Everton Banter Archive July 31 2011

31 Jul 2011 23:08:19
-Toffeeboy-

Adam Johnson will be staying at Man City and not joining on loan, Arteta could possibly join Villarreal and IF Jags leaves then we could move for Samba at Rovers. And to all those who keep expecting to see the Vaughan and Pienaar money are stupid, the money was put in the bank as soon as it was received.

Samba is good, but not as good as jags. Jags has given no indication he wants to leave and moyes will fight hard to keep hold of a player he sees as a future everton captain.

31 Jul 2011 21:43:37
Going into next season...
If everything stays as it is then I believe we will be going into next season stronger than we went into last season.
Progressions....

Beckford has a season of premier league football under his belt, he has improved as a player

Rodwell has an extra seasons experience and goes into next season with a point to prove

Coleman has developed

Barkley and Gueye look like two very high quality youngsters who will inevitably add to what we have

The team has another year between them of gelling and learning more about how to compliment each other on the pitch

Morale was high at the end of last season and we will take that into the new season

Irvine has returned to the club

Declines....

Neville has got a year older and may have lost a year or two of pace

Cahill isn't getting any younger

Saha isnt getting any younger

Some players may be getting a bit concerned with the lack of ambition shown by the board

Pienaar is no longer at the club and hasn't been replaced


Generally I think we are in a slightly stronger position this season than we were at the start of last. Although I am disappointed that we havnt added to the squad I believe that we have a squad capable of challenging for top four and have every reason to be optimistic.

I'd say slightly weaker, losing Pienaar was a massive loss and Bily hasn't improved like I hoped he would. Hopefully Gueye can be a big part of the Squad this year. We seem to have a few injuries coming into the season too.
However, we've a lot of youngsters who look quality like Coleman who've improved no end so hopefully if that continues we'll be stronger.

Yakubu will be getting a new chance this season, that much is clear. Which is, i guess, a strengthening.
In terms of economy though, we're weaker. Coleman's breakthrough has jacked up the price of any potential transfer. Jags and Baines' efforts for the national side, as well as good seasons and attracted attention have also upped their worth, and thus our chance of improving on our position. However, Rodwell, Felli, Tets, Cahill, Saha, Yak, Yobo, Distin, Billy and Heitinga have all gone downhill in terms of what they're worth to other clubs, potentially, due to age and contract situations as well as their own behaviour and transfer market/on-the-pitch disappointments.
Our youth has been excellent. It's starting to press on for Baxter and Rodwell. Those two will HAVE to prove themselves or risk becoming a young has-been, like Anichebe. Who had the same "deadline" some two years ago, yeah? Though names like Hope, Barkley, Lundstram, Duffy, Mustafi, Forshaw and McAleny, in addition to Gueye, Vellios and Silva, are pretty much our only source of optimism so far in this godforsaken summer. If only one of them makes it, and i mean -really- makes it, better than Coleman last year, like, i would be thoroughly made up.
Preseason so far has been good. Injuries are more or less held at bay, our only real long-term absentees being Felli and Tets, on arguably smaller-scale injuries than what they had to recover from last time around. I think the team should be in a similar state of mind as the fans really, thinking "this isn't good enough", like.

Decent point that. We've got virtually the same squad as we did last year but with Pienaar missing but the young lads one year on in their development. We were wildly optimistic last year but not so this year, obviously a lack of signings doesn't help.
We could potentially do better if:
Fellaini stays fit and performs consistently like he can. We find a partner in midfield for Fellaini who provides the right balance, this could see us shift to 4-4-2. Arteta finds form again and influences matches like he used to.Saha stays fit and on form, it will really would be his swansong but he's capable of it.Barkley or one or two of the other young lads push on and improve the squad quality.We swerve any big injuries to key players. We get off to a good start and breed confidence throughout the squad.
A lot of big ifs like but we can live in hope.

31 Jul 2011 20:03:12
I hate it when as soon Everton are linked with a player in the papers other s**t managers with a big purse think they can have them. They can only dream of being a manager like Moyes. 10 years in charge this season, we will win silverware. With or without these 'signings' that floats around on this forum...
Come on you Blue Boys IMWT

31 Jul 2011 14:17:25
I think this is the first time in a while I genuinely feel we will struggle next season, I was expecting AT LEAST one signing by now, but surprise surpise, none. This is going to be a long season knowing our luck.

One depressed blue.

Agree totally with you, our squad is not bloody gud enough, kens**te the muppet out.Thinkwe will finish about 14th.

31 Jul 2011 11:40:19
I think we can improve on last season even without us signing anyone. Whether or not we'll learn from last season's mistakes is another thing altogether, but hopefully we will and hopefully we will actually sign someone. I think just one decent acquisition would do wonders for morale both for the fans and the players.

I hope so. I've always come into seasons with my expectations being pretty high, I'm an ambitious person when it comes to Everton. However, this season I can't see us doing very well at all which will hopefully surprise me I'd also love us to sign just one person but I don't want it to come at the cost of a First Teamer, especially someone like Jagielka.

31 Jul 2011 10:50:28
I am really hoping rodwell kicks on this season. Hopefully with Barkley breaking through it may take the pressure off him somewhat. 3 years from now those two will be two of the best players around.

Barkley really does look to have the ability to be a class act. Anybody see the cracker he scored in the warm up yesterday?

31 Jul 2011 08:24:25
There is no point in saying sell jags or rodwell for around 20 mill and then saying, ohhh but then we can buy 2 or three others players. To get good quality players we need, would cost a lot in wages and with 2 or 3 coming to the club, i'm affraid we would probably not be able to afford it. Plus, jags already is one of the best CB in the prem IMO and rodwell has a lot of potential {Ed025's Note - its called..being stuck between a rock ..and a hard place.

31 Jul 2011 01:03:03
Just heard the News of the World have hacked into BK's mobile, and put £10 credit on it COYB (we need something to cheer us up) Blue Lee