Pennington signs new contract with Everton

Hardly a glowing report. He said they'd like to keep him. But only at the right price. That's the view of a Championship fan. Someone at the club must see something Leeds fans don't. Who knows? Wish him well but am skeptical if he'll make the grade.

He's not Premier League quality at all and looks like it's going the same way as Luke Garbutt this one!

Baffling.

I would put him on a par with Shane Duffy who we never thought would make it.

I would put him out on loan to one of the lower Premiership clubs or top of the championship. Leeds is a graveyard for managers and players given that the owners are lunatics.

Gavin #1, not sure who you were watching, but Pennington actually has terrific pace, on a par with Holgate. His problem is that he's not physical or assertive. Prem forwards shrug him off. Looked like a scared rabbit for the first half against Leicester last year before gathering himself in the second 45. We don't know the terms of the contract, but obviously the club isn't quite ready to give up on him. I have.

Pennington was put in at a time when the whole squad was shorn of confidence and as I have said in the past it is a chasm between U23 and the Premiership.

Leeds also took a dive since when his form has been erratic but he was a stalwart before that until he picked up an injury and he has been played at full back since then according to all accounts.

I would put Shane Duffy ahead of Ashley Williams and Keane but agree with you he is not top 6 material.

I am not an advocate of the current manager but he could do no worse in the transfer market than the last two occupants of the hot seat. What he can't do is improve the younger members of the current squad, you are either ready to go or you don't figure.

Unless of course, it is to guarantee a decent figure for any possible future transfer. I can't envisage too many lining up to take him.

I would be happy to see us go for both Mawson and Lascelles, and feel they would solidify central defence for years to come.

The fact that none of them are likely to be first team regulars any time soon says everything about 'Unsy's treasures'. Fools' gold more like – just like dozens before them!

But if you'd really take Duffy over Keane, I think you and Katie are the only ones. Keane ain't quick, but Shane is a glacier.

I agree with you about Holgate but the lad does seem to have an attitude problem.

I don't particularly rate Pennington at this moment in time but I do think he has scope to develop.

The centre-back I most rate in the current up-and-coming set is Morgan Feeney.

I wish Matthew luck with his career but I will be surprised if he has a future at Everton.

But hey, he can always say he scored a goal in a Derby.

Worryingly it appears the young man is about to go down hard at any moment. Either that or he's been exposed to a motivational video from Big Sam.

Whenever I've seen Pennington he didn't look particularly fast or blessed with great physicality for a CB. My impression was that he wasn't up to standard but playing in the championship might make him a bit more robust and give him experience to read the game.

The only logic in this contract extension is to loan him out to another Championship club and see if he progresses without being blighted by injury, if not, sell him next summer. It sounds harsh, but it's how Chelsea have operated for years with younger players. One thing's for sure. He's not good enough for Everton at this present time.

Could be we have an eye on one of the Leeds players and gives us a better bargaining in landing the player, who knows.

All I will say is Jags is coming to the end of his career, looks like a Funes Mori and Williams could be on their way, Holgate has his Injury problems, do we really want to be left short of cover again.

Makes sense to give him an extended contract, until we sort out cover and quality replacements.

Once that is in place, then we can take it from there, rather than have another Barkley/Gosling contract balls up on our hands.

I'd be trying to offload Ashley Williams and 㿅m in a part exchange for Mawson or Lascelles from Newcastle. I'd be happy with either but would edge towards Lascelles.

I read in the Echo a few months ago that Unsworth was keen to retain Pennington. To Kevin Ratcliffe again in the Echo, he also pondered recently why Unsworth has a budget for recruitment and wages for Under-23s. Given that there aren't that many "unknown 23-year-olds" who will benefit from being signed by Unsie and playing Premier League 2 football.

In the Echo – again, I also read an Unsworth interview a few weeks back where he suggested he would be the one deciding whether or not to offer David Henen (aged 22) a new deal. It just appears to me that the so-called Director of Football has no overall plan. We have Kenwright indulging Unsworth with a make-believe Premier League team called the U23s.

There seems to be no coordination around recruiting. Case in point being with wingers. The full team signed Vlasic (age 19), when they already have Lookman (19) while the U23s go out and sign Bowler (18) and have Dowell and Broadhead on the books. Why does the club need half-a-dozen "promising wingers" who are all the same age? Especially as we also spent a combined 㿨 million on Bolasie and Walcott. And our current and former managers both shy away from playing two wingers.

Matty Pennington is a smart young guy with a solid grounding in football courtesy of our youth coaches but it is doubtful he has the self-confidence to make it at the top level. He'll make a good career at another club I am sure and best of luck to him; this contract is merely protecting an investment.

I have no idea what he will turn out to be. But as for signing him to an extension, why not? In today's age of inflated transfer fees for English players, it makes total sense. Sign him up and see if he grows in ability. If not, try to make him look as good as possible and sell him for a decent amount.

I think Unsworth is allowed some indulgence here. He's had a good eye for talent so far and if Pennington is someone he rates that highly, why not?

If Unsworth doesn't successfully rebuild the u23s or his signings stop paying off for the first team, then he won't be making any more signings and I bet Mr Brands will put a stop to it soon as well.

Apparently Calvert-Lewis and Holgate were both Unsworth signings. So, Clearly he can spot a player at that level.

He was allowed space and time to run at Pennington and he's a class player so no real shame in that.

I think he's got ability and decent pace but I rate Holgate and Galloway far more in ability, technice and pace for young defensive prospects.

There's also Browning who looked like he had ability but on the flip side Martinez rated him so how good a defender he is questionable.

We could have done with a Duffy this season. He'd out jump and power any of our current defenders. But he does lack pace.

That leaves us with Keane and Holdgate. I don't see what is wrong with giving the lad a new contract as he is decent enough cover if he is needed.

Foulds, Feeney and the big Greek lad are still too young.

That is the problem, the answer seems to be everyone and no one. Unsie seems to have an open check book, Walsh is following up last year's Italy vacation with a trip to South America, BK is operating some kind of social security scheme to keep Everton rejects solvent, Mosh is apparently at the mercy of Raiola, and Sam says he has already made his summer signing plans. This is where I see the value in a Brands type figure who hopefully can wrest control from all these factions and assume control over a coherent strategy.

He is a proper committed, gutsy, 100% defender who offers a threat at set pieces( can you ever see Keane scoring a goal?). His sale was another ridiculous decision by the lamentable Martinez and I just don't get why you have it in for him.