Digne close to Everton move

That said, we need a replacement for the future (Robinson?), as a backup for Baines this season or an immediate replacement, where Baines is a backup.

Not all doom and gloom just yet at the left-back position. Centre-back position is a serious concern though.

Baines was fabulous in his pomp but the word “was” being absolute key in that sentence.

He is 34 in December and he just can’t get up and down the flank anymore like he did between 2008-2014.

He had an almost telepathic understanding with Pienaar, a partnership and combination of the like we haven’t seen anywhere in the pitch at Everton since.

But the Baines of today is not the Baines of 2008-2014 so sad as it is to take.

Lucas Digne may or may not be the answer but asking or expecting Baines to produce the goods on a weekly basis next season (much like last term he missed much of) is not only foolish but unfair on Baines.

I was watching Premier League years from 13-14 the other day – Howard's keeping was total behind-the-settee embarrassing. That's where sentimentality gets you in football.

We do the same with many long-serving players, sentiment gets in the way of better judgement and basically the player becomes a bit pathetic and a figure of abuse from certain sections (Tim Howard, Kevin Campbell, to an extent Duncan Ferguson).

Don't do the same with Baines.

I wouldn't rely on Baines, he hasn't got it in the tank anymore and I wouldn't be surprised if he struggles with niggly injuries this season.

All good things come to an end and our defence needs a complete overhaul.

Baines should do the same. Act as back-up, act as a role model and mentor, but first team player? Only if we accept mid-table as the height of our ambitions.

I hope we land Digne.

Bainsey of course as an attacker has been great but I think his defensive side has waned and it's time for new blood. Let's hope this Digne lad is the answer if he's keen on the move.

Richarlison is running back and forth on the left if we're looking at the Blackburn game, that is really good on Baines if they can work it out together perfectly balanced in the most games to come – along with a new reliable centre-back to help Baines. Hence centre-back is my main concern, to cover for Baines, if we are going to rely on Robinson and focusing on strengthening other areas.

Of course I want Digne or any other decent left-back, any time, any day... so Baines can be a backup, if we are able to do that. There's lots of work to do, though, before the Premier League window closes for incoming players.

Both Digne and Mina have been targets since the day the World Cup finished. Both still remain targets... Just pay the asking price and bag the player!

I can't really see the Mina deal coming off as there seems to be a reason why no progress has been made after it became clear our interest in the player many weeks ago.

I can see Mina off to Man Utd or Lyon and another kick in the teeth to us.

Clearly we are not a very attractive option despite being able to pay high wages. I hope the Vida talk is just his agent talking shite.

Paul (#15), we have met the asking price. It's up to the player himself. And if Juve are in for him, I can understand his wanting to wait on any decision. At Juve he gets to play Champions League footy with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. With us he gets to play away matches at scenic Burnley and pass to Cenk Tosun. I'd weigh that choice too if I were him.

Christy (#16), Digne was a World Cup starter for France at age 20, has acquitted himself very well (when he's had the chance) for the best club in the world, and costs a lot less than Tierney would. Plus Tierney has made it clear he has no interest in any side that isn't playing Champions League football. So why do you prefer Tierney?

I'd prefer Laxalt or Tierney to Digne myself but the Frenchman looks solid enough if unspectacular going forwards.

I've a feeling neither Digne or Mina will be coming.

By any stretch of the imagination, Bainsey does not have "plenty left in the tank".

This will be his last season in the top flight, and rightly so. Much like Rooney last season, if he is playing every week, I expect Baines to start brightly due to fitness and freshness before gradually dipping as a long season kicks in.

He should be second choice this season, as this whole thing should have been boxed off last summer. A new left-back should have been bedded in last season, splitting the role with Baines with all the extra games, before taking over from him full-time this season.

Yes, there's no room for sentiment; yes, they will require replacing but I'd phase them out rather than boot them out. As long as I've supported Everton, there has been one or two players who have "got" the club and understood what it meant to the fans: Gabriel, Harvey, Kendall, Ball, Labone, Royle, West, Southall, Lyons, Ratcliffe, Cahill, Stuart, Parkinson, Unsworth etc etc.

I genuinely fear a new era when we have a team full of highly praised mercenaries who couldn't give a monkey's about the club. It's seemingly heading that way now – even with the old guard.

I did say on another post that I felt we may get Digne but not Mina; now it looks we won't get either, so then it may be panic buys in the last few days.

Hopefully we do sign a few players. left-back, left-sided centre-back, creative midfiedler pulling the strings, and a pacey-as-fuck striker.

You never know. I know what my money's on.

I'm being realistic, but it seems fate and whatever the Universe and the EFC board, contrives, makes life for Evertonians increasingly challenging, arguably more now than ever.

Let's hope that a team turns up tomorrow at the field in Rennes. Small mercies... but the tempo on this pre-season seems to be fading fast.

Let's get behind the club, as now they need the fans more than ever. We are all entitled to our views, but the blood runs Blue for Everton.

He's decent on the ball.

Yep it's very frustrating times, I'm sure all will agree.

Beat Wolves, well that could be a decent day, but as it stands, I see us freezing on the pitch and them take the piss out of our team.

Bets on Walcott playing...?

He's quick but not rapid, better defensively than going forwards but still decent on the ball. He's also played left-side centre-back on a few occasions which could be relevant if Silva ever fancied a back 3.

Plus, to sign for Barca and be a full French international, this lad must have something. No shame in being kept out of a team by Jordi Alba.

Have to agree, reluctantly, that Baines is done in terms of being top level. He will still do a decent job as cover (certainly better than Robinson who is far from ready) and will benefit from being rested, maybe able to show some of the old sparkle now and again.

Let's hope we get this deal through!!

A tremendous player. But a player, like some others who Moyes kind of stumbles upon. We signed Baines in 2007, yet throughout the season he was then second choice to Joleon Lescott and then even more inexplicably, Nuno Valente.

The Moyesiah didn’t seem to trust Baines at all and in the summer of 2008 he was linked with a move to Middlesbrough.

Baines eventually made the left back spot his own and was simply phenomenal throughout 2009 - 2014. His manoeuvre to that position was much Like the series of events that forced Moyes into:

Playing Coleman as a right back and not a right winger

Playing Lescott as a centre back and not a left back

Playing Jagielka as a Centre back and not a defensive central midfield player

Playing Arteta as a central midfielder and not a right winger

Playing Fellaini as an attacking midfielder and not a holding midfielder

Moyes often has the ingredients but it sometimes took him a while to work it out

Leighton may be a great Everton left-back but to call him the best ever does a great disservice to the likes of Ray Wilson and Pat van den Hauwe, both of whom won league titles with us.

If the fee quoted is correct, then an exchange of Klaassen for Digne is excellent business. Trim the fat in one area where there's excess and strengthen in a position of need.

He's our new starting striker.

I can remember Martinez in the past talking about moving Baines to a midfield position like Bayern did with Lahm. How about Baines stepping in as a defensive midfielder? He's got the legs over 10 or 15 yards; he's not got the stamina for a full season at left-back.

He's intelligent enough to play the position can tackle has decent acceleration and we could get rid of Schneiderlin at the same time. That way, we can keep Robinson in the squad and give him some playing time as well.

It sure made Bradley Dack look like a star. Either he is, and we should buy him, or our defence really is crap.

I hope we buy Bradley Dack. Or else, I fear we will have a tough time defending poorly this coming season.

And the youngsters. They need to be brought on, not chucked in at the deep end alongside has-beens. Get real.

It's his first transfer window and I think he is going to need 4 to turf out the rubbish we have and keep bringing in the quality of his first two signings. If he could just add a Steven Nzonzi in place of Schneiderlin, and quality centre-back, I'd be delighted with that.

I guess you haven't seen any of the pre-season games? When Baines has been dashing into the opposing penalty area on a regular basis to make passes and try for shots. Scared? Bollocks.

Digne will take games at left-back anytime we go to a back 3, and compete with Baines in the back 4 alignment.

I never saw Ray Wilson play... but from what I learned about him from the David France and James Corbett books, he was very special.

I would point out that Baines has played nearly three times as many games for Everton as Wilson or Van den Hauwe, and that alone would make him a worthy contender.

I also like what I've seen of Robinson at left-back, allowing for the fact that he's really new to first XI football. High hopes.

He sprained an ankle in preseason and then had that serious calf injury in November. He was out three months, and to me he never looked right after coming back in February. I think he's scooting around in the preseason games just because he's finally on two good legs.

As an in-person eyewitness, who else has impressed you? Anybody?

Sadly, along with The Best Liittle Spaniard we know, who left, they have never been replaced. Nor has Tim Cahill, was it fate, chance or accident? That we had these gems all playing in the same team. Why haven't we replaced them, effectively?

The club is, regardless of our views, at the most critical turning point. You can point a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

EFC, it's now; now is the time. Please deliver, in our life time, some genuine success and belief and hope.

Now he mostly receives the ball, stops, looks forward as if he wants to play a ball forward but inevitably plays the ball backward. He’s just not the left back we need, he’s older now and the mileage combined with injury have taken their tole. We need someone new.

Ray was the best left back I saw playing for Everton back through mid 1950. He arrived at Goodison later in his career and was also subject to missing time because of injury which shortened his career.

Mike's comment (#56) regarding the number of games played, I would suggest, is irrelevant when comparing player abilities. Baines has been a good player for Everton. So was Van den Hauwe. So was Keith Newton. But Ray Wilson was simply the best.

Does that mean Hibbo is a worthy contender to be our greatest ever right back?

Baines these days seems to have lost some of his defensive qualities; with age and injury, it ain't necessarily his fault. In my view, he was behind the other two in that department beforehand anyway. Now it seems he's unable to add much going forward but hopefully, if he's now fully fit, we'll see a bit more of him in that role.

As far as I'm concerned another left-back who, like Baines, wasn't the greatest in defence but was more than worth his place because of his ability in attack, was Andy Hinchcliffe.

But I gotta disagree with you on Baines's defensive ability. No earthshaking tackles or towering headers, but positionally flawless, great anticipation in front of goal, and for many years an excellent ball-winner. His sole weakness in my eyes has always been failing to pressure crosses.

South American and African footballers quite often form bad delusions of grandeur. Fuck him off if he's not interested.

My vote is Baines – and what I have seen close up during pre-season matches in Faro and the like, he is looking fit, sharp and his passing is great. Questions remain about season-long endurance and we need two really good full-backs to choose from.

On the subject of getting Gibson, the only attraction I see is that we might be able to offload Besic and Williams in the deal. I've spoken to a couple of Boro fans and they say Gibson is overrated.

If we have to go British, surely Lascelles and Mawson are better options?? Swansea would likely take Williams in a deal too.

And Steve (#70), Dave Thomas was 100% magnificent in that season in particular, and no slouch in all the others either.

Hinchcliffe was in comparison a bit of a one-trick pony –crossing/corner delivery. At which he was very very good.

I never saw Wilson play but I would put Psychco Pat as the best left-back I've seen in a blue shirt with Baines second and Pejic third.

But it's time to replace Baines, I think. He's decent but we probably need better than he can give now, and it's only going to go one way from now on.

As I have said many times, I fail to understand why Alfie Mawson has never come into the equation.

He has proved to be an excellent commanding presence in the Swansea defence. Okay the Swans got relegated, but you can't say it was down to him, so did Sunderland and we are so proud of Pickford.

Regarding Gibson, he should never be an option for us. Neither should Smalling or Jones for that matter. There are much better options out there.

The names of the teachers who taught me have become a blur over time (maybe some ToffeeWebbers in the know could help me out there?)

Some, but not much, of it has stuck with me over the intervening 55 years or so (it's a pity the same can't be said of my command of English) and this Lucas Digne chappy's surname pronunciation is, I believe, very close to.... Dean!

This got me thinking, if indeed he does sign on the dotted line, what on earth do we call him? Now, I do vaguely recall some half decent journeyman called Dean playing for us in the distant past, must be around 90 years ago now, but I'm having immense difficulty, due to the aforementioned mists of time, recalling his moniker.

So I thought maybe we could call this lad Lucas something like Deano or Lukey or maybe Digger, but none of these have a ring to it or really seem to fit. Again, maybe any ToffeeWebbers with ideas could put them forward.

Wait a minute, and this is very left-field, what about something totally off the wall, like ... Dixie!!

I can envisage the crowd in future maybe shouting something on the lines of "Give the ball to Dixie" on a regular basis.

Then again, having given it further thought, I think it's such a bad idea.

Dixie? Nah, it'll never catch on.

Lukey it is then.

As for Pat van den Hauwe, he was very much a centre-back that was playing left-back. He was 6'-1" wasn't he? There is no way he would even be a left-back in today's game, with the full-backs booming forward and wide midfielders increasingly being converted to the position. He would be a centre-back all day long, and be very useful as he would be able to play right or left in a three.

Height affected another player for me: Tony Hibbert. I reckon the only reason Hibbert played full-back was because of his height. He was a centre-back all day long, as far as I'm concerned, an out-and-out defender. It's the reason he looked so comfortable on the odd occasions he dropped into emergency centre-back.

There was no way he could play the position full-time because he was about 5'-8". So he had to adapt, play full-back and try to develop his "attacking" play.

But it's embarrassing as a Premier League club that sentiment about too many players in the Kenwright era. Sir Alex Ferguson knew when to move players on, and that's the attitude that makes you a winner!

I stand corrected, I knew Wilson arrived after '63 but thought he was still around in '70. Who was the left-back then? (I was born two weeks after Rotterdam so have only history videos and my Dad's knowledge to go off...)

Sandy Brown filled the breach for much of the 68-69 season, and the first half of the Championship 69-70 season, during which we signed Keith Newton round about Christmas. Keith took the left -back role, was a good player, but to my mind was more comfortable on the right. He was injured later in the season and Sandy came back, very competently, for the run-in.

Keith was injured during the 1970 World Cup (Tommy Wright got done in the same game), and struggled thereafter.

The position was unsettled for a few years after that. Henry Newton came as a midfielder but moved to left-back for a while, Archie Styles and Steve Sargent both looked promising but never quite made it, I think Dave Clements may even have filled in, then Tiger McLoughlin was signed and he was not outstanding.

Some good and bad memories among that lot!

Bit worried by the lack of British and Irish players given all new signings seem to be non-English speaking. Nothing xenophobic here – just a core of English speaking senior players is key imo for dressing room and 'getting' the club. (Unless you're Man City or Chelsea and can buy whoever you want.)

Add to that, regardless of your opinion of Silva, our manager was sacked by his last club in his first season and brought his previous club down.

Add to that, we have only Pickford who the likes of Digne is likely to have heard of.

It's obviously not that black and white but, to a defender at Barcelona, it might well look that way.

He's looked his old self in the pre-season stuff, David. We might get another very decent season out of him. I think he's nailed on to be first pick at left-back.

Patience is needed, to allow Brands and Silva to make their mark; otherwise, the only other option, is to sack and re-appoint. Would this really help Everton short to medium term? A revolving door will lead to one thing... certain relegation and a club with no identity.

I don't think he was a small centre-half. I think he was just an old-fashioned fullback. For me, and I'm biased toward Hibbert so I definitely have blue tinted specs on and set to max, he was defensively brilliant.

Of all the players who played in his era, who would you rather have to defend when Cristiano Ronaldo was running at you. One on one, Hibbert was superb. He rarely got skinned by the winger, and I recall many superb performances where he defended Cristiano and the like and well and truly had him in his pocket.

Of course once he crossed the half way line it was the opposite story. His crossing was very poor. He couldn't beat a man. He was not a modern day fullback.

Defensively though, I think he was superb. I often wondered why England didn't make use of him for those games when we play like Moyes's Everton and are under the cosh and have to defend all game. Surely it was better to have Hibbo doing what he does best rather than Glen Johnson trying to do what he can't and defend.

He featured in a few early pre-season games but has been missing from the last few?

Is he injured, has he found a new home, or has he just been dropped from the first team squad – does anyone know?

The market gets crazier every window.

If Kenny turns out like Tony, we will be well served once Seamus goes.

In the day, a full-back wouldn't tackle a winger who was trying to go down the line until he got his shoulder in front of the winger's so that you not only got the ball but you turned the man. The greatest exponent of this that I ever saw was Alex Parker.

Ray Wilson wasn't great at everything, as Halle's goal in the '66 World Cup final shows, but it rarely was seen that he was poor at anything. It's what Everton have been missing in defence since Moyes left, each player understanding the limits and strengths of those with whom they play.

Mentally, the player will look at any transfer as a downward step to a lesser club. I want players who have fight and motivation to do well. In fact, I would take a less talented player with the right attitude over a world beater with the wrong mentality.

Our squad lacks players with that fighting attitude. Coleman, Pickford, Jagielka, Baines, Gueye, Niasse and McCarthy when fit. The rest only seem to want to play when the sun is on their back.

Pejic was the first left-back I watched for us, then Bailey. We have had some decent ones over the years. Van den Hauwe was rock solid with better distribution than people gave him credit for but let's face it he only had to pass it to Sheedy or Reid. Hinchcliff only really started producing the goods when we put Abblet behind him.

Baines for me has the best quality and all-round game I have seen in a blue shirt. Whoever we bring in has big boots to fill.

I have never seen Digne and doubt many of our fans have ever seen him, and apart from the World Cup I had never seen or heard of MIna. But if Silva and Brands have identified them then we need to get them on board.

The problem we have is most players in Europe only know the top 6 sides and that's why we have a problem persuading these players to join us. Man City had a similar problem, the difference being that they would outbid most clubs, and this sent out a message that this club had the money to progress very quickly.

While Moshiri has put us in a far healthier state, we just can't compete with the top 6 in both money and European football. Seems the order of club clubs in Europe is most players given a choice will pick Real or Barca over any other club. Then domestically the top 4 money sides will on most occasions get the players they want when buying from outside the top 4.

So for us to change this will take a long time or copious amounts of money made available. I think that's why many of our fans are hoping the Usmanov rumours are true as that would definitely be a game-changer.

This has to be the daftest statement I have ever seen on this site. Obviously any player who isn't good for 25 times La Liga winners, 30 times Copa Del Rey Winners, 5 times Champions League winners, 4 times Uefa Cup Winners, will never be good enough for Everton. Especially considering that both Digne and Mina are currently named in Barcelona's first team 25.

If we shouldn't buy players from Barcelona who the fuck should we buy them from? ... Watford? ... Oh, wait.

The worrying thing is the stand-ins if they get injured. I only saw highlights of the Blackburn match but I was disturbed by Jonjoe Kenny and Antonee Robinson also doesn't look good enough at the moment. Yes, they are young but that I think shows up a lack of quality.

I hope Brands knows his stuff because, the way football is going, we need absolute quality coming through from the academy – either to go into the first team (and save us a fortune) or sold on at a healthy profit.

Shocking mismanagement of available funds.

It's going to be a long season.

I recall Gidman and quite liked him but it might have been his like of fast cars and faster women...

An earlier comment refers to Silva getting Hull relegated – that is not really fair as they were utterly goosed when he arrived, he nearly saved them but faded away at the end.

As for this guy, I have not seen him – is he any good playing advanced ahead of a back 3?

I have always thought Baines struggled with a back 3 and was never quite as effective starting from an advanced position as he was from the traditional left-back position.

No matter how good they are, it's a mistake to buy players that are not that bothered. They treat us like a shop window. I hate it.

What's holding this up?

Man Utd being interested, I would guess...

Since Pienaar exited the stage, Baines has been expected just to crack on exactly as before, despite being thoroughly hamstrung by a host of ill-suited, "you'll do", 'playing left mid must be an absolute piece of piss so any old meff should be able to manage it', stop-gaps, incapable of even wandering temporarily onto the same wavelength as probably the most productive Everton player of the Premier League era, slotting uncomfortably into the position directly in front of him.

There are sexually transmitted diseases that can make your cock like Kermit The Frog but, just because you've come over a bit green down there recently, doesn't mean you have defo caught it. It might just be that someone shoved a useless fucking Muppet directly in front of you as you were trying to thrust forward.

As for Digne, he appears an extremely disciplined player, more than decent in the air (a disadvantage Baines can't do anything about of course, but nevertheless, one we have suffered from since Lescott vacated the left-back slot) and has no problem getting up and down the line to offer himself as an attacking option. From what I have seen, he is more competent going forward than some are giving him credit for and, certainly, no Hibbert when crossing the half-way line.

Speaking of which, I think you may be slightly over-egging the Gandalf-like, 'no way you're getting round, lad', powers of Hibbert there, Steve (@94). If he consistently had Ronaldo "in his pocket" then a few fat arse moths must have snuck in with him as well. I think the pair started 6 games against one another (?) with Ronaldo still managing to grab 4 goals, despite being firmly contained in the full-back's keks.

My expectations are probably lower than yours. I want players who have attitude and want to wear the shirt no matter where they are from.

Buying from one of the biggest clubs in the world guarantees a level of quality it doesn't guarantee the right mentality.

Not sure how much of a contribution Digne had on Barca's trophy cabinet over the previous 100 years probably the same amount as Delafoe.

I wear the daftest comment award on here with pride knowing that the next poster will probably take it off me.

I'd far rather take Tierney for a bigger fee, offering Vlasic in the deal. I think this another transfer mistake to follow the many before.

If we sign a world-class replacement and Baines has lost his place, then I'd allow him to leave because of respect for the guy. Allowing him to leave means letting him have his way. If he wants to see it his contract, fair play. Let him fight for his shirt.

With Tierney, I'd expect Baines to edge him for the jersey at the start of the season, but then Tierney to get in with injury to Baines and then to keep the jersey.

I don't know about Digne. He's obviously decent enough to be a French international and to have been bought by Barca. Either way Baines can battle him. But if he wants to leave, let him.

Tiger McLoughlin is an interesting character, I heard a story that after he was at Everton for four or five weeks, his wife finally found out where he was, she hadn't heard from him or had a penny off him until she was told he'd signed for Everton.

It might have been a load of nonsense but it made me laugh at the time.

Then he'll ask the agent "Where is Everton?"

As the agent will not have a clue, doubts will creep in – then the wages will be mentioned and he'll say "Ah Everton, very good..."

That probably accounts for about 4 days of delay, giving us lot the chance to proclaim the saviour, slag him off and find some way of blaming Martinez, Koeman and Allardyce for global warming and the price of a pint.

He was excellent at Roma and they wanted to buy him after his loan period came to an end. Barcelona stepped in and that ended their chances.

He's well thought off at Barcelona but not quite good enough or quick enough to oust Jordi Alba. No shame there.

Also, as John Daley suggested, he's a lot better getting forward than some on here are giving him credit. I think one person made a negative comment about his forward play and it caught on.

Malcom interested Spurs. But the interest was not concrete. So we come in. The player sees this as a step up, so his agent encourages us, we make a bid and discuss terms.

This draws out Roma who make a similar offer, and Malcom turns us down in favour of them, but still stalls and eventually Barcelona come in and sign him.

So, to conclude. Player wants a move, we come in, player will come, but stalls to see what else is out there, because the quality we want will always believe they can do better.

This is the way of things now, and has been for some time.

Digne has done well for Roma and has played for Bara, only a close second to the brilliant Jordi Alba. I think we have done good business here, and the safest bet.

David Jones came in to replace Darrocott at right back and did a decent job. Had a career in management after playing

Like Peter Sellers Clouseau to man with dog “ does your dog bite?” Answer “no”.
Clouseau reaches out to dog and is bitten
“I thought you said your dog does not bite!”
Answer “ That’s not my dog “

And they have the cheek to take the P out of us for paying £40m for Richardson, splashing out £67m on a keeper no better than Pickford and valuing a crock of a striker at £26m

But he's such a brilliant defender that I don't mind. I watch every Barca game, and I love the idea of him being a Blue. First time you see him put in a tackle, get up and perfectly distribute a pass into midfield, you will love the guy. Trust me.

And I do believe this is Leighton's swansong season. If we need "ruthless", and we do, 1 August 2019 will see him, Jags, and Williams (if he remains) and their combined 190K per week off the squad and payroll.

Ruthless? No! Their time is up. It comes to us all.

We do need to be ruthless. If we can't lose Williams in the next two weeks, it needs to be Jags. There's just no point keeping the both of them this season.

As for Digne, my view is that he will be the 1st choice LB with Baines filling in whenever necessary.

My guess is we'll see both of them in the lineup when we go three at the back... Baines pushing up on the wing.

I think that whichever way we look at it we still need 2 CBs based upon performances last season and pre-season thus far.

It's becoming clear from the friendlies that we don't have the required skill set in the squad to play Silva's chosen formation. Either we get in players who can play that style, even if they're no better in theory than the players we already have, or Silva changes his style. Or – worst option – we get thumped by just about every other team in the Premier League.

Mina will not come. We need to shift our focus quickly or we're in for a long disappointing season. These players have already shown Martinez, Koeman, Unsworth and Allardyce that they won't change for anyone. They know that they'll continue to get paid and the manager will get sacked. Bunch of lazy losers.

Any footballer worth his salt would look seriously at any suitor (not just the offered salary) and decide what's best for his career. Right now, I don't think there are too many top players clamouring to join the “project”.

I don't mind players and their agents hanging on for a better deal. It just means everyone is generally looking out for themselves. Footballers are no different; especially considering the short career and all that.

What has really surprised me this year is how much more isolated the top 6 are becoming. It's like they are now from another planet and everyone else is just making up the numbers. I blame the media for this more than any one.

What can M&M do? Can we keep Lookman? Probably not. After seeing the rapid decline, I am sensing he is an extremely smart young man, or taking extremely smart advice. Why should he put his own aspirations on hold while we try to play catch up?

A combination of reserves, U23s, selected matches only for the OAPs and we should be fine!

I'm concerned that we're linked with a lot of potential foreign mercenaries again. How many of these actually put a shift in when it matters and how many contribute to the soft team we have at the moment?

Martina, Schneiderlin, Klaassen, Mirallas, Tosun, Sigurdsson, Bolasie – now potentially Richarlison, Digne, Mina...

Is this an Everton team you can relate to?

I'm all for some foreign input to improve them team but I worry we're going too far and losing the identity of the club.

I know that buying British doesn't always work out (Keane, Williams) and we have had some foreign gems who understood the club (Arteta, Cahill) but I don't want us turning into a team who I can't identify with.

So foreign players are mercenaries when they play for us but great players when they play for Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal etc? So how does that work?

We offered to buy them from their previous clubs. They did not demand to play for Everton. They are not mercenaries they are players we bought. If we are not getting the best out of them then we had better look to ourselves rather than blaming the players.

Everton already has a larger British contingent than most of the bigger premier clubs. Maybe we should have less. Man City fans don't appear to be having a problem "relating" to their foreigners. Maybe the degree of relating is linked to the amount of success the club has. Maybe if we had more success some of us would "relate" better to the foreign players.

Oh how I miss the days of Cahill and Arteta.

The fact that Robinson is being touted to be going out on loan is worrying, wasn't Baines struggling at the end of the match yesterday?

We definitely need some more players who are going to work hard, care deeply and play with real passion but let’s dispense with the silly notion these players are more likely to be British.

I'm expecting 7th – 8th-ish again chaps, when we do sign players, they're below the very top class that we desperately need to get out of the hole we are stuck in.

You definitely, need to be a optimist to support this club because, just how we break this glass ceiling.... I'm struggling to find an answer – apart from throw £500M at the team!

We're a mid-table side with no recent winning history. Today's players have never seen us win anything. They were all either not born, or tiny babies or kids when we last won anything so we're not an attractive proposition even with our so-called 'rich history' for players playing today.

The fact that we used to win the league before most people were even born doesn't mean a damn thing nowadays.

We're looking at slow, steady progress at best.

Oh dear, dear me!

If you (like me) are upset at underachieving players staying at the club, instead of blaming 'the forriners', have a look at the person who has, over the years, habitually re-signed underachieving players on expensive long contracts.

Sam (#157) – I think (me anyway) when some people are talking about 'British' players, it's more to do with language and 'getting' the club than nationality. Dressing room banter and general communication is really important and unless you have world class players (which we def don't) I think a first team needs a few senior locals/native English speakers. We all agree Jagielka and Baines are not too far off retirement and if replaced by, eg, Digne and Mina, that leaves us potentially with just Pickford, Walcott, Keane and Coleman as our only native English speaking first teamers. Keane is unfortunately turning into a duff buy as it is and Walcott seems a bit of a sick note and is hardly a leader. Just my opinion, anyway.

More generally, we need some really narky players in the team to get the passion and aggression up (admittedly these don't need to be English speaking). For far too long we've been too soft and having Jagielka as captain really hasn't helped. Even Rooney found him too timid. And I don't mean Besic either, who imo is not good enough and a liability. We have no Cahill types in the team, to kick our own players up the backside.

I don't understand why we can't find decent Championship and lower league players who are desperate to take the step up and will give it 150%. Leicester got Vardy from Fleetwood for £1m and Mahrez from the French second division for £400k.

Payet cost fuck-all when first brought here (yes he was a dick but a class player none the less) and other teams manage to find decent lower league players on the cheap. A lot of our squad isn't even fit enough for a decent Championship team, never mind Premier League and we paid a fortune for them and are paying massive wages.

Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce, Silva (so far) – between them I can't think of a single young hungry player they bought from lower leagues who's been a first team regular. Even Lookman cost us £11m and has hardly played. Players out there in lower/other leagues who are better than the likes of Niasse, Besic, Jagielka (old), Baines (getting old), Schneiderlin, McCarthy etc. Have to wonder what our scouting team actually do all day.

Schneiderlin – awful value for money (I had high hopes)
Keane – awful value for money (where is the guy playing for Burnley?)
Niasse – enough said
Tosun – £27m pounds, early days but doesn't look like value
Walcott – decent player but on £120k/week + very injury prone
Sigurdsson – £45m! Decent player, will see if he plays better in #10 role

No Baines replacement at left-back, decent centre-back, central-midfield playmaker and decent passer, decent striker with pace. How we finished 8th last season I really don't know.

Sorry, rant over.

Kevin (#151), can't identify with an Everton team full of foreigners? How do you feel about a fan base full of foreigners? Some of us are, ya know.

I'm not saying all British players are the answer (like I said – Keane and Williams), but paying the likes of Schneiderlin, Sandro, Klaassen etc top dollar only distances the supporters, affects the atmosphere, affects the team performance then we're in a vicious circle of having to pay over the odds to attract players.

You mention clubs like Man Utd and Arsenal – but both of them had a strong core British contingent (or British speaking like Denis pointed out) when they were most successful. You could also refer to clubs like West Ham or QPR who have been relegated while splashing the cash on expensive foreign imports.

It's no surprise that most foreigners take a while to adjust and some don't make it at all.

I'd happily take a Cahill, Arteta, Gravesen (on a good day), Distin, Van den Hauwe (might have played for Wales but was Belgian). They all had a point to prove and spoke English, they all stayed long enough to get the club.

Compare those foreigners with the ones we've paid a lot for: Lukaku, Schneiderlin, Klaassen, Bilyaletdinov, Krøldrup (expensive at the time), Niasse, Sandro (in wages), Bolasie and compare the effort they put into games.

I know which ones I'd rather have.

You can't fault the effort Sandro has put in in the games he's been involved in this pre-season. Okay, the end product hasn't been forthcoming but the effort has been there.

I think he’s an improvement on what we have and is a good age and will be hungry after little game time at Barca. Ability wise I think he looks solid enough though personally I’d rather a full back with some searing pace, Digne is neither slow nor rapid. He’s better defensively than offensively so don’t expect too many Coleman-esque contributions though he won’t lose the ball often and has a decent cross. He’s also decent in the air.

Personally I’d prefer Tierney as I think he has the potential to be a more complete LB but he’s also more of a risk than Digne who has acquitted himself well in 3 of the top leagues in Europe.

Or do people think that Digne will become the regular full-back and Baines maybe used as a left-sided midfielder instead of Schneiderlin as he couldn't be any worse.

And Baines has got to go. £70k a week he is not worth, and with him we will only get worse.

If Robinson is good enough for back-up, then give him the role. If not, loan him out and get Byran in.

"Leicester got Vardy from Fleetwood for £1m and Mahrez from the French second division for £400k."

If we bought players from Fleetwood or some French 2nd division outfit the fans would be outraged and rightly so. We already have people complaining that Digne and Mina are Barcelona cast offs. If Barca players are not good enough then I'm pretty sure Fleetwood cast offs would not go down well at all
You can't have it both ways. Complaining that our competitors are spending far more than us and then complaining that we spend too much. On top of that blame the players for the fee and wages they get.

The fact is that getting top players on the cheap is mostly a fluke. You don't know if they'll cut it but the fee and wages are low so it's worth a punt. But 99 times out of 100 it doesn't work out. Why didn't City buy Mahrez when he was £400,000 instead of £60,000,000? Why didn't Chelsea buy Vardy when he was a measly £1,000,000? The same reason we didn't. Higher expectations than Leicester City. You want a top side you have to spend big. The days of picking up top players for next to nothing are gone. Clubs know what their players are worth and will extract every last penny.

I would agree with Christy Ring in that my own preference would also be Tierney from Celtic but, given that he would probably cost a further £10M, it would seem wise and prudent to maybe postpone that deal for 12 or 18 months (fingers crossed) in order to keep the cash to strengthen the centre-back slots.

This is where we are currently most desperately short and in need. The way things stand at present, I am not convinced letting Funes Mori go was exactly the smartest move.

Then this came up this evening. Hopefully it gets done.

And newspapers like the Daily Express were reporting as recently today that we were still in for Tierney. Just goes to show that most newspaper stories are BS!

Glad this deal is getting over the line. LB has been a problem for a while. I just hope we tie up a deal for Mina or another CB before the end of next week.

The CB position is a real concern for me. Silva likes to play a high line and our CB's other than Holgate don't have the legs for that system. Jags and Keane couldn't get back in time yesterday. If we do sign Mina I predict that Holgate will be his main CB partner. It doesn't bode well for Michael Keane's long term future if Silva settles on playing the high line. Keane is a very good defender defending deep but I don't see him adapting to the system we've seen so far in preseason.

Agree with Gavin above regarding Holgate, I think he is a definite starter under Silva.

I think we are most in need of someone in the middle who can take the ball and move it forward quickly and inspire forwards to run into dangerous areas up front and give it to them. I am tired of the aimless passing around at the back. Waste of time. I would rather we tell forwards to get forward and take chances with passes to them, not wait for the guaranteed cross into a box filled with defenders. We have wingers who can compete for through balls and take shots on goal. Speed things up, frighten defenders, keep them guessing. The Barkley we hoped for would do. Someone like him.

Is he waiting for a better offer like Mina? Is this why we are linked with Tierney again?

Meanwhile, actual credible media report that the Digne deal is done, pending only his arrival in England later this morning, followed by a medical and a signature.

Please stop posting shite.

I am not sure what to make of the Rojo reports. First thought was Marco might want to be re-united with one of his former charges, but it seems their manager / player relationship was too brief to have any meaningful linkage. Perhaps though he sees something there?

If, and of course it is a big IF, we were to land Mina, and make excellent use of Siggy and Dowell during the next season, and get rid of Mirallas, Schneiderlin, Williams, and sort out worthwhile loans for some of the borderline players, then that would have been a hugely successful first window under M+M. If Marco can re-ignite Lookman's desire and raise his game then fantastic . . . . However, I doubt if we will keep him. He made a choice last year and made a success of it so accept that his heart is not in it for Everton and let him go to Leipzig, either on extended loan, or with a sell-on or buy-back clause.

With quality not quantity being the mantra, as well as the accent on promoting youth, I also am looking forward to Pickford staying, and one or two of Davies, Beni, Kenny, Dowell, DCL and Holgate really breaking through this season, if not possibly being set up into good loans into the Championship. There tends to be a surprise package that emerges every season or two, and it may be that 1 of the 6 really gets to establish himself.

League position . . . . ? Hoping for 7th but closing the gap on sixth and a good cup run. That would keep me very happy indeed. Anything better then we should be very thankful that M+M have really achieved what they set out to do, and they may be able to turn the ship in another season or two.

COYB

Silva is getting down the banks already. Patience is sadly, understandingly and regretfully the watchword. But give the lad a chance.

Brands and Silva have a massive task. At least we aren't suffering the massive hype of last summer.