Deadline passes without striking addition

One of them and a left sided defender (Gibson?) and Vlasic and it'll have been a fairly positive window, Mahrez on top would be a good window...

I'd me more than happy if those came through.

Queue the arrival of Okaka on loan .

On the contrary, if somehow we miraculously found a way to put that young man in blue, I'd be running down the beach screaming loud enough to scare every seagull from here to Alaska.

Meanwhile, I'm pleased about Vlasic. Thought he performed impressively against us. And we'll have an outlet for various pickle jokes for years to come. In fact, I'll go first... he'll be a dilly of a player for us.

We are nowhere mentioned for him.

I also hope that Barkley is sold (not that I want him gone its just there's no point him hanging around and his value will drop) as well as Niasse and Mirallas (both of whom I would like gone) and Lennon because I don't see him playing a useful role and its easier to manage a smaller squad.

Scoring goals isn't about getting a 25 per season striker - we haven't had one for 30 years so its not a "normal" state of affairs. It's having a team that "clicks" that causes goals to flood in and this may take a bit of time. I'm not totally sold on Koeman, the team is often just too dour, but hopefully it'll come together.

I expect you lads to have a striker in by the time I wake up. Get to work!

'Night.

Okaka or Niang on loan. The only hope that could happen is Batsuyahi due to their interest in Barkley and the possibility of them buying Llorente.

Those saying the club have planned badly or that we're 'searching for scraps at the end of the window' are simply being unfair. There were deals lined up for a swap with Chelsea for lukaku and Batshuayi, but Chelsea wouldn't go for it, Giroud changed his mind at the last minute, Werner and Costa were the next on the list and we've been negotiating for a month on both.

Sometimes you just can't convince cash rich clubs to sell Champions League players to non-Champions League clubs in what is already a sellers' market.

And we've done ok through most of the summer, right?

I'd like Werner but being realistic, the best we can hope for is the 'Batman' from Chelsea with Barkley possibly going the other way.

Let's hope Moshiri keeps off the texts to Jim White.

If we sign Werner can we please wait until I've left the office, I don't think my boss could handle my excitement.

Cheer up

Clearly we need a decent striker and yes it should've been sorted by now but its not like theres 200s of 25-goal strikers available anywhere - certainly not in prem, how many have scored that in last few seasons? Reality is these players don't move easy and the very best want cl, we're not there yet.
Clearly we've been trying all summer for big names - giroud, batshuyi (sic) and costa, likely dzeko too but we're not the only ones with money now.
If we get a decent striker, werner would do me, then I think it will have been a very good window - first team bolstered and plenty of exciting new prospects. My only slight niggle so far is dowell/kenny not getting a chance when they both seem ready. Otherwise i'm happy to give the project time.

We gave cash and europa and will fet soneone

We will get someone in today

We can have a new owner and more cash but some things don't change do they? I wonder which player we will make a late move for and fail to get this time.

So I guess if we don't get a striker in Koeman will shrug his shoulders and say in his usual way "OK we didnt get in the striker I wanted" in other words don't blame me.

Link

Long term I wouldn't want him at Everton because of his attitude, but short term I think he could give us that boost we need and we can then see who's available in January.

Middlesborough have just signed Shotton, perhaps in anticipation of Ben Gibson leaving. Young, British and left sided. Would fit the bill for me.

What we do need is some pace out on the left wing. We have Lookman, Mirallas & Lennon as options out right (with Bolasie later on) but no natural leftie.

Guess we'll find out in the next few hours!

Ok - I'll half admit you might be right (couldn't bring myself to completely admit it).

I think some of the 'scraps' we've been linked with are tabloid twaddle. We would definitely have wanted to have sorted this out by now so the club probs has a list of 2-3 options today that are worth investing in and won't bother wasting the money if none of them come off.

Unless we take a desperate punt on Okaka at the last minute...😬

Starts off full of promise and then dissapears like smoke in the wind.

I'm in Rome airport typing this and am keeping an eagle eye out for swarthy Italian strikers with scouse phrase books as we speak.

We are told we have joined the elite now with a rich owner so why the rush to sell Lukaku? Did we need the money or not? It's a pathetic state of affairs. What's to be happy about have you been watching our terrible performances this season?

The whole club is still a joke. Koeman is a fraudster and I am beginning to think Moshiri is a stooge for Kenwright. I mean what has he actually done since he took over his shares? We have spent nothing again in real terms.

Oh and yesterday, right on cue, as the fans start to turn another bullshit article is released by the club over stadium designs!! What fucking stadium? Is the Kings Dock back on track because there ain't a thing going on at Bramley Moore. I was there yesterday. Absolute farcical load of bollocks. The Kopites are loving it.

The reality is we have an ageing squad with a few okay youngsters in there a manager who is as clueless as Mike Walker and more negative than Moyes. We still have Kenwright at the helm with his new best mate the skint Billionaire by his side. Add to this the invisible new stadium that is already a year behind with no sign of a shovel in site.

Yes, mate, it its all rosey in the garden. Evertonians need to wake the fuck up. More anger vented at the club by fans over crest designs and stripes around the away kit socks.. It's pathetic and sickening how gullible some of us are.

...Really, what's his name?!

.RICK L. MAY !!!

Still soon be September 9th and we can mull over our transfer dealings and then off to Goodison to help out in the defeat of Spurs.

Surely it makes sense to get a young player who can take over this time next year

Any move for Costa can only happen after Athletic Madrid and Chelsea reach an agreement.

That German striker has a very, very impressive CV I must day! I would like him.

Pace, youth and goals.

Striker is of the utmost importance today , there will be a lot going on behind the scenes. It will probably cost us more than he's worth and a hefty agents fee. Either that or the fee is so over the top we come out of it with nothing at all.

Leaving it so late has left us a bit exposed, but I'd rather pay over the odds and get someone decent in , than suffer a winter moaning about what could have been.

For several months it has been apparent to all and sundry that we've needed a pacey, proper #9 (effectively a replacement for Lukaku), and a LCB (as Funes Mori wasn't cutting it / cover at LB and to make the '3 at the back' work) and we arrive at TDD without either, it's pitiful really.

With some of the perennial big spenders having done little or no business this TDD has the same feeling as a game of "Bastard Brag" . if Walsh / Kenwright have a seat at 'that' table then I fear for our chances of getting the players that we really need.

If Chelsea get Llorente then Batshuayi becomes a possibility. If Spurs get him would we fancy a loan/bid for Janssen?

I'm feeling optimistic about today. I'm gonna say we'll have 3 new players by end of the day.

Hopes of a 'seventh finish' fading fast !

It's been difficult to get the deal for a striker sorted but going down to the wire isn't good business. We will either pay well over the odds or it'll be an Enner Valencia type arrival.

It worries me slightly that he became a figure of pity at Spurs, to the extent that they almost declared a national holiday when he finally scored.

I believe he would pull and torn his hamstring and be out for the season when he stands up after signing the contract with us instead.,"...trip on the office carpet on the way out and be sidelined for three months!..."

I believe he would pull and torn his hamstring and be out for the season when he stands up after signing the contract with us instead.,Turned on,BlueKfrog,1,10:31:46,,223.197.136.47,probation,16940,08/31/2017 10:31:46,victoryu19,probation,, 845551,35424,toffeeweb,31/08/2017,Dick Fearon,bluebyu 28@bigpond.com,With a few coldies to hand I will spend a few hours watching the immortal tiny Tim in vital WC qualifier Australia vs Japan.
I will keep you posted. ,With a few coldies to hand I will spend a few hours watching the immortal tiny Tim in vital WC qualifier Australia vs Japan.
I will keep you posted. ,,,1,10:33:02,,58.108.113.6,ok,3378,08/31/2017 10:33:02,bluemoon28,reader,, 845552,35424,toffeeweb,31/08/2017,Xavier Spencer,n-saltrese@sky.com,RK in Portugal beggars belief.

Nothing to see here me thinks... move along please.

Shambolic. ,RK in Portugal beggars belief.

Nothing to see here me thinks... move along please.

Shambolic. ,,,1,10:35:30,,176.25.6.20,ok,5985,08/31/2017 10:35:30,ccentral1,reader,, 845553,35424,toffeeweb,31/08/2017,Mike Allison,mikeallison0026@hotmail.co.uk,"I'm pretty sure we'll have three new players by tonight, Vlasic will be one of them, I think Vermaelen will be another. Who the striker is I've no real idea. Looks like we'll be underwhelmed, but there's a chance of that underwhelming signing coming good.

Of the people linked recently, Llorente, Giroud, Dzeko, Costa and Werner would all be quite exciting signings but for various reasons I'm pretty sure none of them will be coming. The Batshuayi one is new to me and I don't know much about that link, but I think we're more likely to end up with one of Raul Jiminez from Benfica (they're certainly willing to sell, although their asking price is crazy for someone they only use as a sub), Islam Slimani or Vincent Janssen.

If we signed Janssen or Slimani I'm sure there'd be all kinds of moaning and criticism as neither have particularly impressed during their first season. However, I actually think both have the qualities and attributes to be successful and a struggle to adapt to the Premier League is understandable when stepping up from the Dutch and Portuguese leagues. Plenty of players have struggled at first before becoming successful later on. I would actually be reasonably satisfied with either, as I think both have been through their difficult transition period and are ready to step up. Some important context here is that everyone seems to be forgetting that it's a deliberate policy to sign multiple goal scorers, rather than expect to pick up a single centre forward who will match Lukaku. We shouldn't compare our top scorer this season to Lukaku, we should compare our top five scorers, or even our total goals, to last season's equivalent. The outputs of Rooney, Sandro, Sigurdsson and Klaassen should also form part of this conversation.

Spurs are going to 30m for Ross, we want cash only for Mirralas and the Split kid is waiting for his permit.

Thats 30m to spend there,plus big wages off the books .

Maybe we actually needed to free up Niasse's wages to make someone ,somewhere, an offer they can't refuse,?

Cmon Farhad, get yr contacts with Usmanov's associates working .

Walsh's forray into the italian erm, hmm family !!!, still seems to be under consideration .

It could take him years to get made, we should have sent Dunc, hes made his bones and bears our crest.

helpful,when we thrush Liverpool

May mean they have decided to cash in on Dembele for an offer they can't refuse? Whether that would be from us is another thing altogether .

Sack everyone! This is a disgrace and I hate you all!

Is that more like it?

Actually I missed out Dembele on my list of 'exciting' strikers as I've never thought we had much chance. I'd have signed him when he left Fulham. But then I'd have signed Van Dijk when he went to Southampton and Butland when he went to Stoke so what do I know?

I must admit that I'm a pessimist when it comes to the Blues. I think we might look back on our transfer dealings this summer as a wasted opportunity and poor use of money. Pickford and Keane look astute signings and I was always in favour of bringing Rooney back but there is an awful lot resting on Siggurddson to chip in goals without a decent target man to supply. I'm not optimistic about Klaasen's abilities to get goals from midfield a la Lampard from what I've seen. Early days but I'm worried. Seems a long time ago that we were gloating to RS supporters because we were splashing cash and getting linked with good players. Really hope I'm wrong and the club can pull a rabbit from a hat before 11pm tonight.

Perfect!

No signings - 7th. No cup wins
Split winger - 7th
Vermulen - 7th
Werner, dembele, mahrez and Shaw - 3rd plus a cup

Vlasic, Perez and Vermalen would be a decent day for me. A solid if unspectacular 6 out of 10.

Vlasic, Werner and Sakho (struggling to think of many better available CBs) would be a 9.5

But no, wait. I can see the story tomorrow, 'I would have signed for Everton, but the manager was in Portugal. No way I'm going to play for someone like that.'

I was on holiday in a remote part of the Highlands a few months ago. No web/phone signal. Lovely. Once every day we went to the next village to pick up/send emails. Sorted out three bits of work for my business that week. If I can do that, I'm pretty sure EFC can cope .

He's tall and leads the line well and if Llorente goes there he'll be available.
Not many peoples first choice but who knows what today will bring.

Vlasic, Vermaalen and Vincent

That said, I'm sure we will sign one. I'm assuming the delay is because we have some lofty targets before we 'settle' on a lesser light. That'll do me though. Aim high but eventually you have to accept the reality that we have to sign someone.

As for outgoings, we could potentially get about £60m in for Barkley, Mirallas, Niasse and Lennon. Then not only would we need a striker and centre half but a winger, preferably Gray, would have to come in.

Can't believe how defensive and negative looking we are going to end up, ex defender as a manager?

Hoping we spread the goals with our midfield pulling them in relegation stuff, setting out to defend from the off is poor, we should set out every game to win score first defend after big defend and hope we get a free kick to a score - without a striker and attacking players this is how we are going to see us go throughout the season.

Wonder if Benteke will come the other way? we could do worse.

As it stands, it doesn't look like we are being linked with anyone who sets the pulse racing, there is still time, but it is running down.

Player would be willing (especially with RK as manager), spurs must be eager to offload and we desperately need a striker!

Also seems like Barkley would rather go to Spurs than Chelsea anyway.

Seems like a win win

I genuinely don't understand the point beyond it being another stick. This is the 21st Century, deals don't have to be done in a smoky back room of the Winslow

plenty of Vs in his name, seems to be ''en vogue'' , manager speaks the lingo and if he turns out a poor signing should recoup the fee selling some paintings.

"Despite newspaper reports to the contrary, we understand no deal has yet been agreed for the transfer of Everton's Oumar Niasse.

However, Crystal Palace are interested in the 27-year-old."

https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/8/31/16230132/thomas-vermaelen-transfer-rumours-everton-barcelona-deadline-day-news-latest

We seem to have the keeper, so fingers crossed we get Batshuayi over the line today.

Mahrez has had a very inconsistent season after getting player of the year. I know he can be a very tricky player - but he provides no defensive cover. LCFC fans are very disappointed with him at the moment.

Batsushay would be an excellent buy.

Nearly shit myself

The problem is the second word in the sentence.

Raul Jiminez flying back with Ronald ?

Alan Myers's said should be abusy day in & out for Everton.

When asked on twitter why he's at LCFC instead of FInch Farm he just said "long story".

Are pushing through a deal for a Leceister player - is it Mahrez?

He's already said Vardy isn't coming!

Left it a bit late in my opinion.

Where's he off to?

Why is everything left to this late hour?

Most likely.

He could be there for Jimenez?

I'd love to think if we was he could tie a deal up for Brahimi as well.

We were in for him last year but that all seemed to go quiet.

He's exactly the type of player we need/are missing.

27 years now & still not played in a big league - surely it's time for him to do so.

Come on Koeman/Walsh/Board get a cheeky bid in!

Not good enough, Joe. We pay him £6m a year so he should be able to be in several places at once (my wife expects me to)! Quantum Ron.

Even the Samaritans would give up with some of you!!!

No, it's all outbound - toys from prams.

Jimenez in Portugal.

Oh no!!

Chelsea won't let Batshuayi go now they've missed out on Llorente. Perez wants to return to Spain.

Options drying up.

Reckon we'll be looking down on our C-list strikers. Jiminez? Okaka? Stracqualursi?

I have waited all my life for this change at Everton please for heavens sake don't let all of us fans down some of us have waited a lifetime for this. It's like you've got a wedding, brought a new fresh suit, shirt, tie, even handkerchief and now the big day's here, you turn up with your full suit and tie but no socks or shoes. Please, whoever is in charge, don't make a joke out of us now we have come this far.

Its weird I started the transfer period hoping for Vardy, Dzecko, Dembele, Giroud even Aguerro and now I'm finishing the transfer window thinking why would LLorente prefer Spurs bench, why does Perez prefer Deportivo, why cant we get a number 9 from somewhere in the world.

Unlike Mike nobody told me to go to bed so I stayed up half the night in Florida and now I'm back in the Samaritans posting corner

We will be a better team they sad.

Fuck me we're leaving it late.

Also - we were never going to replace Lukaku with a top player. The Lukaku transfer itself was a one off, enabled by a fantastic first season under Martinez that promised much. We don't have Champions League football. We don't have the financial might or recent success of the teams above us. Change will take time: Walsh's value will be seen in the young players he has purchased. I think many on here need a little patience - we've destroyed previous records with our summer transfer spend, but that seems to have been forgotten because of the failures of the last week.

And we did sign a striker to replace Lukaku. We signed Sandro, and we signed Rooney. I expect that there is a realisation that Sandro is not good enough, and will not score enough, to take us forward, at least this season. Rooney doesn't have the pace to lead the line. But we do have 3 strikers the club, even if this will count as our major failure. We've got a few hours yet - I'd take Slimani, who has been underused at Leicester. Perez would give us the pace we lack, and he has also suffered because of Wenger's failure to give him opportunities (Which he himself has admitted).

There is still time, and I still think this window has been a success, in light of Lukaku's inevitable depature. I expect all those who criticised Lukaku will appreciate his value in his absence. Bullshit ideas about finding goals elsewhere and his lack of work off the ball were always rubbish - we would have been a much better team with him. But we will move on without him.

My fingers are still crossed for two coming in.

Nothing too exciting on the horizon for us at the moment though, is there.

Im not sure Perez is the answer, never even got off the bench at Arsenal, it's a worry. I'm not sure he improves what we've already got.

Still waiting for this rabbit to pop its head out of the hat.

It just gets better and better eh

Seems whatever we try to do, we can't shake off the lingering things that characterise Everton, namely:

still leaving the most important purchases until the very last minute (if at all), in transfer windows

and

seeking to achieve no more than a draw at the 'top six' (as clearly evidenced by our sh*thouse formation/tactics at City and Chelsea - despite £150m-plus investment in a teams-worth of new players).

Every year we are led to believe things will change and every year we get the same old scenario - running round trying to pick up the scraps after everyone else has eaten.

There'd better be a quality centre forward lined-up before close of play today, or our season will already be defined with just three games played.

So we're either in for a truly amazing rabbit-out-of-the-hat, or another Valencia-esque damp squib.

Can't believe that with Lukaku's departure being known about since last season ended, here we are with seven hours to go, without a replacement in sight!

Given his history though, I think his medical should take all day.

Up until a few days ago, the RS supporters were going off their heads with lack of signings bla, bla. Arsenal are in total turmoil and Chelsea are struggling due to the Costa situation.

As an exercise when you're bored have a look at a few other clubs' main fansites and they nearly all very closely resemble ToffeeWeb in their content and posts.

Chill for now; go postal at 23:01.

Regarding his medical, I might be wrong, I think he doesn't need one, as we don't buy him from another club. The club just need to submit his registration at 10:55pm. But the fax probably would break down and we fail to register him.

I think the majority of players have improved our squad

However if you had said to me we would sell a 20+ goals a season centre forward and not buy a replacement I'd say don't be stupid.

Everyone going mental saying we are picking the bones after everyone else has eaten...

Mental because we've done some great business early doors like everyone wanted for the last few Windows, now we done that Everton get slated for not being busy on transfer deadline day.

All teams pretty much are scrambling around to tie up signings today I think only United I haven't heard anyone mention.

Sometimes deals for players take until the last minute when players know they not getting a move to the club they wanted so take whatever offer comes their way, also teams don't want to sell so big bids come in at the last minute, or the flipside to that teams don't want to buy so they get low bids for players that are trying to get shifted on.

It's all a big game of poker and usually when 1 transfer happens on deadline day a few clubs make moves as a result.

If we can get a striker in who will help us until the next window then great but we signed some quality players, Pickford and Keane in particular.

We still have the SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCEMENT at 8pm to look forward to.

Go for a pint , get some fish n chips on the way home , plonk yourself on the sofa at 7:55 and prepare to celebrate.

- Schneiderlin to pass ball forwards later this season

Or

- Jags never to pass ball with left foot again

This is Everton and a busy summer with some good business both ways, has raised hopes but will the most key elements, be delivered by the end of today?

I reckon they will , but will they be better than anticipated .The theme of ppppppp could go on all year, so let's hope for a good return in what remains of this window.

Eternal optimism lives as ever.

Been a good transfer window, lots of good signings for the future, but without a target man this season we will not be able to compete where we should be.

Seeing us linked with Deeney / Okaka is a major worry! one big signing still hoping!

I know that when I started watching Everton in the late 1950s the club had all the power, but now it has gone way to far the other way.
Strange that Courtinho and VVD havent kicked a ball this season for their clubs, with doctors saying they cant play because of stress. Where will it all end, I don't see what benefit there is to clubs giving players 4 & 5 year contracts.

Is there actually any strategy to our transfer dealings as we seem to be buying players without the manager knowing where or how to play them?

1. Twebbers panicking over nothing?
2. Koeman?
3. Walsh?
4. The Everton board?
5. Jim "massive deal unfolding at Everton" White?
6. Donald Trump?
7. Kim Jong-Un
7. Arsene Wenger?
8. That weatherman who said it wouldn't be windy before a hurricane?

I've got a big six sided dice here and have taped Costa, Barkley, Vardy, Giroud and Mahrez's faces to sides 1 to 5 leaving 6 blank (i.e. nothing doing).

Going to roll it at 6.15pm.

Ronald Koeman - is resigning - highly unlikely

Diego Costa - has signed for us - even more unlikely

Ronald Koeman - commits to playing 4-4-2 away from home and 4-3-3 when playing at home - Impossible

Sandro looks like he will need a while to adjust, Sigurdsson is not a striker and while Rooney may still have fight, I doubt he has the legs to start anywhere near 40 odd games for us this season, in fact looking at his record he rarely managed more than 30 league appearances a season (even in his prime). Also Rooney's average league goals per season is 11 (including his best years) so I won't be holding my breath on him banging in 15 league goals, let alone 20, this season.

We need to sign a striker - desperately.

Hopefully Llorente goes to Spurs (meaning Swansea can sign Bony) and we can sign someone like Janssen

As for bas dost - he's utter shite.

He will be going "FUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK !!!!!!!! , you lying pricks Moshiri and Kenwright you promised me you had the money FUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK YOUUUUU BOTH...

Shane Long folks..

Giroud is also playing with France .

I'm guessing no Bat and/or Giroud this window.

2003
Francis Jeffers Arsenal Loan
Kevin Kilbane Sunderland £1m
James McFadden Motherwell £1.25m
Nigel Martyn Leeds United £500k

2004
-
2005
Andy van der Meyde Inter Millan (Ita) £1.8m

2006
-

2007
Thomas Gravesen Glasgow Celtic Loan

2008
Marouane Fellaini Standard Liege (Bel) £12.9m
Carlo Nash Wigan Athletic No Fee
Louis Saha Manchester United Undisclosed
2009
John Heitinga Atletico Madrid £6.1m

2010
-

2011
Royston Drenthe Real Madrid (Spa) Loan In
Denis Stracqualursi Tigre (Arg) Loan In

2012
Matthew Kennedy Kilmarnock £250k
Bryan Oviedo FC Copenhagen £1.2m

2013
Gareth Barry Manchester City Loan
Romelu Lukaku Chelsea Loan
James McCarthy Wigan Athletic £13m

2014
David Henen Olympiakos Loan

2015
Aaron Lennon Tottenham Hotspur £4.5m
Ramiro Funes Mori River Plate £9.5m

2016
Enner Valencia West Ham United Loan
Dominic Calvert-Lewin Sheffield United £1.5m

I think strikers are born not bred. It is a natural instinct and confidence for goal.

That is why they are such a rare specimens, so expensive and hard to find.

As we are finding to our cost

Barkley can step inside from the right side and dictate play, similar to Rooney has done when he played there. I think Barkley, Klaassen, sigurdsson and Rooney could link up well together, providing they play off a big striker.

What I cannot see is Barkley playing as a number 9. He's not good enough in the air or in the box, you lose too much of what he's good at, by handcuffing him to it.

Addition: Barkley is also great with his back to goal and linking up play because he can roll the defender and run on goal so it keeps the defender guessing. However, I think he's better doing this a few yards off the main striker than doing this as the main striker.

Anyone looking forward to the next derby match?

I'm getting very pessimistic. Guess Giroud was plan A and that was that.

Betting suspended.

Not the standard we were looking for but not too shabby if true?????

I assume Barkley is going the other way as he is reportedly in London but it could be Arsenal or slimy Levy?

Can't imagine why.

Does Ross know where Tottenham is?

Count your fingers Bill!

Is Harrison somewhere else ready to get somebody else to sign?

Or Rooney and Sigurdsson !

Let's see if anything is announced. Though not holding my breath.

We are either in for the biggest surprise most of us have ever witnessed... or the most crushing, inevitable, predictable, sense of disappointment and deja-vu.

Don't go to bed Colin , you'll miss the big Jim White news , and you won't sleep anyway will you?

But look on the bright side: could we get both?

Koemans transfer policy (much like his tactics and formations) make very little sense to me.

Anyway back to reality, for Christ sake get a striker in before all my hair falls out.

One hour to go, it's like being double booked for a dentist appointment followed by the snip.

Happy with our early business but did expect another 1 or 2 today other than this split lad.

Once you accept that we're just hopeless at modern football and everything that goes with it then all the love comes flooding back. All of those calling for patience as the great project unfolds, all of those (including me) calling for the heads of the fools that manage us: let us unite and celebrate the Glorious Incompetence of Everton Football Club. We are a poke in the eye to corporate efficiency and to the boring business of doing the right thing.

Come on Tottenham, you sleek losers, you're next.

Judging by what he said about Barkley, I can't see him playing for the club again.

,"All Koemans signings"

,,,1,22:41:27,,2.122.51.109,ok,664,08/31/2017 22:41:27,ciar�n,reader,, 845973,35424,toffeeweb,31/08/2017,Neil Thomas,Tommotina24@gmail.com,Tony pissed or not im going out to buy a PSG shirt they know how to do business in a transfer window we have been promised so much this week and delivered fuck all. Yeah pleased with young lad we got but where is the top striker and defender that RK promised we would get ,Tony pissed or not im going out to buy a PSG shirt they know how to do business in a transfer window we have been promised so much this week and delivered fuck all. Yeah pleased with young lad we got but where is the top striker and defender that RK promised we would get ,,,1,22:42:03,,217.35.230.167,ok,20429,08/31/2017 22:42:03,NeilThomas,reader,, 845974,35424,toffeeweb,31/08/2017,Steve Ferns,stephen.ferns@hotmail.co.uk,"After Listening to Moshiri on Sky, I make the following conclusions:
1. No last minute signing.
2. No future for Barkley.
I hope Barkley can do something about 2, as he will get a chance to play as we don't have enough quality as recent performances and team selection have shown.

He has pretty much said that nobody else is coming in until Jan.
He also said that all of these players are Koeman players. Pretty much saying that Koeman has no excuses.

Also, I got the impression that he is very unhappy at Ross. 㿏 million deal done and then binned by Ross who wants to re-think it in January?!
The arsehole has just cost us a shitload of cash to move to Spurs in Jan for bugger all.

Happy with the signings we've made, still lacking that prolific striker tho.

"Ross Barkley's transfer to Chelsea was all but done. The fee was agreed between £30m and £35m and personal terms had been settled. He was conducting his medical when his agent contacted Everton to say he had changed his mind and wanted to reconsider his options in January. He won't be playing much before December anyway and I'm sure it will be revisited in the New Year."

How many players has Koeman fallen out with now? And all of them are the skilful ones. Seems he only likes people who run and tackle.

What a palaver

I have always suspected this Moshiri guy was a fake . I'm even more convinced now but he is absolutely livid that Barkley has cost him 35 million - which is why I can't see him playing for Everton unless we are down to the Barr bones !

Like I said earlier, I fully believe we were at the budget of what the club wanted to spend, hence no incomings.

We even wanted to recoup another £35M until Barkley's u-turn.

We probably tried for loans (striker), but so late in the window none have worked out.

Earlier in the window the club showed if we want to we can get it done & done quickly.

Koeman won't be happy - he's on record stating we need another striker and LB/CB.

We're now woefully short of both.

Moshri's interview saying want the players to gel...

In fairness, players & players coming going/or whether they gel - that's the managers call, and he's already on record stating we need a striker.

Back to the Everton of old.

Plus his wages for the coming season!

'Changed his mind during the medical' - that's certainly a first for me. Travel all the way down to London, agree terms and then change your mind during the medical?

Glaringly obvious he's been tapped up by Spurs, who'll now sign him for free next season.

This kid really is thick. He's chucking a whole season down the pan and a World Cup season at that. He'll be nearing 29 by the time the next WC comes round.

He's either been told something or completely changed his mind.

I reckon he wont play for the first team again and will probably be told to stay away from the first team squad ( an that will be Moshiri telling Koeman by the way ) .

Christy @ 464

The word is Barkley is out of action till December so how is he going to get picked ahead of Klassen or am I missing something ?

We've been joking about it, but half expecting it all day.

If the reports from the Portuguese media are true we've put in a last minute bid for Jimenez but, ITS A RACE AGAINST TIME to get it done.

Where have we heard that before?

The old - we were prepared to spend on a striker - see we made the bid but they turned it down, or, they accepted - but we couldn't get the paperwork done in time.

As I said, you couldn't make this up.

At least Bill is a polished pro when it comes to lying in public. Show him how it's done Bill.

Who knows why he changed his mind. Perhaps it suddenly dawned on him. The enormity of his decision to leave Everton was too much. Perhaps he has an appetite to stay on and fight for his place, sign the contract offered and then bugger off to Spurs.

Or he is after the centre forward role!

He has to be happy with his decision. Fair play to turn down Chelsea.

I have to admit that Moshiri's statement has let me down. I can't remember a club owner, and a 49.9999% one, at that, going into technical details, as he has done this evening. And his comment on 'Koeman's players' has made me rather uncomfortable concerning the relationship between the two. Which, I'll also admit, was what I felt about Ronald's insistent public statements on the kind of players he wanted signed before the deadline. These people should grow up and work out their differences behind closed doors.

He is going to walk for free and shaft us. Utter disgrace, claiming to be a boyhood blue. Just a money grabbing little scumbag.
He clearly thinks he is better than he is. He has not progressed one bit for 3 or 4 years. Poor touch, poor decisions, zero tackling. Why do people rate him? Least he had done England a favour, he won't be at world cup next year.

Still waiting for the other "quality" players koeman had upset. No doubt Niasse in your opinion!

Big ask now for Sandro, Rooney and DCL to take us to xmas. We'd better have a striker lined up for 1st of Jan 2018! Mirallas better get his head straight and find his shooting boots.

Will certainly be an I interesting next few months on TW. Should have just swapped Barkley for Janssen.

' Night all.

Just have to wait and see what happens now. Thanks God that TED is over. Most top teams didn't sign many players today either.

Glad Liverpool didn't get VVD tho imagine him having to go and play for Soto now after putting in a transfer request.

Outrage & mirth should be set aside for the 'Farce of Ross'. The facts are we have no proven centre foward to play off. False nine it is then?

If we hold with the narrative that Giroud was the man, the fact there was no back up or something beyond that is unacceptable.

Screws our season, gives Koeman the wriggle room with many to get off the hook. It will just encourage him to stick with the Fibinachi defence or whatever the soulless crap we've served up to date.

Proper Everton mess this.

Say what you like about Bobby Martinez, his ambition was not the problem. That's what made him such a hit initially, he didn't talk us down the way Moyes – and Koeman – did and do.

I hope I'm wrong but this team does not on the face of it look capable of challenging for 4th.

I guess we can draw a few conclusions:

- Mosh is as bad as Kenwright with his bull. Let's wait until January. RIghto. No problem. In January. There is no value, we'll wait until the summer and on it goes.
- When the rumours are quiet it's because we really arent doing anything and not because we are using stealth tactics.
- Barkley really is as thick as people thought he was.
- 7-10th looks our best bet with a decent run in the cups and that's our lot. Again.

Damn. I really believed things were different.

PS Mosh thinks we can finish in top 6 with this squad and manager. Best laugh of the day so far.

For the first time in some time, I'm in full agreement with you. Sadly I wish the situation was different and we could find more disagreements. What a shambles.

If Barkley, would have went tonight for £30 million though, it would have meant that Everton's net spend during this transfer window, would have been fucking, or very nearly nothing?

We have in my own opinion a much better squad of players now, but every good team, needs someone to lead the line, so for me this window has now been nowhere good enough.

The way it's now finished can't fill us Evertonians, with much confidence though, because something just doesn't feel right?

Niasse and Barkley are still Everton players when the boss has publicly said they'll never play for the club again.

Mirallas has been sent packing with a bad attitude .

This is pretty scary. Everton could be bankrupt in a few years at this rate!

The thing that I find disgusting is the team needed a Number 9 – we've been saying it for weeks and, surprise, surprise, we are the laughing stock again.

I cannot believe I have wasted my day and night sitting up in hope that we would sign Costa or Dembele. This puts severe doubts on Moshiri and Koeman.

Frankly I think Koeman is a bit thick, and hasn't really got a clue what he's at.

But at least we have Ross Barkley to distract us from the real issues... Eh?

God help us all. They don't give a fuck about the club. The lying, profiteering, greedy bastards.

We've spent over £150 million - we've beaten our transfer record several times this window. We've signed a great goalkeeper, a superb cb, some brilliant youth talent (Watch out for Vlasic and Onyekuru), one of the league's best performing AMCs and two strikers. They might not be the right strikers, but Rooney is a striker, and Sandro is definitely a striker.
We have spent money in real terms... for those arguing otherwise, use a fucking calculator.

It's a poor show to miss out on another striker - we've messed up, and this should have been sorted earlier. But this has not been an unsuccessful window, and our squad is better now that it was before. Lukaku's departure was inevitable, and according to so many experts on here, we will replace his goals from elsewhere. Aside from that bullocks, this isn't all woe and despair. It's been a good window, but one in which we've missed out on an essential buy. We will have to hope that either Lewin or Sandro proves themselves, and hope that we can make up someone in January.

It's bad but it's not the end of the fucking world. Liverpool didn't get a CB - Chelsea messed up repeatedly. Arsenal are a mess. Every team below us spent considerably less money.

Pull yourselves together. The aim has to be what it was before - progress in Europe and win something. We can close on Arsenal too.

Or then again, Niasse could be the focal point of our attack as there is no confirmation that his alledged transfer to Palace has gone through.

It will also be interesting to see how the Ross 'the Sphinx' Barkley situation plays out. I like Ross the player, but if the events of today are being accurately reported I think there won't be many Evertonians in as forgiving a mood as Steve Ferns appears to be.

Disappointing closing day of the transfer window, but we did get a lot of good signings in early, if people need reminding.

Be interesting to see how Koeman now sets up his team, his players.

But I'm still disappointed we haven't signed a Lukaku replacement.

He's visibly invested, rather than trousered, mega-money in squad development by any standard since John Moores' days, a new ground, the removal of very expensive/if not dodgy debt, and all he asked in return, in effect, is to be judged in three years time on whether or not we get a CL qualification.

He's already earned the right to go on for another two seasons before the axe-wielders start sharpening their weapons in my opinion.

Starting to worry about all this now. SHIT. My bubble is defo burst.

If not, we are way too one dimensional and slow.

Who plays if Baines's ankle goes again?
It's worrying.

I'm interested to see what SW,FM and BK et al come up with.

The team as it stands has no punch and on early season showing is miles off the pace and decisiveness needed to be serious contenders. 7th and 6th is best I see, but Z I hope I'm proven wrong. Bet spend overall is not massive taking away RK money, is the club saving up for the surveys at the docks?

Same old EFC and nothing is ever straightforward.

The so called new era still shows the same old lack of planning and strategy and I'm not sure why, the plan for a CF was not classed as jeopardy from 01.2017. Gonna be a slog again.

Past caring now and Let's hope for some look and fortune on the park this season.

Please explain what Moshiri has invested other than his share purchase?

I'm genuinely interested.

You must be joking, LOL. The only reason we have actually have a net spend is because Barkley pulled the rug out from under the club!! Niasse was expected to go, for 10 million. Barkley we agreed to sell for 35 million. Lukaku we sold for 90 million. I'll let you do those maths and compare it to your big 150 million spend number. My God.

My opinion, and that's all of us fans can have - an opinion, is based on the reality that Moshiri has not trousered the Lukaku money or, as far as I can see, any other incoming. Instead he's re-invested it in players and besides, hopefully, has made a significant contribution to a brand new stadium. I'm not an accountant but compared to the entire EPL history we've had to endure as fans this guy is a breath of fresh air.

Everton have over invested in midfield and delivered chronic underinvestment in the department that wins you games. A foward of international calibre, with a reasonable number of caps and at the very worst an improving goal return.

Say all you want about the improvements off the field, its all superficial if you can't win football games.

Everton have put themselves in the position of basically neutering itself.

No threat up front and easy to contain. The pain will be felt at Goodison most keenly when teams park the bus.

If DCL can do this for a season (pressure for the young man) score 12-15 goals with Rooney and Sandro scoring double figures either side of him, then we are fine. Mirallas and perhaps Barkley might contribute more plus Sigg.

But there are too many variables now because Barkley wanted out, Mirallas is unwanted by Koeman and DCL and Sandro both have a lot of unexpected pressure.

Stick Jags up front for the rest of the season and tell the shorter players to give him the ball. It'll give Jags an unheralded 40 goals and probably win us the league.

Midfield looks very strong, no doubt.

Out wide, we have kept Lennon, brought in another quick winger, plus Mirallas, Lookman and Bolasie when he eventually comes back. Again, that isn't so bad.

How we will set up the attacking positions is a bit of a mystery to me at least. Lewin can't be relied upon yet, he is young and learning his trade imo. Rooney and Sandro certainly aren't target men, Koeman needs to get his tactical head on and see what he can come up with by getting the best out of the forwards and how to rotate them.

A number 9 was needed no doubt imo, and the manager thought so too. But, we have a decent sized squad, but a slightly unbalanced squad too. Koeman needs to earn his corn now!

It should be interesting.

I have always maintained that I will give him until New Year before passing judgement.

This might not be what we were expecting but to not see the difference to previous years.. is madness. When have we spent anywhere near what we managed this time? And obviously our spend includes Lukaku money and money for finishing in 7th. This is going from the bizzare to the downright stupid.

We've failed to get a striker- that is a significant failure. But we have not failed to spend money or bring players in.

Great answer.. I'll file it under 'knows fuck all'.

Steady, you might want to check yourself when discussing numbers and accusing other of idiocy. We sold Lukaku, Cleverly, Deulofeu. We did not spend 150 million. When did we spend these numbers? The numbers go up every bloody year!! Every year is a record fee because every year the costs go up as well as the earnings. It's not operating in a vacuum!

We knew we were getting 90 million for Lukaku because it happened right away. Same with Cleveryly and Deulofeu. And you absolutely budget for things that haven't yet happened, that's what a damn budget is!!! Ever operated a business mate? Did you know what you were going to spend and earn by the end of the year? No, but you budget for it and operate accordingly.

The club knew all summer they were selling Barkley. What they didn't know is that he would screw then over and suddenly refuse the transfer. And you trying to say they didn't know if they would be selling Niasse? Who are you trying to fool, it was the plan all along. Those two players would have brought this Summer to a net spend of zero. Seems fairly clearly that's what they budgeted for. And yes, budget, that word again where you plan what you're going to do and hope it works out. Going to be very interesting to see how the snake oil salesman operating the club operate now that Barkley and Niasse blew up their plans.

Funny how he got games for Milan and is in the Barcelona side now, but he wasn't even good enough for our bench. There's a pattern between Koeman and skilful players. He only wants runners and tacklers.

More seriously the first half of our season may now be about grinding out results with a tight defence and midfield and somehow grabbing a goal or two from set pieces. It will hardly be pretty but West Brom have shown it can be effective. According to some we were uninspired in some wins last season at Goodison. I hope we can achieve the same this season but on the evidence of the past five weeks I fear we will not.

The hope I have is that Koeman will be forced to draw on more of our talented youth and allow them to develop. We've talent there, even if his own short term goals conflict with our long term development.

Rewind 2 months.

Would people be happy with.
Pickford
Keane
Klassen
Rooney
Sandro
Siggurdsun
Vlasic??

With the only real loss Lukaku.

I am, we all knew Lukaku was off he didn't give a toss about EFC his goals will be hard to replace but even if we signed a striker we'd still be short.

Good thing is DCL although probably not completely ready will be given a good season to test himself and improve.

I'm more disappointed we didn't offload Barkley and Niasse then signing a striker weird I know.

See how it pans out even with a decent striker we probably wouldn't have broken the top 4. Top 6 is probably the best we can get, arsenal look a mess as well.

Bloody Everton. You appear to have a transfer strategy st last. You appear to have the money to deliver it. You sell one of the best strikers in Europe let alone the premier league for a realtime value of £90m and secure Rooney for around £10m then you basically reinvest that, and as at 23:00 tonight you've seen your plans for a zero net spend shattered only by Ross Barkley being, well, pretty much, Ross Barkley.

We've had this do many times. When some here describe the transfer window as fantastic, or the best ever etc it seems to me that your delight has bugger all to do with the things that actually make up a "good" transfer window, but rather, your just chuffed if a particular favourite player arrived and maybe a couple of others who seem to be pretty decent. Your obviously not as bothered as one of the highest paid football managers in Europe is about "balance, depth and quality".

Does it make our signings rubbish ? Of course not. But right now it's a bit like buying a very sexy new sports car but only having the funds to take it out three days a week.

We've not completed the job. Frankly I don't care if Lukaku was a horrible little shit. Or his father a gobby bastard. I do care that we've let 25 goals leave with two years on his contract and, seriously, had one plan to replace him which seems to have gone down the tube cos Giroud's wife doesn't fancy living in our city.

Not sure how Koeman will react to be honest. There's something not quite right with his relationship with Mr Moshiri. This sky sports communication strategy is embarrassing and it seems the pair of them communicate via the media.

Money ? Not remotely a problem but as some are starting to ask, where is the investment in the team in terms of genuinely additional funds ? Amortisation accountancy tells us that Mr Moshiri's yearly commitment over the next five campaigns has increased from £30m or so to £70m pa. This matters, of course it does. But it's used now as a smokescreen for hiding the other important, more realtime measure, of net spend in-season which is a far better measure of the health of your playing squad development.

Despite it looking like Mr Moshiri was about to add £100m to the £108m we've received in sales, he hasn't actually spent anything. We've used the Rom money plus the hugely increased sky money to fund player purchases. The players seem pretty decent. Rooney will do far better than many predicted. Pickford will be England's keeper for years, Gylfi will be a hit but nothing like as effective without a top quality no9 to aim for in the air or on the ground. Klassen I'm honestly unsure about as I am about Sandro who seems to have a reputation coming here because he's cheap. But give them both time and who knows. Klasic ? Honestly no idea. Could be brilliant. Or not.

We are left with a very unbalanced squad. No pace, little height up top. No top six quality no9 despite DCL heroics. Two very, very, slow centre backs and one very good looking CB in Keane, but Williams turns like an oil tanker and yes there's no cover for Bainsey.

It just feels such a mess when it looked very promising. I'm making that judgement based on the manager's repeated insistence about the need for two players in particular. I suspect there's a gamble underway. Namely that :

We do ok ish towards end December then Seamus and Bolasie come back and don't take ages to make their impact;

DCL gets the game time in the no9 central spot and continues to show that he's a very good young player;

We don't get a bad injury to Keane or Baines;

We successfully, and much earlier than planned, promote Sambou and Bowler from the U23's and use them from the bench, or in the league cup providing we can stay in it for more than a round.

It's wrong to suggest that all the signings are now failures. They are not. We all know that. But by leaving the job undone and watching as most above us strengthen, we seem to me to have at best kept the pace at seventh, possibly sixth level, but really no better, and how we are going to handle the three games a week challenge for six of those weeks will now be even harder.

It could still be ok but I'm taking my lead from the bloke picking the team, er that's Koeman not Mr Moshiri, and clearly he's very, very, worried else he wouldn't have upped the anti so publicly over the last month.

Davy Klaassen £23,600,000
Jordan Pickford £25,000,000 (£30mil potential)
Nathangelo Markelo undisclosed
Michael Keane £25,000,000 (£30mil potential)
Sandro £5,200,000
Henry Onyekuru £7,000,000
Wayne Rooney Free (Worth £10mil according to some sources, as part of the Lukaku deal)
Josh Bowler £1,500,000
Lewis Gibson £6,000,000
Sigurdsson £45,000,000
Vlasic £8,000,000

That's £146mil excluding a Rooney fee and add on details. I've not accounted for all the youngsters purchased, because I don't have all the figures. The Echo put the spend at £155 million today. That's spend - because that's when a spend is. If you've got some hidden information that undermines the official sources, do share.

Now tell me - how much do you think we've spent?

And you are confident that Everton were certain we would sell Barkley? A player who can get a gigantic signing on fee by waiting a season? The notable thing about selling David, is that you need a buyer. When were offers coming in for Ross? For Niasse? Sounds like not many clubs wanted either.

If you've ever operated a business, then I worry for you. If you negate spend on the assumption of assumed outgoings in a context of uncertainty. Again, it's illogical to only apply this logic to outgoing deals and not incoming.

Fact - We've spent the highest gross amount in our history. It's not close to other figures - if you cant understand that changing context, then there is no hope.
Fact - we've spent the highest transfer net spend in our history.

Show how either of these are false? And yes our revenue has gone up - so has every club. In the Premier League era we were habitually among the lowest for net spend and gross spend - now we are among the highest. That is relative to revenue.

Genuine welcome lad! Hope you have a really thick skin.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum.

It seems the greedy agents made this deal fall through, by not agreeing their fees in time. At least they lose out.

The fact is we only have one young forward who can lead the line and it's nowhere near enough. Koeman has been pretty rigid in his style of play yet we still didn't sign anyone who can play that position.

To me, this is as significant a failure as if we only had our youth goalkeeper on the books. We just had to bring someone in - didn't need to be a world beater.

So unless we change our style of play to something like an attacking 4-4-2, which Ron never plays, then we're fucked!

As caveats go . . . . ,"and yes our revenue has gone up"

As caveats go . . . . ,,,1,01:26:38,,94.9.151.41,ok,13643,09/01/2017 01:26:38,lauriblue,reader,, 846225,35424,toffeeweb,01/09/2017,Steve Ferns,stephen.ferns@hotmail.co.uk,"It just means Dominic Calvert Lewin and Sandro will have to play as the number 9, and we best hope they both stay fit.

A) Although Ciaran seems like a nice guy. I've never met him. so he cant be me mate

B) I hadn't commented on the subject

C) Ciaran's response (545)was delivered with the same accuracy as Mike Gaines's when he responded to your babble yesterday.

Now your back telling Mark Wilson he is pissed and that you are a "true fan" battling against the "doom mongers"

Take a deep breath lad . . You sound hysterical

What, changing his mind? Players are not legally or otherwise obliged to go anywhere.

Bad news day or good news day. There's the barometer.

Step forward Cuco lad (when you arent covering for Baines that is). You can do it. In a months time well all be saying who needed a striker!

Funnily enough I was thinking along similar lines at about 3am last night as I wondered what we'd do "if" we didn't sign a striker. I forgot about Watson but I remember Everton youth center half Ian Marshall being converted to an emergency center forward at Oldham (?) before becoming a full time striker at Leicester. Likewise I remember Paul Warhurst filling in as a striker at Sheffield Wed when they were actually a really good team.

I think we already know both DCL and Sandro will come back from international duty injured.

I expect better from you. You should know that Jags was forced into action as an emergency keeper in his Sunderland days. That allows Koeman the master tactician the chance to stick Pickford in the number 10 role due to his excellent distribution and Stek to be our big target number 9. Gimme take the entire league by surprise!!!

Like the spirit Philip! Good on ya! I used to be like that once upon a time too.

Doh!!! Confusing my red and white striped clubs. Sheffield, Sunderland, neither places I would choose to spend a minute of my life.

False No.9's, mobile players buzzing around between the back line, not stood still, next to the CB - effectively marking your self.

Any from Rooney, Sandro, DCL, Mirallas, Vlasic.

Vardy and Cahill weren't as big as Lukaku...It's not the size of the man in the fight that counts, but the size of the fight in the man.

The first rule of coaching is; have better players. The Second is; Use a system that makes the best of what you have, don't play a system that requires a Big CF, especially if you haven't got one...and I don't mean your Scottish alter ego's 4-6-0.

Get off the golf course and earn your 6mill.

If so I might give TW a wide berth for a few months, spend some time in a slightly cheerier atmosphere, working a suicide hotline perhaps...

Damn those pesky people with different views. Not everyone is a Eurogullible or a Hillary snowflake. ,"(much like Brexit and Trump allowed the right-wingers and nutcases freedom to get out of their boxes)."

Damn those pesky people with different views. Not everyone is a Eurogullible or a Hillary snowflake. ,,,1,06:43:14,,81.108.253.187,ok,19747,09/01/2017 06:43:14,Overdrive,reader,, 846294,35424,toffeeweb,01/09/2017,Paul A Smith,paulos81@hotmail.co.uk,I don't know whos fault this deadline disaster is but its somebodys fault.
Once again an Everton manager short of what he needs.
His treatment of Niasse and Barkley totally backfires.
I predicted after the Swansea negotiations that would be the last big move.
How awful. Its either Koeman has spent millions on 'productivity' with his major assists man who is stuck for somebody to assist now.
Or Koeman was set in his mind the board wouldn't let him go into a huge campaign with no real striker.
Either way its ended in Everton fashion
A 3 year plan to reach the Champions league one fan told me.
What a load of nonsense.
Sell your star man to the team that finished one place above you and expect to be joining them in 2 more years. Haha.
"But he wanted to leave"
So did Van Dijk Coutinho Sanchez etc etc
But we are so nice we promised Rom a happy life and took an easy sum for him while the Kopites turn down 125 for a player they sub most weeks.
,I don't know whos fault this deadline disaster is but its somebodys fault.
Once again an Everton manager short of what he needs.
His treatment of Niasse and Barkley totally backfires.
I predicted after the Swansea negotiations that would be the last big move.
How awful. Its either Koeman has spent millions on 'productivity' with his major assists man who is stuck for somebody to assist now.
Or Koeman was set in his mind the board wouldn't let him go into a huge campaign with no real striker.
Either way its ended in Everton fashion
A 3 year plan to reach the Champions league one fan told me.
What a load of nonsense.
Sell your star man to the team that finished one place above you and expect to be joining them in 2 more years. Haha.
"But he wanted to leave"
So did Van Dijk Coutinho Sanchez etc etc
But we are so nice we promised Rom a happy life and took an easy sum for him while the Kopites turn down 125 for a player they sub most weeks.
,,,1,06:49:49,,80.192.51.236,ok,12647,09/01/2017 06:49:49,Paulos81,reader,, 846295,35424,toffeeweb,01/09/2017,Steven Astley,Steven.astley@gmail.com,"There is no way of dressing up what happened yesterday.
We sold our best goalscorer. We needed a replacement, just someone through the door at least and they couldn't even manage that. Total incompetence. What happens now when Wayne and/or Sandro picks up an injury?

No point arguing with the "sell to buy" merchants who appear to have something against our new club owners.

Using their idiotic logic, Spurs and Arsenal are sell to buy clubs as they have a negative net spend and you must ignore money spent on U23s, wages and hiring.

When called out on the stupidity of their logic, they conflate the club's failure to sign a striker with their illogical wrong headed analysis.

It was a disaster not signing a striker and brickbats should be thrown at the whole hierarchy gor that. However our failure to sign a striker does not make us sell to buy. Nor do the attempts to offload Barkley and Niasse (why not try and get some cash in for them?).

This theory perpetuating that we are run by Snake Oil Salesman is also ridiculous. Moshiri has cleared the club's debts and has a plan to take the club forward.

Furthermore, he sanctioned big signings and backed Koeman heavily.

There is no where for Koeman to hide now that the new owners have sanctioned heavy spending. His fault for not prioritising a replacement for Lukaku.

We know from Rooney's public statements that Koeman wanted him in January and the fact that Koeman has admitted Siggy was on his shortlist for 1 year, that Koeman sets the agenda for player acquisitions.

They (The Board & Moshiri) have skied away as much as they could possibly get away with to put towards the new stadium. You could hear it in his (Moshiri's) voice in the Sky interview, like a gambler losing a sure-fire bet at the last minute. Kenwright Mk 2, methinks?

I know the stadium is our big future for the club, but a big new shiny even fuck-off one is useless without a fuck-off team winning stuff.

Bleating over not having a recognised CF is not the owner's problem. Koeman prioritised and got Rooney and Sigurdsson. No one else wanted to join.

Up to our Dutch manager to shape a system now with the players at his disposal to take us forward.

Our anguish is resulting from how Koeman has set us up - where we came to heavily rely on Lukaku. We have lost the ability to score goals from wide areas or central midfield, and our direct style necessitates a big man.

We need a 20 goal a season man yes, but he does not need to be 6ft + if we adapt our style and play without 2 DMs in every single game. Get some players forward around Sandro, Rooney and DCL when we go forward and we might still score some goals even if they are shared around.

He's 21 now so isn't it now or never?

Also Niasse has to be used until January!

Of course we will have had a budget that included income from sales.
We have made some good buys but missed out on key positions.
If we start winning games no one will care, if we continue with turgid performances and lose games then reach for the tin hats.
The manager now has his work cut out to earn his huge wages to fit the players into a system that works for them.

Seems to me Koeman would happily take the club to the brink of financial ruin if it meant he got top 4 and put himself in the mix for the Barça job?

Rickie Lambert's available on a free ;-)

Our chance of top 6 Over and out

To some this will be numbingly depressing or completely over the top. So if that is likely to be the case, avoid the armageddon prophesies for a few days. Some will fall out or raise their level of ire to beat the previous livid post and eventually if nothing else finally turn attention to an actual game. That is when interest comes back for me.

(Having said that the sensitivities of the bloody furious always bring out mischievous tendancies in some. Same in real world)

Expecting some very expensive Moyes-like performances for six months.

Now with 3 pissed off players, Barkley, Niasse and Mirallas.

I have to say that Mr Moshiri comes across as a bit of a fibber on deadline days.

Oh well, let's see where it gets us, COYB !

You were saying?

We have bought some decent players, but we've also added players who are surplus to requirements at the expense of other more vital positions. Anyone with eyes can see that Sandro isn't a striker and that Rooney can't play there either.

I predict these pages will be full of the words 'gel' and 'click' for the next 12 months, until it finally does 'click' that Koeman is out of his depth and dinning out on his success as a player 30 years ago.

As for Mr Moshiri... He hasn't paid off our debt, or invested in the team. We are spending modest amounts of the sky money and it's entirely plausible that the aim was to break even from player sales, given the failure to sell Barkley and Niasse. He appeared to be seething at that development on sky (his appearance on which was entirely cringeable). Kenwright with more money.

By 'bone-headed', do you mean an agent who thought 'daft to advise my client not to bet on a Royal flush when I know his fat Dutch nark opponent only has 9-high.'?

As for not having a centre forward, I thought we'd at least get a Straqurlirsi on loan, not even that, gone backwards!

Okay we have DCL, Sandro, & Rooney, but none are strong enough to play up top on their own, which Moyes, sorry I meant Koeman plays such a system.

In every game this season what has everyone noticed? Not enough upfront. So for two months we don't buy one. Fuck off Everton. 7th-8th place and fifth round of the vup here we come.

With that in mind, the closing day can only be described as a bit of a shambles. It looks as though any replacements were dependant on a Barkley sale at the last moment. Considering we thought we had a clear strategy, and the scrabbling about at the last minute was a thing of the past, then it seems the lunatics are still in charge of the asylum.

A shame, because it did seem for a while we had become a proper football club for a moment there. Instead, we are going into a very important season with no recognised no.9.

That's cannot have been the plan when we sold Rom?

My view is if we can hold on to 7th with what we've got and with what most/all the competition have managed to acquire it will be miraculous and bodes well for what we will achieve when eventually we do draw in our much needed targets which hopefully will be no later than the Jan window.

The next couple/3 games or so will not be much different I suspect because new players will take a few weeks to bed in but once new signings start having their desired effect I fear a siege mentality will prevail with the (not so) mighty blues.

When is the first derby match anyone so I can book a weekend away?

Disappointed is an understatement and I may be imagining it but there seemed to be no urgency or inspiration at all during the search this window. Siggy (I remain on the fence so far as 㿙m being well spent or not) has been on the radar for months and months, also Rooney, Vlasic I do not believe we would have if we had not played Hajduk Split, Keane and Pickford both seem a good buy but that's a job half done in my estimation.

Let's get this frigging Intl break out the way, get down to business and see what transpires but my optimism for any excitement this season has been well and truly snuffed out. I know we are not the biggest draw in the world (and now even less so) but moronic planning can only describe the last few months unless I am seriously missing something.

The reasons for that and blame allocation can only be guessed at so time for RK to get his magicians hat dusted off and pull out a rabbit or two. Or walk by Xmas.

I hope he succeeds but half his 3 year plan/contract is almost up and I can't see him producing anything that will attract the likes of Barca in the next 18 months.

Maybe our search has to extend beyond the playing staff.

Looks like we were scrambling around for loan deals too – all of which indicates the so called financial clout just is not there .that to an extent I can live with.

What baffles me then is how we end up with fewer strikers than last year bring in 3 number 10's and allow a back up left sided defender in Galloway go on loan... the very position Koeman wanted cover for! Koeman obviously wanted and expected more or surely the transfer policy would have been different.

Looks now like Chairman expects top 6 with what we have and a manager who knows he hasn't the tools to achieve it. Very poor; I just hope the players are not as deflated as we are!

And even if he stays fit, can we reasonably expect a 32 year old, who has clearly lost some of his overlapping ability already, to be effective in every Thursday-Sunday double as the weather worsens in the next 5 months?

I'd say failing to buy / loan cover, or ensure an U-23s left back is available, is as big a dereliction of duty by the board / Walsh / Koeman as the striker failure. Bigger even, as at least we do have players that can play up front...

I don't really buy the mantra that it has overall been a good window as I don't think the team is anywhere near being set up to challenge for anything

Sandro, Rooney and DCL are simply not a strikeforce able to make us competitive on all fronts this season given the large amount of games we have.

We needed another striker.

The club did not deliver.

There are no excuses as far as i'm concerned. Someone or some people failed in their jobs. The gap between us and the top 6 has got no smaller. My belief in this new regime have been severely shook by the failings in this window.

Midfield though full still seems muddled with a plethora of defensive players who offer nothing going forward and no pace.

Wings are an issue until Bolasie comes back like a new signing. Lookman very inconsistent, Mirallas was never great and now will be even more uninspiring.
Arron Lennon? Hope the new lad is a star!

The fabled number 10 . Should be Siggy (?) , where does that leave Klaasen and Rooney?

Forwards , DCL looks a good prospect but I doubt he will score 20 goals this season and Sandro seems like £5m player. Will we play Rooney up top, definitely not every game.

People say we've not signed a striker this window but last time I looked Rooney and Sandro were strikers; Before Sandro came to us he was this amazing young striker that we had to get in, people were saying “he'll be the signing of the summer”, now after a couple of games he's rubbish and won't achieve anything – really?!?!
People moan about RK not playing youth, isn't DCL youth and a striker? I could put money on it that if we had signed some 32 year old striker people would then be moaning that he is stopping our youth progress.

Last time we finished 4th in the league we'd just sold our upcoming striker, Tim Cahill finished our top scorer (an attacking mid fielder) and Marcus Bent was leading the front line!

People then go on to moan that our net spend is to low, surely you should really be asking; “Is our squad stronger than last year” – if the answer is yes then who cares how much we have spent?

I for one am extremely happy with what has been one of the best transfer windows I can remember (and I've supported Everton for 22 years) – 10 new players in, a great mix of youth and experience with a few potentials for the future – and we've only lost 1 player who had any impact on the 1st team last season

I'm looking forward to the season kicking off again! 😊

As for Barkley, he is thick on the pitch and chooses the wrong option every time. Looks like he isn't much cleverer off it. He realised he'd be behind Drinkwater in getting a place on Chelsea's bench so decided to hold out for Spurs. Idiot. I like football. I hate footballers.

In the past our midfield has been manned by Osman and Neville. We now have Schneiderlin, Gana, Sigurdsson, Klassen.

Koeman has finally resolved the goalkeeper issue that has troubled us since Martyn left. And Keane, if and when he eventually makes on, will be a £80m defender.

We also have Rooney, who is actually looking far better than I thought he would. And let's give Sandro a chance.

Over the last two windows we have strengthened the side. Let's now see how we do.

Jeez - it could only be Everton.

And Mark - strengthened the side? relative to who? I think most teams - worryingly those below us - have also strengthened.

Some ok results but performances have been poor.

Where are the goals going to come from and does anybody really think the current level of performance will have us challenging for anything this season?

Need time to gel .

Steve, you can have a Plan B,C,D, etc., but if a player, or his wife, doesn't fancy living in Liverpool (City) or Cheshire then you have no chance. It's easy to blame the club but you can't make a player sign for you if he doesn't want to. And then there's the agents and their fees

I don't read newspapers, Chris, that's one of my own.

Where did you get the idea that everybody disagreeing with you is a nutcase?

I do like your optimism but there are some glaring problems there.

We can see neither Sandro or Rooney can be used as an out and out attacker. Especially in the way Koeman wants his team to set up, with 10 men defending, lone attacker who needs to hold the ball up for team mates to join in to hit teams on the break. It's clear already Sandro could work in a front 2 or behind the striker out wide. Rooney needs to be behind the striker.

That leaves us DCL. A kid, who has half a season playing on the wing with a grand total of 3 games as an out and out striker to his name. And that's before we even talk about how many he's scored. And that's it. We have no one else. Nada. Zip. We will most likely play about 25 games until the January window. 3 games a week, with just this lad.

Then there is the left back/left defense issue. Baines, at 32, can not play 3 games a week effectively. A 26 year old wouldn't be able to with the amount of running that's needed as we have no wingers. And for back up we have, errmmmmmm - Martina?! A right back. And to top it off, when Ron plays his 3 man central defence two of those are made up of Williams and Jags. What happens when we need to rest Keane? Williams and Jags it is coz he won't play Holgate there.

And remember Koeman was desperate for these positions to be filled, so he obviously thinks the same that is obvious to the rest of us. The good news for him is that he now has a great excuse for when we don't progress on last year. His presser has already been written. "But OK, we didn't get a striker so 7th is best we can do right now".

Like I say, I admire your optimism but no way in hell will we be challenging anyway shape or form for a top 6 place.

I am asking why in the three weeks after the Arsenal v Leicester game, we did not try to sign someone else. Koeman wanted a striker. Maybe we have Rooney, Sandro, Calvert-Lewin and all the other ones who can do a job up top like Mirallas, but Koeman wanted a specialised striker.

for me it all comes back to blowing £45m on Sigurdsson. We should have made the striker a priority. Sigurdsson is a luxury for the squad, we can get by and do very well without him. A striker is essential, and now we have to gamble on Calvert-Lewin's fitness and form, or we change the way we play and if so then surely it is a waste of pre-season and everything we have been gearing up for.

I'm sure we were trying to get the striker we needed, but just because you fancy the best looking girl in the office, it doesn't mean she has to go out with you!

It's up to the manager now, he has to make this work tactically, and then its up to us, put our disappointments behind us and give these young players the support to drive them on.

I've said before, we are at the start of a project , we all bought into that, yet all of a sudden, we forget everything and criticisms and vitriol abound.

What else can I switch to, to focus on. Football is doing my head in.

This gives us a chance to see Calvert Lewin and Sandro being given time to develop in the first team. Rooney can play there too. There'll now be more chances for our Under 20 world champions. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

I have no doubt Everton tried to sign strikers of quality and were offered Gary Goals instead.

I just hope now that we get someone lined up for the positions we need at the very beginning of January.

Wouldn't bank on it! We've had since March (when Lukaku turned down the contract and made it clear he was leaving) to get someone and didn't. But I supposed if we can offload Niasse & Barkley we might see some movement coming in.

We really lack two fundamental things up front. 1) A target who can hold the ball up, play with his back to goal and link the play; and 2) someone with genuine pace to stretch teams and provide a different option.

We have neither of these qualities. This is going to seriously affect our season. We are a one dimensional side with a lack of variety, pace, width and goals.

I thought we needed 2 strikers, so to say the least I'm extremely disappointed that we haven't brought another option in. Even if it wasn't the player we wanted long term on a permanent deal, another striking option on loan was absolutely necessary. Maybe someone with pace to bring off the bench. Or someone good in the air to hit and knock crosses into if, or more likely when, we are running out of ideas. I'm sure no-one at the club ever thought for a second we would sign Valencia permanently, but he had value as a squad member last season.

We really need Sandro to have a good season and, in an ideal world, hit the ground running. If this is a season of adapting to the division, and that would be understandable to be fair, then we could really be struggling. There's not exactly a Fellaini or Cahill knocking about who can play makeshift striker.

The striker issues and Barkley have taken all the attention. But there is also the problem of ageing center backs and an absence of left sided cover. Precisely what happens if Baines gets injured? They have had all summer to sort it. These ageing players will dip at some point. Rooney looks sharp now. Lets see how sharp he looks in January after we've ran him into the ground.

With the Europa complicating matters this year, I will be very surprised if we better last season's league finish, despite our positive additions elsewhere.

An opportunity missed. Spectacularly.

Maybe Rooney was on the forum with us last night.

Moshiri shouldn't be allowed near a phone again, pissed or sober.

No 9 options - DCL, Sandro, Rooney, Henen and Niasse. Surely they can get 25+goals between them!

Left back cover - Garbett and Martina!

What a chance for these players!!!

Koeman said he wanted a left sided defender? Well, Martina played there against Sevilla and did alright. We have Kenny and Holgate and I can't remember the other U23 right back, but he looks solid, Coleman will be back before we know it, so Holgate is then 4th choice CB. Kenny is backup RB to Coleman. Doesn't look that weak to me?

So defence: LB, Baines, Martina and Garbutt (I doubt he will ever play)

CB: Williams, Jagielka, Keane and (Holgate when Coleman is backfit)

RB: Martina, Holgate, Kenny and Coleman all capable of playing if required.

Midfield, no pressing concerns at all.

Defensive Midfield: Schneiderlin, Besic, Gueye and McCarthy (who looked good when fit last season) as well as Davies who plays slightly further forward.

Number 10: Sigurdsson, Rooney, Vlasic, Mirallas (for me his best position) Klaasen, Barkley (if he ever plays again)

Wide players: A mix of the above with Lookman, Lennon and Bolasie.

Now the dreaded attack, but hear me out here Kylian Mbappe was an unheard of kid 12 months no-one knew who he was he is now tto be the second most expensive ever player, I know we don't have a young forward like him but why are people writing players of after less than 10 professional games?

Our options: Rooney, Sandro, Calvert-Lewin, Mirallas (played here for Olymapiakos) and then we have a vast array of promising forwards in the u23's: Sambou, Henen (Koeman stopped him moving for some reason, maybe he sees something), Dyson (he looks a big strong player), Byrne, Mathias, Donkor (plays best as inside forward) and Lavery. I know some of these will never make it, but let's hope one of these burst on the scene the same as a certain summer signing.

Don't write us off before we have started, Koeman said he likes to play the youth, we have plenty of young attacking talent, lets use it! I have seen people wanting youth to play, now is the chance.

People are saying we will finish below our position last year well without Lukaku's goals last year we would of finished 7th. Have the teams below us strengthened that you now think these teams are superior to us? I think not:

West Ham: definitely not;
Southampton: no;
Palace: no;
West Brom: potentially they will challenge but they stop playing when they reach 40 points;
Watford: good signings but I think that every season they flatter to deceive... so no;
Bournemouth: no;
Burnley: no;
Brighton: no;
Newcastle: no;
Huddersfield: no;
Stoke: well, we have already beaten them and I can't see them doing much... so no;
Swansea: they may as well be relegated now, they will struggle even more this season.

Now onto the six above us: these were hard to catch already... they may be even more so now, but we knew they would be stronger this season than ever:

Spurs: they will struggle with Champions League and a relatively small squad as well as the Wembley factor but I think they will still be up there.

Man City look good, however, we contained them; bar for poor tactics and one mistake, we would have beaten them.

Chelsea: their squad isn't that deep. Last season we got thrashed and played of the park by them with Lukaku in the team; this season, after 3 away games in 6 days, we played poorly but they didn't open us up half as much as they did last season. Also, we had a half-fit Gueye and Sandro playing as well as a completely-out-of-it Davies.

Man Utd: they look unreal, much as it pains me to say it – Champions.

Liverpool: this is a strange one... they bought in Salah, who wasn't really required, and Oxlade-Chamberlin, who I completely don't rate. They haven't strengthened the defence and still look vulnerable. They also have Champions League which will take its toll. They will struggle more than you think.

Arsenal: this is a team in disarray – they have a defence that looks extremely low on confidence, a midfield that is capable of being world class but never seems to, and then a couple of strong strikers. However, Lacazette has already been dropped and an unhappy Sanchez – this will affect the dressing room – and remember, they are not used to the Europa League schedule; this will trouble them.

I see us being able to overtake Arsenal, even without a recognised forward. I know we have the Europa League as well and it will affect us but I feel we will take it in our stride. Rooney and Klaassen were there last season and will help in the dressing room.

Be positive, exciting times are ahead!

What plan? What plan for winning the Premier League has Moshiri ever told us?

Its your logic that's flawed. We choose to sell Lukaku with out having a replacement goal scorer! He was contracted to us with a World Cup year to go.

Moshiri was also happy for Barkley to leave knowing a striker was not coming in. So Rooney has to cover up front. He also wanted Mirallas out. Lennon has his own problems and Lookman is not ready. So Sigurdsson is the only wide-ish player. That leaves Klaassen who has been poor so far, as the only No 10. But let's sell Barkley??

By the way spurs and arsenal are sell to buy! I don't care about them though.

Stick to our business.

Moshiri's plan is either a poor one or a Kenwright Mk 2 plan:

Get a top ten side for the cheapest outlay possible. Make a profit in transfers and in twenty years quadruple your investment.

Krychowaik, Gibbs, Sakho, Renato Sanchez all went to worse sides. Bony even.

These are facts mate. You offer blind faith, flawed logic and zero evidence.

Explain the plan or, better still, quote it!

Big-spending Everton? Do me a favour.

These are the words used by Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea fans describing their transfer window.

So, what about us? Poor effort in failing to land a striker. I've said all summer it would be difficult and so it proved. Looks to me like those in charge are still learning about how to get these higher-level deals over the line.

Now we just have to get on with it. We've bought a good young keeper and centre back. Sigurdsson is a ready-made top notch PL player, I think Klaassen will come good in time and I'll judge Sandro when he's fit. And our fabled youngsters, those that haven't been loaned out, may now get more of a chance than we thought?

Which links in nicely with Moshiri's 'drunken uncle' performance last night. I don't normally like figureheads rambling on live TV, but we can glean some useful insights from this emotional stream of consciousness.

First, he sounded really hacked off with Barkley, to the point that I started thinking whether that had scuppered a last-minute deal. Lo and behold, Twitter had a report that we'd bid 35m for Jiminez. Coincidence? Dodged bullet?

Second, he quite rightly listed our signings and said they needed time to gel. Fair enough. He then backed it up by stating they were good players, which I agree with and also took as a hint to Koeman that he's had investment, now it's time to earn your money and get these players winning us games.

It's down to Koeman now. Four months of 5/6/7 defenders and a random mess in front of them will make us less attractive in January. A pattern of play based on a solid defence with attacking players interchanging and sharing goals & assists will get things back on track.

Both scenarios are possible with these players. It's down to how they're managed and organised. Moshiri didnt sound like a good loser last night. Judgement time for Koeman.

However Fulham fans on twitter are gutted about this kid we've just signed from them (always a good sign).

A converted midfielder from striker he has an eye for goal and is supposed to be an athletic player.

Already made a debut for the first team.

With regards to a striker - Koeman may simply have to play Niasse in games he feels against weaker opposition to give the other 3 a rest (or even use Niasse from the bench sometimes) when the games come thick and fast.

At least until Jan.

Say what you like about the guy, not a and not a long-term option anyone would want, but he has shown he is capable of scoring goals in the PL.

I suggested it was possible with these players, depending on how they're managed. Based on what I've seen, I'm not holding my breath. That's why I'm saying it's judgement time for Koeman.

Apologies for not sharing your certainty.

Just so frustrating we didn't get a world class striker. However upon reflection koeman has good players available and has to show he can pick the right players in the right positions and just go for it. No more 3 at the back with holgate WB. No more DCL as WB.

"Despite a raft of new signings, there's an argument that Everton aren't actually that much stronger this season following the departure of Romelu Lukaku."

Is about right.

We currently sit 12th in the table, have scored 2 goals in 3 games and conceded 3 goals and therein lies our problem. We will not score enough goals this season and as long as Koeman insists on playing 3 at the back we will concede goals regardless of how good Pickford is.

It's difficult to understand why we bought so many midfielders, why we spent 45m on Sigurdsson when we have very limited striking options no outlet, no blistering pace that stretches teams. What system does Koeman intend to play ? what's the strategy ? We have some excellent midfielders but they're falling over one another / confused as to their role because they see others carrying out the role they thought they were meant to be carrying out and it's in a compressed area of the pitch because we can't stretch defences with our striking options.

The 442 article suggests that we'll challenge Arsenal for 6th. Looking at how some of the other mid-table teams have improved in a more structured way (e.g. WBA, Soton) 12th. may be about right.

You couldn't have imagined this scenario, two months ago, still we just have to get on with it.

One thinks that maybe we should have kept lukaku for another year however we do have a much better squad than last year. Onus is on koeman to get them firing now

But as you say, he seems to be in the doghouse with Niasse and Ross so not much chance. However it does seem that RK has forced on himself, or had forced on him, a few u-turns to look forward to you in the upcoming weeks.

Chris - if we could swap players with the RS tomorrow I would be quite happy.

He has been playing loads of beach football so he should be fit.

We should score more goals from midfield and set pieces, and we should concede less goals. Whether this and the goals we get from Sandro, DCL, Lookman will compensate for the important points winning goals Lukaku scored ( i.e., not all of them) is debatable.

The really important thing for me though is how we set up to get the best out of the squad we have, which means playing to our strengths.

For me, no more 3 centre halves unless it's in Europe at a pinch, or to rotate.We don't have the players for it.

No more players out of position, DCL or Holgate at wing back. Round pegs in round holes please. Prefeferably Holgate at centre half and Kenny in for some games.

We have attacking midfielders, including Vlasic now, so use them.

Defend when we have to not as the priority.

I suspect the football may not be pretty at times and defensive away from home, but that should be because the other team is attacking not us sitting deep and inviting them on..

If ever there was a chance for Koeman to show us his coaching credentials it is now, because we are where we are until January and until key players come back from injury. Jam tomorrow is not applicable now.

We will all learn much over the next several months.

Still, trebles all round for some though, because despite that he's apparently dissed our current manager.

What planet are some TW'ers on?

Evertonians who ask whether those who wanted Lukaku out are happy now are missing the point. Everton wanted Lukaku to stay, Lukaku wanted out. We had to sell him and had to replace him and haven't, which is basic negligence.

I don't believe we were reliant on the Barkley money to get a striker either – and if we did that's also negligence in my opinion. The maths have been done by many that we aren't too far in hock from net transfers, the EPL is awash with money this year and has the £60m Chinese overdraft facility the club was trumpeting a few months ago suddenly disappeared? So I think that's a red herring and to pin it on Ross is unacceptable. I think a striker coming and Ross going are, or should be, completely separate issues – unless that striker was involved in some kind of swap with Ross which doesn't appear to be the case.

Ross Barkley is going to Spurs in January or June, either for nothing, or something that Levy believes is acceptable.

Was Koeman still in Portugal? If so, and he chooses to be on a golf course rather than at Finch Farm / Goodison Park on a day as important as this, I have little sympathy for him. He, Walsh, the money men etc. should all be together until our business is done. Our owner should also stop playing games with the media as he has been burnt by it more often than not now. I am also starting to dread how we are going to overcome some of challenges we are sure to face if we are to get a new stadium if our deadline day performances are anything to go by.

Blah blah blah

Letting your star man go to your nearest rivals in the table.
"Its a 3 year plan to reach CL an he wanted to go"
Yawn

Leaving your manager and fans short yet again for the toughest campaign in years.
Sly whipsers "err say nothing to the doom club who already know this but that was typical Everton wasn't it"

Assuming this was an oversight, why leave it so late, which has backfired.

Like you said in your post, there is no question we have improved in many areas, but what worries most people, including myself, apart from set piece situations, where are the goals going to come from?

That's really not that difficult to understand is it?

He had two years left on his contract, and we didn't have to let him go, regardless of his wishes.
His value to us over the next two years, coupled with the new signings, could have been more than the £75M fee Utd paid us. If we had kept him, that would have been a massive statement, really signalling the supposed 'new era'. But we didn't keep him, and the new signings look pretty much like the 'old Everton', nothing particulalrly world shattering.

We let him go, and haven't replaced him. In my mind, there are two possibilities at play: Either:

(a) Incompetence and typical tight arsed dealings like we've got used to with Everton, or

(b) Part of a 'master plan' in which we no longer depend on a 'target man' in the way that we did, the new signings like Rooney, Klaasen and Sigurdsson herald a new approach involving slick fast passing movements, and goals distributed more evenly over the team, all planned via Koeman's pedigree of great Dutch football, and making us look more like City or Barca.

Now, the cynic in me says it's more likely scenario (a), same old Everton, no surprises. The 'hopeful Evertonian' in me says it's scenario (b). If I had to bet my shirt on it, I'd have to go for scenario (a).

Wind your necks in please!

Drink driving is out of order. But suggesting he shouldn't be touching a drop of alcohol during the season is ridiculous. Nothing wrong with drinking at the right times. We've got a 2 week break after a hectic start. There's nothing wrong with him having a drink, but he should have got a cab...

Imagine how much Ali would go for. Koeman clearly isn't the only manager who has concerns about Ross. Even drink water went for more!

This team with Lukaku up front Champions League qualification and a reasonable title bid.

But really, deep down, we don't need to win. It would be nice, but we just don't.

Man United need to win.

I've reluctantly come to accept this difference and will try and make the best of what I see as we get seventh again and enjoy a few European away trips. Lyon will be fun.

"As for Mr Moshiri... He hasn't paid off our debt, or invested in the team. We are spending modest amounts of the sky money and it's entirely plausible that the aim was to break even from player sales, given the failure to sell Barkley and Niasse. He appeared to be seething at that development on sky (his appearance on which was entirely cringeable). Kenwright with more money. "

Err, he has. He injected 80 million pounds to repay our debt. Confirmed and announced. He did this before the summer, and at the same time as the club spent some serious Wonga on Schneiderlin and Lookman in the January window (where there was no incoming cash).

The club then raised a further 60 million pounds from ICBC. None of that cash went back to Moshiri - it was clearly announced as being for the club's expenses - so we know he still invested 80 million pounds.

Wneed the financials of the club to see how the increased Sky money has been used. Our wages have gone up significantly.

Also, failure to sell Barkley & Niasse means we spent more than we recouped - so someone somewhere did have to stump up the cash. That person took the risk to pay out the transfer fees before money was received.

Under Kenwright, our two most successful seasons (in 2004 and 2014) the key signings were made on deadline day, after players had been sold (Rooney) or brought in the last minute when our Sky money arrived.

Not happened this season has it? Cash was splurged before Lukaku was sold and before the influx of this year's cash.

Finally, why is it a bad thing to want to sell Niasse and Barkley and balance the books? We do not need a squad of 30 players. It is Koeman - not Moshiri - who decides who he wants in his squad. If a player then becomes surplus to requirements, why should we not try and sell them, balancing the books in the process?

Levy has done it for years and has produced title challengers in Spurs. What is more, their record signing, Sanchez, cost less than Sigurdsson. We have more GBP 30m+ acquisitions then they do - certainly suggests that this Board have not been averse to spending the money.

The fact that Koeman and Walsh ballsed up the signing of a CF is not the Board's problem. What will be their problem is if we underperform this season and they fail to get rid of Koeman at the season's end.

Kenwright stuck by Moyes and Martinez for too long. Moshiri has backed Koeman to the hilt. If Koeman fucks up this season, then Moshiri will hopefully give him the sack. If he does not, I will be the first to criticise him for indulging his manager. Big clubs with ambition do not stick by under performing managers. Meanwhile, being ambitious and savvy with your finances are not mutually exclusive, as so many other clubs are showing.

Are you aware Bayern, who always seem to deliver on the pitch and make big signings, also have surplus cash of almost GBP 200m tucked away in a fixed deposit? Probably the best run club in the world.

Would make sense for him and us to sign a 100k pw deal with a 35m buyout clause .

I would love him to sign and be a success and the whole thing to backfire on Levy.

As in life there are certainties the face us all, and the trials of life with EFC, never go away.

Maybe the 3 year project will become a 6 year plan, which is more realistic?

Buying the debt, is not the same as clearing the debt. We still owe the debt.

So I cannot see him extending his contract and making a 6 year plan. He's a man on a mission and Everton is clearly a stepping stone.

Err, Liverpool Echo
"Everton have released their annual accounts for 2015/16 and have confirmed that major shareholder, Farhad Moshiri has cleared the club's debts by providing an interest-free loan of £80million with no agreed repayment date."

Everton's debt was not bought. It was repaid. And the funding was an interest free loan with no repayment date (not some loan with a usurious rate raised by Kenwright & Co ).

It had to be done as a loan - even thought in reality it is equity - because Mosh does not own 100% of the shares and straight equity would have been dilutive.

Had he wanted to as the owner he could have legally pillaged the club rotten, but he hasn't. Instead he's invested a great load of dosh to create a vastly changed squad and put plans into action to create a new stadium. And okay he's generated income by getting rid of a few players but, demonstrably, he's still separately invested heavily to the tune of well in access of 𧴜mill.

I'd have thought an Everton fan would support that instead of taking action to deprive the club of wealth it needs to prosper.

I agree he sees EFC a rung on the ladder upwards. I will cling to the hope that he actually knows how to get a team playing football.

There is another option which says that I don't know what I want to do yet but will make my mind up by the time my contract expires. Until then I'll see what my options are.

Apparently the Fulham fans are going mad over this, they reckon for the money we have paid for Dennis Adeniran is daylight robbery, seems they really rate this lad. I cant say I have seen him play but I guess this is another spot from our Mr Walsh.

And if we'd signed a striker etc... So

It may well be the Moshiri never calls in the debt, conversely it may well be that he does.

If, by 'Everton fan', you're referring to Barkley, then he hasn't had to take any action...apart from shaking his head at whatever has been shoved in front of him.

He might be an 'Everton fan', but over and above that naively romantic notion, he's also a professional with vast earning potential and a duty to himself and his short career to ensure any decision on his future suits him, his family and no fucker else.

Like he's supposed to set aside his own personal aspirations, doubts or day to day happiness, to help secure Everton football club the best deal possible? After they appeared utterly disinterested in doing so themselves by leaving contract talks with the player until so late in the day?

Strange, how the fact he's 'an Everton fan' wasn't of such significance when the club stupidly delayed offering him a new deal whilst continuing to dish them out to others, or when his manager publicly stated securing his signature "wasn't a priority".

Ok then Amit, where's your evidence that this loan will never be called in?

I haven't posted anything untrue. You have speculated that it's equity. Everton owes Moshiri 80 mill. That's the only fact we have.

It doesn't matter how much he earns, he's not going to put the interests of a football club above his own. Would you?

Righto. Here goes.

"As for Mr Moshiri... He hasn't paid off our debt"

Patently untrue. The 80m came from Farhad Moshiri to Everton, not Bill Kenwright or AN Other. So he paid off the club's debt.

"Amit,

Buying the debt, is not the same as clearing the debt. We still owe the debt."

Err, bullshit bingo again! He did not buy the debt. That would mean that the existing debt with its usurious rates of interest would still be in place. Moshiri repaid the debt with an interest free loan.

"Ok then Amit, where's your evidence that this loan will never be called in"

The clue is in the phrase "no fixed repayment date".

"I haven't posted anything untrue."

Bullshit bingo again!

"Amit, just because there is no concrete repayment schedule for the loan does not mean this is not a debt against the club.

It may well be the Moshiri never calls in the debt, conversely it may well be that he does."

As a 49.9pc shareholder, other than an interest free loan with no fixed repayment date, how else could Moshiri repay the club's usurious debt without diluting Kenwright and co?

Shareholder loans of this type are the norm to advance funds where the one with the deepest pockets does not own all the shares.

What is more, if a loan is interest free, it will mean that should Moshiri call it in the future, he will receive back less than he provided in real, inflation adjusted terms. Inflation erodes the value of money and interest is supposed to prevent that.

Lastly. Moshiri cannot call the loan as a shareholder if (a) it would make the club insolvent - because the board directors would then be in breach of their fiduciary duties to ensure the club is not recklessly trading and (b) he has expressly agreed to subordinate his rights on the loan as part of raising the ICBC funding.

Moshiri has sunk 80m into EFC (atleast) and there is a good chance he will not ever get it back given its deeply subordinated nature. That makes it as damn near to equity as you can get.

His relationship with Jim White is bizarre and, frankly, naueseating. He is a hard nosed businessman with an eye for a profit. In the insanity of the Premier League he will get it. He has not cleared our debts, he has taken control of them and not because he is an Evertonian.

I think his repeated admissions that Moshiri could call the loan in above, more than answers the question I asked.

Bullshit bingo.. as someone once said.

His relationship with Jim White is bizarre and, frankly, naueseating. He is a hard nosed businessman with an eye for a profit. In the insanity of the Premier League he will get it. He has not cleared our debts, he has taken control of them and not because he is an Evertonian."

Fully agree with the first paragraph he is not a charity. Neither are the Glazers, Abramovich, Fenway and pretty much every investor in the world. When did want to making a return on investment become a bad thing?

Disagree with the statemeny "he did not clear the debts". He did. It was not some magic fairy. What.8s more, he cleared/ repaid usurious, dubious, BVI based loans with an interest free loan with no fixed repayment. Surely that is a good thing?

As for the Jim White thing, yes agree. Weird. But does not change the fact that he has put the club.on a healthy footing.

Ciaran.

"
Andy,

I think his repeated admissions that Moshiri could call the loan in above, more than answers the question I asked.

Bullshit bingo.. as someone once said."

More bullshit bingo, coupled with a problem with reading and understanding.

Brent - thank you, although no doubt the length of my posts will be called into question!

I'll let you have the last word, fire away.

If he ask for his £80m back will he have to pay 49.9% of it? Just asking like. I can feel my head getting sore.

I can see a thread popping up in January - "where has the Moshiri money gone?

What worries me, though, is that the record of such people at clubs like ours is, to put it at its best, mixed. Risk against return from a starting point like Everton's is vexed and I am concerned that Mr Moshiri has a touch of the Kenwrights: theatrical appearances signifying nothing, always in the certain knowledge that he will not be ultimately out of pocket and that a light touch on the tiller (barring a total meltdown) will more than suffice, thank you very much. Keep the punters rolling in with cliffhanging stories every season of what thrills they can expect next time, just wait. The bunce will look after itself.

It's a recipe for stasis in terms of the team's progress - the sort of thing Bill has been doing for years - just upped a few notches in the new era to achieve the same net outcome. Nothing to frighten the horses. Perhaps that's all we are entitled to expect now, but I confess the prospect bores me to tears already.

A proper shift will only occur if Moshiri is a stalking horse, as some of us had hoped. I am now much more doubtful on the basis of this inept transfer window.

Thanks again!

Worried! Yes!

Will it make the club insolvent?

If yes, he can't have any of it back as his board can be sued by the clubs creditors.

If the answer is no, he gets back 80m not 49.9pc.

If however this event (ie the club remains solvent whilst paying him back his 80m) can only happen, say, in 2020 or 2025, or some other date in the future when the club passes the solvency test (so not like a typical loan), then the real value of the 80m he put in will be eroded by inflation and he is getting less back in real terms.

On the other hand, the BVI loans put in by some anonymous murky offshore vehicle could have been claimed back in full, with all the interest, even if it made the club insolvent - because their links to the Board could not be established, so they were third party loans with rights to make the club insolvent if necessary.

Not a very good way of funding the club.

Hope your head doesn't hurt, the point though is that Mosh has made the club's financial foundations alot safer than before.

Still, he does deserve flak for the Jim White carry on, although hopefully people will still see him as a force for good and avoid posting patent untruths about what he has put into the club.

Rooney is quality no doubt - but the man is past his best. Sandro is young and talented but unproven in the Premiership. DCL same as Sandro.

Hopefully with midfielders chipping in we can replace some of Lukaku's goals but in my book we needed a striker.

C'mon down Mr. Niasse! Lol.

I have not understood the purchases we have made other than Pickford, Keane, Martina (to fill in for Coleman while injured) and Rooney. Did Moshiri not say last night that Barkley would find it difficult now to get a game because we have 3 number 10's in front of him namely Rooney, Sigurdsson and Klaassen. Can somebody explain to me why we bought 3 guys who play in the same position when we needed left sided defenders and a striker.

So how do you put 3 number 10's in the same team; yes you play them out of position!!!! Makes a huge amount of sense to me and smacks of square pegs in round holes.

I am sure we will now see a lot of folk being played out of position this season to accommodate the large sums of money spent on them.

Ronald Koeman will have to utilise the U-23s and re-call Dowell from loan at some point. This is a weak side, compared to Martinez eye for talent Koeman has zero.

Overall, I think Koeman, more specifically his piss-poor attitude has started to tear into the positivity of building upon what he was given.

The loss of Lukaku was a major, major disaster, the Barkley saga and Niasse drama, this looks like a soap opera, my good feeling towards Everton has started to sour because of Kenwright and Koeman are the soap opera actors destroying everything sacred, good or positive feeling towards the future.

I am not convinced Koeman will utilise the U23s either, I am truly disgusted by the lies from this club.

Where has the love for the club gone????

Kenwright is still here, and the lovely memory of him slagging off pure Evertonians in the parking lot is becoming very vivid again out of nowhere.

This sour man truly cant help but drag this club down, I am sick and tired of him selling off our best strikers.

First Rooney in his prime, then Lukaku in his prime, this irks me to no end, I will never be able to truly have faith in this club as long as Kenwright is still pulling the strings.

My blue heart is breaking but I still keep Duncan Ferguson and his awesome heartfelt passion in my DNA map for what is the true soul of this club!!!

Ron has dismissed Niasse from Day one has publically time after time said no matter how many goals he scores he will not get selected, now may have to climb down on that one.

He has publically put Ross Barkley down on a few occasions, yet the likes of Williams get off scot free and never once have I heard him slate certain players.

I think Ronhas to lose the stubbornness of not backing down and get a balanced team put out instead of worrying about other teams, grow a pair and have a bloody go.

I do not like Ross doing a upturn to sign for Spurs in January.

Something is not right when the likes of Barkley, Niasse and Mirallas are in the firing line and come across as disrupting the team.

When you have someone I admire like Unsworth who has nothing but praise for Niasse then something is not right.

Something needs to change and Ron needs to sort out between himself and the players whatever the problem is.

Does being a finance Director give him any knowledge on whether moshiri will call his debt in or not? Because that's what's being debated.. not some sophistry about company law.

I thought Amit's point was about whether Moshiri bought the debt or repaid the debt. A fine distinction but I THINK I grasp it (with all its financial implications as set out by Amit).

Sorry, Amit. I shouldn't speak for you on such a complex matter. I might misunderstand this.

He took issue with my statement that Moshiri hasn't paid off our debt. He hasn't, he has simply restructured it as a shareholder loan. A junior debt, but a debt no less - and it is on the books.

Righto. One final go at dispelling this bullshit.

1. Who paid off 80m of Everton's debt if it was not Moshiri, the tooth fairy? You said Moshiri did not pay it off. He fucking did. 80m of the club's third party liabilities have gone. Instead, in the capital structure is money invested by Moshiri.

2. You said he bought the debt. He did not. He repaid it. Gone are interest bearing loans with a fixed repayment period, some of whoch were from a shady BVI shell secured on our Sky cash. Had he bought the debt, the original debt instrument would have remained, so the interest rate would have continued to accrue and it would be Moshiri not someone else collecting interest. This is not the case, is it?

3. Everton had to pay off their legacy debts. These loans were expensive. They had no way of doing so without shareholder money. BK could not participate in a rights issue. So, how would you, Ciaran, fund Everton if you owned 49.9pc? Stick in some cash, write it off and let BK and his chums still have a free ride? No. You would put it in exactly the way Moshiri put it in, with no interest and no fixed repayment date but still a loan. The investment ranks ahead of BK and his chums in the capital structure but below other creditors of the company. If Everton are never in a position to repay Moshiri back he cannot call the loan. If he did, his board would face legal action. So it is not unconditionally callable. As a result, in the accounts of the company, it will appear as a shareholder loan. Clear and comforting to all that Everton's solvency cannot be jeopardized, and clarity for Bill and his chums that they rank behind the bloke who cleared the club's expensive liabities.

Moshiri loaned £80 million to the club. It may be interest free, but it is a loan.

But wait – you never get good value in January. I know... let's wait until next summer.

If I get a loan from a relative to meet the spiralling costs of a quick quid loan, my debt doesn't vanish, despite the use of financial semantics. Would you agree?

I may have repaid the initial creditor, but I have not repaid the actual debt. Again, would you agree?

I would be willing to make a small wager with you that over the next few financial cycles one of two things will happen;

Either he'll start to get some of his 80 mill back in small tranches, or he will use it as capital to buy out other shareholders. Would you agree that either of these scenarios are distinct possibilities?

Were we misled or did we believe the new positive marketing the club is doing to improve our profile? I do recall us basking in the limelight as we made headlines at start of transfer window.

There are good arguments to be had re who we brought in but it will take a decade to turn the equivalent of a well loved 139 year old corner shop into Tesco...presuming we want that of course.
Tha

Some of us are not hoodwinked by your annual phone-ins with Jim "Everton are going places" White so where are the financial plans, designs, investments etc ?

Moshiris investment, on which he expects a return, is whatever he paid for the 49.9% equity he bought in the business (and on which he could just as easily make a loss, btw). Aside from that he has since has used his own money to relieve the business of its debt liability to BVI and/or others and, of course, will expect those funds to be repaid at some point. The debt remains as a liability to the business because he has not, I assume, gifted the money to Everton. It could, indeed, be repaid in share capital thus increasing his equity stake but that would probably be resisted by the 51.1% participants. It is quite possible if Moshiri is to increase his stake in the business in the future that this money will be used as a part payment for any increased percentage. This may be the longer term plan.

In the meantime the money has been made as a loan not an investment. If and when the business gets sold on, if it has not already been repaid, that debt will need to be cleared before the shareholders divvy up the net gains from the sale.

However - we do not actually know the terms of the money made available do we? So is all supposition is it not?

We have the chairman we deserve.

The debt his money replaced however could be called regardless of the threat to the club's solvency.

That means the club is on a safer footing.

As far as the scenario you suggest, where he takes out cash in tranches from the club, this is only possible if the club passes certain tests:

1. Will it remain solvent each time it does so (if yes, a tick from the companies act)

2. Does it comply with terms and conditions laid down in the club's ICBC loan agreement and other relevant agreements? If not, he cannot take out even small tranches unless he repays the ICBC loan too (or they waive the requirement).

If the club is financially sound enough, it is likely both tests would be passed and your scenario becomes viable. But that is not a risk for the club. What would be a risk is if cash is taken out when the club fails both tests. Not possible for Moshiri's money (without serious repurcussions) but possible for example for the old BVI Loans.

Big difference.

Lastly, I have no idea on what his arrangement is to buy out the other shareholders. It is not public and likely to involve BK making another mint in the process.

As for the rules regarding whether the club can provide Mosh the Dosh to buy out BK, this is governed by a complicated set of rules which you can find on the HMRC and various audit/accounting websites. But again, the club would need to pass various tests/meet conditions.

"Moshiris investment, on which he expects a return, is whatever he paid for the 49.9% equity he bought in the business (and on which he could just as easily make a loss, btw). Aside from that he has since has used his own money to relieve the business of its debt liability to BVI and/or others and, of course, will expect those funds to be repaid at some point. The debt remains as a liability to the business because he has not, I assume, gifted the money to Everton. It could, indeed, be repaid in share capital thus increasing his equity stake but that would probably be resisted by the 51.1% participants."

So, he can convert the loan into shares if he got the approval of the other shareholders, right? Whereas a third party loan, which his money replaced, would have to be repaid in cash correct? So does this form of funding not make the club's financial structure safer, as the shareholders have the power to issue shares to him at a later time instead of the club trying to find cash which maybe it does not have?

What is more, I think you are right that other shareholders might have resisted a rights issue. But the club needed cash to repay its third party debt. So, how else could Moshiri have put the money in without gifting it to Everton? Why should he gift it and let BK enjoy a free ride?

"This money has been made as a loan not an investment."

No. The 80m is still an investment. Equity is not the only form of investment. He put the money in to reduce the club's interest on 80m of liabilities and create room to borrow more from third party lenders. Provided the new money/saved interest is spent wisely, that improves the value of the business and supports the value of his own shares.

"If and when the business gets sold on, if it has not already been repaid, that debt will need to be cleared before the shareholders divvy up the net gains from the sale."

Yes true, but what is wrong with him wanting to rank ahead of BK in a sale? He puts in the cash, and as you admitted is at greater risk of losing more money than all other shareholders if the club goes under.

Furthermore if the value of the business when sold is less than the value of the club's liabilities he will have to write off some or all of the 80m because it is the senior creditors of the company who get out first. His ranking ahead of other shareholders was the only way he could put the money in without gifting it.

"However - we do not actually know the terms of the money made available do we? So is all supposition is it not?"

We know it was interest free and had no fixed repayment date.

Stop throwing up red harrings about insolvency. No one is suggesting Moshiri will put Everton in a position where it cannot meet their debts as they fall due. That is an entirely irrelevant in an argument about whether Moshiri can realise his 80 mill in the future.

And neither am I arguing that the club isn't in a safer position.

When the flim flam is stripped away from your post, it's clear that you don't disagree with anything I'm saying. We have an 80 mill debts in the accounts, and it is owed to Moshiri. The mechanics of how he gets it back is irrelevant, because he will get it back.

I don't need to regurgitate a thousand odd Sections of the Companies Act to know that.

End of.

Apologies if others have already said broadly the same thing - but maybe

1. We could not find a good enough forward who wanted to come and correctly avoided some 2nd rate tat, who would only get in the way of the younger forwards - and of course provoke a bad reaction on here

2. Niasse is not good enough and this is why he is not picked - nothing more sinister anymore. The fact someone wanted to pay £10m for him suggests a shortage of supply of good forwards

3. Barkley is badly advised and precious. Whilst a potentially outstanding talent he is missing something (including the obvious early pass)

4. Mirrales is a drama queen, thinks he should be in the team every week but when he gets a chance doesn't take it - no great deal if he stays or goes

5. As for Koeman I would rather have his straightforward gruffness than Herr Klopps sycophantic platitudes - no one has that many front teeth

We will all feel better when we find ourselves 5th by end of November - good start with a win over Spurs next week

Get the new players bedded in, share out the goals, and please never play Jags on left side of back three .

And I believe Mr Oyston, the main man, did indeed play football and began supporting the club from their Boys pen.

Just saying.

The understanding of this babe in the wood is that:

We owed someone £80m for which that someone received large interest payments.
If that someone asked for it back, under certain circumstance e.g. us being skint, it could send us under financially.

Moshiri didn't like this for at least three reasons:

He saw it as a financial threat / liability
He likes to be in charge of the money
EFC was paying interest to someone else other than him.

My next naive question is:

As a result of EFC not having to pay the interest to an outsider does the (let's call it) NEW interest free loan effectively give him a return on paper on his initial investment in the club. If so can it be calculated as a % of the interest payments?

"Stop throwing up red harrings about insolvency."

Considering the highly perilous financial position the club had to endure during stretches of BK's reign, safeguarding the club against insolvency is most certainly not a red herring.

"No one is suggesting Moshiri will put Everton in a position where it cannot meet their debts as they fall due."

So, he has done some good by the club then. Glad we agree.

"That is an entirely irrelevant in an argument about whether Moshiri can realise his 80 mill in the future."

The argument you put forward was that Moshiri did not pay off the club's debt and he bought the debt. When you were shown up for posting bollocks, you changed tack and said yeah but it is still debt and he can realise it in the future. When repeatedly challenged as to how else he could have put the money in without gifting it - since a rights issue was not feasible - you curiously remain silent. You also believe Moshiri should be a benelovent benefactor because you keep referring to his ability to realise his investment. Yet you ignore the fact that several owners of other clubs have put in money as loans, including - Chelsea's parent company, Fordstam, owed Abramovich £1.053 billion in loans at one point.

"And neither am I arguing that the club isn't in a safer position."

So Mosh's Dosh did the club some good. Agreed.

"When the flim flam is stripped away from your post, it's clear that you don't disagree with anything I'm saying."

I have consistently disagreed with your assertion that Moshiri did not pay off the club's debt and that he bought the debt. Both statements were patently nonsense.

"We have an 80 mill debts in the accounts, and it is owed to Moshiri. The mechanics of how he gets it back is irrelevant, because he will get it back."

More bullshit. He cannot get it back if in the process of doing so the club goes insolvent. So he MAY get it back in certain circumstances. And the 80m will not be classified as third party debt in the club's books. It will move to shareholder loan account whose value could be written down by the auditors if they conclude that there are no circumstances where the club can pay this back without endangering its solvency.

"I don't need to regurgitate a thousand odd Sections of the Companies Act to know that."

The lies keep coming don't they? I did not regurgitate 1000 sections of the companies act.

Answer one single question Amit.

Who paid off the BVI loans? Here's a clue, if you say Moshiri, you are wrong.. due to privacy it would've been Everton.

So when I said Moshiri hasn't paid off our debt, I was technically and substantively correct. He made a loan to Evertons business vehicle, and they paid it off. But you somehow believe you've shown that comment up to be "bollocks". You haven't, despite your obvious attempts to take the discussion into new, undisputed and irrelevant territory.

I'm done now.

"The understanding of this babe in the wood is that:

We owed someone £80m for which that someone received large interest payments.
If that someone asked for it back, under certain circumstance e.g. us being skint, it could send us under financially."

Agreed.

"Moshiri didn't like this for at least three reasons:

He saw it as a financial threat / liability
He likes to be in charge of the money 
EFC was paying interest to someone else other than him."

The first point is likely to be true although who knows what Moshiri thought.

Point 2 I don't really know if he wants to control all of the funding. I would suggest not, because he let the club borrow from ICBC after he paid off the old loans. ICBC is the world's largest bank so highly reputable.

Point 3 he is not receiving interest on the 80 mill and as he created the platform for the club to raise money from a reputable bank he seems to be ok with others earning interest. The BVI loans however could have been diverting interest to parties connected to Everton but we will never know due to their shadowy nature.

"My next naive question is:

As a result of EFC not having to pay the interest to an outsider does the (let's call it) NEW interest free loan effectively give him a return on paper on his initial investment in the club. If so can it be calculated as a % of the interest payments?"

Not a naive question at all, and quite shrewd actually.

The answer to both questions in theory is yes.

Lets say Moshiri paid 80m for his shares and invested 80m to clear the club's debts. The club received 80m and other shareholders pocketed 80m. But Moshiri's outlay is 160m.

Now ICBC lend 60m. Assume no other creditors.

Scenario A
Everton is then sold for 1.06bn in 2021.

ICBC paid off 60m
Shareholders collect 1bn
Mosh receives 499m.

His return in % will be 499m over his 160m outlay but expressed as an annual return over 5 years (known as IRR).

His comparative return will be alot worse than BK. Mosh got back about 3 times his money but BK got back much more (as a %) as he invested a less than Moshiri.

Scenario B.
Sky bubble collapses and Everton defaults on ICBC debt. Bank says pay us or you go out of existence.

Mosh says he cannot put in any money and BK holds out his trouser pockets showing they are empty.

A loyal fan, who played football on the streets and happens to have 60m to spare, pays off ICBC with a loan with no interest or fixed repayment debt. In the process he asks Mosh and BK for all their shares.

Facing the wrath of fans not wanting to see the club go out of existence, both reluctantly agree.

BK swans off having already trousered a nice chunk when he sold his shares.

Mosh writes off his full 160m as he has no rights to call his money ahead of ICBC.

He shakes his head and puts a redline through his 160m.

He then stumbles across ToffeeWeb archives and stumbles across this thread where he was accused of financial chicanery.

He lets out a final anguished cry, and then slips into darkness.

(Scenario B)

I don't understand what you mean by privacy? Are you making up new financial concepts to go with your other bilge?

"So when I said Moshiri hasn't paid off our debt, I was technically and substantively correct. He made a loan to Evertons business vehicle, and they paid it off. But you somehow believe you've shown that comment up to be "bollocks""

How do you know Moshiri did not wire the funds to the BVIs and other lenders making up the 80m directly? The act of doing so would still constitute a redemption by the club of its debt, from funds provided by Mosh. So technically you cannot prove your position unless you have the bank transfers in your hand.

" You haven't, despite your obvious attempts to take the discussion into new, undisputed and irrelevant territory."

Irrelevant because you finally agreed and admitted the boy Mosh did some good for the club.

"I'm done now."

At least leave the ball behind so the rest of us can play?

Where are we going here? The owner didn't buy us a striker which we most certainly need. Or a full back or a centre back.
Is this not right? Anything else doesn't matter.

Let's pack that in young man. Don't you start talking sense, I'd have no one to argue with!!!

Looks to me like Moshiri is a smart lad and Bill Kenwright is no slouch either. If BK happens to "stumble" across this thread he will be rubbing his hands together with glee like Fagan out of Oliver Twist.

Paul # 804 - correct - he didn't buy us a striker which is hugely disappointing - he expected Kenwright, Walsh, and Koeman between them to do that.

Usmanov offered Kronke £1b for Arsenal so, provided Walsh and Koeman bring success on the footballing side, your scenario A of a potential sale for $1.06 in 2021 does not seem unrealistic to me.

In the light of all of the above, like us, he will be expecting a lot better from Messrs Walsh and Koeman.

Mosh is providing funding directly or arranging it through ICBC which has, as Ciaran reluctantly conceded, put the club on a better footing.

With that better footing, there was no excuse for Koeman and Walsh not to prioritise replacing Lukaku.

So deadline day passed without a striker arrival.

Koeman has to deliver, as he has been backed heavily, or the next big decision Mosh needs to make is to fire him.

For me, that is the test of Mosh's ambition. Big Ambitious clubs fire underperforming managers without wasting time, even if the Chairman appointed them.

It is why Chelsea under Abramovich's various managers have won more titles than Arsenal have under Wenger.

Lets hope Mosh does not tolerate another 7th place finish with no trophy. Better still let us hope Ronnie delivers a top 4 spot or indeed a trophy with a strong league position.

Should we ask Man Utd for another 㿷m for Romelu? say was a misprint in the paperwork should have said 2 x 㿷m payments.

Time for Koeman to show some faith and attack more. If we are going to lose then at least lets lose trying to win.

I still advocate a 4-4-2. Schneiderlin in front of the back four. Sigurdsson getting forward behind the front two. Lookman or Lennon and Mirallas wide. Rooney and Calvert-Lewin as the front two.

I think you should look at Coutinho as a whole rather than the highlights where they fail to show how often he gets subbed. It will show up as a stat on your screen of course but how often does anyone notice.

When he leaves them they will be happy their getting the next man who can do 90 minutes more often.

Sorry for talking a red on here but I am fed up of how often their players are higher thought of than our own. And ours played down in comparing with theirs.

The last two games have been eye-opener also. When we were facing 10 men against Man City, we couldn't get near the ball, totally outplayed by Chelsea. No wonder we couldn't get a striker before the deadline, if they watched those two games. We were just fucking pathetic.

Benfica rejected Everton's transfer deadline day offer to take Raul Jimenez on a season-long loan deal, according to reports.

The Mexico international played 32 times in all competitions last season for the Portuguese side and hit the back of the net on 11 occasions.

The Toffees were reportedly willing to pay a loan fee of ٠million to bag the striker until the end of the season.

However, A Bola claims that Benfica had no intention of letting Jimenez go out on loan to Everton and they rebuffed the bid.

The Merseysiders were looking for a target man to replace Romelu Lukaku with Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson not fitting that mould.

It is understood that Benfica were prepared to listen to offers for the striker but only if they reached towards their valuation of 㿚million.

From TeamTalk.