Adam Lallana

$'s

Didn't know he was a Blue.

I agree it's odd when he's so highly regarded. You'd assume he could've gone to another club bigger than Southampton other than Liverpool. Maybe there wasn't.

Er, history is full of boyhood Blues who played for them, and likewise, we've had quite a few reds who've done great things in a Blue shirt.

They're called Professional Footballers, and that means, some of them at least, will focus on what's best for their careers etc.

Oh and of course, even if he was remotely interested in signing for us (he wasn't), we'd never be able to stump up that sort of money.

Money rules and we will not compete for players as has been the case for years. We tend to hunt at bargain basement secret dens that no other club no of.

No one was bidding for Heitinga, Fellaini, McGeady, Naismith, Kone or even McCarthy. When I see us linked with players like Rodwell my heart sinks :( I just hope (and pray) that Roberto can pry open this miserly boardÂ’s mitten-fingered purses so that we can see players we actually OWN who can excite the fans.

The best players we signed of late have all left at the end of their loan periods and I do not see Barry as worth paying ٠ million for at his age for perhaps half a season of decent value.

So far I have scoured the media for reports of our actually buying someone and as usual it will be a last minute dash for whoever is left. We live in hope that Martinez can bring in the 6 or 7 players we actually need and has been promised.

I just see the usual violin fiddling pricks who run our once famous club letting everyone else PAY for quality players and expect to see us in the shake up for honours on the cheap.

HeÂ’s not as good as the media thinks he is and was never going to get a bigger offer than Liverpool.

I have a feeling he won’t live up to 㿅 mill worth of expectations. It’s a fair amount for a 26-year-old and we could certainly spend our money more wisely. Added to that, I think we need to be spending our money on a top striker.

So, 㿅M for a 26-year-old who can't get into his national teams first eleven, the manager preferring to play two strikers out of position instead... Ross's value has just risen again then...?

I always assumed that it was written into the contract of any local lad signing for Liverpool that (if they became any good) they would say they were boyhood Evertonians. Another way of taunting us.....

And...

Seriously they signed for the other team because: a) The club wanted them to play for them; b) The player wanted to play for the club....

Simples!

For the same reason a local kid in a family of mad blue noses, and brought up in a painted blue and white house did. Lack of ambition and cash at said club!

As for Lallana not being interested in joining, I think to an extent he probably was. Just by mentioning in public who they supported is basically a call-out. Yet we all know there's nowhere near the finances for us to do so.

Re supporting and playing for the other side, we've definitely had the bumrush there. They've had Fowler, McManaman, Rush etc while Evertonians have been blessed with the likes of Stuart Barlow. Might be wrong but I'm pretty sure Baines was a Redshite supporter as a boy.

Peter Reid, Alan Harper, Dave Watson — all red supporters to my knowledge... while Kevin Sheedy and Johnny Morrissey also plied their trade across the park. Not a bad effort really.

I sincerely hope they find a few more Blues with similar ability to spend 㿅 million on.

So they'll have Lallana, Gerrard, Henderson and Sterling in midfield next season?

Haven't we just seen that shite midfield somewhere? Nothing to be worried about.

It's going to be hard for me to dislike Lallana but I'm sure I will once he puts that shirt on.

I like Lallana; heÂ’s a tidy little player... but 㿅M for him is insane. No-one else would have paid that, so it was RS or nothing.

To be honest, he's never impressed me. He just seems to be another petulant typically English workhorse MF player.

As soon as an English player becomes a touch above average, the price rockets and all the leeches in the press blow them up out of proportion. If he was destined to be a top player, other clubs than the RS would have shown an interest. Even Pochettino at Spurs boss didn't seem to want him.

Yet another reason not to be interested in England for the 2014-15 season.

What I have never understood, and will never understand, is how someone who grew up supporting either The Blues or the Redshite, cannot only play for the other team but can speak positively about them (and by inference against the other team) before even pulling on the shirt.

Lallana is maybe a bit different as he is from 'dahn saarf' and, therefore, may well have supported Everton but without any hatred for the Redshite. It is those reared on Merseyside that continue to puzzle me.

I grew up in Wallasey and disliked any Redshite boys in my school. It was automatic. I didn't have to think about it. If you are for 'them', then you must be against us.

When playing in Central Park, with coats for posts (no, times weren't that hard, there were simply no posts in the 60s), I always wanted to play against – and, if possible, foul – any redshite boys. It was the way we were. I am sure that they felt the same about the Everton boys.

Has anyone ever asked them that question?

Rob, thanks for reminding me of many a happy Saturday afternoon playing for the Bronze and rushing to my transistor at half-time.

Wally re "But I simply cannot, for the life of me, fathom how someone who has been an Evertonian since young suddenly becoming a turncoat and joining the one club that we, as Blues have come to resent."

Off the top of my head.... Rush, McMahon, Fowler, McManaman, Owen & Carragher — all boyhood Blues so not something new; never heard any declarations of love for Everton from Lallana and – unlike most of the above, who are from Merseyside or North Wales – he's from St Albans so not exactly got strong ties!

The lad was/is an Evertonian as his father was and that was long before he thought of leaving Southampton!

It just so happens that we would not get involved in any bidding war against any of the top clubs. We will wait until the dust settles and take our pick from the leftovers, as usual.

Roberto will do very well to be able to keep his promise of adding 6 or 7 new players (of the right type of course). That means 'right price' — or preferably NO price.

Hey Rob (#20),

Wallasey Central Park in the sixties, Blues v Reds... and of course we hated Ian St John and Roger Hunt and took great pleasure meting out a few well-aimed kicks. Some days I was Brian Labone... then Gordon West if I ended up in goal. Then I was Joe Royle and Jimmy Husband – in fact, I think I was the whole team at one stage.

We had an old casey with laces that we won the league and the cup with, and we would be kicking that ball till it got dark. Sometimes the ball would go over the wall into the graveyard under cover from huge conker trees. I wonder if we ever played together all those years ago?

This may sound like IÂ’m being a little bit bitter but, to be honest, I donÂ’t overly rate Lallana! I mean, he is English and a Blue... so that scores him some points... but not enough to cost 㿅M. HeÂ’s 26 and heÂ’s had one good season, surely that doesnÂ’t warrant 㿅M?

I mean, donÂ’t get me wrong, Lallana will improve the Liverpool squad as itÂ’s not as big as it once was... and he would improve our squad too but heÂ’s never worth that money.

On another note, I feel robbed of the chance to compete for players of this price as I feel Bobby would come up with some great players for that money. They will probably spend 㿼M this season and we will be lucky if we spend 㿀M whilst already owning no forwards. Big big ask this season for us, me thinks.

Oh he chose them did he? I ' realise we'd given him that choice.

Anyway, I'm not worried at all, I'm confident that the 6-7 "right type" of players Robbie spoke about signing will all be ready to put pen to paper just as soon as he's done moonlighting.

The recruitment department are lining them up as we speak...

The one that I am really worried about joining the RS is Xherdan Shaquiri (excuse my spelling) of Switzerland. He has been heavily linked with the dark side, and he is very, very good. Unfortunately for us, Champions League football is going to attract a lot of very good football players to them.

Ajay, they can sign as much potential as they want, the fact is they are losing a player who single-handedly destroys teams. He turned an average team into one that nearly won the league. As much as a rat he is, he is priceless and only two players on this planet are in his league.

Anto (24)

I don't remember your name. We were mostly from Wallasey Grammar School in those days. Later, we formed New Brighton Rovers (mixture of WGS and New Brighton Secondary Modern) and others formed Wallasey Dynamos. We played in the Wallasey Junior League and were usually beaten, except when we played one another (a real derby match!).

In those days, my ambition was to play once for Everton, break St John's leg and get sent off. Some ambition!

Lallana has been getting some stick from Saints fans on Twitter. Not that I use Twitter – I've just read it via the BBC site – but they regard him as Twat of the Year for forcing a move away from St Mary's to the RS, not putting in a transfer request, and thereby keeping his "loyalty bonus"......(loyalty bonus, what the fuck is that all about?) and then having the audacity to put an advert in the local press, thanking the fans. Obviously shitting himself at the prospect of facing those same fans in the future, knowing he's shafted them.

You have to feel for the Saints fans: after a really good season, the vultures from across the Park are doing what they do best: ripping the heart out of another side by throwing shedloads of cash at them. Twats.

Ray, did you feel sorry for Wigan when we took 3 or 4 of their first team players? In-form players (and often poor ones) will usually get the chance to move upwards and will, more often than not, take it. We have benefited from this just as Liverpool have... though admittedly their transfer fees are usually a lot larger!

I think the main point of the OP was that, on the assumption that other clubs wanted Lallana, why would he choose our biggest rivals.

A few naïve posts on this thread.

Actually, Sam, yes, I did feel for the Wigan fans. I am more than aware of how much we have, over the years, played our part in "building" teams ("building" being a euphemism for buying) but I can't remember us buying so many from one team, at one time, when the team has been our rivals as opposed to a team just relegated, which was the case with Wigan, and that the players we bought would be seeking to move to a Prem side rather than stay with Wigan in the Championship. Do you not think that that is something of a different scenario?

And my post was from a Saints fan's perspective; they have... had... built a good attacking team and the RS have just taken the heart from it. Just as they did with their Ladies Football side, bought a complete new team.

Paul Andrews... care to expand on your comment? (I'm bored painting the house)

Fair enough, Ray. I don't think the scenario is that different except for the fact that the RS have a lot more cash to spend than us. My point being that the problem is indicative of football and footballers in general. Possibly of life in general as I imagine the same thing happens in businesses?

You're a source of disappointment, Sam. Why can't you offer a better argument? I'm looking for a reason to have another five minutes before I'm back on the brush... oh well, come 'ed Ray, back up that ladder.

To expect a player not to sign for our neighbours because he is a Blue is naîve.

As in ........ "I am knocking CL football and 㿞,000 a week in the head because, although I am a southerner, my dad is a Blue."

It appears that our lovable neighbours have more money to waste than anybody else:

㿀M on Henderson
㾾M on Sakho
㾻M on Joe Allen
㾷M on Borini
٥.5M on Aspas
٢M on Luis Alberto

And none of that includes the losses they made on Downing, Carroll and Adam... and, although Toure was a free transfer, I bet he has cost a small fortune in wages.

Andrew,

Nail on the head.

Give Brendan more money please.

This transfer epitomises how Sky TV has totally destroyed English Football. 㿅 million for a lad who has spent most of his career in the lower leagues, and had a decent season in The Prem?

Not saying the kid is a bad player, but the fees involved in transfers now are insane. A third of the Suarez fee spent already, and all us Evertonians hoping that it will turn out the same way for Liverpool, that it did for Spurs!

Paul, part of me is almost looking forward to him getting the Suarez money to spend. I wonder if he could blow the lot buying Torres back?

Lallana is going to Liverpool because they offer Champions League football and a potential title challenge. There is a difference between being a fan, personal ambition and money; he is also probably more of a Southampton fan than an Everton now.

Lallana will make Liverpool stronger, but he is moving for too much money again. I think buying English is a bad strategy, because English players cost far more, and are often less technically gifted than their foreign counterparts (even if a proven Prem League record is a bonus). Fabregas was rumored to have gone for around 㿊M, and he is on a completely different planet to Lallana, and has demonstrated that he can play top quality football at the highest levels.

Rodgers has proven he is a brilliant manager, but that he is a poor buyer of players so far for Liverpool (in general: Sturridge and Coutinho obviously offer antithetical examples). I'd also add Alberto Ilori for ٥M onto Andrew's list of recent bad Liverpool transfers.

I do not particularly criticise Liverpool for going in for two Southampton players though, as the club seem to have signaled a willingness to let players go to those willing to pay big bucks. I feel extremely sorry for them however, as in Lallana and Shaw they've lost two very good young players, whilst Lovren and Schneiderlin look set to join them.

It's one of the sad realities of football: Unless you are the best of the best, players will go for chances of 'more' success or money elsewhere. Top Southampton players go to Liverpool, and top Liverpool players onto better clubs. Barça and Real can basically pick whoever they want: If Barça wanted Aguero, then Aguero would come eventually.

Atlético, despite winning the league and making the final of the Champions League, lose their main striker to a less successful Chelski, who they knocked out the Champions League, and will probably lose Koke and Luis (Luis probably to Chelsea) within a season, whilst envious looks are also being directed towards Godin and Juanfran.

Borussia are the most depressing imo however, in terms of the elite: They built the best team in Germany on a relative shoestring, but were powerless to prevent the rise of the far richer Bavarians. First Kagawa leaves to sit on Man Utd's bench, and then they have the far more painful sight of watching Goetze leave to Bayern, followed by Lewandowski, who would fetch €35-45mil if on a longer contract, for free. Reus will probably also leave when he is fit, possibly as a replacement for Ribery at Bayern, or to the Premier League.

Although, it is the circle of things, or the circle of money and success. Ramos has a fantastic season for Hertha, and their fans have to watch him depart to a more successful Borussia, as one of their two inferior replacements for the departing Lewandowski.

Sorry for all the German talk: My girlfriend is German, so I'm exposed to the Bundesliga. It's interesting actually, how cheap some German players move for between clubs.

Sidney Sam is probably the best example of late. He is pretty similar to Lallana in terms of ability imo and switched between Leverkusen and Schalke for €2.5mil. There were of course specific circumstances but, in general, I think that the Bundesliga market is a good market, and offers the kind of players who would adapt easily to the Prem, because of the nature of German league football. Maybe we will follow up rumoured interest in Roberto Firmino, even if his contract situation will have pushed up the price?

Overpriced Lallana moves to the 2015 version of Spurs post-Bale.

There's a place in the top 4 next season in place of Liverpool, I think it will be Van Gaal and Man Utd claiming it though.

Paul Andrews @37.

Agreed, See your point now,

Jim Knightley @42

Good post. I don't know a great deal about the Bundesliga but, from your post, might be worth a look... For me and Martinez.

Over-rated, over-priced, over-paid and over there.

I won't lose a seconds sleep about it.

Don't care if he was a boyhood Blue; so was Nugent, would you have wanted to sign him?

He's gone to the Redshite because they have paid him the mullah his ego/agent wants.

How would we feel if we spent even 㾻m on him, probably bloody gutted. He is very over-priced; not a bad player, but nothing to worry about.

Jim Knightly –very good point about the number of quality players in the Bundesliga. Historically, though, the vast majority of German players play their entire careers in Germany with very few exports which is a great shame.

Jim Knightley #42, best post I've seen on TW in ages.

I feel compelled to write a related article.

Just read an article.

Connor Wickham has spent 㾽,500 on a bottle of champagne on holiday.

The average annual wage of a car worker in the Nissan plant in Sunderland.

Jim Knightley
Terrific post
More please on others we should be buying

Paul @49,

If ever we needed an illustration of just what is wrong with football today, that is it. Far too much money given to gobshites who should have a carer with them when they go anywhere near a shop/bar/club etc. A few years down the line we may well be reading of "Connor Wickham declared bankrupt" with huge gambling debts or a drink problem. He wouldn't be the first. Or last.

It would be better if all footballers were paid a fraction of their salaries with the rest put into a trust or looked after by the PFA.....mind you, hasn't that odious little runt of a chairman of the PFA had his own problems with a gambling addiction?

You finished that fence yet Ray?!

Southamton have netted over 50m for Lallana and Shaw. Amazing business. Move over Levy!

Just about, Sam, er...it was a house, actually, or at least the windows. You really should pay more attention.....

Anyway, a glass of Merlot is top of my list right now. Cheers, Sam!

My old man once left Littlewoods for a better paid job at Vernons. Nobody queried his loyalties!

Last year there was lots of talk about another blue who went elsewhere. He has not enjoyed his time at his parent club, or his loan club. Maybe a cheeky little bid to wake Levy up?

Brenda taking a fair bit of stick here and rightly so, but at least he's doing what he gets paid to do.

I'd like to see our manager concentrating a little more on his day job.

Darren - Roberto eats sleeps and breathes football and whilst he is manager of Everton FC we as supporters will benefit from that. It's not so much a day job for Roberto as a way of life.

On the subject of Lallana and the club he has signed for - Screw the Dark Side, screw how much money they have spent, screw how many goals they may or may not score - I'm really not bothered about what they do and I can't for the life of me understand why so many Blues so obviously are.

Darren,

Is Brendan's day job to chaperone young floosies to baseball games in the USA.

That's where he was photographed a few days ago.

So where is he, Patrick?

On a scouting mission?

Ray #34, of the 3 Wigan players we 'bought' only 1 was owned by them. 1 was on loan and the other was on a Bosman.

Darren - As far as I am aware Roberto is in Brazil working for ESPN but that doesn't mean that he is switched off from all things Everton. We live in a high-tech environment where people from all around the planet and beyond can communicate with each other no matter where they are - unless of course they are in the remotest parts such as Rochdale or Milton Keynes.

Seeing as Rio as with most cities in Brazil are equipped with all mod cons I don't see where Roberto is, has any bearing on anything relating to Everton FC.

Do you think that all the other managers prior to Roberto clocked in at Finch Farm every day of the week or do you believe that Roberto should be attending some obscure matches in China or beyond in order to unearth cheap talent - what exactly do you want the manager of Everton FC to be doing during the most high profile tournament on the planet?

I don't get how anyone who is/ was a boyhood Evertonian could ever play for the RS.

If I had been good enough to play professional football and that lot wanted to sign me I would have made it known that I wouldn't ever play for them, no matter what money they were willing to offer me.

In fact if I was good enough to play professional football I would probably be sent off in the tunnel if the team I was playing for was playing against the RS, as I would likely give the wannabe DJ a good kicking as soon as I saw him.

Eric, quite right, however, I was responding to another post, maybe I should have said "brought" as opposed to "bought", however, the gist remains the same, Saints have lost the nucleus of their side to the RS, and Wigan lost players to us in the Prem rather than stay at Wigan in the Championship.

But, hey, don't let that stop us from splitting a few hairs... roll on next season.

Colin, talks cheap!

Can we stop this 'the more I hate Liverpool FC' = 'the bigger the supporter of Everton' I am.

Lallana impressed at Soton but Pocchettino got an average bunch to come together for each other and for a while competed well. However, a key player Wanyama got injured for a while and their form fell away.

By then the spotlight had fallen on several players including Lallana, Shaw and even Lambert and I wonder if none of these had been selected by Hodgson would they have moved for the fees mentioned. Shaw obviously because of his age commanded a big fee but I am not too sure about Lallana who looked very ordinary when called on by England.

Still RS can afford him as now they stand to get a big fee for Ratboy.

Colin - Presumably you'd like Baines, a boyhood RS fan, to stop playing for us?

The less Liverpool are mentioned on this site the happier an Evertonian I will be but disliking Liverpool is not enough to make a good Evertonian you have to love Everton to the detriment of all other teams and support the club through thick and thin and realise that despite our lack of funds and the sometimes crazy decisions at Board level we remain supporters of a club that we can be extremely proud of. Take a look at the goals compendium from last season posted on the Liverpool Echo's website earlier today and you will see why we all hope that next season will be as much fun as the last one.

Paul and Patrick,

Thanks for that guys. You know how much I fret about these things, but you're explanations have kinda put my mind at rest.

You won't believe this, but I was beginning to worry that Robbie was off lining his pockets elshere as the clock on the transfer window marched on... but he's doing it on behalf of EFC all along? ... phew. I hope the four managers who finished above him last season haven't noticed; otherwise they"ll all be at it.

It's a bit like living next door to a kid who has saved up his paper round money to buy a new bike, we are consumed with envy, but we are not prepared to do a paper round... we prefer to console ourselves by criticising his choice of bike.

Brenda's signings may well turn out to be shite (fingers crossed) but at least he recognises the importance of this period and is channeling his efforts towards improving the team he manage.

"Her name was Lola, she was a show girl..."

Despite the insane figures quoted for Suarez, I don't believe they will be able to do good business selling or buying. Other clubs know they have that money coming in, so why would they sell for less? Not seen enough of Lallana but I fail to see how they can ever replace Suarez even if they buy 2-3 more players.

Darren,

Are you alright?

Darren #70, I see what you're saying but I don't think it's an issue.

RM knows his targets, and knows BK won't release any cash until after the first tranche of Domestic TV money is paid at the start of August (hopefully we won't be borrowing against it off Vibrac again).

So rather than sit on his hands, he's out there picking up a cheque for punditry, all expenses included, aside from a withdrawn media-accreditation pass. The exposure his commentary is getting suggests he's seen as a knowledgeable pundit – unlike most of the others who are on the jolly, and he's raising his profile (and Everton's) at the same time.

Moyes did much the same in Euro 2012.

I thought Baines was a Blue.

Where is Barry Rathbone? Barry, you should have been on here saying "I told you so." You were spot on about Roberto.

Bournemouth picked up ٣.5m out of this deal.
May explain why the fee was so high.

For the first time in a long time, I have faith in our manager. His targets are identified and I'm sure we'll all be thrilled in a few months time.

As for them... well, I hate them as much as anyone, probably more than is healthy, but Lallana... not bad but not a worry.

I'm just praying that Suarez goes because, no matter what the money is, they can never replace that level of talent and threat and we'll beat them next season without him.

I'm also curious to see how well Brenda does without a world class superstar, in the form of his life, that he had nothing to do with acquiring, bailing them out every week.