounts Andy Holden opposed it and that is part of the reason he got let go.

Totally agree Ray - 044.

I'm running short of justifications for staging the Africa Cup of Nations each year. Absences can reach 3 weeks or so.

There's a real pool of talent across Africa, but I'm rapidly coming to the opinion that African players, however gifted, are a less attractive option if they go missing in January.

Wish FIFA would question the need for annual competitions so that this situation would fade away.

That all said, however, I wish our Vic would reconsider his decision re Nigeria so he might go missing in January.

Isn't it every 2 years Paul? Agree though – it's a joke that its held mid-season.

If he's in, let's go.

The only reason we haven't had multiple threads in here about who we're playing next season in the CL is down to lack of finishing.

What if our owners boost Baines' pay to where he decides to stay? That gives us the best starting back-line in the Prem. Things appear quiet on the Fella-leaving front. Fingers crossed.

Throw Kone into the mix, why not we jump up a couple places or 3?

I agree too, why can't they just do the same as Europe and South America - play the competition every 4 years in the summer. The whole thing just makes no sense what so ever.

Sorry Phil - 48 - my mistake, you're right, 2 years, except, oddly, it was played in both 2012 and 2013, leading to my mistake.but it's down for 2015 and 2017.

Still, Europe is every 4 years and Copa America, again oddly, is 3 or 4.

Not out of order for FIFA to ask why the Africa Cup might not be staged in three- or four-year cycles, not least because of the high quality of the most gifted players and, therefore, their obvious attraction to the big European leagues.

But perhaps I'm kicking up too much of a fuss here.

Well I for one am happy. Another striking option who can score and maybe bring the best out of jelly. Lets not forget that Moyes often had jelly out of position. You can't score if your not in the right place!

As for the Spanish fella, I've checked him out on YouTube etc and he does look quality. Another option either on the wing or up front. This gives us options guys, something we don't have a lot of. Lets have a bit of faith if(and its a big if) we sign these players. A couple more midfielders and lescott back and I will be happy.

A little off topic here - Depending on weather Fellaini and JH are sold.... and how much money we have left to spend, and if we want to buy another striker aswell as Kone - what about Loic Remy of QPR? He has a £6.8 million buyout clause in his contract.

I thought Remy looked quality for QPR last season, he scored 6 goals in 14 games for them, so that's a very good goal return.

I know most of you will think the same as me - this guys a mercenary - well, he's on £75k a week at QPR, it might be worth paying Remy's release clause then offer him £55k a week. If Remy accepts, it shows he's not that much of a mercenary after all.

I know i'm playing Fantasy Manager here, but I do think he's a good player and could be that 20 goal a season striker we all crave.

Right, firstly Mark, he was arrested on suspicion of rape, so I don't think he'd be a good role model. Plus, QPR pay him £75k and I don't he'd take a pay cut.

Like your ideas, but do you really think we could afford to pay a player £75k a week?

Anyway, I can see him going to Turkey or Russia somewhere, Fenerbache, Zenit, Anzhi or Galatasaray, a club who can actually afford his wages.

Ross, I did say, only if he was willing to take a pay cut in wages. I was just having a bit of fun playing Fantasy Manager. Many of us like to play FM, including yourself Ross.

I agree with you though Ross, Remy will probably end up playing in Russia for over £100k a week. I still think he's a good striker though.

So Mark, I'll set you an FM task here OK? I will give you £200m, it's up to you. Who would you sign?

Ross, your better off asking a Man City or Chelsea fan that question. I'm not used working with such a big sum as £200m.

Paul@057,

Paul, if clubs would refuse to pay players who are away on AFCON International duty during the season and if those players individual FA's were required to provide an insurance that would compensate any club who lost a player through injury AND make up the players lost salary, how often do you think that competition would take place and do you think that a mid-season competition would quickly lose it's appeal? Answers on a postcard.

Give the lad a chance. I saw him last season tear Johnny H a new arsehole at their ground. So what if has no sell-on value, this season is what I'm looking forward to – not 3 years down the line.

Totally agree Mick Gal, if he fires us into Champions League places or wins us a trophy or even get's us a derby win, it's money well spent. We spent over £3 million on John Stones who hasn't kicked a ball for the first team yet; he might not ever cut the mustard, at least Kone has proved what he can do in Prem.

Johnny H is definitely going to leave: he won't be able to take marking Kone in training – his head will fall off!

So it will all happen on Monday then?

The headline reads "Kone a step closer to Goodison switch"....

FFS sake I hope he moves faster should he EVER get here!!!

Brian #089 - tell me about it, if there was background music to the way we operate it would be the theme tune to 'Steptoe and Son'.

Jon 047

This 3 5 2 on good authority worries me. I think it stuffs up Baines and Coleman as they end up starting from too advanced a position. Moyes tried it and we were cack, could of course be Moyes was not great at it....

Also needs good distribution from CBs which is not really the Jag..

Hmmm... "Good authority"? I don't want to dismiss out of hand what might a good source but Martinez has only had the players a couple of days - is he really so certain of his set up already? I am sure he is more pragmatic than that; we might be useless at it in trainingfriendly games, he might feel he doesn't have the personnel, or the players might hate it. I just can't see a manager being so certain after three days with players he's never met. Also, why would Holden leave his post over an idea that's not even been tried? How can you be so against at change of formation that you're 'let go'?

"He's a crock, he had a bad spell in Spain, yet in a worse team, he scored more than any of our strikers." Ben 991, Jim 988, Jamie 986, you lot are really struggling here aren't you?

Instead of statistics should I bow to your inane ramblings? I don't think so. If you think I quoted one season out of context, here is a more representative one for you. Kone has scored 29 club goals in six years.

Let's see you apply your collective genius that appalling stat and tell us it misrepresents his potential.

Ross #066 / Mark #067,
Remy has a clause in his contract facilitating his release should QPR suffer relegation. He wants to stay in the Premier League, and is not willing to take a drop in wages.

QPR has contacted every club in the Premier League who can afford him (so Roberto probably didn't get an email) to make them aware of his availability, but no-one is going for it. Why should they? He faces very serious charges which, if it goes to court and he's found guilty, would result in an automatic and like substantial custodial sentence.

Kone doesn't look an obvious strike partner to me for Jelavic. Perhaps he'll play to the left of Jelavic, with Mirallas playing more wide right.

I wouldn't be surprised if he and Heitinga are the ones that are packed off, or just wishful thinking?

Why do we need another striker when we have Mirallas? Skill, pace to burn and knows where the net, just play him down the middle.

Anthony Flack,

We played the formation away at Spurs, I think I am right in saying. Played very well, I seem to remember. It wouldn't be my choice of formation if he uses Alcaraz in it. I think you need fast,very mobile central defenders to play that formation. I don't think Alcaraz is that quick.

Mike Green — so, so true.

However, I cannot hear mention of Steptoe without visualising ex-Skip Pip as the dad, and maybe his colleague player/coach as Harold?

Wigan have agreed a few for Grant Holt. Surely that means Kone is on his way.

How long does it take to wrap up a transfer?!

Fee*

Brian. He must have a favourite position but, to be honest, I have no idea what it is.

Paul - yes you are right, I was at the game. My comment was based on the prior performance at home, when Baines struggled as he was too far up the pitch, often ahead of the winger.

Sky sports say reports in Ivory Coast expect it to be done within 48 hours. That's been said for two weeks! It's a long 48 hours where Everton are concerned!

James - I think the original report included a misprint. It should have said 48 days.

Before he reaches 48 years old.

He'd still be younger than the Yak.

Eddie Murphy stars as Arouna Kone in 'Another 48 Hours After The Original 48 Hours'.