Mirallas wants Champions League football next season

DonÂ’t begrudge him wanting CL. DonÂ’t players of any ambition want the same? HeÂ’s in the prime of his career and if our Board canÂ’t/wonÂ’t provide the investment to make it a reality, then we can look forward to this scenario playing out again and again.

Though if he does go, I would prefer to see him moving out of the league. Cash in and move on. The Everton way.

From your recent comments I note that you wish to play for a side involved in the Eufa Champions League. Can I just say how absolutely delighted that I am to read this ?

Such ambition in an Everton player really makes my spine tingle. For so long now I have witnessed players who seem to accept that itÂ’s OK for our fine club to aspire to being "the best of the rest", now, finally a player who sees beyond that limited horizon. Congratulations, and thank you !

IÂ’m so looking forward to your fully committed, wholehearted, dashing performances of the highest quality and feel certain that your continual, tireless, and stylish contribution to driving Everton ahead in achieving our dearly held mutual ambition can only cement you in Evertonian hearts as a true Blue Legend.

Again, thank you for stating your clear eyed ambition so concisely.

What a refreshing change from the all too frequent, over paid, underperforming (albeit very talented), inconsistent, money grabbing mercenaries who seem to infest so many top quality EPL Clubs (such as our beloved Everton). I can look forward to the derby match now with a positivity which I can not recall feeling in many many years.

Again, thank you, your attitude is so refreshing in this cynical age.

Yours, sincerely
Tony

HeÂ’s a good player but I donÂ’t think heÂ’s as good as he thinks he is. HeÂ’ll certainly get a game at a club in the Champs league but probably not in England.

Get some good money for him.

Good player, all the ability in the world, just cant be bothered half the time and not proffesional enough.

Do you know what Kev Â’oops, there goes my hamstring againÂ’, why donÂ’t you just fuck off now?

Get rid.

HE has scored, let me think, maybe 5 goals that got me feeling that. My own interpretation of him watching games the last few seasons is on a stream from here in Asia is.... CRAP. He shows up very seldom, is in consistent and the Gold Bentley, to me just says so much to me, not that I am Woody Allen but. I am. He is selfish and is up his own ass sideways. Get rid, fucking gobshite

Come on Kev! Light it up! Every goal you score from now on is another million.

CanÂ’t blame him, weÂ’re not going to be anywhere near 4th next season even if he stayed. At least heÂ’s doing us a favour leaving with his price tag high and not eroding inline with his quality as some of our other players are doing.

Being in the same dressing room with this guy after those comments, "not good"... Especially with the shitte next game.

Also, itÂ’s not as "IF"..heÂ’s running the show! The guys been invisible most games..if not fecking injured! Just wish the manage" had a pair"... Tell this... "I AM" to shut the door behind him.

So take your gold Bentley and shove it up your gold hoop, Kevin. Your not good enough son.

He has been decent for us for a good few years and we couldnÂ’t really deny him a move as long as itÂ’s for an over inflated fee- as is the norm these days!

Create a few more memories first though Kevin starting with a goal on Saturday.

This is a player who has spent long periods of his time at Everton sat on the sidelines injured, or being subbed after 70 minutes because he didnÂ’t have the stamina to complete a full game. When you add in the times heÂ’s simply looked like he canÂ’t be arsed then youÂ’ve got to wonder in what way he thinks heÂ’s progressed onto a higher plain.

By banging in three free kicks in two seasons? Putting in a barnstorming performance against West Ham in a no pressure cup game? Stepping up and Â’taking responsibilityÂ’ for a recent spot kick?

Not exactly a never ending roll call of scintillating performances springing to mind here. I can think of maybe four or five games heÂ’s grabbed by the balls since heÂ’s been here, at most.

HeÂ’s a very decent (on his day) but infuriatingly inconsistent player who has never lived up to the pre-move hype of being a poor mans Ronaldo.

The fact he is by far the best wide player currently at the club says more about the paucity of our other options in that area than it does about his potency.

Self-confidence is a great thing but, for me, the Belgian is nowhere near the player he actually thinks he is. A permanently sullen lip, occasionally silky skills and a mile wide selfish streak arenÂ’t enough to qualify Mirallas as some sort of mercurial maverick who deserves to strut his stuff on a bigger stage. He may be an ice cold Meursault kind of Â’outsiderÂ’ in his own mind, but more often than not, out on the pitch, heÂ’s shown all the clinical composure of Mork after finding out MindyÂ’s just fucked the Fonz.

Saying that, if in his desire to impress new suitors he scores the winner on Saturday and goes on to have a barnstorming end to the season, then he can fuck off with my full blessing and iÂ’ll even give him a sincere, double thumbÂ’s up, Henry Winkler style salute of Â’ayyyyyy!!Â’ Â’ as he drives off in his shiny gold Bentley that screams Â’bit of a bell end on boardÂ’.

IÂ’m more concerned we might lose both Oviedo and Garbutt for nothing come the end of the season. Now that would be a disaster for a club of our limited means.

I hope Martinez is doing all he can to tie these two down but seeing as theyÂ’ve hardly featured, I donÂ’t hold out much hope.

Extending the contracts of over the hill players like Hibbert, Osman, Howard and Barry and not these two is criminal. Big effing mistake.

As such, ideally heÂ’d be here to stay and playing 90 mins every week but, if he goes, we certainly need to find some more players capable of creating.

He really has a very high opinion of himself and for me is nowhere near consistent or good enough for a top Champions League team. Does anyone see him getting a regular game at City, Chelsea, Barca, Bayern or Real? Not a frigging chance. Get rid and break the bank for Perisic who is a far better player.

"Athletico interested" in him? Oldham Athletico?

Maybe he fancies warming up the bench at a CL club because he definitely is not good enough to be in a top European team.

Get over yourself, Kev.

So much moaning and bitching about all our players. Different flavour every month. It was Jags and Distin before Christmas. Baines has had his, Barry got a bashing. Romelu is crap according to many. What football team do these people support?
On the live forum it gets worse. I canÂ’t believe some supporters. WE are Everton, not some scummy shite like our neighbours. Clear to see why they take the piss out of us.

Last season, the sun shone out of all the arses of all the players, this season we have a revolt. DonÂ’t you just love the diversity?

The biggest part of the piss take being it will be his agents idea, cunningly hatched to alert other clubs to "come and get him". CanÂ’t he do his job properly either and just pick up the fucking phone and do it behind closed doors?

And as for Â’January isnÂ’t the ideal month for a transferÂ’, IÂ’m sorry we havenÂ’t got a time machine that can magically transport you to the summer Kev, do you mind sitting it out for four months while we pay you a fucking fortune to not want to really be here - I mean, not absolutely not want to be here but the next best thing, yeah?

TWAT!

(Apologies for the language).

Great on his day, with a propensity to disappear from games, not last 90 mins and regularly get injured. IÂ’m sure his agent is pedalling selective highlight videos around Europe as we speak.

IÂ’m looking forward to seeing him scoring the odd free kick for a middling Spanish league team, followed by the selective bitter rants on here about the wonderful Moyes signing who was pissed off by the evil Martinez.

I know that when we last had a decent team we along with all other English sides were banned from entering. But I remember watching the last time we were in it and lost to Panathaniakos. Yet I have had to watch our neighbours lift the trophy 5 times, and be in it on countless occasions.

Oh I almost forgot the charlatan promised BK within 4 years we would qualify, well I am not holding my breath.

If we are talking semantics, you clearly said before the season that Bobby would lead us to a lowly 7th-ish. Looking at the season as a whole, four months remaining, it is still very much achievable. Fans should support their teams. Ours on this site have lost sight of that small fact.

And as for the valid reason, why didnÂ’t Lukaku grab the ball because the lad who was unfortunately killed was his best mate? Mirallas as always was thinking about himself.

And btw I resent being called a motherfucker for caring more about my club than a greedy selfish mercenary twat and his golden Bentley, who probably doesnÂ’t give a shit about Champions League and is in reality looking for the next big payday.

I hate derby matches – whenever I put the radio on, they scored... so I stopped that. Watching Sky gets the sweats on... this season, I put the radio on the TV – 1 minute later, Jags lets fly!!!!!!!!! I might try that Saturday.

WeÂ’ll all be here longer than any manager or player. WeÂ’re in our rights to criticise any of them for poor performance - it doesnÂ’t make us any less of a supporter.

The problem is finding one that can achieve the above and pay him the wages he has grown accustomed to. That means one of the top teams in Spain, Germany and Italy. Would they want him for their squad and would he be a first choice?

To context this, looking at global sports salaries, in La Liga, outside Barca and Real, only Atletico pay on a par with us.

In Germany, only Bayern, Schalke and Dortmund pay much more than we do, and a cluster of clubs (none guaranteed CL) paying a bit less than us.

Italy is a better bet with several clubs with much bigger wage structures: Juve, Roma, Milan, Inter. France, beyond Monanco and PSG, pay rubbish.

So the choice is limited and I doubt Mirallas would be a top earner at any of these clubs. The word is that Dortmund and Athletico are interested but would he be a first choice with either and neither are guaranteed CL (especially Dortmund).

Having said that, despite his faults, he is by a country mile our most dangerous wide man. If he goes in the summer then the wings need major, major surgery (not that they donÂ’t even if he stays).

Dean Adams - hear hear!

LetÂ’s see who wants him, he is injury prone and too full of his own importance.

I hope Roberto drops him for the derby and sticks to the players who want to play with the club. You will see, Lennon is going to be great!

I know a lot of fans are annoyed with how this is developing but at least he has been honest about what he wants.

It would be far worse if he said nothing, ran his contract out and left for free, just like a certain Scottish manager I know.

Wow, is English not a strong point of yours? You make seriously poor leaps in your interpretation of what others have actually said. You like to critisize players for something that you clearly are not capable of.

Not your fault you are not a pro-football player, but these are real people, not computer data. How would you react if all of a sudden the players you slate came on here and ripped you to pieces?

So what do we do? There are many managers out there who would bench him or even worse because itÂ’s a big risk to play him if he doesnÂ’t want to be here. He may have wanted to leave in this just departed transfer window, so this may be part of a public sulk.

Perhaps he will start to put himself in the shop window with a series of scintillating performances. Maybe, maybe not. However, this whole sorry story doesnÂ’t say much for how the Club handles its publicity. Do we really want to see highly regarded players rocking the boat before one of the most important games of our season?

Furthermore how does this reflect on Bobby Bullshit? Has he got any control of the dressing room at all? Answers on the back of a fag packet please!

"I have never said I absolutely want to," she continues "I like the house after all, but if you canÂ’t get me a bigger one, IÂ’m going to find a fella that can."

"CanÂ’t knock her ambition...." thinks Boy.

Why should we be grateful that he gives his all, when he feels like it, for a huge salary? He is a bench player at a Champions League club, nothing more. It saddens me that Evertonians can understand his ambition. Our club is as good as it will ever get for him and if he wants Champions League he should put a proper shift in and get it here. Another phoney hired hand.

Derek Mountfield:
147 appearances 25 goals

Kevin Antonio Joel Gislain Mirallas y Castillo:
75 appearances 26 goals

It’s not always about ability.
It’s not always about goals scored per game/appearance.

It’s always who has and who has not earned the royal blue jersey.

Nice.

Best observation of the night so far!

And for those who say they’re not supporters, it’s their job, hired hands etc.....Do you think Graeme Sharp, Graham Stuart, Ian Snodin, Alan Ball, Tim Cahill, Neville Southall understand?

Maybe he should sign for one of those second rate turkish clubs that qualify every year because their league is shite. He’ll never win it but he will be in it, at least until the league stage is over anyway.

Get a big fee for him in the summer. Lets see if he wants to go to Spurs if they don’t qualify because Arsenal have pipped them again.

In the meantime if he thinks he’s the next Ronaldo he’s got 16 matches to prove it. Starting against the RS on Saturday.

On the one hand supporters demand unwavering loyalty from players (as with Kevin here), but on the other there is scorn and calls for the instant dismissal of loyal consistently performing servants as soon as there is a dip in form (as with Distin).

Again, on the one hand supporters want talented, even arrogant players with a bit of swagger to their game, on the other they resent someone openly speaking of their ambition to play at the highest level.

As this thread shows, people trot out the wildest of speculation and the crassest of personal insults towards one of our better players in a spewing forth of real or faux outrage, as if it was proof positive of the type of guy Kevin is.

This is buoyed by a revisionist view on his contribution to the club during his time with us.

Well I for one am going to stand up and defend him.

Kevin is a big game player. He nearly ALWAYS performs in the big games, both for club and country. He doesnÂ’t blink or cack himself when pitting himself against the very best.

He has a certain "je ne sais quoi," an unpredictability about his game which can be a game changer.

If you hadnÂ’t notice, even though playing through injury in our most abysmal period of form, he has been our most creative source and highest scorer since returning to the team following his injury in the first derby game.

I was – and still am – royally pissed off with him for the penalty incident against WBA, but again, that was borne out of 2 things: his confidence in his own ability, and on a personal, emotional front, a desire to do something to celebrate the death of a close friend some days earlier. I cannot condemn him outright for displaying those qualities – confidence and compassion – as costly as it proved to the team on the night.

As for the comments he is being castigated for, the timing a couple of days before the derby is a distraction, but nothing more than that.

Other than that Kevin has expressed honesty and ambition – an ambition I personally want from players pulling on the blue jersey of Everton.

So no, IÂ’m not going to join in the moral indignation being hurled in his direction.

My deeper concern is, as I feared, season’s such as this one will not help us to retain or attract the quality of players – such as Kevin – that we need to give us even an outside chance of achieving the Holy Grail of CL qualification or some kind of trophy.

Jay, I believe that loyalty warrants loyalty in return and have never wanted an Evertonian shipped out. I just cannot understand how you can defend a hired hand who thinks our club is not good enough for him. He is not that good . If only he were a fraction as good as he thinks he is.

Ambition is fine; would it not be refreshing to hear an egotistical nearly man like Mirallas say something like," I am ambitious for Champions league football and I will give all I have to get my club there. I wonder if , say Newcastle, offered him 250 K a week how his Champions league ambitions would.change.

Why can he not just shut up and earn his inflated salary.

How do I send you a ’feedback’ response with a site observation rather than posting to an open forum> the ’contact and feedback’ link doesn’t appear to be working.

thanks

As for this,

don’t let the door hit you in the a**e on the way out, f**knuts.

To be honest, I’ve always liked Kevin Mirallas, in fact felt like he’s a true Everton ’style’ player-full of skill and possessing that something extra...that’s probably why I’m fed up with his stance here. Reminds of the kind of player who leaves a relegated club, inferring "I’m too good for this lot", when he was a part of what got them relegated in the first place. If KM hasn’t played in the Champs League for us, it’s at least partially and as he believes he’s one of our best players (And so do I) then a large part, down to him....

If you want to believe the C.L. football bollocks, that’s completely up to you, whoever you are.

I’m not outraged, not in the least. In fact, I’d be surprised if a few more don’t leave if they are offered more money. But please don’t tell me I should be happy about it. Now that does insult me, not the pricks who drive gold coloured cars.

For the past month, with the precarious position they’ve found themselves in, struggling to break a sequence of dismal results that threatened to drag them down amongst the relegation candidates , every game has been a ’big’ game for the club.

Mirallas performed to the best of his ability in a grand total of
one of the six games played in January.

For the rest he offered nothing above the bare minimum and, even worse, seemed less than desperate to help drag his team out of the mire (there’s a nifty, if not exactly thorough, little rundown of his contribution here: Link

For some reason he seemed to have decided that this period when his club, teammates and manager were virtually down on their knees was the perfect time to focus instead on his personal fortunes and future. I don’t see anything there that I would deem worthy of defending.

"..the penalty incident against WBA, but again, that was borne out of 2 things: his confidence in his own ability, and on a personal, emotional front, a desire to do something to celebrate the death of a close friend some days earlier"

Has he actually come out and claimed this was the case? Not that I’ve seen. It’s more likely just people looking for possible reasoning behind why he acted in the manner of a preening selfish prick. If he wanted to take the penalty to honour his fallen friend, and if this was such an understandable gesture, then why was Lukaku remonstrating with him before his walk to the spot? Is the younger man with a deeper bond to the deceased simply the more mature and professional of the two?

If Mirallas wants Champions League football then he has to be better. If he was as good as he thinks he is he’d walk into most teams in Europe, but then if he was as good as he thinks he is we’d have a lot more points.

He’s just pissed off everyone including his teammates with his actions in the WBA game. We are a couple of days away from a derby, we’re hovering above the relegation zone, and this tool goes public with his CL bollocks. Do you think this has helped team morale? I somehow doubt it.

He is no different than any other mercenary playing the game today. Money, big market fame and cups (in that order) is what drives player movement today. Club loyalty plays little or no part.

Is he egotistical? Yep. Is he greedy at times? Yep. Can he be inconsistent? Yep. Does he get you on the edge of your seat when he’s bearing down into the box at breakneck speed? For me, yes.

The good and the bad of an enigmatic player. Whether you consider him a CL caliber player is almost irrelevant. Some club with greater means and likely greater ambition than our Board will take him and put him to good use. He possesses game-changing ability and qualities that clubs pay a premium for. Cash in and move on.

Why could not Mirallas have contented himself with doing something like this? No we have to have a public display of raising our hands and faces to the heavens a la Lampard. Even in circumstances such as these some footballers have to go for a photo opportunity!

Much as it pains me to say it, but I suspect Gerrard will be the last of the one club players who has a genuine affection for the club he plays for... Rooney???

Get real, folks – why should a Belgian or even a Geordie be passionate about Everton? The passion only exists in the terraces – not in the changing rooms.

Doesn’t he realise, that if he went to one of the super-clubs, he would be sitting on the bench, OBSERVING Champions’ League football!

It’s likely he won’t be starting many games now just as Slippy G over at Anfield.

My question is, why don’t you make that happen with your current employers, who pay you Champions League wages in some cases – let’s not forget that little snippet.

It’s a cop-out and agents and footballers everywhere have a ready made excuse to engineer a move away if they fancy a pay-day (both agent & player).

Anyone who wants to excuse all of the above is quite entitled to, I just don’t see why the fans should just accept it as some sort of noble quest for the player to better his career.

They are paid handsomely enough, and they have the opportunity to win something with Everton – some people talk about us like we are a League One side holding these superstars back.

Personally, I’ve never warmed to him and, as some posters have alluded to, he is not part of our fabric. Kevin Mirallas doesn’t play for Everton – he plays for Kevin Mirallas. If he wants the move he thinks he deserves, he’d best start showing the form that will bring it about... and then he can do one.

Moving forward I’d like to see us scouting some talent from the championship or british based players, most of these foreigners couldn’t give a toss for the club or the fans, we need more of the good solid character’s Moyes brought in.

Have to say I was really impressed with David Wheater last night and a couple of Bolton’s midfielder’s, there is definitely talent out there. Also the way Lennon has got them playing was impressive, I know it’s early day’s but I like his fire and steel he was my first choice to takeover us after Moyes and if it goes tits up with Roberto I’d give him a crack, there’s a guy who would win us a derby!

I very very much doubt Mo will be with us in 3 years time, unless we have a big upward curve in fortunes, but then again I would not hold him back from a big CL move, he will have deserved it no doubt.

KM On the other hand will get the best deal he can from some mediocre team in the CL, just get the best price for him.

I always thought it was his selfishness that destroyed Jelavic.

Modern players live in a world where they are bought and sold as commodities and need to look after themselves in that world. Yes the best get paid beyond our dreams, but they are there because they can play football better than the millions of others that have tried.

I’ll be sad to see him go because he’s one of our better players, but I can’t begrudge him wanting to try and find something better, because that’s what most of us want in life.

Everyone knows players come and go and we remain as the heart of the club.

A two-footed lunge at Slippy that breaks both his legs please. You’ll be an Everton legend mate.

He wants Champions League, good for him! Place a five-year contract under his nose 㿼,000 a week. Let’s see how important Champions League football is then.

Fellaini wanted CL and did play the arse end of one or two pointless games... The sad fact is, that if you play for a big club, you don’t make the team until they have qualified for the knockout stage, and you just get shit-arse games in dead rubbers.

If KM got a big move, he would just be a last 20 mins impact sub at best. Let him go.

Paid obscene amounts of money simply because they are in an industry at the most fortunate time in its history for ludicrously inflated remuneration they actually think they are very important. Often giving them ideas above their station, their abilities, their efforts, their actual significance in the wider scheme of things.

Thus Mirallas and others can make these public pronouncements with no thought for, or even concept of, the relationship supporters have with their club and the players who represent them on the field and the impact their statements have on those supporters.

Perhaps it will help those who are not yet aware of it, or refuse to acknowledge the fact, that these players are simply "doing a job" and if pay and conditions are better elsewhere most simply follow the cash cow. However, players telling club no supporters that they are not able to fulfil his ambitions and doing so in public must also then accept that once they have treated the support base with such disdain then when they perform inadequately or lamentably for whatever reason then the fatuous demand or expectation that we all "get behind him to see him through his sticky patch" should fall on deaf ears.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the support base to Mirallas performing so inconsistently in the coming months. He may have to cope with the disdain of people being expressed in the only way open to them in the public arena of the sports ground and that will be deserved because he will have lost the trust and perhaps affection of the crowd. If he scores the winner against Liverpool or in any other future game then he may deserve no more than a reaction that says "well he was only doing what he was paid to do". All very sad and I wonder what a Brian Labone would have made of it all - for he too was ambitious.

For me, this just has all the appearances of a egomaniac spitting his dummy out because someone had a go at him in the dressing room and/or press.

Fine him two weeks wages, tell to keep his dumb mouth shut then tell him we’ll be willing to take the highest offer in the summer. If that offer comes from a championship club, we’ll take it. How d’ya like them apples Kev? (Le appelles, c’est bon? or whatever)

It sets a horrible president to offer him a new contract now... but I’d still be inclined to do it. We can’t let our best players go... especially not for a pittance.

Context is missing a bit, but it does make you wonder if what he’s seeing behind the scenes is affecting him. One giant step forward last season, and two giant ones back this, is going to make some players consider their careers.

Anyway, I’ll always like him for what he half did to Suarez last year and for the fact, he’s one of the few, with any fire and aggression in them.

Looking back at MirallasÂ’s Everton career, very few moments that convinced me heÂ’s been a good signing... in fact heÂ’s been a dreadful signing. Reasons: 1) Nowhere near consistent enough within games (goes missing for ages in games)
2) Injures!!
3) Not a team player! (Very rare you see him defending, he canÂ’t be arsed, heÂ’s also shit at it)

Like many Blues have said, Kevin Mirallas plays for nobody but Kevin Mirallas! (Better off without him!)

I never understand why people get so upset when a player says they want to leave. We’re the Evertonians, not them, they’re just footballers. We have a handful of actual Evertonians playing for us, in Hibbo, Osman and Barkley so what’s the big deal?

Of course he wants to play Champions League football, and if I was a player playing for a team in a foreign country that wasn’t making the top level, I’d want to play for one that was as well. La Liga is tempting and I’d want to do that as well.

Imagine you’re an Evertonian (OK you passed that bit) and you’re playing in say the Bundesliga for say, Schalke – you’re mid-table and not going to make the Champions League, you’ve been there 5 years... you’re 27... you have ambition. What do you do? Hang in there and hope for the best? Come off it, Everton are never going to make the CL via the league, we all know that in our heart of hearts – not anytime soon anyway – so you leave.

Footballers have a short career compared to us mere mortals and they can appear mercenary at times but Mirallas has given us some good years of his career so why begrudge him a move, a change of scenery? He’s doing it at a time when we can get some cash for him as well, rather than waiting another year and going for nothing so good luck to him.

People are so fickle – as soon as a player lacks a bit of form, or picks up some injuries, you want to discard them like old horses out for glue. Pienaar and Osman are two others who get loads of stick at the moment – for being injured! It’s a massive failing of football supporters in my view that they don’t back players when they struggle.

Hopefully we’ll win the Europa League and Mirallas stays on, signs the contract extension, then leaves when we fail to get out of the group stage the following season. I don’t think either of those things will happen by the way. He’ll leave in the summer with my best wishes.

As has rightly been pointed out, he could have had regular CL football at Olympiakos (wow), so why come here, when we weren’t exactly CL material at the time? He obviously saw us as nothing more than a well paid gravy train, a stepping stone in his career. So, OK, let him step off the train, see how green the grass is at maybe Anderlecht, or Krasnodar etc.

Try and sign Lennon full time and add another decent winger in the summer. With two decent wingers feeding him, and Naisy or Ross in support, we might then see the best of Lukaku. Kev, old son, as far as the supporters of this great club are concerned, you’ve shot yourself in the foot and mouth!

He may well get a lower CL team to sign him, he would sit on the bench at Atletico though, Simeone would not accept him jumping out of tackles as he has done recently, the Palace game being the worst of all.

I would not play him in the game at the weekend, we should go with 3 in central midfield regardless. I would have played McCarthy with Barry and Besic, in a 4-3-3 dropping to a 4-5-1 at the right time. No Macca means Barkley in the 3.

If we go with a 4-2-3-1, we are in big trouble. Their whole game revolves around getting Sterling and Coutinho on the ball 30 m from goal. We need to stop that and Barry is not quick enough, an early yellow for Barry I think.

As for Andy Cobham and all those players he lists, everyone of them was bought, not one is a "born" Evertonian. Players do a job in a place of work, mugs like me who’ve been watching and supporting Everton since we were in the Second Division are the loyal ones; the players managers, coaches, even directors come and go.

The good news is that we know nice and early he’s not going to be here next season so we have plenty of time to work out how to replace his role and maximise the transfer value we get.

If it really exists, the extra year on the contract option strengthens our bargaining position in that we don’t HAVE to let him go for peanuts this summer, but we do nevertheless have to sell him and considering he’s in his prime and is scoring goals we’ve got to be thinking somewhere in the 㾸-15M bracket. If he’s anywhere near as in demand as he thinks he is, that shouldn’t be impossible.

I think we should also look to clear out a lot of other deadwood in the summer – eg:
Pienaar looks finished
Osman won’t play again
McGeady isn’t faintly good enough for our ambitions but can do a job somewhere else
Distin’s time has finally come, though he’s been a great servant (shame we couldn’t sell him to the Hammers and get something in January).

Together with Mirallas, that’s at least 5 out who rightly or wrongly would’ve been in or around the first team. And we’ll not get more than ٟ-2 million collectively aside from Mirallas, so let’s say somehow it’s 㾻M together into the pot + whatever is there naturally from all the extra TV money – 㿅M in total?

Where do we spend it?

i) Keeper – I don’t think Tim needs pushing out next year and Robles is looking better but we need a long-term replacement to Howard and this Norwegian guy for ٣-6M looks a good option.

ii) Defence – Assuming Alcaraz stays and Browing + Alcaraz offer cover for the first choice backline of Jags + Stones then a centre back is still needed but not top priority. With Gabbutt and Oviedo the left flank behind Baines is covered, but right-back is still exposed without Coleman – Hibbo’s a good defender but not a wingback. So I’d suggest that’s a priority – another ٣-6M likely.

iii) Forwards – Up front we could do with one more if the right option is available, annoyingly I’d say it’s an Eto’o type – someone with great control and nimble feet but with Lukaku, Nais and Kone again it’s not desperate. The real challenge is in the supply.

iv) I think we all realise that midfield is where the real money needs to go – with Pieenaar and Mirallas heading out, our wing situation is threadbare. McGeady has the necessary tools but can’t seem to bring them all together for us; Atsu hasn’t done anything yet to justify a move and Lennon is obviously totally unproven for us. One way or another we’re going to need 2 wide players which is going to cost.

Elsewhere, defensive mid should be good enough with Besic, McCarthy, Barry and Gibson but our creative playmaking options behind the front man are desperate. Barkley ’should’ be making this his own but has been the definition of inconsistency and for me he’s still a long way short of the real deal in terms of delivering end product in terms of assists, goals or even dangerous passes and shots on target. Osman is done and it appears so it Pienaar who is smart enough to play this role and ultimately we need an Arteta type. Again a decent creative mid won’t be cheap, probably looking 㾶M.

In summary, then, goodbye Kevin (and a number of others); hello, new attacking midfield trio and cover elsewhere if we have any cash left.

And it would be good to win the Derby game without having to wish broken legs on the opposition players Just saying!

I can’t make out from your post if you suggest Coleman needs replacing? If so, I’m confused as to why? Maybe I’m reading it wrong.

However, there is something about Mirallas I have never liked – he’s just too selfish on the pitch. (I have no problem with his ambition off the pitch, but I think he is nothing like as good as he thinks he is, and this too makes him look a bit of a prat.)

While I’m on a rant, I tire of the ’grow a pair’ and ’rip him a new one’ turns of phrase. Sorry, very grumpy this morning.

Bargains will be the order of the day so hopefully Martinez has got the next Valencia up his sleeve, or perhaps Deulofeu can be lured back for a reasonable fee given his struggles. It’s gonna be a busy Summer surely as Martinez needs to complete his overhaul and build a squad of able bodied players capable of taking us back up the table.

Thank Kev for his services, and his occasional flashes of brilliance, but inform him that the team requires more consistency and sell him to the highest bidder.

Move on 40 years and a player not fit to lick those white boots thinks he is bigger than Everton FC. Tell me where you want to go Mirallas I’ll come and pick you up and drive you there NOW!

Saw him play at Soton and even there he was adored and admired. He has to be Everton’s greatest ever player, sorry Dixie (even if you did date my grandma back in 1926).

He knows full well he needs to keep his nose clean after recent events and this is just him raising his middle finger to the fans and fellow team mates.

Its all very well saying all players want to play champions league football but Mirallas knows full well what these comments will do. It reopens a recent wound and just pours petrol on the fire.

An average player who when he can be arsed can play well, get rid while we can and get some coin. In 18 months time doubt we will ever mention him again.

Bill Shankly would have put him on the transfer list the next day under the old system.

Can Everton’s players give interviews to anyone without the approval of the club about content?

With that in mind IÂ’m going for us to win 2-0 in unspectacular fashion.

He cost us 2 valuable pts. in a bid to self promote himself, presumably so he would be that little bit more attractive to a suitor!

That's what's off putting about football today, the majority of players have little club loyalty, I do realise its their profession but it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when true supporters of the club are spending a small fortune each season, while these pampered over paid players are laughing all the way to their banks!
More fool us, I suppose.

KM as a footballer is looking at a pay day and a chance to further his career. I am more concerned about our board showing some of the same ambitions instead of treading water year on year.

Third spot and Champions League is wide open this season Kevin, but for some reasons you and your colleagues have downed tools most of the season and its not going to happen through a league position. You still have a chance to get CL football for next season, win the Europa League.

And finally on you Kevin, perhaps if you had been fit more often, played more consistently when you have been fit, and played for the team rather than Kevin Mirallas FC, well who knows....

Carsley didn't do too bad for himself, or Fellaini, or Lineker and Ball (Alan). There was probably a few more in between as well.