Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Everton not looking to offload Mirallas

The manager followed up a report in the Liverpool Echo yesterday who suggested that the Belgian remains a key member of the squad despite the fact that he has made just one Premier League start this season.
Mirallas's opportunities this term have been limited by niggling injury, poor form and a three-match suspension and, worryingly for him in the context of next summer's European Championships, he recently lost his place in the Belgium national squad.
However, having offered him a three-year deal that he signed in August, Everton apparently have no intention of letting him go.
"It couldn't be further from the truth,' Martinez said of the notion Mirallas was unhappy.
"Kevin has been a very, very important player while I've been at the football club. The start of this season has been challenging for him because he had a couple of niggles then he had the sending-off so wasn't available for three games. But the way that he's been working in training has been very impressive.
"He's improved as a footballer and it's important for us that Kevin is fresher now going into the second half of the season and we'll get the benefit from that.
"Kevin Mirallas is a very, very important player for Everton - he knows that. What he needs now is to get playing time because the start of the season has been frustrating for him."
Reader Comments (66)
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2 Posted 04/11/2015 at 07:59:55
I wouldn't bet against him starting vs West Ham.
Martinez is trying to change our reputation of being a selling club; witness the Stones saga. I don't think he has to sell any player to raise funds to buy another player. The TV money has given him control that Moyes could only dream of.
4 Posted 04/11/2015 at 08:40:01
He is an expensive benchwarmer – one of the young lads could do that role just as easily.
5 Posted 04/11/2015 at 09:49:53
I would be happy to see him stay and fight his way back in. However, he can't be too pleased with his lot at the moment. I am sure he feels that at this stage of his career he should be one of the first names on a teamsheet... somewhere. So it wouldn't surprise me if he asked to go.
7 Posted 04/11/2015 at 11:26:19
8 Posted 04/11/2015 at 11:52:08
9 Posted 04/11/2015 at 12:16:23
10 Posted 04/11/2015 at 12:18:52
It really annoys me when I see Aaron Lennon on the teamsheet instead of him, but that's Martinez for you.
11 Posted 04/11/2015 at 12:27:40
With Deulofeu and Kone finding form, he is faced with more competition than in years. Even Lennon is more consistent.
That said, I love watching him at his best and would be very sorry to see him go.
12 Posted 04/11/2015 at 12:52:55
Naismith has dropped off a bit, Kone hit form. His time will come, but he needs to seize that moment and make himself undroppable if he wants to be in the team all the time.
13 Posted 04/11/2015 at 13:01:46
I wouldn't even have Kone in competition with him, Kone is a striker and it would be nice to see him play as such. Let's have Mirallas and Deulofeu both for a bit and hopefully see some more 6 goal hauls.
14 Posted 04/11/2015 at 13:05:01
15 Posted 04/11/2015 at 13:35:20
If he's as good as we think he is, then he'll show it and I'll blame Roberto if he still doesn't pick him.
Decent signs against Sunderland. He had an unbelievable game against West Ham (was it last year?). Maybe he'll get a go from the start to make his case.
Love the idea that we might have 4 or 5 attacking wide players... each offering something a bit different and all suitably fresh at different times. Will give us some good options to change up games.
16 Posted 04/11/2015 at 14:03:36
1 - started, subbed, draw, Lennon not available
2 - benched, unused, we battered Southampton, Lennon not available
3 - benched, unused, loss, Lennon not available.
4 - benched, used for second half, draw, Lennon not available
5 - benched, unused, batter chelsea, Lennon plays 30 mins.
6 - benched, draw, sent off on 92 mins, Lennon unused
7 - unavailable, win, Lennon used for 10 mins
8 - unavailable, draw, Lennon used for 30 mins
9 - benched, unused, loss, Lennon used for 75 mins
10 - benched, 20 mins sub, loss, Lennon used for 70 mins
11 - benched, big win, 25 mins sub, Lennon benched and unused
It's true he has been benched a lot. I don't see a bias towards Lennon, who hasn't been used much either really. I also don't see where Mirallas has had a big impact on the teams results - note that our 3 best results didn't involve him much.
I remember him being useless for that first Watford game - perhaps Martinez felt the same.
Martinez also seems to have returned the baton to him after a run of trying Lennon.
I guess we'll see next game.
17 Posted 04/11/2015 at 14:37:34
Our Best XI now is about as clear now as it has been for 2 years:
Robles
Coleman Stones Funes Mori Galloway (Baines, once fit)
Barry McCarthy
Deulofeu Barkley Kone
Lukaku
Subs: Howard, Naismith, Mirallas, Besic, Osman, Lennon. Browning
18 Posted 04/11/2015 at 14:43:37
He appears to see himself as better than Everton, he was convinced to stay after we kept hold of players such as John Stones.
The reality is he'll never have a club calling of a greater calibre of Everton; he's simply not good/consistent enough. Quit moaning Kevin, earn your place on the field, keep it going for dare I say more than 5 games and then talk...
No player is bigger than Everton. They'll come and go; Everton remains.
19 Posted 04/11/2015 at 15:51:57
Where is there even one quote from Kev in this article? How do you conclude that he is moaning about anything? There is nothing that I could find in any Belgian newspaper or in articles surrounding the Belgian national team. Even the Echo has no quotes.
If he is unsettled or upset about not playing, isn't that a good thing? Doesn't that mean that he is not happy just collecting a paycheck? Honestly, some TW posters either cannot read and understand the articles or just want to spout their own nonsense, unsupported by any factual underpinning, just to have a go at a player they apparently don't like.
20 Posted 04/11/2015 at 16:15:31
He's been involved in the squad for every single game, obviously with the exception of his 3-game ban.
21 Posted 04/11/2015 at 16:48:14
It's difficult to see where he fits in - is he a better second-striker than Kone? A better winger than Deulofeu?
Or are we back to this issue where we don't really have anyone suitable for the left wing?
22 Posted 04/11/2015 at 17:32:59
24 Posted 04/11/2015 at 19:10:37
For your quotes, here you go:
http://www.espnfc.us/Everton/story/2284321/Evertons-kevin-Mirallas-says-hes-ready-for-a-new-challenge
Admittedly the Telegraph 'translation' could be far too loose.
Ultimately we just want to see the performance on the pitch, not talk about it.
25 Posted 04/11/2015 at 19:53:24
vs Man City: Kone, Cleverley start. City go 1-0 up at 60 mins - Martinez brings on Naismith. 2-0 up, brings on Deulofeu. Unused, loss
vs Man Utd: Lennon, Naismith start. Utd 2-0 up - brings on Kone, 3-0 up, brings on Deulofeu. Unused, loss
Ok, we might have got a win or draw in games where he was unavailable or unused but in these two instances, chasing the game, it seemed pretty clear that Mirallas should consider himself 5th choice winger. In fact, maybe even 6th choice as Besic started against Chelsea with Kone, both replaced later by Lennon and hatrick-hero Naismith.
Given that Deulofeu is a rough diamond and Lennon is just rough (in the nicest possible way), Mirallas should surely be considered our best player on the wing, yet he can barely get a kick. Oviedo could also do a job on the left but he is also notable for his absence so the question is, why shouldn't his attitude be less than rosy.
Naismith is not good on the wing, neither are Barkley or Besic, all of whom have played there to accommodate the latest genius from the manager. Cleverley does an acceptable job there but is better in the middle. Kone is ok there but is way better as a striker.
When it comes to Mirallas, sometimes it really looks like Martinez is taking the piss.
26 Posted 04/11/2015 at 19:53:57
27 Posted 04/11/2015 at 20:03:11
Also very odd to hand him a new contract and then not play him – unless the club did this to keep his value high with the intention of selling him all along.
Whatever's happened between him and the manager, if he's not going to be play regularly then we should cash in and save the wages/use the funds for a new player - new GK might be an idea, Valdes?
Sam 1, if Norwich were willing to offer £8M(!) for Naismith, I'd hope to get a lot more than that for Mirallas.
28 Posted 04/11/2015 at 20:07:13
One we did offload, George Green, has now been offloaded by Oldham. What a waste of talent, for whatever reason.
29 Posted 04/11/2015 at 22:00:25
Maybe Martinez is big on the right attitude, and it has to be said Kev's can be poor. Time will tell... come January, it'll be clearer, I think.
30 Posted 04/11/2015 at 22:43:25
I'm sure that Roberto Martinez would much rather have a fully functioning Kevin Mirallas at his disposal but not at the expense of the team. I hope that Kevin puts on his professional head for the remainder of the season as that would be best for him and the team.
If I'm wrong and it is a personal thing with Roberto and Kevin, then it will be Martinez who will suffer in the end, but the truth is, we never know exactly what players do or don't do on the training ground.
31 Posted 04/11/2015 at 23:13:38
32 Posted 04/11/2015 at 23:52:41
Mirallas is good enough to hold one of them positions once any of the above players are either injured or out of form. If Mirallas is given a chance in either position or in Barkley's position, he needs 90 minutes to earn his spot and if possible a decent run.
What he’s getting though is half games at best and often he’s overlooked for Naismith or Lennon. If that’s to continue we might as well sell him as we won’t get nothing from him like that.
If we’re to sell a player from that position, I’d sell Naismith, especially if we were to get another ٦M bid. I’d also sell McGeady for a packet of Walkers Cheese an Onion.
33 Posted 04/11/2015 at 23:54:08
34 Posted 05/11/2015 at 00:10:12
Who were the the couple of players Kendall triumphed over as you put it – just curious?
And what is your thinking behind "it will be Martinez that will suffer in the end" when you have just said the above regards Kendall!
35 Posted 05/11/2015 at 00:46:48
As none of us know the reasons behind Mirallas's omissions, Martinez would suffer if it was purely on a personal basis, rather than for the overall good of the team. Kendall's decisions were made to help the team or at least history shows that to be the case, it is too early to judge whether Roberto's motives prove to be similar, but I would guess looking in from the outside that they are.
36 Posted 05/11/2015 at 00:52:38
I hope that Martinez management of the squad is going to plan. Dealing with ego's to get the best performance has to be the hardest part of the job.
I trust Martinez in his handling of the squad, it's his tactics I don't trust.
37 Posted 05/11/2015 at 06:37:38
Too much "noise" in the press around him for my liking ... He drives a gold Bentley. There you go I said it.
38 Posted 05/11/2015 at 08:40:16
The downside? The head does not always seem right (some of the sending off incidents, and some incidents when he should have been sent off); quite greedy (though talented and egotistical players often are); too much noise around him on and off the field (that penalty incident; his lippy agent; some of the 'mistranslated' press stories emerging from the Belgian press).
I would keep him, although why, given our other priorities, we bought Lennon as well continues to puzzle me. On those days when we play with a single winger there are now four of them vying for the same creative role. But that, as they say in trashy novels, is another story.
39 Posted 05/11/2015 at 09:41:44
Not long after Kendall took Keeley,on loan from Blackburn, he had hardly played for a few months, but Howard put him straight into a derby game against Liverpool with disasterous results, we lost heavily and Keeley never played for Everton again.
You are right he sold McMahon to buy Trevor Steven, but McMahon wanted to go after a bust up with Kendall over wages. Heath and Johnson were on £900 per week, Stevie was on less than half of that and was offered a very small wage increase, and I mean very, very small, McMahon refused and was sold to Aston Villa, knocking back Liverpool in the process.
40 Posted 05/11/2015 at 09:57:37
You can see why Kev is annoyed if he's signed that and then realised the manager has done it just to spite him in effect... especially when lesser players walk into the team in his position at times.
Every manager has difficult characters but it's their job to manage them when they are valuable to the team. I still think we should line up with Deulofeu on the right and Mirallas on the left for games.
41 Posted 05/11/2015 at 10:20:14
42 Posted 05/11/2015 at 10:54:33
43 Posted 05/11/2015 at 12:17:52
If you refer to application going forward, his record surpasses Kone, Deulofeu and Naismith let alone Besic, Barkley, Cleverley and Lennon (our other 'wingers').
Not a personal dig Tony but a lot of fans' arguments seem to be based on the pseudo-science of body-language.
44 Posted 05/11/2015 at 12:48:13
45 Posted 05/11/2015 at 13:28:22
I have to say I like Mirallas and cant for the life of me understand why RM signed Lennon. We had plenty of cover for wide positions so why add neither a provider or scorer of goals is beyond me.
I think at present he must start with Kone and Deulofeu alongside Lukaku, so there is no place for Mirallas, but if we are to replace a wide player then he should be our first choice. I would hope that when Cleverley and Besic are fit they compete for a central midfield position and not shoehorned into a wide position.
46 Posted 05/11/2015 at 13:42:16
With others probably coming back soon like Besic and Baines it doesn't make sense to keep players who are not going to contribute. Better to bring in one or two players in the window to compliment the squad and free up some wage space by offloading some of the others.
47 Posted 05/11/2015 at 14:02:04
48 Posted 05/11/2015 at 14:59:20
Mirallas will get more playing time if or when Baines gets back into the team. Kone will be kept in the team if he continues with his improvement, and Barkley will be kept in.
The manager will assess his options depending on the opposition: if he thinks their left sided defenders are weaker, he will use Deulofeu and Coleman; if he thinks it is their right side is weaker, he will go with Mirallas and Baines. I do not think he will play them both at the same time.
49 Posted 05/11/2015 at 14:59:41
Perhaps I am missing your point re manager vs player.
I still don't get your train of thought that Martinez would be the one to suffer if it was a personal thing between him and Mirallas (which I agree with you by the way, I don't think it is).
Are you saying it would harm Martinez's reputation as a man-manager?
For me, and I have said it many times,Mirallas is a big time Charlie who reckons he can cut it with the best (nothing wrong with that if you can do the business, but unfortunately he seems to pick and choose when he wants to put the required effort into his game). I wouldn't be bothered if he left us providing we had a replacement lined up.
50 Posted 05/11/2015 at 16:20:34
Mirallas has been second only to Lukaku in goal threat and he had a near miss against Sunderland in the few minutes he played. Mirallas is a Belgian international and when he is playing more often he will make their squad again. Lennon is not up to that standard and was not wanted by Spurs. Players like our two defensive midfielders, Lennon and Barkley do not score often enough.Mirallas will always score goals and that is what our game is all about !!
51 Posted 05/11/2015 at 16:25:49
Also, the types of goals he scores give us another dimension.
This season just hasn't got going for him but I would definitely say he is as good as any of our other forwards on form.
52 Posted 05/11/2015 at 16:48:30
Which one player do we have that is consistently good, week-in & week-out? Can't really think of any this season, or last for that matter (unless we're talking consistently poor).
The guy has talent and to get the best out of him he needs to play regularly. Also, I get the feeling that he's a player you need to put an arm round to get the best out of rather than one you need to kick up the backside.
His stats are there for all to see and stack up much better than any other midfielder we have.
Situation is just odd.
53 Posted 05/11/2015 at 17:32:55
I was under the impression that, when McMahon wanted to go, Everton refused to to sell him to Liverpool but sold him to Villa, hence his arrival at Anfield, his desired destination, after one season.
As for Thomas, I was playing Welsh League at that time and Thomas was supposed to be playing for Everton that day at, I think, West Ham, but he was on the sidelines watching our match at Conwy! Not the brightest of individuals, wasting what talent he had.
54 Posted 05/11/2015 at 17:59:19
55 Posted 05/11/2015 at 18:32:53
I think the inconsistency thing is the key factor at play here. Genuinely top players can produce for, let's say, 90% of the time for 90% of the season (no-one I know is absolutely perfect). Due to Kevin being way below that level of consistency, is there a danger that he is actually a better impact player than a starter, which may explain the above expected bench time ratio for such a good player?
Without the benefit of doing some detailed research, my instinctive memory recalls him coming on to change games in equal measure to him making way because he hadn't had the desired impact from the start. Just a thought; genuinely like him, the type of player we craved for years but wish he was more consistently brilliant with the talent he possesses.
56 Posted 05/11/2015 at 18:52:11
Not for sale!
Mark my words, at the end of the season we will all be looking back and wondering what the fuss was about as he will have ousted Kone from that side.
Let's not forget, Mirallas and Lukaku also seem to have a chemistry when they play together.
57 Posted 05/11/2015 at 19:04:22
I saw Mirallas play an absolute blinder at Upton Park, in the cup last season, where he reached a level I have not seen many Everton players reach in the last twenty years. Not saying you can play like that every week, it would be impossible. But I haven't seen him anywhere near that level, since that night. If that's not down to how you apply yourself, then what is it?
He plays when he wants to (doesn't everyone?) but when you're such a gifted individual, it should always be about pushing yourself to reach new heights. I don't think Kevin Mirallas does this nowhere near enough to himself.
59 Posted 05/11/2015 at 19:41:58
If he wants to stay we should certainly keep this excellent player. If he wants to go, how many millions?
60 Posted 05/11/2015 at 19:52:24
RM makes the decisions, he sees KM train all week as well as when he plays at the weekend and he has the right to discipline him as he sees fit for acting like an infant on the field even if that means the ignominy of sitting it out on the bench.
When he is good enough to start, he will do so; at the moment he isn't. For me, he is a poor one-man show and not fit to wear the badge.
61 Posted 05/11/2015 at 20:18:24
RM always emphasises the value of a strong together group, and perhaps Kevin rocks the boat occasionally. I have a suspicion that Besic also fitted that description for a period.
62 Posted 05/11/2015 at 22:17:40
Re Mickey Thomas I was pointing out the hypocrisy of Howard Kendall in not playing him after not playing for two games and playing Glen Keeley who hadn't plated for a few months, but do agree Mickey was a bit behind with his mental rent.
63 Posted 05/11/2015 at 22:22:33
64 Posted 05/11/2015 at 22:33:45
As for McMahon, it's just the way I remembered things, you're possibly right, I'll wait for the book to come out!
65 Posted 06/11/2015 at 09:07:11
Yes, I know everyone should be a professional and do your best, whatever... but it's easier said than done when you might hate the person in charge. Funny how Moyes had no real problems keeping him happy & playing, isn't it?
66 Posted 06/11/2015 at 16:46:54
This situation with Kevin has been going on for the past 12 months. He is not a regular, why I don't know? He is a great player who excites me and many other fans.
Who knows what goes on behind the scenes? The more I think about this situation, the more I am confused!
67 Posted 06/11/2015 at 19:01:44
68 Posted 08/11/2015 at 14:07:42
69 Posted 08/11/2015 at 18:27:58
70 Posted 10/11/2015 at 23:20:54
His problem, like Rom's, is the poor quality of service he receives. With good quality service, he and Rom would easily get 30 goals between them in a full season.
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1 Posted 04/11/2015 at 06:51:59
He's also approaching the point where his value will start to diminish. If someone bids handsomely for him, let's say £8m or upwards then I'd be tempted to part ways and find someone younger and hungrier. Perhaps someone more in the mold of Kone, a powerful winger able to hold the ball up and link up well with Lukaku.