Brands says signings in January are unlikely

He talks up Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin and Lookman in a big way and wants to develop them rather than buy. A must read!

Translation: We are out of cash.

I do worry how Brands is going to clear returning loanees in the summer to get them permanently off the wage bill – Bolasie, Martina, Mirallas, Pennington, and Besic plus Browning, Galloway, Tosun, Niasse, and Dowell.

It looks like we will not be signing a striker and that Brands & Silva have great hopes for Calvert-Lewin Lookman and I have to say so do I.

I think they (especially Calvert-Lewin) should be given a good run of games to show their worth.

If he does a similar job to what he did in the summer window, which I think surprised us all, not only shipping out a lot of deadwood players but recruiting very wisely, we will all be happy.

Let's face it, he is hardly likely to tell any journalists of his actual plans, for obvious reasons, so do hope he is being very astute in keeping his cards extremely close to his chest.

I do not envisage either a mass exodus or large influx, but if we can just get a couple in, hopefully a decent striker, and ship out Niasse, Schneiderlin, Tosun, and a couple of loans too, I think that will be acceptable all round.

Both Gosling and Mustafi had a single game for us – now they are the first on the team sheet for their current clubs. Dowell was injured when Davies got the nod for the first team so he missed out. He just needs first team experience – maybe three of four games – or do we sell him to Rangers because Gerard thinks he is one of the best young midfielders. Highly creative and reads the game really well.

Reading the game seems to be the mainstay of Unsworth's players; the other skills and confidence can be acquired.

For the future, maybe we should find out who trained all the players at Southampton that Liverpool bought from them and bring that person in to work with Unsworth.

Wrong on every count with Gosling there, Frank.

He played 22 games, not 1.

We didn't ‘give him away'. He shunned a new contract despite giving his word he would sign.

He's also a player who wouldn't be anywhere near our first eleven these days.

Bad example.

So probably an ideal time to give Calvert-Lewin an extended run in his favoured front-man position as others have said. What have we got to lose? Perfect opportunity to see if he's a Harry Kane or not. If he is, that's saved us a fortune; if he's not, get shut of him in the summer and buy someone better.

If someone from Turkey is offering 㾻 million for Tosun then I'd snap their hands off.

We might get something like ٢-7 million for Niasse and then there's others that will be shown the door like Sandro who we need to be finding a permanent home for.

I can't see the logic in loaning the likes of Tosun, he's clearly got no future here and he's highly regarded in Turkey so surely some
Turkish club would be willing to spend on him?

That brings in some finances straight away and I'd be targeting a striker next month and then a new right back in the summer.

Neither Gosling or Mustafi have bags and bags of talent.

Mustafi forged a decent career but he's not better than what we have right now and Gosling was another lightweight but I'll always remember him fondly for his Tic Tac derby goal.

Dowell for me will forge a decent career at lower level and I have seen anything to suggest he's anything other than a lad with a half decent left foot, certainly not bags of talent, you could say that about the vast majority of footballers in the top two division.

● His obligation to keep a tight rein on transfer (and salary) finances;

● An acknowledgement that January is not a good market in which to buy or sell;

● The young talent already on the books he is looking to develop, rather than bring in someone who may block or stifle their progression to the first team;

● The need to give some young players more game time by loaning them out;

● A pragmatic view on Gomes and that all Everton can do at the moment is to make him feel welcome and valued to persuade him to make his loan move to us a permanent one.

A keystone player in the 'new' Everton that Moshiri's money and vision is trying to build.

I also believe if the right opportunity comes up we will sign a centre-forward and release Niasse and possibly Tosun but we all know how difficult it is to prise any money out of the Turks.

I think they will let Sandro run his contract out as long as his wages are covered.

It has got to be obvious to Brands and Silva that we need a central midfielder (preferably who can score goals) a centre-forward who knows where the net is, and a right-back.

Nobody should be carried away by that Burnley result; we are still a makeshift side lacking a couple of "winners".

Just look at Tottenham. Tottenham right now are showing what happens when you keep the same manager together with the same group of players long enough. We need that level of stability and continuity, not another Redknapp/Allardyce-esque round of 'grass-is-greener' player buying and selling.

Brands seems to have a bit of common sense, the one thing lacking since Moshiri got on board.

ps: I hope no-one genuinely thinks the Calvert-Lewin situation is a choice between "he's as good as Harry Kane" or "get rid". He may fall comfortably short of Harry Kane and still be an extremely valuable player. The attitude of some fellow Evertonians to our promising young players is frustrating, to say the least. Calvert-Lewin has height, pace, some strength, tenacity, technique, a great attitude and he produces goals and assists. I don't know what some fans are expecting.

I hope that DCL gets a good run in the team. Too often we write players off because they are not the ‘best in the world' by the age of 21.

Personally, I would let him lead the line the majority of games remaining this season. Then we can revisit the striker situation in the summer. I like him, he is a pest who occupies a back line. Even when he is ‘not in the game' or getting the ball, he is still making intelligent runs and space for others. His finishing could be improved upon but I also think he is just lacking a little bit of luck.

Lukaku became a ‘big name' by playing a lot of games at a young age. What has happened Origi, Solanke, Embolo, Sandro etc etc? Young strikers with one or two good seasons who seem to disappear or spend most of their time on the bench.

There is definitely something to be said for familiarity and chemistry. Two nebulous terms you can't really define, but you know it when you see it.

And I, too, have more faith in the younger kids than a lot of people, DCL, Dowell, and Davies in particular.

I think Marcel Brands is brilliant. If this is the course moving forward, I trust him.

I do think we'll still try to offload 2-3 players in January, but Marcel isn't going to tell a journo that.

I was trying to think of a fair comparison of someone a little older than Dom. Someone who we can only hope he could replicate.

Optimistically I picked Timo Werner from the list. Partly because we have been linked with a huge money move for him.

It took Timo Werner 103 appearances for a top flight club to score 14 goals. DCL has completed that fete in only 73 games.
I will openly admit I do not know how many of eithers appearances were from the start or from the bench but it is food for thought.

I am in no way suggesting he will progress at the rate Timo did, but we never know until we give the kid a fair opportunity.

The Germans seem to be a lot more patient and give opportunities to their youngsters. Perhaps its not quiet as competitive as the Premier League. but what have we to lose this season? We are in transition and still need to replace a number of players before having a serious crack at breaking that glass ceiling.

If he's given an extended run up front he has to take his chance, strike while the iron is hot. Good luck to the boy.

This isn't just about DCL or any of our young players but we are talking about a 21 year old man who's playing the game earning a monumental living and we talk about pressure to score goals?

There are 21 year old (and younger) men and women in the Armed Forces, in the Emergency Services and have been fighting in wars over the years with real pressure, proper pressure.

I fail to see how a 21 year old adult man feels pressure playing a game of football earning thousands of pounds a week, sounds like a blissfully dreamy lifestyle to me.

Our lad was in forces and in Afghanistan. Yet he felt more pressure leaving the army than in it.

So whilst it can seem these massively overpaid lads have no pressure, to them this is their whole world, most have done nothing else and they will surely all react to demands on them differently.

Guess every good manager knows that.

You should never be broken by criticism and pressure, it should make you more determined and stronger, that's how the best became what they are.

Lionel Messi was criticised for his small stature as a lad and could have been broken spiritually but look what he went on to achieve

If players don't respond well to pressure and outside criticism that for me is when you start to worry whether or not they are up to the job in hand.

I'm sure what's taxing Brands most is how he deals with our massive legacy issues especially on wages. Players like Mirallas, Bolasie, Schneiderlin, Niasse, Tosun and especially Sandro will all stuggle to match the wages they are currently on elsewhere, and that's before we ask for a transfer fee. Realistically, you could pretty much write off the depreciated value of the lot of them right now and then focus on trying to minimise the very considerable financial liability of their contracted wages through loans. That is itself a mammoth task. Last summer has mainly deferred the problem not fixed it.

As for the young players, obviously it would be great if all the England age group players make it as first team regulars, and in so doing create some tradeable assets, but the very high probability is that most of them won't, and they'll have to find their level in a different league. Ironically, given he hardly plays, I'd have Lookman as most likely to crack the Premiership. DCL is in my view the next most likely and our circumstances mean he should get every opportunity. The rest of them- not convinced

I was merely suggesting that to be the main striker for Everton in front of a full house at Goodison at his age is a big ask.

Our squad for the rest of this season:

Pickford, Stek
Coleman, Kenny, Baines, Digne
Keane, Mina, Zouma, Jags
Gueye, McCarthy, Beni, Gomes, Davies, Gylfi
Richarlison, Walcott, Bernard, Lookman
DCL, Tosun

Totally agree that the summer will be a big job getting rid of the deadwood from the failed recruitment drive of recent times. Bolasie, Vlasic, Niasse, Tosun, Schneiderlin, Mirallas, Besic, Martina, Sandro, Galloway, Pennington, Tarashaj = 12 PLAYERS. If you took £40k a week average for those minimum, that's £25m a season in wages for players that contribute absolutely nothing on a Saturday...

Baines, Jagielka, Williams, Stekelenburg, Garbutt, Browning (out of contract) = 6 PLAYERS!

Mike #17, good post as well.

(Wow, the Mikes are unusually intelligent today.)

On the other hand, OMG George, more shanked posts -- your campaign for Pessimist-In-Chief is going great guns.

No, Brands and Silva don't lack the talent to find a few goals out there, they just lack the panic required to splash silly cash on overrated/desperation January acquisitions (Kieran cites three great examples). Or maybe you have a particular striker in mind that you consider worth the price?

My out-of-the-box idea (I've promoted it previously) is a two-month loan deal for Josef Martinez, the goal-a-game man from MLS. Same thing we did with Landon Donovan. Worked out great and didn't cost much of anything. But if Brands and Silva want to use that time to find out what we really have in DCL, I'm fine with that too. We are not gonna finish in the bottom half, George.

Vlasic was MOTM in the Bernabeu a couple of weeks ago and has been CSKA's player of the month for three months in a row. I'm not clear on how he would fit in with our current side, but that kid is NOT deadwood.

I agree about not making any signings in Jan, its mainly clubs in the bottom 4/5 who buy in Jan or maybe one of the top 3 trying to cement their position with additional squad strength. We wont be challenging for a top 4 or flirting with the bottom 6, so there is no great need to sign as it wont significantly change our position. Also we brought in a lot of players in the summer, who are still settling into the team and getting used to the premier league. So lets carry on with letting them bed in rather than adding new players. Lets not forget that we still have players out on loan, who still have a contract with us and will return in the summer. So now is definitely not the time to be buying players, and if we cant get the players we have loaned out off our books the wage bill will be enormous thanks to Koeman and Walsh.

January is a great time to get big money for average players, owners are backing there managers to keep them in the prem, look at the money we got for Gibson and Oviedo when Sunderland tried to stay up.

Sell sell sell is my opinion.

Ian Bennett's #43 list is frightening, but spot on: we have 18 players that require moving on because they're basically not contributing — that's a hell of a lot of deadwood to get rid of to free up fees and wages for a proper M&M squad.

I think Brands has a lot of work to do in the next 2 windows; so, if Silva can soldier on until May with the 18 or 19 players he is currently using, I think the club will benefit next term.

But crap all the same!

I'm sure if the right player was available, we would look at them. Moshiri has shown he's willing to spend. It just makes sense not to tell the world that we want to buy and sell.

I'm not talking Richarlison, Vlasic and the like. I mean the Tarashaj, Onyekuru et al. By the time these young uns are ready, we will have been relegated. The Premier League just doesn't give you time to bed too many youngsters into the team. Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Dowell etc need to take their chance or risk being shipped out (Dowell has now gone to Sheff Utd).

It's disappointing to hear Vlasic would rather stay in a poor league than fight for his chance. If that's what he wants... then, bye!!!

No player should be picked based on promise; performances and earning the right to play are far more important. How long do we wait for consistency with any player?

I don't see all the quality that others do in the lad but will happily be proven wrong. I do understand how difficult it must be playing as a lone striker and, as you correctly pointed out, if he is half the player Kane is, then he definitely has value.

Let's be honest, Calvert-Lewin is a good lad with a bright future but it isn't in the foreseeable future, Seamus will not get back to the level he was at before his injury and – despite Gomes, Gueye and even Tom Davies being able to do a job – they can't score goals and that is what we need from the centre of midfield.

Now we can't resolve all those problems in January and we do need to give Calvert-Lewin a bit of a run but Tosun, Sandro and Niasse need to be gone asap and Mirallas, Schneiderlin, Bolasie etc need to be gone too and we need these scouts to be working overtime to find the players we need.

Maybe it's chicken-and-egg stuff but look at the apparent difference in quality in players like Keane, Siggurdsson and Gueye between this season and last.

Koeman always came across as pissed off when a Director of Football was mentioned. Silva seems to embrace the idea (publicly at least). Strong leadership doesn't mean everyone gets on. It does require the old "what gets said stays on the inside", "keep your powder dry" approach.

I hope Marcel and his team do have blazing rows with Marco and his. I hope they have huge egos and they all have an overwhelming desire to succeed. If so, we will get to sit at English football's top table again. If not, then Mr Moshiri is being badly advised.

Sign a striker!!!

Silva's favoured set-up was a 4-3-3 foramation. Against Man City, he changed to a 3-4-3 and then reverted back.

The problem with the 4-3-3 is that, if the high press is not effective, midfield becomes compacted with an opposition high defensive line. The main cause of the ineffective high press is poor possession and retention, poor pass completion and not enough shots on target from different players.

Against Tottenham, Everton's ability to keep possession was poor. Pressure from the high defensive line results in reverting to long passes, which are inaccurate. Pass completion in the final third since the start of the season has averaged 70 percent at best. Only Sigurdsson, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin can get shots on target.

Add to this the failed high press causing panic in the Everton defence. Tottenham followed Newcastle and Watford and flooded midfield.

The problem with the 3-4-3 is, while it provides support for the high press, it also exposes weaknesses in the squad, in the right flank and forward line.

Coleman has lost a yard and cannot cut out crosses, which have resulted in goals on a regular basis. Walcott, while contributing to maintenance of Everton's shape, has a poor on-target ratio and can become peripheral in games. Bernard has a poor on-target ratio, though playing with Calvert-Lewin showed his value coming inside. Calvert-Lewin has improved his performance in the centre-forward role in possession, positioning, pass completion, has a high on-target ratio and backs find him threatening. Tosun was good at retention and lay off, but was undone by his inability to beat his marker and a poor on-target ratio. Richarlison's problem is retention and pass completion.

So, in the attack, there are coaching problems to be sorted out regarding positioning, passing, retention, shots on target. These problems will remain, even if a striker is bought in, no matter how good he is. The inability of Silva to get the players to change tactics when required during games is another factor.

Hopefully Calvert-Lewin & Lookman will play. Play them from the start and tell them if they try their best they get a minimum of a dozen games starting from now til the end of the season.

If Silva doesn't think they're good enough, and/or won't play them, no point not signing ready-made replacements.

Whereas I wouldn't be a fan of doing this in January, it does look like Seamus has lost some pace, some ability to cross when attacking and, more important, is possibly the weakest link of our defence. My suggestion would be to seek out and buy a replacement in the summer window ready for next season.

Some will likely berate me with me ignoring JJK but, although he clearly has heart and soul for the club and is a good player, I feel he isn't now the right fit for the team in his overall pace and skill sets.

I have defended Coleman staunchly, however, even I must admit his form has been down. That said, if anyone deserves more time, it's him. We can afford him til the end of the season at the very least.

Alas, we are not there. We are currently the most Jekyll and Hyde outfit in the entire league. Gorgeous one game, shite the next.

That's down to a host of factors I won't belabor, as the reading audience of TW is intelligent enough to fill in the blanks.

We need to consolidate, familiarize, play good stuff, and set ourselves up for a real run next season.

We have the talent. We simply need to gel and develop.

No buys in January is fine by me at this point in time.

Next season, however, I expect real progress. And summer signings in very needed areas, starting up top if Calvert-Lewin isn't up to snuff.

This armed forces comparison is a bit silly to me.

My brother was in Iraq - first time around.

A young boy, when my brother was on convoy, came around the corner of a building with an AK.. He told me, years later, all he remembered is saying, "don't do it, don't do it."

As the kid pointed his rifle at him, he fired. It haunts him to this day. He said all he could think about was my sons afterwards; as he had ended a life so young.

We're talking about a game here. Not war, or life and death.

I understand the comparison when discussing "pressure".

But there's no comparison. It's a different league altogether.

One's kicking a ball around for fun. One's war. Leave it be if you ask my opinion, the comparisons are folly.

Was it Paisley, who used that analogy on Ian Rush, Jim B, with the difference being that he had actually lived through army life?

100% correct Terry, about 39000 groans, and that's why I class the bravest footballers, as the ones who constantly want the ball.

If a player is going to improve he needs a platform, and that's why it's so important that Dowell, is going out on loan, and I also think Jonjoe Kenny, will be stagnating now that he's not playing regular first team football.

Lookman, must have really enjoyed Germany, because he was contributing to the team, and this has got to be the main objective for any footballer that is worth his salt, especially for the young players, who want to try and make a name for themselves, or is it just all about the money, fullstop now?

I think Marcel Brands' priority at this stage is to get the payroll under control and that is a monumental task based on Ian Bennet's very realistic lists at post # 43.

When, and only when he has achieved that, do I think we may see two or three new signings in the summer transfer window. I am also hoping he can get Gomes and Zouma on permanent contracts.

I also have a gut feeling that we may see a couple of spectacular outgoings during the summer that are not included in either of Ian's lists.

Brands has got the toughest task at the club in my opinion - but I think he is up to it.

He can make great stops and has great reflexes, as shown with his penalty saves, and has saved us points.

However, he's impetuous, rash and dangerous. I'd suggest all of his weaknesses stem from being impetuous and rash.

I'm hoping he's going to mature, as when he does, those weaknesses should be removed. He needs a calm head, something he hasn't got at the moment. He's still young for a goalie though.

Joke!

Rooney was, at sixteen; all the youth we have now are not even close to being even the finished article let alone any good.

We've spent a fortune on nearly every position yet still our biggest problem is the lack of a genuine top quality striker to lead the line, to both score goals and create space for others. Neither Tosun nor Calvert-Lewin are the answer if we have any ambition of finishing anywhere near the top 6.

Not signing a top-class proven Premier League goalscorer since Lukaku left is pretty much negligence which gets perpetuated window after window.

Just laughable really and makes you wonder what some people are watching.

We brought on Niasse as a last throw of the dice at Brighton. Is there a club in the Premier League with worse striking options than us?

I don't agree that top signings can't be made in January, but if the right player isn't out there I think we should save our money.

Might sound a bit pipe-dreamy, but I'd go all out for Diego Costa, he would be a legend at the Blues. He may be a bit old, he may be a bit temperamental, but he will bag 20 and move us up by more than one level.

Between now and the end of the season, it's important to give Calvert-Lewin, Lookman and our other young fringe players a chance.

I can't think of anyone who is ready to walk into our team and set us on fire, banging in goal after goal, especially when just about every team bar a couple from the Sky Darlings are trying to buy a striker as well.

I'll be interested to read all these names who would come to us and are affordable.

Still better than Niasse though. ;-)

Admittedly Man Utd could also offer Champions League football. We do have a proper Director of Football now, though. (I don't count that tosser Walsh.)

Suarez signed for the Red Shite in January's window so it's about what your scouts can get you; clearly he's an unbelievable signing in any window. It's about the scouting network finding us a gem.

I've said it in comment 48, we should sell all we can in January as in the Premier League clubs pay big money for shite.

We have so much deadwood who simply aren't needed that we should be out to sell. Brands isn't going to announce to the world that we want high earning players off our wage bill as we will get shite bids.

Niasse and Schniederlin won't last this window in my opinion as Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Tosun are all more viable than Niasse, and McCarthy and Baningime are now back meaning if Schniederlin can't even make our bench now, then he has less chance soon. They command wages in excess of half a million pounds a month and spend most months not kicking a ball, they have to be moved out asap.

I've also listed around 15 squad players who need moving out on another ToffeeWeb thread who should be gone come the start of next season.

Bolasie, Williams, Martina, Schneiderlin, Tosun, Niasse, Garbutt, Besic, McCarthy, Browning, Pennington, Baines, Jagielka, to name a handful of players eating away at our wage bill even though they're never going to play an important roll again at the club.

The defence is looking stronger: Zouma Mina, Coleman, Dinge the preferred back 4.

Gueye and Gomes are solid in midfield, the 1st choice pair. Backup? I'm not sure on Davies (headless chicken) but Schneiderlin is good backup to Gomes.

Wide boys need to do more: Walcott has been poor in recent
games; Lookman needs a decent run in the team; Sigurdsson is class...

Now up front, Calvert-Lewin will be decent when getting good service from wide but he needs to be more aggressive. Tosun needs a change in luck and Naisse needs a new club.

So a top quality striker must be brought in. Also, another keeper: Nick Pope would be ideal; he would push Pickford all the way.

Onyekuru is a wide forward, hopefully more potent than walcot !

I hope it's a bluff. I think Calvert-Lewin would be best suited to being back-up to a top striker who starts every game. Such a striker would allow Richarlison to play left. Sure, he's been very poor there recently, but if someone else in the middle was banging them in, then Richarlison would be under less pressure and his form might return quicker. No idea how a striker keeps Lookman out of the line up.