Forget the outs... Where are the ins???

, 30 July, 60comments  |  Jump to most recent
This comment article in the Echo captures the sense of panic and foreboding gripping many Evertonians as they contemplate entering the new season with precious few new resources to challenge an even more competitive Premier League season where Roberto Martinez's plans do not appear to have been given enough financial support from the Everton Board of Directors.

» Read the full article at Liverpool Echo



Reader Comments (60)

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Dick Fearon
1 Posted 30/07/2015 at 14:40:47
Rumours about hammies include Pienaar, Lukaku and Deulofeu... plus possible transfers of Stones, Mirallas and McCarthy could see Hibbert at centre-back, Osman in midfield, Kone at centre-forward, Naismith on the left and McGeady on the right.

Lord preserve us, what a frightening thought!
Paul Kennedy
2 Posted 30/07/2015 at 14:42:51
With the amount of money we are being offered for our younger players, would it not be prudent to accept and bring in more experienced proven players?

Not withstanding Rooney, our superstar youngsters have been very few and far between who have fulfilled the potential, going back to when we used to play Home Farm from Ireland and got the next George Best but it did not work. Then Danny Cadamarteri... vanished; Francis Jeffers... sold to Arsenal, last I heard in Scotland;Rodwell; Gosling; Lukaku... always looking for the bigger club or so we are led to believe.

Barkley was valued at £50 million at the end of the 2013-14 season... how much is he worth now on last season's showing?

All ones for the future but not achieving potential really!!So should we take the money. If we are not considering the offers, why are we trying to bring in a Champions League player from Celtic?

He will not be content with being on the bench. I know it's selling our potential but I would like some proven players instead of maybe or give him time. Contentious, I know

Steve Cotton
3 Posted 30/07/2015 at 14:43:50
Things are getting desperate when even the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post start asking the club 'Where are the players we need to be able to compete this season' We are once again the lowest spending team in the league and kick off is 9 days away.

All this talk about Stones or any of the other players leaving is surely not even the most important thing on the agenda. What about getting in some much needed reinforcements? We have 5 players down with hamstring strains and we are short in at least 5 other positions regardless. If Billy Bullshitter doesn't come up with the goods soon, it won't be pretty.

Joe Foster
4 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:18:17
The old adage "you’ve got to spend money to make money" does not seem to apply to our board.
Neil Thomas
5 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:20:50
More than anything, we need a quality Number 10 cause we’re not creating enough chances at the moment.
Paul Mackie
6 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:21:53
Paul #2 - Do you not remember the 90's? I seem to remember our policy then being to bring in 'experienced' players and that didn't work out too well for us. Also, saying we should have cashed in on Barkley for £50m, the only people valuing him that high were knobhead journos and posters on here.

We have what looks to be a decent crop of youngsters coming through, we need to let them develop and spend what little cash we have on quality players to fill in any gaps. Selling them off will NEVER enable us to catch up to the clubs with money as we'd be spending the money we get to effectively stand still.

Say we get £30m for Stones, how much would we have to spend to get a defender equally as good? Probably a large chunk of that £30m. Look at the RS for example, they sold Suarez for an obscene amount of money and spent it on 3 or 4 players who they thought would improve their team. It didn't exactly work out for them did it? Same when Man U sold Ronaldo, it most definitely left them weaker despite them buying a few players with the cash.

Bill Farmer
7 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:24:54
At risk of being seen as a mischief maker, could it be that BK & Co. have lost faith in Roberto and are thus not prepared to back his judgement in the market?

Or is it as the managers says that we've a well balanced squad with just a couple of 'extra numbers' required?

Jay Harris
8 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:31:45
We are slowly being turned into Wigan.

Selling off our best players and bringing in "has beens" or "never was" players.

What happened to the statement "I will get you CL" or did he really mean Championship and Bill chose to change the words as he does.

Although we see a lot of promising kids they are nowhere near ready for the pace and power of the Premiership.

I just wonder based on RM's record of buying to date whether Bill and cronies are hanging him out to dry.

Top and bottom of it is I have never been happy with Kenwright and I couldn't believe we appointed Martinez.

EFC deserve better and the supporters deserve better.

Denis Richardson
9 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:35:05
Steve - fully agree with your comments and whilst there may be negotiations happening behind the scenes, I'm really beginning to question whether the problem lies with the club (from a cash perspective) or with the manager (cannot persuade players to come) or both.

Cash can surely not be the issue as, even if we haven't got the sky millions in our account now, the banks and other clubs know its coming so signing someone cannot be a cash matter. Most of the targets we've been linked with so far have been really underwhelming, to put it nicely. The window is open another month but it looks increasingly likely that we're not doing any new business before the KO. If either of Jags or Stones gets injured, we're really going to be in the shit when the tough games post Watford start.

We knew in JANUARY that we'd be releasing two senior CBs in the summer and it's now 10 days before the season start and we've not signed a CB and look like we may well be losing a 3rd. It's not easy getting a player but we've known for over half a year that we'd need at least 1 CB and I cannot believe we still haven't signed anyone. Added to that;

- We still don't have a decent back up for Coleman at RB
- We still don't have a LM, unless we finally play Oviedo there
- We still don't have the elusive No.10
- We don't have a decent second striker

All it takes is 2-3 injuries to first teamers and suddenly our side is barely better than the bottom sides. (Any of Coleman, Jags, Stones, Lukaku gets injured.....)

Dave Lynch
10 Posted 30/07/2015 at 15:48:18
Why oh why do we expect anything different other than heartache and frustration?

I honestly reckon that Stones and any other outgoings will happen just prior to the window closing, the money will then mysteriously dissapear into the ether and never be seen again.

Being outspent by the might of Stoke, Bournemouth et al is bad enough but I read somewhere that even Wolves have spent more than us.

Matt Traynor
11 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:02:34
Bill #7, as much as you and others would like to see the back of our manager, we could have Kendall or Catterick in their heyday, even Mourihno under this board would still have the same shitty hand to deal with.

I know you are relatively new to these pages, but there's articles passim bemoaning our pathetic net spend under this board. It's got fuck all to do with Bill losing faith - if he sacks him he still has to pay him off.

John Daley
12 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:21:10
I would guess there will be another couple of incomings but, in typical Everton fashion, it may go down to the wire. Martinez already mentioned early on that he saw a creative midfielder/ number 10 (as they must now and forever be known) as a priority, and I really can't believe that any manager, in any league, would truly think they can make it through an entire season with just two centre halves in the squad.

Those two positions need strengthening as a bare minimum.

Patrick Murphy
13 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:27:55
The club hasn't as a rule for the whole of BK's time at the helm spent hugely on transfers, one season may see a flurry of activity as it did last year with the purchases of Lukaku et al and the following season tends to see little to no incoming activity.

Considering that we had a nett spend of circa £36m last year plus the £4.5m the club has so far spent this season, I just cannot see how we are going to be spending big on incoming players for the rest of this window without losing one or two or our key players.

The TV revenues are significant but on the whole are used to pay the players wages. There will also be a shortfall of circa £11m of TV money this year which will in part be made up with the UEFA prize money but it will probably mean we have lower income from that source than last season.

So if the club want to prevent the nett debt from climbing back towards its previous level (£45m) it will be unlikely to purchase high value players during this or the January transfer window unless it brings in revenue from the sale of current first-team players.

Not what we want to hear, but that's the way it always has been and there's no evidence to suggest anything different will occur this time around.

Jay Harris
14 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:29:04
Still think our priority should be firepower.

We need goals from MF and a backup for Lukaku.

Martin Mason
15 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:30:02
FFS stop panicking Captain Mainwaring, the Echo is a paper that sells copy based on doom and gloom but don’t buy into it. There’s a month left of the transfer window and we’re competing with maybe hundreds of similar clubs in Europe for the very few decent buys that are really available. The last thing that we should do is rush into buying players that don’t improve the team just for the sake of buying.

It’s nonsense that we don’t have back up especially in defence (we're loaning out one of the better LBs in the country and I’d bet on the likes of Browning and Galloway to do a great job if asked) and midfield, we’re not short of numbers only real quality. It’s quite likely that the EFC staff are scouring the world for those buys that would improve the team. It is very unlikely that they are sitting down saying we haven’t got the money so let’s not bother.

We are probably looking at many, many options including selling to buy and the likeliest outcome is that it’ll all happen at the end of August. It is also possible that if we can’t buy players who can genuinely improve the team at the right price then we won’t buy at all.
Clive Rogers
16 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:49:52
It really does seem strange. There were two positions I felt sure would be strengthened first, central defender with Alcaraz and Distin going, and the No. 10 that Martinez has been saying we needed since the end of last season. I don’t see Cleverley being the right fit for the latter.

The squad, rather than being weak, looks a bit unbalanced, with no real cover for RB, no experienced cover for CD, and no reliable cover for Lukaku. Unless of course our youngsters are deemed good enough to step up to the plate. There are of course still another four weeks of the window. We live in hope.
Jay Harris
17 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:54:56
It is OK saying don't panic as there are 4 weeks left of the window but the season starts in just over a week. We have had 6 months to prepare for squad additions and yet we are still the lowest spenders at this point and people say don't panic.

A bit more fuckin urgency in the boardroom wouldn't go amiss.

Nick Page
18 Posted 30/07/2015 at 16:56:24
I’ll eat my fecking shoe if we sign someone before Watford. Kim-Jong Bill and his merry little band of cohorts have zero intention of dipping into the other operating expenses/bill’s desk draw fund even after Stones gets the push for £34M. And he will.

We should be focusing on getting rid of the board and attracting someone, somewhere with a bit more (any) ambition. It seems like we've all lost perspective on what this man has brought to the club and it would appear that most of us are suffering from a mild form of Stockholm Syndrome, with little or no recollection of what it's like to be free from this malaise.
Matt Traynor
19 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:00:12
Why Jay #17? The Board are on Easy Street with our fans. Bill will get an extra big round of applause after his recent ill-health (and as much as I want him gone, I hope it's not due to ill health).

I'm just amazed the Echo or the Post has dared to question them. The latest circulation figures must be dire.

The Echo will be gone before our Board I think.

Kevin Tully
20 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:11:51
This thread is hysterical. Those European giants of football, Bournemouth AFC, have outspent us over the past five seasons, yet some are pointing out the board may be holding millions back because they don't trust the manager.

Anyone wanna buy a bridge?

Tom Bowers
21 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:14:14
This is a good question. Where are the ins? Is that it, RM? From what we saw last season and so far in the pre-season nothing really gives us confidence things will be any different.

If a team is to do well in this league they have to be speedily proficient in springing from their own third into the opponents third and Everton’s midfielders don’t seem to have this.

Playing across the back to and for just to keep possession is of no value if it just allows the opponents time to regroup and limit space.

We all know that the season before last saw Everton’s fullbacks become the best attackers but that was basically nullified last season.

Perhaps Deulofeu, Mirallas, Barkley and Cleverley may have something more to offer and results will be better?

Certainly we need more quick breaks and more goals as a result but somehow I cannot see the present personnel having the ability nor the present manager turning things around.

Another striker is urgently needed unless McAleny makes a big breakthrough ahead of Kone.

Chris Wilson
22 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:23:19
Folks don’t panic yet. It’s what Chelsea and the rest of the rich bitches hope you do.

For the sake of our finances, we have usually done business late in the window. It sucks, but prices are better later because clubs have had a chance to evaluate where they stand with their own personnel.

Teams now have an idea of which players with expiring contracts they could re-sign, and those who wish to leave. Teams finalize their decisions on what positions and players they want; who they’re willing to sell or loan out.

Sometimes it takes players until the end of the window to push for a move. Sometimes clubs panic near the deadline when they realize they have to sell a certain player to get the most money for themselves. Timing is one of the most important aspects of a transfer.

But do bear in mind; unlike some teams, we conduct our transfer business away from of the press, behind closed doors. Generally speaking, we don’t usually hear about Everton signings until maybe a day before they occur.

Until then, it does get eerily quiet. So let’s just keep breathing and be patient. If Cleverley and Deulofeu are our only completed business come September 2, then you have every right to unleash Hell!

Jim Lloyd
23 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:25:31
John (12) and Martin (15) have the right of it, I think.

Roberto said, before the window opened, that he expected/wanted, two very quick deals done and expected two more, late on. I’m sure, that if money was available, then Roberto would have who he wants in now. He has talked about wanting a midfield maestro and I think he’d have him by now if he could.

Two posters wrote about the debt situation at EFC (around £110 million) and they both made the point that any relatively expensive player would only come in towards the end of the window... if at all!

I think we will do well to keep our best players and maybe strengthen with "the midfielder" he’s after and possibly a decent defender.

Of course, if Stones is sold, then we might well get a couple of good players in. But why sell a player like Stones and replace him with an older, lesser talent.

So if we keep Stones, then I don’t see us getting more players in until the end of the window.

Frank McGregor
25 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:40:16
Don’t panic there is time left to get the right player in at the right price. If you look at the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham, I believe they spent over £100 million on new players and really did not get value for money last season and the season before that.

I believe that some of the players they signed for large sums are no longer with the clubs or on their way out.

Yes, we do need new players in defence and forwards who are experienced and of good quality to assist the team to move up the league this year.
Danny Halsall
26 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:44:02
Not worried to be honest, we have brought in two buys which seem to be shrewd business and, contrary to what people have said or still believe, the likes of Stones and Mirallas are still Everton players.

I wonder if people would be happy if we were conducting our transfers like, say, West Ham. Throwing money at whichever half-decent player becomes available. Although there is more money in the Premier League, we are still a club who needs to pick moves carefully in the transfer market. I firmly believe that we will spend more in the window, substantially more. We just need to be patient and remember that so far we have retained a really strong spine of talented young players who now have considerable Premier League experience.

Jay Harris
27 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:46:38
So Jim (#23), are you advocating that we start the season down two CBs from last season and 5 hamstring injured players, including the only real goalscorer we have at the club?

What happened to the statement "We need to come flying out of the blocks and start the season well". Do you realize we play most of the top clubs early on and, based on the Arsenal performance, they will tear us apart.

There is absolutely no excuse why EFC haven't done more to get reinforcements in. Even the Echo are beginning to question what is going on.

Kristian Boyce
28 Posted 30/07/2015 at 17:53:40
I think the whole Stones issue has caused a hold up in transfer plans. I reckon Martinez had a list of potential players within a small budget that were going to be targeted. As many have mentioned, couple in early, and a couple a little later on in the window. With the possibility of Stones leaving for big money now, better players with bigger transfer fees could be potentially brought in instead.

I also think Chelsea realize this situation, and that’s why they are bidding lower amounts than most people were expecting. After the first bid, figures of 30m+ were being mentioned, but a lower 26m bid was submitted instead. Also the length of time between the bids was much longer than the media was touting. Until someone comes out and says he’s not for sale at any price, I can see small increment bids coming in on a weekly basis.
Paul Smith
29 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:04:16
It seems The Echo might finally be questioning the goings on at EFC. And rightly so!

Still think BK doesn't trust him and that's why no signings.

Trevor Lynes
30 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:09:50
Why Oh Why do the fans continue to blame the manager – and that goes for DM too – when it is blatantly obvious that the board are hanging on to the last minute to lay any money out?All the rest of the teams in the Premier League are obviously wrong by buying early and bedding new players in.We are the only club who is right! So there!
Gavin Johnson
31 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:15:28
We lost out to West Ham for the CB they bought for £8.5m. I read we offered £9m. This bid is more than speculation because the player, can't remember his name off hand, said as much on Twitter, thanking us for the interest and how we conducted things. So the money has been set aside for the new CB so I see no need to panic.

We also lost out to West Ham on the creative midfielder they bought from Marseilles. That said, other than paper talk, we don't know how serious that interest was.

So, looking at the bigger picture, I fully expect us to sign the CB (either Dragovic and Van Dijk please) and a No 10 or striker. A striker would be more welcome out of the two from me. There's also the possibility that Lennon will be re-signed, but I believe the two or three deals will be done in typical Everton fashion and at the close of September the 8th.

Derek Knox
32 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:26:42
Having read most of the comments on here, I, like most fellow Evertonians, am getting a little anxious as to the lack of transfer activity.

I fear that we may lose a couple of our promising youngsters, with last minute replacements, devoid of quality, not to mention the replacements for Distin and Alcaraz. While not exactly regulars, we have also lost Chris Long and John Lundstram. Both of whom, I thought would step up as a matter of progression.

I am still not overly confident about having Tim and El Teflon, as our last line of defence either. While Robles has got slighly better with limited appearances, it can't be said likely of Tim, who I feel cost a lot of points, earlier on in the season.

I just hope and pray that, we will kick off the campaign, which has a testing few fixtures, in better shape than we are at present.

Rant over!

Steve Cotton
34 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:40:26
Martin Mason you are rapidly starting to look like Boys Pen Bill’s apologist

You are suggesting that RM should take every second available to make his mind up.

He knew the two centre-backs were leaving 6/7 months ago. He knew Lukaku was our only recognised striker 12 months ago.

You do know the season starts in 10 days?

Jim Lloyd
35 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:41:17
Well Jay (26)

First of all, I'm not advocating that we start the season under strength in any position and certainly not advocating we start 5 players short.

What I'm saying, is that our manager is likely to be restricted in his purchasing ability...no matter how many of our players get injured between now and the start of the season; or indeed after the window shuts.

Can we put any injuries aside for one moment and concentrate on the players that possibly might come in (excluding whether Stones is sold or not) it seemed to me that Roberto said at the beginning of the window. He said that he expected us to get two players in very quickly and then two players late in the window.

Having seen his comments about wanting a midfield maestro, I'll have a gues as that is the man if he can be found, that he will spend most of any money he's given. The one thing that might alter that, is he gets the man he wants on loan with a view to buy. Then a Center Half, I would guess is what his other target is.

I think he will have identified the players he wants and will have a list of each. Whether he'll get them will depend on what other clubs do and what cash we have. But nevertheless, I think, he'll get those two if he can. He might get other players on loan, we'll have to wait and see.

Your other point about the 5 injured players. Well I could be wrong here but are you saying we will have to replace the players that Roberto has caused to be injured by his fitness regime?

If you are then that's a slightly different point I would think. The club will make "ample funds available" according to our CEO, for Roberto to get players in. Now in my bitter and twisted mind that means BK will give some money from the TV; but not the lot, to our manager.

Am I advocating that we start the season "flying out the blocks" with five players with hamstring injuries, well no I'm not. But that isn't going to alter who we bring in.

As for the view that Roberto's fitness training methods are the primary cause of the injuries to our players. I could be wrong but I think that is bollocks but a separate point to the ins and out.

Jay Harris
36 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:46:10
Martin,

if you think 6 months to plan and search is rushing into things god help us all.

The club decided months ago not to renew Distin or Alcaraz contracts and we have had 2 years to find out that Kone is not up to standard.

We have known for a long time that Pienaar and Osman were getting on and no longer up for 90 minutes, let alone a whole season.

The fact that we are the lowest spending club and also have one of the smallest squads in the Premier League is the most telling situation but you go and bury your head in the sand and blindly follow Kenwright to oblivion.

Steve Cotton
37 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:46:58
Assuming we got £1 million each for Long and Ledson then we are almost break even...
Eugene Ruane
38 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:50:15
"Look, it wasn't an ideal solution, but here are the facts. The weather was very cold and the hat I had with me wasn't providing much insulation. Yet in no time, because of his quick thinking, my head was as warm as toast"

This I imagine would be the response if Kenwright shat in Martin Mason's hat.

A logical conclusion on my part based is based on constant, disingenuous, apologist nonsense like 'There's a month left of the transfer window' (as Jay #17 rightly states - 'the season starts in just over a week').

Then there's the sleight-of-hand of 'and we're competing with maybe hundreds of similar clubs in Europe for the very few decent buys that are really available'

Hundreds of similar clubs?

Surely being the 20th richest club in the world Link means we're not similar to hundreds of other clubs in Europe (and if we have the 20th highest income, but can't compete with hundreds clubs below why can't we?)

As for filler bum-fluffery like 'The last thing that we should do is rush into buying players that don't improve the team just for the sake of buying', if the 'no shit Sherlock' award hasn't been presented yet...

Sam Hoare
39 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:55:24
There will be lots of deals and potential deals lined up right now and most of them interdependent. It will be a juggling act right down to the last minute...

I will eat my hat if we don't have 2-3 more players in the squad by end of deadline.

Jay Harris
40 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:56:32
Jim,
I am not suggesting we replace the injured players, they are a part and parcel of football but in my opinion it does present more urgency to get a player who can contribute goals in the absence of Lukaku and our so-called MF maestro before the glut of fixtures against the top clubs.

My frustration is that this is not a one-off window. This happens every year under Kenwright which is presumably why Moyes cashed his chips in.

We can no longer pretend to have no money while conveniently clocking up record debts and interest payments to the BVI.

The Premier League is awash with money and yet we are being outspent by the likes of West Ham, Stoke and even Bournemouth.

If we have any ambition to eat at the top table we need quality additions otherwise we might as well confirm our status as a "small" club.

Jay Harris
42 Posted 30/07/2015 at 18:59:30
You have always had a way with words Eugene.

Still you got me out of my depression....thanks.

Jim Bennings
43 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:05:57
I complained about our lack of transfer activity about three or four weeks ago buy was shot down by "it's early in the summer, be patient".

Now the season is almost upon us and still there’s no sign at all of anymore incoming signings but continued talk of players leaving.

Gavin Johnson
44 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:13:41
In in an ideal world we’d have already brought in the additional 2-3 signings, but this is how we normally conduct business at Everton so it’s nothing out of the ordinary with Bullshit Billy at the helm.

I get the feeling with have identified targets based on our budget and there’s another set of targets that have more of the ’wow’ factor, that are dependent on us getting an offer we can’t refuse for Stones or McCarthy.

This has echos of Martinez’s first summer in charge when we had Man Utd circling around Baines and Fellaini. Business was done late and it turned out okay. I think we’ll be pleasantly surprised come deadline on the 8th. Either that, or we’ll just be grateful we’ve signed anyone...

I’m thinking the season we signed Stracqualursi and Drenthe when we’d sold our best player and it looked like there’d be no incomings. I really hope it’s a deadline like the former rather than the latter scenario.

Jim Lloyd
45 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:18:48
Jay,

I 100% agree with you. If we leave views over Martinez aside, or any other manager we've had (or will have in the foreseeable), we’ll have fuck all to spend in comparison to our (well, I was going to say our top six competitors but they’re way ahead of us and going further ahead) mid-table competitors.

We get frustrated because we see how easy it is (or seems to be) for the Redshite and others buying who they want.

Well, I detest Kenwright (probably shouldn’t because it brings bad Karma) but I do. Since we lost the Kings Dock opportunity, I think we consigned our route to greatness again, gone up in smoke.

The selfishness of the man pisses me right off. I see the efforts of Moyes and now Martinez and could enjoy arguments about the relative strengths of both. The type of football the espouse and their differing outlooks (knife to a gunfight v we can get into C/L without megabucks).

That’ll keep us going throughout many a weekend over the coming season along with many other discussion topics.

But deep down, I look at the fucking great big stand I see from the bottom of our street getting higher and bloody higher and I despair.

So I don’t blame Roberto for not getting players in yet (though the two he’s got in I like the look of). I blame the fat fucker (sorry about being fattist) who treats the club as his own dream machine. We will not give our manager any cash until almost the last day of the window. That’s my guess//fear.

So you’re not alone, mate, but our manager is our manager and I’ll back him until he shows me there’s no point. This season, I think, we will be better than last... much better. I hope!!!

Martin Mason
46 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:22:16
Jim@42

BK was irrelevant in the big picture of KD going ahead. That it didn't go ahead was not because of him.

Martin Mason
48 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:24:14
Jay@38

Can you explain how ambition increases revenue?

Dave Abrahams
49 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:25:33
We’ve had since the end of the last transfer window to get the players we need targeted... maybe they just need to be signed and have already agreed to come, but I wouldn’t bank on that.

In those six months since January, there hasn’t been one syllable from Kenwright except a few muttering so that he's "Not too good". There has been no mention of an AGM.

At the end of last season, he couldn’t announce one quick enough because we were doing okay. I think Billy Boy will be the death of this club.

Jim Lloyd
50 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:28:10
Martin, that’s your view. I accept it.

My view is that we could have had that Stadium but Kenwright decided not to take the proffered loan.

Joe Foster
51 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:33:05
Martin @44,

If you read what Jay said about ambition and spending money on quality players. Quality players will get you up the table/further in cup runs therefore an increase in money.

Joe Foster
53 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:37:27
Martin maybe you would like to enlighten us on this.
Raymond Fox
54 Posted 30/07/2015 at 19:43:23
I think it would help all the clubs and perhaps the players if this first transfer window ended before the season started. It seems farcical that we kick the season off with all/most teams not knowing who the hell's going to be playing for them!

Our squad is starting to look thin on the ground at the moment with Gibson not fit for 5 mins, Osman and Pienaar not 90-min players now, Barry, Hibbert and Kone’s best days are behind them + the injury list keeps growing.

It's to be hoped we keep hold of all our players for the time being, as we want reinforcements not sales.

John Daley
56 Posted 30/07/2015 at 20:02:49
Eugene,

Such behaviour needs to be cut out early, otherwise things will only escalate.

First it's your hat. Then it's your letterbox. Next thing you know, the phrase 'chucking another log on the fire' takes on a whole new meaning:

Link

Dave Pritchard
57 Posted 30/07/2015 at 20:12:40
It was reported yesterday that we have the lowest spend of PL clubs since the end of last season. This is a worry and if we don't get some half-decent players signed up soon then I see little prospect of any improvement on last season's finish.
Nick Page
58 Posted 30/07/2015 at 20:37:04
Martin, Everton Football Club, with all its history and firsts etc etc, should not be a club looking to merely stay in the Premier League. There is a huge, latent fan base, albeit dwindling due to the lack of success.

Under Kenwright's tenure, we have admittedly stabilised somewhat but the man was never prepared to take the next step and now it’s starting to bite despite the huge increase in TV revenues. We have a pitiful ground, non-existent corporate facilities, woeful commercial acumen, an ageing squad that is STILL amongst the smallest in the division and a man running the club that, despite all his "best" efforts hasn’t been able to find ANY credible investment in nearly 20 years.

And all this despite being one of the most decorated clubs in the history of the English top flight. Apparently he is the best salesman for the club. Well if that’s the best we’ve got then God help us. He is actually our captor, not our saviour, as he sees himself.

Eugene Ruane
59 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:04:53
John (49) - Absolutely agree that sort of behaviour needs to be,... um... ’nipped in the bud’ early doors.

Even a ’hint’ of it can lead to damage that can never be repaired.

Link

Kristian Boyce
60 Posted 30/07/2015 at 21:10:38
Dave (#51), we’ve been outspent by half the Championship and even a couple of League One teams.
Phil Rodgers
63 Posted 30/07/2015 at 00:02:28
I understand the plea to stop the negativity but I find nothing about Everton that is positive at the moment. In fact the only positive was John Stones and now it looks like turning to shit.

I hate the Premier League.

Jim Lloyd
64 Posted 30/07/2015 at 00:10:02
Martin (42)
Would you care to elucidate upon your statement that Bill Kenwright’s role in the Kings Dock saga was "irrelevant in the big picture. That it didn’t go ahead was not because of him."

I’m genuinely interested as to how we missed the opportunity of a lifetime of having a world class stadium being built for us for the outlay from the club of 30 MIllion Pounds.

I can only base my perception of our Chairman’s role in the episode from reading the Liverpool Echo.

Although I admit to a dimming of the ould memory banks, I seem to remember the phrase issued from our Chairman's mouth "the £30 Million is ring fenced." I remember him attending a notaries gathering to look at a model of the beautiful Stadium to be, for Everton Football Club on a world class waterfront, and pronouncing how it was Everton’s Home for the Future.

It then seemed to go quiet for a while. I guess while there were various calls from the major partners to the effect of "well, where’s the money Bill?"

That’s when the "other costs" seemed to appear but were never explained, at least nowt that I understood

So if you can point me Martin, to anywhere where I have missed or misinterpreted the Phrase that I saw in the Echo from Bill’s "mate" Paul Gregg.

Something on the lines of "I’m not just going to write an open cheque but I’ll be prepared to lend Everton FC the money (which we were supposed to have had already by the way) on a reverse mortgage basis (never understood that, not being a high finance type of feller.)

And I think he followed up with something on the lines that Bill should vacate the Chairman’s role "as he was fuckin useless" My phraseology there but I guess the sentiment was something similar.

Final nail in the coffin of the good ship "Kings Dock" was our beloved Chairman saying that the Board declined the offer as "it wasn’t in the interests of Everton Football Club."

That’s my understanding of the sorry events that led us (no; condemned us) to the wilderness we have experienced since that sad affair.

So Martin, I’ve gone on a bit because in my own unfinancial world, I saw us having a chance of a beautiful new home, being denied us because of the events I’ve just described.

If you can enlighten my sorry interpretation of those events, I would perhaps have the scales of misunderstanding wiped from my eyes and see our dear Chairman in a whole new light. I would even (not that he’d be arsed) write a public apology on this site for holding our Chairman responsible for fucking up such a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Trevor Peers
65 Posted 31/07/2015 at 00:10:53
If we signed one decent attacking player, either a midfielder or a striker, for £10 million plus, things would look a lot better immediately.
Gavin Johnson
66 Posted 31/07/2015 at 00:21:33
A really good post there Jim. You’ve summarised the KD fiasco perfectly. I try not to think about that too much; it is sickening to think what could have been.

BK’s pride and need to be in the spotlight totally changed the direction of the club and, in that sense, Kenwright is totally self-serving.

Eric Myles
69 Posted 31/07/2015 at 01:31:45
Paul #28, it was the same MO when Moyes was manager with funds only available when we've sold someone.
Jim Lloyd
71 Posted 31/07/2015 at 09:11:19
Yes Gavin, I do the same but at times like this (the counting of the pennies ritual) what happened a decade or more ago comes back to the surface. And after a few pints of Abbot last night, it bubbled over.

Anyway, I hope we get the midfield maestro that Roberto is trying to get and I’d love to see him bring the lad in before the season started. If (the gods forbid) we sell John Stones, now, then we might get the maestro... and a couple of other players of reasonable quality as well.

So, hoping we keep Stonesy, I want to see reinforcements now but don’t see them coming until virtually the last minute of the last day of the window...

If at all!!


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