Everton's staying power is a transfer window positive

Kieran Kinsella
1 Posted 01/09/2015 at 23:15:48

Another owner might have thrown a Molotov cocktail into the Gwladys Street End and burnt Goodison down. Had we signed a number 10 he might have been struck by a meteorite and killed on his way to Finch Farm.

So as long as there's a way that things could have been worse then we should just be thankful to our mercurial leader. What a crock.

Dave Ganley
2 Posted 02/09/2015 at 02:35:54

The phrase clutching at straws springs to mind

Ciaran Duff
3 Posted 02/09/2015 at 05:12:15

Geez guys, we are happy campers today!

In terms of holding out on Stones, in spite of a concerted media campaign, I think the majority of our fans are very happy with the club's approach. Most other clubs & fans seem to be pleasantly surprised at how we held out and Mourinho's sour puss is a joy to behold.

I thought the rest of our transfers were pretty good (especially Deulofeu) but obviously we would have liked a top class No 10. Yarmolenko would have been class but DK seem to be very difficult to deal with. As RM said, he won't sign someone for the sake of it but hopefully he becomes available in Jan or June.

Jim Bennings
4 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:10:19

I imagine the search for the number 10 will continue until January and the strength of that search will depend on how the team is performing and Barkley in particularly.

I said yesterday I have a feeling that there will be one or two departures in January raking in a few quid. I don't see Stones going until next summer now; Everton are probably quietly hoping for an auction that involves the two Manchester sides.

Jim Bennings
5 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:22:10

I still believe the only reason we refused the fair offer of £8 million for Naismith was due to how late it was in the window. I think if that offer or one anywhere near like it comes again in January, then we will almost certainly take it. It's clear Naismith wants regular football.

I wouldn't be surprised if McGeady left for cheap, maybe back to Celtic, or up to Sunderland.

I'd really like to see a strong interest in Charlie Austin in January, again it will depend on how the side is playing, will we be scoring enough, who knows but goals in the league have been our Achilles Heel over the years.

Mike Allison
6 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:34:33

It's a player from the left we need, not a No 10. Yarmolenko would have been perfect as Martinez wants the left-sided player to be part winger, part playmaker.

I'm frustrated with the window, but it does seem like the Kiev owner made it impossible to sign Yarmolenko.

It feels like we've overpaid for both of yesterday's signings though, let's hope they prove to be worth it.

Kieran Fitzgerald
7 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:53:13

Apparently we can only call it a positive window if we spend sixty or seventy million and outdo every other team apart from City. The club tries to spend sensibly, it's cheap and is embarrassed by Stoke, Bournemouth, West Ham and Watford.

Maybe, just maybe, we are trying to put money aside for a new stadium, or to pay down debts. We refuse to be held to ransom by clubs like Kiev and we're idiots. We for once don't sell to raise funds and it's ignored by fans.

Jesus, are we that far gone that we can't have a balanced view or can't see positives when they are staring us in the face.

Mike Allison
8 Posted 02/09/2015 at 08:58:23

No Kieran, but we had 3 months to sign a player the manager said publicly we need, and we didn't do it.

That in itself constitutes a failure.

Scott Hamilton
9 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:13:49

On the Sky website Paul Merson has given Everton a "C" for our transfer dealings. This is the lowest grade he gives to any team and he bases it on the fact that we didn't sell Stones!

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/15205/9975608/paul-mersons-transfer-window-grades-premier-league-business-rated

Jim Bennings
10 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:15:42

The reality over the Yarmolenko thing was that I don't think he was really that interested in the move to Everton, he's a top drawer footballer, I think he will go to someone in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid somewhere along those lines.

We really could have done more to sign this creative central midfielder, let's be honest, it's not something that has only just become an issue, it's been a problem for a long time and right throughout last season so we had enough time to find a lad capable of unlocking doors.

People say Barkley can do this, whilst Ross has ability, I'm still to be convinced he is this kind of player, he started the season well but over the course of it I'm not yet convinced he's the answer to being number 10..

We know have a few months to stay afloat and keep ourselves about the top 10-12 until the next window opens, one things for sure now, as with all clubs, the money IS there!!

So there can't be any excuses.

Colin Glassar
11 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:16:41

Merson (in my bad books right now) called it right last night when he said "only the mid-to-bottom table teams go mad in the transfer window. The better run run clubs just buy a few players to improve their squads".

I know some of you are envious of the likes of Stoke, Newcastle, Bournemouth, Watford and WHU etc...but we will be better than all of them this season as we usually are. I still wanted that elusive number 10 mind.

Jim Bennings
12 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:21:52

Colin

I hope your not made to regret your words mate!

I can see a real right old battle to finish ahead of clubs like Leicester, Palace, West Ham, Swansea this season.

Gone are the days of pushovers in the Premier League, it's changed a lot even since Moyes was here, you could handpick a battle between us, Villa and Tottenham over who finished 5th or 6th.

It's mighty competitive now.

Nigel Gregson
13 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:22:15

Mike this type of player is quite hard to find / come by, especially with our low budget and our need to be sure of a player that we buy. So, we are forced to buy what becomes available – which we did extremely well this window.

Could you suggest a few players in the David Silva mould who were easily available in our budget and we obviously missed out on?

Colin Glassar
14 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:34:18

We say the same every season, Jim, and every season the big buyers like QPR and Hull get relegated.

Apologies for calling you a Yarmolenko 'worshiper' on another thread btw. I know you're not.

Nick Entwistle
15 Posted 02/09/2015 at 09:55:26

Once the agents and the players get their hands on this extra money, the Premier League will return to the haves and have-nots.

For all the money sloshing around for years, clubs should be able to keep their pants dry at the sight of a large bid, but it never happens and it won't happen due to what Alan Sugar calls "prune juice" economics.

There are very few English players the top clubs want from the remainder of the PL. Sterling left, Berahno and Stones remained. It's easier and cheaper to go abroad. Stones could well go for £25 M in two summers time because once again we're skint.

Or maybe £18M because as the next big thing he may end up like Barkley and just be another kid not quite showing enough for that big move into the CL.

Patrick Murphy
16 Posted 02/09/2015 at 10:05:33

Most clubs have a window that lasts for 8-10 weeks. Everton seem to have a window that lasts for a week or a fortnight; even other reporters on the Echo are questioning the lack of purchasing power during this window and the general assessment is that overall the window was OK but many don't think it will solve the issues that have beset the team in the last 12 months or so.

Buying for buying's sake is not the answer; however, if key areas of the team need addressing, then the manager and directors should strive to solve those issues.

I wouldn't expect Everton to be challenging for European places this season; given the additions to the squad, we'll probably finish mid-table this season, but more comfortably than we did last season. Progress of a sort, I suppose...

Jim Bennings
17 Posted 02/09/2015 at 10:25:51

I know what you're saying, Colin, but we already finished below Crystal Palace and Swansea last season and on early evidence they both look equally as good, if not better than us; they have both made good signings, whilst we have made some decent one's. Mori won't be a starter, Cleverley out until November at least, Deulofeu and Lennon both good but vying for one position.

Whoever we sign, the obvious question mark is Martinez: Can he get a team to gel? Can he get the team playing fast fluent but most importantly "end product" football?

So far in our four games, we have had one great result, one good result and two disappointing results, but so far only ONE good 90 minute performance (at Southampton).

Let's see exactly where we are in three months time but we need to start winning more matches, it's okay nicking some draws at Spurs etc but wins get you up the table.

Jim Bennings
18 Posted 02/09/2015 at 10:40:30

I think what I really want to see is this Everton team and Martinez prove that they can win when the going gets tough, when opponents park the bus at Goodison. Last season, that became a major problem for us and frankly over the last 12 months our home form has been dire.

We have some extremely testing fixtures on the horizon so let's see what Martinez, his coaching staff and the players have in their armoury.

Nitesh Kanchan
19 Posted 02/09/2015 at 12:13:03

With plenty of pace in the squad, I hope Martinez rotates them well and sensibly, especially in consecutive games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool to avoid any injuries.

Deulofeu should start in home games.

Dave Ganley
20 Posted 02/09/2015 at 13:43:56

I agree, Jim, with most of your points in general. We basically have the same squad as last season with an inconsistent Deulofeu, Tom Cleverley being played out of position, and a £9.5M??? unknown defender.

We were pretty hopeless for most of last season and we needed something a bit different out of this window to be able to offer a bit of an X-Factor to break down stubborn defences. We don't have that and, unless we somehow completely change the way we play, then more of the same is heading our way again for the rest of the season.

I also agree, Jim, that we have been pretty poor this season to date, Southampton apart; that highlighted just what we needed from the transfer window and we failed once again. It is hard to point the finger of blame for this as we don't know if Martinez just dithered too much or the board just didn't give him any money (the latter reason is my favourite). However, whoever is culpable, it has still been a disastrous window in regards to strengthening.

People will point to the retention of Stones and while I agree that keeping him was important, to not strengthen in the obvious areas is awful if we want to progress as a team.

I guess justifying this depends on ones ambition for the team. I want us to be competitive and challenge for the top 6/7 but I fear we will be lucky to challenge for the top 10. People forget that last season's finish was the worst finish for 9 years and we played some abysmal football!! We haven't recruited to any significant extent and people expect us to suddenly climb the table and challenge for the upper places. The mind boggles.

I would be more optimistic if we had started the season well but we haven't. We are still playing the same sterile type of football which was highlighted last Saturday when we barely troubled the Spurs defence and almost committed Hari Kari with Keystone Cops defending. It should have been a rout really but fortunately Spurs were so bad in the final third, they couldn't even score in the Grafton!!

I will be quite happy to eat my words and also swallow down a large slice of humble pie if we manage to get into gear and prove me wrong but I highly doubt we will.

Mark Andersson
21 Posted 02/09/2015 at 14:04:54

Not bothered or surprised, predictable in Everton's case. The Stones saga was orchestrated by the board, they bottled it as they knew there would be a riot.

I feel sorry for all the fans who delude themselves into thinking it's going to be okay. Reminds me of the crowds looking up at the TV screens in pubs and clubs all over Merseyside when the lotto was first introduced. Their hopes and dreams they had all week of becoming instant millionaires evaporated as each number popped out, only to walk away scrunching up and throwing away another losing ticket and dream.

The reality is Everton are no longer a big club; yes, we have history and a great fan base, but that's all it is.

You regular posters, be it the deluded hopeful ones or the semi-sane ones, keep me amused and entertained. I've learnt a lot since I've been a TW addict. Polar opposite views is the very core of this website, and somewhere in between I too have the deluded dreams of going back to the future when we truly were the Mighty Blues.

I have learnt that all views are valid even if I don't agree with some of them. Bobby Bullshit, Billy Liar, it's all a soap opera called football.

Here's hoping for more good games than bad, but right now I think Swansea fans will always be happier than us.

On a final note, it could be worse, think how deluded Red Shite fans are. Each season they spend, spend spend. Still fuck all to show for it. The mercaneries are laughing all the way to the bank. You gotta love it, it really is a funny old game.

Mike Allison
22 Posted 02/09/2015 at 15:14:45

Not anymore, Nigel. Time was I might have reeled off a list names, but we should be able to trust our scouting system to do that.

It just seems like we deliberately left things late, and it's led to not signing something we needed and over-paying for the two we did get.

Btw, I'm basically in agreement with Colin's #11 para. 2 and not one of those unfavourably comparing us to other clubs. I'm unfavourably comparing us to what I think we could and should have done. And it's only that one player, but it's a big one.

Martin Mason
23 Posted 03/09/2015 at 17:43:58

A lot of people find EFC's low spending a real negative but I think it shows a positive in that, as we're generally not slipping as a result, we're obviously making up the difference by buying low and developing our own talent.

It's a fine balance but I believe that the best way to develop a team is to buy as few players as possible and then only if they improve the quality of the squad significantly. Add to this the real positivity in reducing the number of good players that we sell and maybe things don't look as bad as some would have us believe.