Contract talks with Michael Keane restarted, Idrissa Gana Gueye set to stay

Are we getting the Everton we all fell in love with back?

Are Hibbo and Ossie coming back? Faddy could still do a job...

He clearly isn't good enough to be first choice.

If he had played more games last season, he would have scored more than Calvert-Lewin.

In the past Premier League season, Michael Keane made 4 errors leading to goals. This placed him tied for 3rd in the league for that statistic. He also had 2 errors leading to shots in one specific match.

He's also conceded 1 own goal.

Pretty impressive when youve only played 1,049 minutes or 12 equivalent matches.

He is so error prone. I can't believe anyone wants him anywhere near the side. He's a fucking liability.

It feels like this is going to be a stop-start window for us… linked to players with a bunch of other clubs, clubs fighting to retain players (Tete) etc.

We urgently need a striker or two, right-back, pacey winger, left-back cover, goalkeeper cover. Just for starters.

He isn't even as bad as made out – and was the best of our centre-backs in the early season poor form last season.

But even so. It's a bit dreary isn't it?

I was hoping for the signature of a very cheap (ie, less than £15M) young player whom we could start to develop.

I wonder how much input Moyes is having on all this? He's always been hesitant, to say the least, in the transfer market, hence his nickname.

Go and watch the Spurs and Man City games again. The Spurs game, go and look at Richarlison's goal to make it 3-2. He's oblivious that he's behind him.

His last game for an extended period was a defeat against a woeful Southampton. Probably one of the worst Premier League teams in modern times.

You mention he was decent at the start of the season. How many wins did we get in that period when he played? At what point did form pick up in prior seasons when Mina and Branthwaite came in?

He's is costing nothing only his wages and has come up with vital goals.

As for other signings, players and agents will delay and delay to get the best deal possible its not always the clubs fault.

At 32, he should be experienced. But, forgetting footballing and defending ability, he doesn't play like an experienced player. He seems very timid to me.

When Tarkowski got injured, Moyes opted for Branthwaite and O'Brien. It was only when Branthwaite dropped, Keane got starts in the last two matches

Not my choice, but I said weeks ago that it wouldn't surprise me if we kept him on.

No major concerns with Keane for cover as far as I'm concerned.

Or did the lad want regular football?

The speculation around retaining Keane, signing Tete etc does hint at there being a fairly restrained approach to summer spending.

Maybe we'll go big on the centre-forward and (vitally important) right-wing positions.

However, keeping Keane is a mistake – he pops up with the odd goal (and good ones too), but his primary role is to be a solid centre-back. He won't ever be that.

England U-21 and Burnley (of the record-breaking defence) centre back CJ Egan-Riley is also out of contract. You never know the finances and the personal angle as fans, but I suspect he's cheaper and more of an appreciating asset than Keane.

I agree with the general idea of signing 5-6 frees and going big in the attacking positions if possible.

Unfortunately he's joined Marseille.

We've not much to offer other than what other clubs have.

Much as I hate to admit it... I have to agree.

The main reason we don't get business done early is because most players we are after think they can do better and keep their options open for as long as they can.

It's been like this for years. I just don't get the angst.

Having experienced fans up the East Lancs, in the North East, in the Capital, and also on the Continent, coming home to Everton can only have increased his love for us.

Do other non-Evertonian players see it the same though?

Do they buy into the love in?

Do their agents push the narrative of us being a genuine giant being reawakened in our magnificent new Cathedral, on the Banks of the Royal Blue Mersey?

1 July tomorrow! I guess we are about to find out over the next 2 months…

Up The Fucking Toffees.

💙

The idea Moyes wants to bring players in from the end of August is ludicrous.

As if Moyes is sat their refusing players like
Florian Wirtz And Milos Kerkez because he wants to only sign players as late as possible

No, mostly they talk about money.

Stadiums don't attract players. Money does

Last summer, I'd never heard of Jake O'Brien or Ndiaye. Even Alcaraz when he arrived in January.

Apart from our Cumbrian supporters, had anyone heard of Branthwaite before we signed him? Tarkowski on a free transfer.

There's always a few surprises. Good scouting and astute deals can count as much as spending a lot of money. We should know that from recent years.

Smart business by Toulouse.

Perhaps Gana couldn’t be categorised as dead wood but he’s certainly ageing.

It appears our recruitment budget isn’t as healthy as some had hoped if we’re not in a position to recruit a replacement for the likes of Keane.

Dear oh dear.

That said, there's continuity with Keane and if he signs he accepts he's 4th choice. I'm guessing the other two will still be able to get 1st team football elsewhere so not a given either would sign.

We can still buy a teenager who could be the next Branthwaite, like the Serbian CB we were linked with last month. His price was supposedly under £9m.

We'll even throw in a few skirts...well skorts.

He obviously didn’t want them to continue with the same style, combinations and tactics that got them into trouble in the first place, so what he managed to achieve with players he wasn’t formerly familiar with should be a good reason not to be so cautious when it comes to recruiting a number of new players for the new season.

I suspect the reasons for any reticence in the transfer market may be more financial than operational, as despite Moyes getting a better tune out of the current squad, it’s obvious a good few of them need replacing.

And they're right.

And they're right because of our decades-long failure to even look like ever being comparable to any of the other founding elite clubs of the Premier League, of which we were one.

In contrast to the rest of them we're perpetual also-rans, if we're to be kind, and that's all down to one self-serving shyster who was at the very top of our withering club throughout that time.

He's left us a legacy that still inflicts major financial constraints on our new owners, and their choice of manager, right now.

It'll be years before we're going to be able to move on up, despite the arrival of our new modestly crowd-accommodating capacity built in a part of the city where nobody in their right mind would consider attractive.

Still, after thirty years of dross, what's another decade or so?

..........Except I'm 70, pissed-off, bitter as hell, and profoundly disenchanted with the current state of football and its, ahem, governance.

I think sometimes it's easy to remember someone's mistakes but lost sight of the full picture. For those OGs, I remember quite a few relates to clipping a cross or shots that lead to goals. Remember he got himself into the right position (anticipating the incoming ball in the first place) to attempt clearance/block. I think it's better than someone who cannot even read the game in the first place. They won't get an OG because they never in the way.

His wages of $75K is the problem though.

And if it's true Keane is on £75k a week as a 4th choice CB then surely we could get a couple of promising youngsters in for that and develop them.

And why wait until the contract has expired to start negotiations? It could have been done at any time before. Now he's a free agent he'll be looking for a signing on fee!