Schneiderlin completes Nice switch

Tuesday, 23 June, 2020 132comments  |  Jump to most recent

Updated Morgan Schneiderlin has finalised his move to Nice, leaving Everton for an undisclosed fee after 3½ years with the club.

RMC Sport had reported late last week that the 30-year-old was scheduled to undergo a medical in the south of France ahead of concluding a €2m transfer from Everton and he successfully come through that exam over the weekend.

Julien Fournier, Nice's director of football, was then quoted by France Bleu on Sunday as saying: “[Schneiderlin] should sign on Monday. He has passed his medical. We are waiting for Everton's signature.”

Schneiderlin was set to enter the final year of his contract at Goodison Park this summer but Everton were ready to accept a cash offer for the player they signed from Manchester United under former boss Ronald Koeman in 2017.

His departure would remove a reported £100,000 a week from the wage bill.

"He had injuries but in the time he played, he played well," said Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti. "Everyone in the club is happy for what he did as a professional here and everyone wants to wish him the best."

"He had the desire to go back to France and we let him, he had the possibility to go there, so we wish him all the best for the future."

Quotes sourced from MailSport



Reader Comments (132)

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Justin Doone
1 Posted 19/06/2020 at 23:13:02
Bye...
Steve Shave
2 Posted 20/06/2020 at 00:30:45
Now I recognise that Morgan is on huge wages, nobody was going to pay him that so if we wanted to sell for a fee we'd have to take a big hit and pay off some of his huge wage deficit. However, if the fee of £2M is accurate then we've just had our pants pulled down yet again.
Phil Martin
3 Posted 20/06/2020 at 10:31:06
Clearly there are very few takers. Hence the terrible price. We had our pants pulled down when we offered him £80-100k a week in the first place.
Jack Convery
4 Posted 20/06/2020 at 10:46:00
Awful professional – and I use the term 'professional' loosely. This will be the first of losses financially just to get the wage bill down.

How about putting in a few bonus clauses, such as if he passes it forward more than once in a match, they pay us £250,000? Or if he plays five games on the trot, they pay us another £250,000. Now that's money we'll never see.

Derek Knox
5 Posted 20/06/2020 at 11:39:46
I wouldn't mind wagering that there were no shortage of offers to take him to the Airport!

Never a decent player in my eyes, never understood all the hype about him, even when he was at Southampton, then couldn't get many games at Man Utd.

Anyway, the freeing up of wages far outweighs the lack of a fee for him (or a minimal one). Pity it didn't happen a couple of years ago. Let's hope there are a few more to follow and we can seriously start building for the future.

Alan J Thompson
6 Posted 20/06/2020 at 12:22:18
Getting £100k pw off the wage bill and being paid £2M so to do is having your pants pulled down? What is it called when it is a player worth keeping who isn't in the last year of contract?
James Flynn
7 Posted 20/06/2020 at 13:40:11
I'd guess that the fee is so low because Nice is paying off his last year's wage. The fee mentioned a few weeks ago was €7 million; now €2 million. The difference is just about his 1-year salary.

To think his signing was supposed to be the smooth transition from the aging Barry as we entered the Koeman era. What a mess it turned out to be.

Jerome Shields
8 Posted 20/06/2020 at 13:47:18
Good that he is gone. Sigurdsson next please, who was worse than him.
Mike Gaynes
9 Posted 20/06/2020 at 13:56:15
Wait, you mean Nice is actually paying us for Schneiderlin?

Heck, when I saw the £2M figure, I thought it was us paying them. Seemed like a pretty good deal even then.

Brian Wilkinson
10 Posted 20/06/2020 at 14:48:10
Well, if the targets we are after will not come, like I said in another post, we could do a lot worse than taking the option of Coutinho on loan.

Works out around £165k a week in wages, after Barcelona has paid a third of his wages, but if we are saving £100k a week on Schneiderlin's final year, than £65k a week for an upgrade might not turn out to be a smart bit of business.

Brian Wilkinson
11 Posted 20/06/2020 at 14:51:26
Even funnier as Schneiderlin is due his medical. The song on the radio is Black Lace Hokey Cokey, something I might be doing if the deal goes through.
David Currie
12 Posted 22/06/2020 at 03:57:05
Any fee we get for this player is a bonus. I never rated him and hated seeing him in a blue shirt. He stole a living and never had any fight or desire to play for our club.
Bill Gienapp
13 Posted 22/06/2020 at 05:50:38
In the immortal words of Curly Bill in Tombstone - "Well... bye."
Steve Brown
14 Posted 22/06/2020 at 06:34:47
Morgan, Morgan go away, you stank the place out every day
Karl Graham
15 Posted 22/06/2020 at 07:02:44
Hopefully we replace him with a midfielder in the Vieira or Essien mould. Someone who can put his foot in but can also drive the team forward. He looked the business until he got injured just before the derby in his first half season and after that he was poor apart from a brief improvement towards the end of last season.

I think him and Sigurdsson were similar in the fact they need a specific system for them to be useful; unfortunately, neither of them are suited to the current system or the ones used by previous managers.

I think getting any money for him is a bonus given the wages he is on; hopefully, a few more follow him out the door and Ancelotti can put his own stamp on the squad.

Mike Kehoe
16 Posted 22/06/2020 at 08:15:25
I will never forgive his disgusting apathy, a disgrace. Good riddance.
Tony Everan
17 Posted 22/06/2020 at 10:02:30
Our midfield will be a different proposition under Ancelotti. Schneiderlin going is the first step in reshaping it to what Carlo wants. Hopefully Mr Brands can get one or two more out who are not in our plans.
Ryan Holroyd
18 Posted 22/06/2020 at 12:32:00
He had a good first 6 months. Then he lost his dad, got married, had a child and seemed to lose his love for football.
Tim Spring
19 Posted 22/06/2020 at 12:35:03
The French club paying €2mil for him? That's nice of them...

I'll get me coat.

Paul Jones
20 Posted 22/06/2020 at 13:11:17
I always thought he was massively over rated at Southampton, so I was surprised when Man Utd bought him but sadly not when we gave them virtually all the money back they had wasted.

Given his personal circumstances then, it would appear he needed to return home.

A bad signing compounded by even more misfortune, very Everton.

Paul Birmingham
21 Posted 22/06/2020 at 13:20:20
Hopefully lessons will be learned and this is the start of the exodus of other similar players.

This must be on reflection one of the worst deals the club made in recent terms and almost nil return on investment, and his first season, - 6 months, promised much but faded very fast the last few years.

Tough, tough times for mankind, and the transfer market, looks tougher than ever.

I’d take Alan, now even beating his age, as we need some cohesion in the middle of the park.

Let’s see what happens.

Steve Shave
22 Posted 22/06/2020 at 14:00:53
Sky Sports reporting this is as good as done. I feel a little flutter of excitement at this. We will be getting some serious (wasted) wages off the books.
Terry McLavey
23 Posted 22/06/2020 at 15:33:19
We've had a few "players" that didn't seem interested but he developed it into an art form!
John Audsley
24 Posted 22/06/2020 at 18:05:28
He was very good for the first 5 months. He was very good again for 2 months at the end of last season.

That's it .

Sad as he was an excellent player at Southampton, he just lost his desire to try.

Steve Shave
25 Posted 22/06/2020 at 20:05:19
Sam, what are your thoughts on Koopmeiners at AZ as a replacement? Young, a leader (captain aged 22) and highly regarded in Holland. Obviously I'd prefer a big name but I don't think we will be in for Allan, Rabiot etc so Brands may need to pull a masterstroke out of the hat.
Joe McMahon
26 Posted 22/06/2020 at 20:08:34
Can we not just employ his wife as a Cheerleader? It's amazing the power of money. John Henry is about 109 and look at his wife!
Brian Murray
27 Posted 23/06/2020 at 05:29:12
Good riddance and someone tell his ex-club up the East Lancs Road we are no longer a soft touch or easy prey for our talent. Richarlison will stay as long as we progress under Carlo. Let the good times roll. Coyb
Francis van Lierop
28 Posted 23/06/2020 at 13:25:28
Steve @ 28

Teun Koopmeiners is a good player, at my local club. As you said, still young. I've no idea whether he can make the step up.

In any case, he's better than Schneiderlin who, as many others have stated, stole a living off us. The latest gossip is that Marcel Brands is eyeing him up.

To be continued, I guess...

Richard Mason
29 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:19:00
Morgan transfer just confirmed. Its great new now that stek, Morgan, niasse and cuco are gone off wage bill.

Garbutt, sandro, I reckon will follow. Id like bolasie and Theo to follow but I think that will be a struggle.

Either way squad size is shrinking which is what brands and carlo want.

Jay Wood
[BRZ]

30 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:19:57
Confirmed on the official club site.

Best for all parties.

Brent Stephens
31 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:25:03
It didn't work out well for him or us. I'm afraid to say I thought he always hid from the action if he could. But I wish him well. He leaves me with few good memories; I'd prefer he left me his wife.
John Pierce
32 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:27:21
Maybe he never got over being cast aside at United at the prime age of 25/26?
He seemed to believe he was better than what was at Everton.
Don’t think his lack of success was ever anything to do with ability, between the ears I think.

I’ll file him along with Rehn, Samways, Linderoth et al.

Jack Convery
33 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:33:15
He's gone - GOOD !
Tony Abrahams
34 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:34:11
This first manoeuvre has already strengthened our squad.
Ajay Gopal
35 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:34:57
His time was up at Everton and he probably realised it. When a player leaves, if you compare what the expectations from the fans were at the time of joining and then see what he actually achieved when he left, Schneiderlin must be counted as one of the biggest disappointments.
John Pierce
36 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:41:23
Him, Niasse, Sandro & Stek all off the wage bill this summer right?

When does Bolasie expire?

David Stranack
37 Posted 23/06/2020 at 14:48:45
GONE! Au revoir, pas assez bien, ensuite?

BBC Article

Vijay Nair
38 Posted 23/06/2020 at 15:12:44
John (36), Bolasie has got another year to go on his contract.

We can add Cuco Martina and Luke Garbutt to that list of (soon to be) departures though.

And possibly Sidibe who I doubt we'll be signing permanently.

Joe McMahon
39 Posted 23/06/2020 at 15:13:28
John @32 Samways was a huge disappointment. Linderoth was just plain awful. I always felt John Collins was also disappointing, along with most signings in the late 90s. How we didn't get relegated is a miracle.
Kieran Kinsella
40 Posted 23/06/2020 at 15:23:20
John Pierce

Linderoth was no good but for a while he was a lucky charm as we rarely lost when he played. Also he was a no name cheapsigning. Samways is the better comparison as the “classy” waste of space

Dave Abrahams
41 Posted 23/06/2020 at 15:36:55
Joe Royle never took to Vinny for whatever reason, he was at Everton for about three seasons but never seemed to play, scored the only goal of the game in the charity shield v Blackburn Rovers but hardly ever figured in the side on a regular basis, I don’t think Joe signed him, maybe Mike Walker.

Perhaps Joe signed Barmby and played him instead.

Tom Bowers
42 Posted 23/06/2020 at 16:31:19
Goodbye Schneiderlin. Another who really didn't cut the mustard... and we have a few others who should also be sent packing now.

Clear the decks for a new era, we hope.

Steve Brown
43 Posted 23/06/2020 at 16:47:24
Niasse, Sandro, Martina, Stecklenberg, Besic, Bolasie, Sigurdsson, Walcott and Garbutt need to exit next. Then Brands has some room on the wage bill.
Bob Skelton
44 Posted 23/06/2020 at 16:48:39
Never had a forward pass in him. He had eyes in the back of his head but none in the front. Another rich fraud employed by us.
Tony Everan
45 Posted 23/06/2020 at 16:52:23
John P

Sadly, Sandro contracted here until June 2021.

Maybe some wheeler dealering can be done with his current loan club to get Salisu.

Jack Convery
46 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:00:28
I see their CEO has said he has finally signed for a proper club. Well matey your proper club has signed a non proper footballer.
Kevin Molloy
47 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:03:12
I think we should put up a statue to Ronald Koeman just so we can pull it down and dance on his big fat head.
Michael Lynch
48 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:03:45
Better start signing a few ourselves, otherwise Besic will be the first name on the team sheet next season.
Ajay Gopal
49 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:10:56
Steve (43), you left out Tosun in that list! If Brands can get that whole lot out of Everton, he is a fucking genius.

A bit harsh to include too much dead wood, sadly. The good news is that we have a few youngsters showing promise and that might save us a few bob.

A couple of real quality additions for next season, and we may be in the fray for the Top 6-7 places, and build on from there.

Kieran Kinsella
50 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:11:27
Steve #43,

Didn't Garbutt finally leave some months back? Don't tell me he's still hanging about.

Kieran Kinsella
51 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:14:14
Dave Abrahams,

Yes, Walker signed Samways. Even though he was quite hefty, he was too lazy and immobile for Joe's Dogs of War. Although I recall after he left us and went to Spain, he suddenly evolved into a hard-tackling hatchet man picking up plenty of reds.

David Nicholls
52 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:19:44
I reckon that Allan chap from Napoli will be coming in, more suited to a 4-4-2 by all accounts. Speaking of which, as Sandro still has a fair bit to go on big wages, bring him back into the fold, he might be rejuvenated alongside one of Kean, Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison.
David Connor
53 Posted 23/06/2020 at 17:42:13
First of many hopefully. A sorry excuse of a footballer. Of which we have quite a few.

Zero bottle + Zero heart = One shit player.

Julian Exshaw
54 Posted 23/06/2020 at 18:30:32
I never really got what he brought to the team. He sort of sat in midfield and passed the ball out to the wings. Was there anything else? Au revoir.
Robert Tressell
55 Posted 23/06/2020 at 18:40:52
Interesting observations about Koopmeiners. Big goal haul from midfield and the heartbeat / leader of a young and progressive Alkmaar side. However, lots of penalties skew the goal stats and being honest he looks quite ordinary as a player.

Key weapon is a good long ball over the top. Just seems a bit limited. But his character might help him make the step up. Henderson and Wijnaldum have shown that an average player with tremendous work rate and hunger can go far.

Steve Shave
56 Posted 23/06/2020 at 18:51:31
I'm not opposed to Koopmeiners coming, Rob. Imagine Kean, Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison running onto those sprayed passes.

I'm only going by what I've read up and what YouTube has to offer, can he tackle though? We need bite in the middle of the park and a will to move the ball forwards.

I don't want to backstab a player but I am delighted that freeloader has left our club.

Jeff Spiers
57 Posted 23/06/2020 at 18:56:54
I would like to know why we sign dross in the first place? If there was a league for shite buys, convince me otherwise we wouldn't be top.
Graeme Beresford
58 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:04:26
Don’t think I’ve ever seen a player who I thought was there for a payday more than this guy.

I think I saw him play well on around 5 occasions, the others he was a ghost.

Everton need to learn from this. Just because they play or have played for Man Utd doesn’t mean they are good. If they aren’t good enough for them, they’re not good enough for us.

Thanks Morgan. Hope Nice works out, just try harder.

Richard Mason
59 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:10:52
I see Sandro has not made the squad the last two games.

Is he back on Merseyside??

Minik Hansen
60 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:11:04
Funny I've bought and use Koopmeiners in the Fifa game. Just a coincidence, one of my fav players in the squad.
Christy Ring
61 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:11:11
Lost all respect for him, after Duncan had a bust up with himself and Mirallas over their attitude in training a couple of seasons ago, when we were in relegation trouble.

I also believe there was more to the deal than the €2m fee. I'm not been cynical, but he had a full year left on his contract, worth over £5m in wages, so he didn't walk away without a compromise.

Tony Everan
62 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:20:17
Goodbye to Morgan Schneiderlin, he tried a bit, every so often, and failed. We wanted a player with the heart of a Lion but we got one with the heart of a Cockapoo. Anyway I wish him all the best.

Carlo’s new midfield signing will come in soon. I think it will be Allan if we can agree a sensible price due to his age and no resale value. Carlo will tow the line with the younger aged signings in general.

Allan will be his only exception as his director on the pitch and proven enforcer. The player and manager actively want to work together, we get a lot of positivity out of this transfer. If we get 3 successful seasons out of him this will be good business.

Peter Neilson
63 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:20:39
Blimey, Schneiderlin responsible for the first good news we’ve had in the past few months.
Tony McNulty
64 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:48:25
Brave, tough-tackling, would run through barbed wire for the team, a colossus of a player, a Goodison great if ever I saw one.

None of the above is true.

Iakovos Iasonidis
65 Posted 23/06/2020 at 19:51:59
SIgurdsson next please
Fran Mitchell
66 Posted 23/06/2020 at 20:00:23
He had one decent spell of form, had two really terrible spells of form (coinciding with the team's awful form in general, which saw two managers sacked). The rest of his time was largely average, occasional good performances, but mainly average and representative of Everton in 12th place.

He wasn't as bad as some make out, but his style of play didn't fit – relaxed, not much running, sit in one position, collect and move the ball. Koeman had a plan, that being that having him, and Gueye being the bulldozer next to him, and Sigurdsson the No 10 ahead.

But, once that plan went kapoop, Schneiderlin simply didn't fit. Sigurdsson will be the next, but he can still offer something.

Bill Gienapp
67 Posted 23/06/2020 at 20:23:53
Schneiderlin will always be a bit of a head-scratcher. Most label him a garbage buy for obvious reasons, but the move made a lot of sense at the time, and the majority on here were in favor of it. What's more, he was quite good upon arrival.

It wasn't until the next season that his form and attitude went off a cliff and he became the poster child for everything that's gone wrong with the Moshiri era. Still not quite sure why it went so sour.

Paul Birmingham
68 Posted 23/06/2020 at 21:11:30
Best for all parties, and we move on, there's no time for Everton to lament, as there's plenty of ground to claw back on the so-called top 6.

Hopefully a few more will go soon and Carlo can start but his trademark on this squad.

All-in-all, it's gonna be a tough market and, whomever we get, hopefully will be proven and ready to play.

Let's see.

Colin Glassar
70 Posted 23/06/2020 at 21:19:39
Good, now get rid of Iwobi and Walcott as well.
Daniel A Johnson
71 Posted 23/06/2020 at 21:29:26
Stick my neck out and say I never got the vitriol towards him.

Always thought he was a neat and tidy player who when utilised correctly could be quite effective and a useful squad player.

He became a scapegoat for the team. As soon as his name was announced people were after him.

Sam Bowen
72 Posted 23/06/2020 at 21:32:00
Shame his career went the way it did for us as it started with a lot of promise. I never thought he was as a bad as many made out on here but he obviously didn't help himself and this is in the best interest of both parties.

Hopefully the start of a big cull but, as with with past windows, finding takers for all those on massive wages won't be easy.

An unpopular opinion but I'd keep hold of Sigurdsson unless there's an offer too good to turn down. He'll still be a very useful squad player at many times during a season and I doubt he'll ever have such a barren run in goals return ever again. The same probably applies to Walcott but all the others can go as far as I'm concerned.

Bolasie, Tosun, Besic, Sandro, Sidibé, Delph and all the others out of contract should free up space and wages for a couple of quality additions. In terms of assets that might generate a decent fee, then I'd listen to offers for Bernard, Iwobi and Kenny.

3 or 4 proper quality additions and we might kick in quite rapidly with Carlo leading the way.

John Pendleton
73 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:12:50
Anagram of his name (and his career) Minor Hindrance Legs
Michael Lynch
74 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:13:21
Once he'd been booed onto the pitch at Goodison, his days were numbered. Sadly, that number was a bit too high.

I'm sure he's absolutely delighted to leave. And the feeling is clearly reciprocated by the fans.

Peter Mills
75 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:22:32
This guy has completely taken the piss out of Everton FC and made a huge amount of money doing so. Good riddance.
Terry White
76 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:36:58
I don't know, Peter (#75), I saw some good in him.
Fraser Auld
77 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:41:10
Probably muscled his way (or more accurately, slowly jogged his way) into my all time top five least favourite players to play for the club in 30 years of support.

Took far too long to shift him but he's gone now – a good day.

John McFarlane Snr
78 Posted 23/06/2020 at 22:42:12
Hi Sam [72], It's a shame that some people who take a dislike to a player or players, resort to personal verbal attacks. There have been many players down the years who I have considered not good enough to play for Everton, but in the pre-ToffeeWeb days, we would discuss all things Everton in the pub. We would exchange our views on many issues, but there wasn't the vitriol that exists today.

I have stated on one or two threads that we supported the club 100% and left the criticism to our neighbours from across the park. I hear fans at the match saying, "We pay our admission price so we are entitled to say what we like."

I have written on this site that players like Gary Jones, Peter Beagrie, James McFadden, and Ross Barkley have frustrated me on occasions, but I never resorted to booing them, because they wore the Royal Blue jersey. They had my unconditional support, and I'm not claiming that there's anything special in that, because I believe it's what supporters do.

Kase Chow
79 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:09:35
Sam #72

Sensible post and fully agree mate

Terry White
80 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:10:58
I'm with you, John Mc. Sr. (#78).

It's one of the reasons why, over the years, I have made small contributions to the Everton Former Players Foundation. Not everybody was a good player, but once they put on the royal blue jersey I believe that they did their best for the team on the pitch and were worthy of my support.

And a lot of them have needed our support after their career has finished.

Bill Gall
81 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:37:10
I always believed that the focus on this transfer window was to try and transfer the players who are not in Ancelotti's plans for the future and start building with younger transfers of about 22- to 24-year-olds.

It is not easy to transfer players these days unless you are willing to loose a large amount on what you paid for them, but it can be gained by not paying rightly or wrongly the huge wages in some of their contracts.

Schneiderlin came with a good reputation and was not bad in his first couple of seasons but Ancelotti is his 4th manager and he was unable to adapt to the different styles he was asked to play in, and once he got on the wrong side of some supporters it spread to a point were he is happy to leave.

I do not think he is the first or will he be the last who will be hounded out by some supporters, that with today's social media it easy to show their ire.

Good luck to him.

Carl Manning
82 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:44:18
Nice are owned by Britain's richest man and one of the world's... as in richer than Abramovich. Morgan hasn't pulled up trees but we've been had a good one at £2m.
Brian Williams
83 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:46:33
When you pull on any team's shirt, never mind just ours, you should be prepared to give 100%.

Like I heard Sean Dyche say once "Minimum requirement is maximum effort."

Schneiderlin gave much less than 100% on numerous occasions, backed out of many tackles and 50/50's, and positioned himself behind opposing players, so he couldn't receive the ball, when it suited him.

I saw him do that loads of times and pointed it out to my "next seat" neighbours who, after watching out for it, fully agreed.

He didn't put his heart and soul into every game and in my opinion that's unforgiveable, whether you're on a £100 a week or £100,000.

It's a Nice move for him but it's a lovely move for us (IMO).

Danny Broderick
84 Posted 23/06/2020 at 23:58:20
Schneiderlin has been a disaster. He did well in his first 4/5 months. But it's all been downhill from there.

Bought for £24 million and paid over £100,000 a week. Sold within 3 years for £2 million. Quite simply, he has stolen a living from us in the last 2 years.

There are countless clips of us conceding goals and him trotting around. Not strong enough in the tackle. Not mobile enough to cover the ground efficiently. Not able to pass the ball creatively. No goal threat. No leadership. I could go on but I'll only get more depressed.

How a player like this has been bought and paid what he has is absolutely beyond me. The guy is now living in Nice set up for life. What Vieira sees in him is beyond me. He must go down as one of our worst ever buys.

Christine Foster
85 Posted 24/06/2020 at 00:31:36
John 78* I could not agree more. The old saying, "if you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all" went out of the window with the anonymity of the internet. Frankly that's sad because manners went with it.

This is a forum for people to express their views and that's brilliant but there is no need for the abuse and vitriol, we are Everton and we are better than that, aren't we?

Some players are not good enough, some past their best, but if a player doesn't try or hides in a game, he deserves criticism. I get that but it's the way that we do it that has changed.

You would hear it on the terraces from the odd one or two but most would shake their heads and, as John says, talk about it in the pub later. Now, with the internet, we can all have views – me included! – behind the safety of a screen.

But we are Everton guys – just be happy to see them go and wish them well... and close your eyes and say a silent thank you upstairs.

Karl Masters
86 Posted 24/06/2020 at 01:08:00
Transfer fee £24M + Wages £18M. Recovered £2M = Total cost £40M

£40M – yes, FORTY MILLION QUID – let that sink in for a while...

Don Alexander
87 Posted 24/06/2020 at 01:37:45
Schneiderlin is one of the Kenwright-overseen dead-wood army still stinking out USM Finch Farm.

That said, I suspect, from her photographs, that Mrs Schneiderlin is blissfully unaware of his "dead-wood".

Shame he can't get near to that sort of passion in a match.

Mike Gaynes
88 Posted 24/06/2020 at 01:49:26
This is, indeed, a very, very "Nice Switch."
Derek Thomas
89 Posted 24/06/2020 at 02:06:15
Karl @86; you've nailed it there, no vitriol, no abuse. £40M vs what he did. But, as with all of these 'Deadwood', they didn't sign themselves, or set their own wages. I think Mr Wu from the other 'Deadwood' had a word for them.
Andrew Keatley
90 Posted 24/06/2020 at 02:11:23
Sorry Christine (85), but I think criticism of footballers – from both sets of fans in the stadium, from the pundits, the newspapers, fans online, wherever – comes with the territory. Sometimes that criticism will be positive, and sometimes it can be brutally negative – but, as long as it doesn't cross over into abuse, then I'd like to think it's a necessary and interesting part of football.

I tend to think that special criticism is always reserved for players that show a lack of passion for the shirt, and sadly – as far as Everton are concerned – Morgan Schneiderlin is about as guilty of that as anyone I can think of from the last 30 or so years. It is only right that fans like myself feel happy to communicate that sort of dissatisfaction – whether that be from the stands or on here.

Schneiderlin has never been a great athlete; he has always lacked pace, stamina and significant strength. He is a decent footballer, and in a good team can play a certain role. Unfortunately we have not been a good team while he has been here but, rather than fight to improve us, he tried (unsuccessfully) to do no more than pull his own weight.

In my opinion, he showed limited desire, limited mobility, and limited belief in himself and his team-mates. He spent most of his time at the club just going through the motions. If I am right about all that (and obviously I might not be, but I'm a fan and that is my criticism of him regardless) then I think the club is better off not having someone like him around.

Eric Myles
91 Posted 24/06/2020 at 03:21:00
Karl #86, but with amortisation the Club could well show a profit on him in the accounts as Man City did with Robhino!!
Kristian Boyce
92 Posted 24/06/2020 at 05:52:12
I think a lot of people forgot that he spent a good portion of his career at Saints playing at a League One and Championship level.

I think he's one of those players who was too good for that level, but not Premier League quality, and was found out. I think he was lucky to be in a team that had momentum from back to back promotions, with a close-knit squad that made him look a better player than he actually was.

As soon as he stepped up to Man Utd, he showed that he couldn't hack it. I think he got found out at international level too as the French team didn't play him after his Man Utd move either. He'll probably do well at Nice, dropping down slightly in level.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
93 Posted 24/06/2020 at 07:53:39
I like what Andrew said at #90 about this thorny problem of fans expressing their opinions on players and their performances for the club they claim to 'support'.

I think Christine at #85 is right that the freedom of the internet is partly to blame but we also hear often from fans who (used to!) attend the match but can't abide the antics of those in neighbouring seats who do nothing but snipe and bitch and moan. On this forum, we can't do much about the second lot but it's true that we, as curators, generally take a fairly lenient view of what we 'allow' to be said on here. That means we tacitly accept what Andrew is saying.

John at #78 talks of "personal verbal attacks" as if the criticism is being delivered directly fact-to-face with the recipient. This is clearly not the case; I doubt that any of the players read ToffeeWeb, or hear the majority of criticism offered at the match. And surely anyone in the public eye has to have a thick skin anyway?

Like many things in life these days, it comes down to diversity and tolerance — diversity of opinions, personalities and styles of communication — and (I think just as important) tolerance of opinions, personalities and styles of communication.

If you come on a forum like this, you should expect plenty of the first – diversity. I would respectfully suggest if you found yourself posting more than once expressing your intolerance of that diversity... well, how can I put this? It gets really boring.

The irony for me is it's our older members who seem to complain the most. At the risk of being ageist, you'd think they'd seen and had to put up with a hell of a lot more diversity than the younger ones who (again more ageism here!) seem to be the most strident critics. But getting old seems to bring with it an increasing conviction that your way of doing things is what matters, which seems to me in itself to be rather intolerant.

Jerome Shields
94 Posted 24/06/2020 at 07:58:44
Brian #83,

Interesting observations on Schneiderlin playing. There must be such players in the Premier League, when you think about it. Going should release some slack in the transfer budget.

Although, it is reported Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club are getting £140 million in business disruption insurance due to cancelling of the Tournament this year. I find it very hard to believe that Premier League Clubs had not similar type insurance in place.

No-one has asked the question and because of the PR surrounding the gulf in empathy with local communities and their obsession to keep the gravy train running, they would never voluntarily offer such information.

Paul Tran
95 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:09:28
My simple rule is that I'll write on here what I'm happy to say to someone face to face. But I'm comfortable with others operating differently, even if I have to hold back now and again!

Christine Foster
96 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:19:58
Michael, I guess as one of the older ones you refer too, I am aware of the changes, many for the better but some not so much.

Let's be clear: criticism is a key part of ToffeeWeb and other fan sites; we all want success, we all want improvement. Criticism is not being intolerant to change; without the internet, there would only be letters to the editor in the Echo... god forbid.

But when does criticism become abusive? Surely that's the line that I am saying we have no need to cross. The fact that it is crossed with abandon or without thought is not because of aged geriatrics who have a rose-coloured view of life before the internet, it's because generally they think before opening the mouth.

How can a debate or view be expected when it's a one-liner made up of words around excrement?

Leeway is always given, but the older generation HAS seen it all before, just not laid out bare and personalised as is the norm these days. You suspect players or club members don't read these pages but you don't know. Thick-skinned, no, they are just like you and me, some will like water off a duck's back – to others, as sharp as a cutting knife.

Perhaps too, older people do have different values, different measures to make judgements by. That's what makes the forums what they are, diverse and a bloody good read.

Tony Abrahams
97 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:23:24
A lenient view is the only way you're going to get away with some of the shite you talk, Michael – says me, adopting the very same principles as Paul T!
Martin Mason
98 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:42:22
A good statement of intent and quality by the club. To be fair to the club, he could have been a very good buy and did play well for a while and it wasn't his fault we bought him. In the end, he wasn't good enough and he has been sold. Very good outcome.
Paul Tran
99 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:46:58
Fuck off, Tony!
Peter Mills
100 Posted 24/06/2020 at 08:49:16
Very deft, Terry (#76), touché.

Ray Robinson
101 Posted 24/06/2020 at 09:10:41
Michael #93.

I doubt that any of the players read ToffeeWeb, or hear the majority of criticism offered at the match..

Firstly, as someone else pointed out, you don't know for sure that the players don't read ToffeeWeb, do you? Secondly, as I suspect you're actually right, how can you say that players don't hear the criticism / abuse from the crowd?

Anyone who has seen the crippling fear that players such as Cleverley, Simon Davies, Ross Barkley amongst others, played under would know that's nonsense. Even if they don't hear the specifics (which Kevin Sheedy used to for certain – yes Kevin Sheedy while hugging the left touchline!), the generalised abuse that greets certain players when they cock up cannot fail to go unnoticed.

Most mates of mine who support an away club state when they visit Goodison how critical the Everton crowd is of their own players when things aren't going well. Only certain players seem to be able to rise above the criticism (Sharpe in his early days, Calvert-Lewin currently). Not sure about Tom Davies yet.

Constant criticism, as opposed to a one-off groan of disappointment, cannot possibly have a positive effect. The only sin that warrants that is lack of effort and commitment – which Schneiderlin at times did seem to suffer from.

Yours, a cranky OAP.

Jeff Spiers
102 Posted 24/06/2020 at 09:47:22
Christine @96. Perfect reading, Yours, another cranky OAP!
Martin Nicholls
103 Posted 24/06/2020 at 09:53:00
Brian#83 - spot on! Most glaring example I can recall of him "shielding" behind opposition players so as not to make himself available to receive a pass was in the 1-5 at the Emirates two years back. That game finished him with EFC so far as I was concerned - shameful performance and, more importantly, attitude.
Tony Abrahams
104 Posted 24/06/2020 at 10:06:36
I thought he hid when McCarthy broke his leg, which resulted in McCarthy giving the ball away and having to chase back like a lunatic, resulting in a very bad injury and the end of his Everton career.
Michael Kenrick
105 Posted 24/06/2020 at 10:28:06
Maybe I'm in a minority here – I certainly was after the derby! – but I can never escape the chilling words of Sir John Moores and the very clear high standard he established for Everton Football Club. There's a snippet of an interview with him on one of the Everton History videos from a few years ago. I've looked for it online without success, however, and have to go by memory... something like:

The supporters of Everton expect the best. Only the best is good enough, and if it's not the best then they will demand the best.

I don't know if I'm right on this thought but perhaps it's part of a broader Evertonian culture and sense of being, that we are inculcated with the essence of our motto to the depth and extent that Sir John reflected upon, rather than just playing lip service to it. Isn't that what "born not manufactured" was also all about?

I know I've raised this viewpoint before and not got much traction for it so I won't push it. But for me, it is absolutely fundamental to our identity as Everton Football Club. And demanding the best – from our players, our managers, our coaches, our Directors of Football, our Board, our owners, and yes, our supporters – is just that, absolutely fundamental.

If that means criticising players who are not good enough, so be it. It's part and parcel of having those high standards.

I would go further and say that the dilution of those high standards, the acceptance of "plucky little Everton", making excuses for players who are not giving or doing their best – right down to the mindset that has Evertonians saying "that was one point I never honestly thought we would have got today" after a derby game – underpins our long downward slide in the Premier League era.

Bill Watson
106 Posted 24/06/2020 at 10:53:24
A transfer fee reduces every year of the contract as does the capital cost of investment in any business (amortisation) until the cost is written off. As Schneiderlin was entering the final year of his contract, the €2M fee, allied to the reduction in the wage bill, represents reasonable business.Next please!
Paul Tran
107 Posted 24/06/2020 at 10:53:37
Completely agree, Michael.

On the one hand, Moshiri is showing ambition by splashing the cash on managers/players, BMD and a fancy HQ.

On the other, we still have the Kenwright/DBB 'aw shucks, aren't we a lovely community club doing wonderful things' axis.

I think we have a tendency to fall back on the latter, with an implicit assumption that to be as ruthless as we need to be 'isn't Everton'. And we're falling between both stools.

This situation provides an opportunity to change the culture, the level of expectations, which should be reflected in everything the club says and does.

I'm not in the know, I'm up here in the Highlands, but I'm sensing that there are people in the club either afraid of such a change or too comfortable with mediocrity.

In any organisation, it starts either at the top, or at grass roots. If those at the top aren't demanding the best, at least we should.

I'm expecting a win tonight.

Dave Abrahams
108 Posted 24/06/2020 at 10:58:30
Michael (105), the essence of John Moores was he always gave of his best and demanded the same of his workers, paid them well and asked them to earn their money.

Therefore Everton fans following John Moores lead demand the very best from Everton players, not more than they can provide but the best they can do with their ability and effort. On Sunday, they played to a plan against a team with better players, had only lost one league game all season and I imagine were very long odds to smash Everton. They didn't and we got a deserved draw keeping a lot of Everton fans happy with that point, a point in a Derby game at home might have left a lot of fans unhappy usually. Not in this case I'm sure.

Ray Robinson
109 Posted 24/06/2020 at 11:00:26
Michael #105, John Moores was quite right to say that back then. We were after all the millionaire club, king of the transfer market.
Alan McGuffog
110 Posted 24/06/2020 at 11:10:36
John Moore's may have changed our mindset but as for Evertonians always demanding the best? Well, from the end of the war until 1960, the fans put up with.... well Nil Satis it wasn't.
Christine Foster
111 Posted 24/06/2020 at 11:14:14
I look around and see the top clubs spending vast amounts of money on the higher end of established talent, paying over the top also for the potential of others.

Everton, by comparison, takes a punt with their transfers, one could say of course that every transfer is a punt, but some with less risk than others. We no longer buy the best.

Our pockets are not the bottomless pit of Man City, yet many expect us to consistently compete at the same level. We may do it a few times in a season but we have not the strength in depth or the talent in the first eleven to challenge at that level.

People point to Leicester, it was a combination of management, team combination and effort that got them the title. If we are to compete, it is through the same combination. Right now, we have the management, we have to find the right team and make it work.

That's where we are, those lacking the effort on the pitch are not for the club. But also we have to accept that it's not going to happen next week. The trick of good management is getting the best out of what you have and continual improvement of players by training or replacement. Ancelotti is starting to slice and dice as he can, interesting days ahead.

Peter Mills
112 Posted 24/06/2020 at 11:44:47
Michael #105, I'd love to sit down and have a pint or two with you to discuss these issues, I think we are actually quite aligned but quite often seem diametrically opposed!

I absolutely demand and hope for Everton to be at the top of the tree. It's what I was brought up on during the 60s, and then had the pleasure of experiencing again during the mid-80s. I wish with all my being to be battering the RS, but that doesn't prevent me from being objective at the same time. So if we are going into a derby with a weakened side against a very good RS team, it is perfectly rational to fear being beaten, and to be satisfied with a hard-earned point. Not “happy” in the sense of meeting all aspirations, but “satisfied” within the context of a particular set of circumstances.

Regarding criticising players, I try not to do it, but then players can fall into different categories. Some are very good players going through a loss of form – support them. Some are young lads in whom you can see potential but are not yet the full deal – support them. Others are just not good enough but try – support them but also point out their inadequacy. The really unforgivable ones are those who have talent but don't put the effort in. They deserve calling for what they are.

For me, Schneiderlin falls into the final category, and I am delighted he has gone from our club. I doubt he will have too many sleepless nights fretting about my opinion of him.

Chris Williams
113 Posted 24/06/2020 at 11:54:57
Alan,

The same thought occurred to me. The football in the 50s was dire, relegation, 3 seasons in the second division and then at best, mediocrity with little in the way of redeeming features apart from the likes of Collins, Parker, and Hickson between transfers out.

The football we put up with now is nothing like as bad as then. There are a couple of main differences.

The standards between the absolute best and the weakest were not as skewed by cash as now. And the fans were nowhere near as outspoken, or expectations so inflated.

That is not to say they were meek and mild and didn’t let their opinions be known. Goodison has always had a crowd that could turn rough, and they did. But no freely available forum was there.

In addition, footballers and the man in the street were pretty much peas in the same pod, in outlook and remuneration, so no gulf existed as now. Plus the potential for huge cash outlays being wasted didn’t really exist, or were widely reported, no matter how accurately.

Football was not as available and exposed as now, and reporting was limited to papers, and much less partisan, but not totally so. There seems little doubt to me that the level of partisan vitriol from the likes of Keane is getting stronger and is seen as being very much part of the spectacle, all of which can stimulate rancour one way or the other, often towards players.

In many ways it’s unsurprising that we see the degree of vitriol we do.

Paul Tran
114 Posted 24/06/2020 at 12:13:49
Christine #111, the key difference between us and Leicester is the off-pitch management & decision-making.

They clearly have a good scouting team and I sense when they buy a player, they know how and where he's going to play. They have a wealthy family of owners that have instilled a good mindset into the club, while maintaining good links with the community. They even cocked up with a manager, didn't panic, then recruited a better one.

Contrast that with our decision-making; a hand-picked manager sacked two months after a scattergun spending spree, the unnecessary hiring of an expensive 'saviour' manager, then hiring a younger manager with a patchy record, plus a DOF that buys expensive, peripheral players, but not the solid ones we need in key positions.

Now, I think hiring Ancelotti was a very good decision. Someone asked me my thoughts when we hired him. I said he'll do a good job if the club lets him.

Let's hope they stay out of his way.

Brian Harrison
115 Posted 24/06/2020 at 12:17:06
I think trying to compare the era under Sir John Moores, and what followed after he died is not a fair comparison. When Sir John became our Chairman, the maximum wage was still around, so all his money went into transfers rather than players salaries as happens today. His wealth at the time was way ahead of the other Chairman, hence why we became known by the press as the Mersey Millionaires. We could out-bid any other club in the league, which isn't the case now or for those who followed Moores into the hot seat.

But I think our lack of money has certainly hampered our progression, and although he is often attacked on this forum, Moyes ability to buy cheap and sell expensively helped us compete at a level that outstripped our finances.

Although we now have a billionaire owner he is far from the richest Chairman around. But he has splashed the cash but unfortunately the DOFs and managers haven't spent his money wisely. Our wage bill per revenue is one of the highest in the Premier League, so that's why Ancelotti has his hands tied in the market because of his predecessors' inability to spend money wisely.

I hope that after a period of getting our finances under control we can give Ancelotti a budget were his experience will allow us to progress to a higher and more consistent level.

Patrick McFarlane
116 Posted 24/06/2020 at 12:43:05
Everton FC was spoiled by Sir John and his money, nobody at the club thought it was necessary to expand the club and to be all that it could be, because all they had to do was ask Sir John and he would write the cheques. Of course this money had to be repaid but so long as attendances stayed relatively high all was well. In the late 70s and early 80s this mode of operation began to show its deficiencies as a recession bit and unemployment soared.

Whilst Everton FC had a burst of success which was masterminded by the manager, the club was able to secure higher sponsorship via NEC etc but even then it was miles behind United and those over the park when it came to commercialisation.

As the decades have come and gone, that commercial gap has grown to such an extent that it may well be insurmountable. Moshiri has pumped hard cash into the club but the fundamentals which were in place during the previous eras haven't changed and therefore most of that cash has been wasted and seven years after the Moyes' era we are still treading water or perhaps slowly drowning.

The pandemic will make it even more difficult to sustain never mind grow the club, as once it was relant on attendances today it is reliant on TV cash. Evertonians of today can't expect the best they mostly have to hope for the best.


Jerome Shields
117 Posted 24/06/2020 at 12:56:02
Brian #115,

We all were sold that pup by Kenwright & Co, of lack of money. When they did get money, we saw that their lack of competence was the problem all along.

The way this Summer transfer window plays out will inform us whether Ancelotti has been able to lift the level of competence by his reorganisation prior to the break and whether Brands is allowed to do his job without interference, working with Ancelotti.

Darren Hind
118 Posted 24/06/2020 at 12:58:30
I think the players have a choice as to whether they read the comments posted about them on media outlets, or not.

I simply don't buy the idea that we were once somehow more caring, more kinder to underperforming players. It's a complete myth. If anything, the footballers have got it easier these days. The Goodison crowd is nowhere near as tough as it once was.

Today's fans are just as likely to go home and post a criticism on a website than stay after a game to give the player who has upset them both barrels. I think some of the people on here are getting a little Gladys Knight. Time seems to have re-written every line.

The cushions which rained down from the stands after Ipswich had destroyed Gordon Lee's team were not hurled in silence. They were accompanied by a level of abuse you just don't hear anymore. The fury and the vitriol which accompanied those deafening boos after the Coventry draw just wouldn't happen today. People don't seem to get that angry any more. Personally, I believe anger has given way to ridicule.

Scouse humour has always been barbed, almost to the point that, if somebody isn't on the receiving end, it isn't deemed funny. I often talk about an incident at Chelsea when Phil Neville was warming up in front of the travelling blues ready to come on. We were getting hammered and everyone was pissed off. One professional piss-taker lured Neville into dialogue and, just when Phil was on side, the piss-taker then destroyed him and Moyes with the funniest of put-downs. Those around simply fell about laughing... Was it abuse ? Well yes, I guess, but "It's okay as long as it's funny"... Right ?

Are today's young fans more abusive than their arl fellas? Absolutely no way. It's my opinion (only my opinion) that the lines in football (as in society) have become blurred.

The funny put-downs of the past often go too far these days and can come across as snidey ridicule. Maybe today's generation are just not as witty as their predecessors?

Paul Tran
119 Posted 24/06/2020 at 14:03:10
Definitely nastier back in the day, Darren. My arl fella first took me in 1971 and he said that was the angriest he ever saw Goodison, probably because of the contrast from the wonderful season before. A succession of disappointing signings and average local lads were regularly given awful abuse.

I'd say life in general was grittier back then. People were better at arguing because it was all done face to face. Because of social media, there's a tendency for things to be one extreme or the other, people aren't accountable and act accordingly.

There is some good from it, though, plenty of good, rational debate on here and Twitter, with both Blues and other teams' fans.

Trevor Powell
120 Posted 24/06/2020 at 14:05:14
After being sent home from training with Mirallas as his sidekick, they both should have been flushed out asap. Players like those two can do far more damage to a dressing room and especially with their views to the more naive up and coming youngsters.

I've seen them in other situations blagging their view of the management and novices believing them! Years ago, I went for my first ever interview for a primary school deputy's job. One candidate was boasting that this was his fifteenth interview. I wonder why, but he was so plausible. The school that did take him on had no end of trouble with a lazy, inflated egotist who was then dismissed!

Dave Abrahams
121 Posted 24/06/2020 at 14:35:47
When I went to my first match in 1948 versus Arsenal, there was crowds barracking the Arsenal players getting on the coach after the game. Now I don't actually remember the scenes but read about them later, most probably Joe Mercer was on the end of the crowd's anger having left Everton for Arsenal.

Now 1948 was not long after the Second World War, so after six years of living with the war, you would think a football match wasn't anything to get angry about, but those Toffee fans were well riled up. Shows in a way how much we Bluenoses care about football and especially Everton!!!

Paul Tran
122 Posted 24/06/2020 at 14:49:23
Thanks for the cracking story, Dave. And you've made me feel young as well!
Darren Hind
123 Posted 24/06/2020 at 15:44:14
Dave would make Ben Hur feel young, Paul. 1948????

Seventy odd years watching what, let's face it, have been mainly average teams.

Take a bow mate, I know how modest you are and you probably just think this is what you do, but that's impressive... in normal times they would probably present you with some sort of award... for bravery!

You are some Evertonian Dave. A lot of poor seasons, but the successful ones must taste twice as sweet to you.

Anyone else with that sort of service under their belts?

Tony McNulty
124 Posted 24/06/2020 at 16:04:38
Michael 105. Agreed
Dave Abrahams
125 Posted 24/06/2020 at 16:07:41
Darren (123), I think there are quite a few Evertonians have been watching the Blues longer than me, John Mac and there was a gentleman who had a season ticket for 61 years, but there are plenty more. I've watched a lot because I am fortunate enough to have lived to a decent age.

As you say, Darren, those of us of a certain age have seen more poor seasons, a lot more, than good ones, but for me and I think most fans when you first start going to the game it is just magic, pure magic.

I couldn't wait to get to the match and see these players I had only read about, Peter Doherty, Raich Carter. Tom Finney, Stanley Mathews, my favourite TG Jones – couldn't take my eyes off him. I just loved the game of football, playing in the streets and bombed sites then watching on a Saturday or Wednesday. I always wanted Everton to win but to see “the match” was everything to me. I made a lot of friends going to the away games and I never regret a minute of following the Blues although, like lots of fans, I've cursed the bad performances on many occasions.

A few weeks ago I said I don't miss football, because of the virus. I meant it but the taste, flavour and smell of it is drawing me slowly back in and I'll be back as soon as it is safe. Goodison Park don't you just “fuckin” love it, with apologies to Terry White over in America.

Paul Tran
126 Posted 24/06/2020 at 16:15:26
Dave, The thing that gets me is how excited I get on the rare occasions I'm down there for a game. Everything about it. 19 months since the last time Hope it's not that long till the next one, and we can meet up again for a bevvy.
Dave Abrahams
127 Posted 24/06/2020 at 17:16:56
Paul (126), you're on, with Tony coming as well, he dropped me off last ‘cause he had the twins with him.
John McFarlane Snr
128 Posted 24/06/2020 at 18:29:55
Hi Dave [125,]

I'm listening to Radio Merseyside's commentary as I'm typing this post, my 'Young Lady' is downstairs watching the game on BBC 2. I haven't seen a minute of the televised games, I decided not to take advantage of the coverage because it's not football as I recall it. 5 substitutes from 9 could be the toehold that leads to it being made a permanent addition.

On the subject of crowd behaviour, you will no doubt recall the slow handclap of the late 40s and early 50s. I liken this to the booing of the crowd today, which is directed to the team as a unit, and bears no resemblance to the vilifying of individual players. Like any other fan, I have my moments of expressing displeasure, but I have never booed an Everton player in my life, and I have never criticised any player on any thread of this site.

I find it easy to forgive them their failings, because I believe as I have stated many times 'anything can happen in a game of football' the players are not machines that can be programmed, and the human element makes it the game we love.

John McFarlane Snr
129 Posted 25/06/2020 at 19:38:54
Hi Dave [various posts] I responded to one of your posts on the thread of "Schneiderlin completes Nice switch". My post is [128] and I'm wondering if you got the chance to read it, because Michael Kenrick thinks it was a 'Load of bollocks', on reflection he may well be right. I must confess that I'm not an expert on that sort of subject and I may have to bow to his superior knowledge. This may be my 'Titus Oates' moment, if so I'll keep an eye out for any get- together's that may be arranged.
David Currie
131 Posted 26/06/2020 at 21:25:47
John Mc Snr,

Your posts are ones I always read as you are a fantastic supporter who has a season ticket every year and you have a wealth of knowledge, your grandson is the same age as my son so both these young lads have never seen us win a trophy yet.

My support like yours is always give the players a fair chance but I can never accept a complete lack of desire and work ethic and players that don't care about their performance. Sadly I have seen Morgan and others like him do just that and so I can never put my support to them. Lack of talent is one thing but make it up by workrate.

Terry White
132 Posted 26/06/2020 at 21:56:04
Thank you for the apology, Dave (#125). But, like John Mc., Sr., I imagine, I would prefer you did not say it in the first place.
John McFarlane Snr
133 Posted 26/06/2020 at 22:20:08
Hi David [130] I respect your view of withholding your support of players who you consider are not showing the desire or work ethic, but that stance can't be classed as vilifying players, and in that case I have no issue with you and like minded supporters.
Mal van Schaick
134 Posted 29/06/2020 at 08:26:51
Can’t we make it clear when we sign players what is expected of them at Everton. Schneiderlin looked and played like he didn’t want to be at Everton or perhaps his chin being on his toes prevented him from running around. Hope we have learned a lesson, but I doubt it!

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