Former United duo in the frame

Yeah Lyndon, It's a bit odd this continuing rumour about Smalling. The only way I can see that happening is if Yerry wants a move and it will materialise after the Copa.

Romero would be a very good keeper as back up if the wage deal was sensible.

Both players have connections to the NW so there maybe a bit of mileage in these rumours.

I don't necessarily think it's odd. If (big if) there's anything in the rumour, it would mean there is a centre back on the exit escalator.

There had been talk of a centre back before Ancelotti's departure.

So, it could be that one of the ones we have is leaving hence looking for a replacement.

Oh no, we're not a smalling Club

More utd cast offs - just wow!

All I can say is FFS. Good job we ain't a small club.

Romero – yes, please. Olsen level competition for Pickford (we can see how that's worked) for a year that allows Virginia to go on loan and Leban or Tyrer to step into the first team as a 3rd option. No brainer.

Smalling, GTF.

Why are we continually being linked with centre halves? Even if Mina was to leave I don't see it as a priority area when we need to resolve right back and midfield

We are not in urgent need of defenders just yet and even so I don't think Smalling would improve on anything we have.

As some are saying we need another class midfielder who can make things happen and another class striker.

More media rumours that everybody is happy to jump on as if it is gospel.

We get linked to Smalling every summer. At least they've stopped linking us to Phil Jones

We've also been linked to Miralem Pjanic another Barca cast off that didn't make the grade, Barca want £30m+ for him, they got lucky last time with Gomes why shouldn't they try again?

Smalling? Utd got rid because he was stale and not performing in the prem, Roma want rid because he's not performing in the Serie A, he's in his football twilight years now, expect us to give him a huge retirement salary, based on his connection to Manu and a 4 year contract.

Robert (9) - And Marcos Rojo

Hopefully just internet garbage.

Are we scouting from Football Manager 2012. What is the point of Brands...

Why would we want to buy a 31 year old defender who only signed a 3 year deal 8 months ago?
Load of Bollox.

Surprised we're not being linked with Lascelles now that we're probably getting Benitez... OOOH Shelvey too, now that'd be a heart warming rumour! (not).

I think we have burst through the bottom of the barrel and are now in the subsoil scraping at shit.

Actually by Spurs going after Nuno and Crystal Palace losing Favre we are hiding out fairly well. People have questions about the Carlo exit but no real indictment of the club for doing what they are doing here. We'll see when the ultimate outcome is known.

Sean,

This is EFC, things can always get worse for us.

Sorry I can't give you a cheery message.

No really. We're okay, go out and have a drink this weekend.

Dale#19
No really. We're okay, go out and have a drink this weekend.
Sounds like someone has already started😊

No, if that were the case I'd be slinging expletives in lieu of nicely reminding some that we don't know anything yet and it is far from a meltdown.

Has anyone seen the stats for Romero, played 63 games for utd and kept 39 clean sheets, conceeding just 27 goals, not bad for a backup keeper.

I'd rather bring Olsen back. He's proven and offers a different style of keeper. Tall, Safe not small and a risk taker.

Smalling, ha ha someone's having a laugh. Surely we're also favourites to take their left back, central midfielder, Jesse and their goal posts.

You can kind of see how the summer is going to pan out. First we can't attract a decent manager or at least one who doesn't demand the world to come. Second, the longer this impasse goes on the less chance we have a decent window and end up with past it has beens. Third, whenever we announce Southgate as our new manager two days before the season starts, after his abject failure with England, we will be going backwards at a tremendous rate of knots. All of this could be true apart from Southgate, he would prefer Palace to a 'small' club like Everton.

What? Even more Manure outcasts at Everton!? Thought our club had learned by now!!!

Even the rumours, speculation and fantasy "Scoops" have dropped back into the basement. A real year of loss. Storming start for six weeks, Ancelotti, Rodriguez, DCL leading scorer, top of the league.

Then everyone else in football stuck a pin in a doll of the Toffee Lady.

God. It's the annual Man U crap sale. Hopfully Rojo has finally given up the ghost. Kenwright needs to locked up till it is over.

Jerome #27
Good post...though not sure Kenwright has been calling the shots for a while.

Will, be careful mate! Ya never know who or whaaa..t's reading?

All we need to round this off is to find out Mina has a clause in his contract that let's him leave for free.

The more I think about it Southgate could very well be our next boss. Sensible, articulate, earnest and well-turned-out. He would be perfect for Kenwright and Moshiri.

The only problem would be that he plays with two defensive midfielders (oh I wonder what that would be like in home games against the also-rans?)

Eddie, stop it. I've just been out with the dogs and I'm calm. Or was!!

Nothing wrong with 2 defensive midfielders, providing it's in a 4-2-3-1 and the attacking 4 are effective.

Thanks Eddie. I need to take the dogs out again.

Papers say " Everton linked with Smalling but he doesn't want to go there" ha ha, for once I don't fecking blame him

Danny -your dogs will be very fit if Toothy gets the job!

Brands playing playing a blinder here

When the fuck are we going to stop buying players who can't make it in the top teams anymore? Seems like we only buy or sign players in the U23s that can do well in that league but are never good enough to be regular first team players. We just don't seem to sign the up-and-coming players anymore at a young age.

The papers reckon Smalling doesn't fancy us. Well that's the best news this week because we don't want him. Jog on.

The transfer window will be on us very shortly. My contention is that signing two good young players for the position of right-back and right-winger will transform last seasons “also-rans” into Top 6 contenders

I would like to see us sign Max Aarons from Norwich and Adama Traore from Wolves. I think these two will enable the new manager to get the best out of the current squad in this 4-4-1-1 formation.

Pickford
Aarons Keane Godfrey Digne
Traore Allan Davies Richarlison
Rodriguez (or Sigurdsson)
Calvert-Lewin

Well, as the manager thing seems to be done, I'll switch to the team. Here's my fantasy football Everton first eleven Laurie however unrealistic it is!!

Based on 4-2-3-1, my preferred formation:

Pickford

Dumfries, Godfrey, Koulibaly, Digne

Allan, Doucoure

Sabitzer, Rodriguez (10), Richarlison

Calvert-Lewin

Assumption obviously we keep the current team and I would guess outgoings would include Mina and Kean.

My Koulibaly wish could still be on as Rafa has links from his Napoli days right?!!

Whatever happens, the other thing we need to focus on is squad depth. That proper bit us in the arse last season. But even with what I've suggested, we would have Coleman, Keane, Holgate and Nkounkou as a backup back 4; not too bad. Davies and possibly / hopefully Gbamin in midfield. Sigurdsson for Rodriguez in the number 10.

Do I hear optimism amidst the managerial anxiety??!!

Laurie (38) Traoré would certainly make the team more exciting to watch. While I like his pace and dribbling ability I worry about the lack of an end product. From what I have seen his crossing is erratic and his goal scoring record speaks for itself. We already have too many players who don't score sufficient goals.

Some fans seem to assume we can take for granted a top half finish next season, whoever is managing the team. That seems to me complacent. We have too many players on the downward curve and not enough with the potential to improve. Without an injection of energy and quality in central defence, midfield and attack we may find ourselves struggling nearer to the bottom six than the top six.

Good players but I doubt established Premier League players or stars like Koulibaly will be on the shopping list because of the cost / value. There's quite a few low profile but good Spanish right backs, maybe some talent direct from Argentina - and then players who can't quite claim a first team spot like Marc Roca at Bayern or even DeBeek at Man Utd. Sounds like Mattheus Nunes is already done. I wonder if we're waiting to wrap up a more exciting signing like Bailey to sweeten the pill when they announce Benitez.

Danny (39) - "Do I hear optimism amidst the managerial anxiety??!!"

Why not?

Bad as last season was, we finished 6 or 7 points off the Europa and 8 off the CL.

We need pace and skill in the mid-field added. I'd like to think that's Brands' focus.

Yawn!

Romeo yes. Smalling neh.

Why is anyone we may sign from Manchester immediately branded a Man Utd reject and slagged off?

Sometimes, a player is surplus to requirements at one club and makes a hit at another. The fit is right. Tim Howard and Phil Neville played in excess of 600 games for Everton between them.

Romero may not get much game time at Manchester or Everton. But he is a top keeper. If he's settled in the North-West, the move may be a good fit for him (and us) rather than just a payday.

Smalling is a different case. Fully fit, he was a top performer and has pace and experience, which with a lot of young centre-backs in the squad could be invaluable. But we can't be signing injured players. That's what medicals and scouts are for.

If he wants to come here, he must be fit. The contract needs to reflect that.

The Goalie would be an adequate back up for Pickford.

As for Smalling...WHY.

If I was the owner of my beloved club,then Chris Mepham would be an Everton player NOW.

Our recruitment process is fucking dire.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo ?

I would not be to unhappy to see Virginia as the second choice but only if he is given a reasonable regular rotation with Pickford. Pickford's form really improved only after he got some real competition for his job.

Every player in the squad is improved by resting them. If any player in the squad is not competent to play in most games, then they need to be replaced.

Martin @45,

Andrei Kanchelskis wasn't too bad either.

But I still don't want Smalling.

So the dust has settled on Rafa (for many of us, anyway) and now we enter into our bi-annual period of frustration at the lack of signings. This pensiveness amongst us gets compounded as we watch our poorer and weaker competitors (such as Crystal Palace) sign good up-coming players for a pony. Olise to Palace is an absolute steal and there were many who felt they could get £20M for the lad, a real talent.

I really hope the ducks are lined up, I really do; however,I am often left feeling like we try to aim too high for players who would rather play elsewhere. Everton is a step down for them and they keep us hanging; meanwhile, other targets go to Wolves and Palace etc. This has been a problem in my view.

Romero? Yes, please, very capable deputy. Smalling? No, thanks. We are well stocked in defence. I do not think we need to mess with it though I wouldn't be too upset if we sold Holgate and promoted Branthwaite so he could get some minutes this season, I really rate that lad. So my fantasy team for next season would be:

Pickford
Dumfries Godfrey Mina Digne
Allan Doucouré
Bailey James Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin

I'd take that with a really good back-up forward (Edouard et al) and Nunes from Sporting. Romero as back-up keeper, that would represent good business in my view.

I agree with others, we are 3 signings away from potentially making us a much stronger outfit. I don't want Zaha as he is 28 and has peaked, but something tells me we might still be in for him – please God, let Iwobi be part of the package. I like many just want to see some movement with incomings and outgoings soon.

Steve the Olise deal is really frustrating. I think the price is low because it was his final year of contract. Maybe he looked at Eze last year too and thought it's a good fit and a chance for first team football right away. With us he'd have to be more patient.

Annoying, but good players are still out there in numbers. If we do get Bailey or similar, then it would be a big lift.

Don't want either player. They aren't true united players and they're not actually that good.

No no no and fucking no

Is this ToffeeWeb or Gullible City? Have we signed Smalling? Or Romero? Instead of slagging every fucker in the club off, Brands, etc, why not wait until these United has beens are holding the scarf up at Finch Farm. Talk about jumping the gun...for fucks sake!!

N.B. THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED YET! IT'S PAPER TALK!!>

Bobby, Anthony, that was a month ago. Those rumors disappeared quickly. Like so many others.

Mike, old fruit, with respect, it's ''rumours'', not ''rumors''.

Here to help...

;-)

Slightly off topic.

Ancelotti has supposedly been speaking to Richarlison!

Is that not ‘tapping up' ?

I know it goes on all the time, so is this now an accepted practice with no recriminations.

Guess I'm too long in the tooth and gullible 🎻🎻🎻

The Echo. Supposedly on our side (they are probably all kopites) are stirring it first even been the tabloids saying the price is set over Richarlison. Don't need a Lukaku type outcome still waiting to replace. No last-minute bids. Line up the full-back, winger, and someone like Ings if it's true.

The problem now is that Seamus, through no fault of his own, is going to end up in a 'Howard' situation. No replacement brought in, so he'll continue to be played with the inevitable drop off in his performance levels, and all the short-sighted fans with even shorter memories will just remember him in has latter days and, again, like Howard, will be called 'shite'.

Seamus is, pound for pound, as good a player as we have signed. A great servant and terrific performer. 'Can't play?' Bollocks.

Ray, sadly you are correct. So many have the memory span of a goldfish and the inevitable low brain response will raise its head once more. Frankly, it's a disgraceful situation a manager and club leave once very good players in. Time waits for no-one and sometimes players have the heart but no longer the legs to compete at the same level.

Leighton Baines saw the writing on the wall and stepped away, keeping his status high with the fans and club. Conversely, Tony Hibbert didn't. Now never mentioned... and if he is, it's with derision. Seamus should call time. Take his love from the fans and pride of his achievements unblemished.

Christine, call time? On what? His Everton career?

He's still our best right back and I know you're not criticising him. The previous couple of seasons he's been written off only to show that he's still performing at a high enough level as the season unfolded.

He's the type to know that he has to keep his standards high and I think he reacts well to criticism and/or pressure.

In the modern squad rotational game we live in, Seamus still has a lot to offer. At 32, I wouldn't even say it's the pace that goes, speaking from personal experience. The explosiveness yes; the acceleration yes. But once you get into your stride, you still have the pace. That goes later. You just have to look after yourself and manage your game differently. Don't try to be the 26-year-old you once were and read the game different.

Baines was interesting. You say he saw the writing on the wall. Maybe. But so did Martinez. Bad timing maybe, as by then Martinez was not a popular figure, but I seem to recall the crowd turning on him when he dropped Baines.

Genuine question as I have no inside information, but it felt like Baines played the silent assassin when that happened. Thoughts? Views? For me it was just a hunch.

For the record, Baines is the best Everton left-back I've seen and I watched most of Pat van den Hauwe's games live.

Good post, Shane. I'd also add that I think Benitez is the type of manager who takes players out from time to time to both give them a rest and also keep them refreshed, so hopefully for long enough to see one of Everton's finest servants, run around Wembley with a cup! 🤞

Danny, if anything, Baines hung around too long.

He lost the guts of two seasons' worth of football by staying.

If Seamus found himself in a similar position, he might well head off back to play in the Donegal Championship but it isn't currently the case.

We definitely need a right back. For me, Seamus never recovered from the injury and his good games are outweighed by bad games. He had a bit of a renaissance when Rafa drafted him in to a be a hybrid of a right-back and a right-sided centre-half in a back three, meaning he did not get forward as much.

He gets beaten for pace now, never happened before. If he plays he needs to be less adventurous and that's not the modern way. Maybe Benitez can reconfigure the tactics to accommodate him. He's certainly a very influential figure in the dressing room and that can often be ignored by fans. Sometimes a player can get picked on that alone.

Personally, I would prioritise signing Max Aarons, as I really like the look of the kid, and then he can rotate with Seamus. I would play Seamus in the big games when we are under pressure more, using his calming influences and Aarons when we are trying to break down a "lesser" side.

Steve, Aarons before Dumfries?

Do you think he's more adventurous, better defensively or what? Certainly be more expensive.

Seamus has been brilliant but what Steve says is correct, he is beaten for pace but his experience is invaluable. At the moment I think he is STILL a valuable squad player, so no critiscm of him intended but his time is almost up, and he should be wise enough to enjoy what he has but not be afraid to call time. He has been too good to allow it to become painful to watch.
The EPL is full of younger players, fit and speedy, many at the top of their game, some world class, in a league of class players, youth and skill will always win over age and experience an an out field player.

Watching Dumfries for Holland Ray, he's rapid and will help us put other teams on the back foot. Would give us the option of playing 3-5-2 as he is also a natural wing back.

If we have a sniff and Mr Moshiri's willing to get the wallet out, do it I'd say.

Not seen as much of Dumfries to be honest Ray. I really like what I've seen of Aarons and I would like to see us have an English core. What I have seen of Dumfries will not make me too disappointed to get him instead, but it's not enough (from the limited sample) to get me to change my preference.

As Danny says, he's quick, also taller than Aarons I believe, and I would be delighted if he came to us. Whether he's as good defensively as Aarons I don't know, but he's good going forward. ( I know, I know, the defensive part of his game is paramount but he's pretty good there too)

I'd say Dumfries is almost definitely better defensively than Aarons, at least currently. Aarons is a better dribbler and definitely a better crosser though.

If they were the same price I'd maybe go Aarons as he has room to grow but Dumfries is probably half the price and offers a more solid option. Which Rafa will like. From what I've heard Aarons may not even be 2nd or 3rd choice.

Absolutely awesome in the attacking sense too Sam (Dumfries).

As the saying goes, both in football and the military sense; attack is the best form of defence. Sit back and you become encircled and subject to the law of defeatist averages.

Get on the front foot and take the game / battle to the opposition. Maintain the element of speed and surprise to defeat them!

Dumfries would definitely bring that.

Aarons for me but I wouldn't be upset if Dumfries came.