The Rick

As a United fan, I thought I'd check out the opposition's thoughts about tonight's game and ended up on these forums. Here I stumbled onto this thread and couldn't help but sign up and comment. I'm a Belgian, like Mirallas, and have seen a fair bit of him over the years.
 
Mirallas has always been a highly rated prospect in Belgium. He started his professional carreer at Lille and was rated very highly there. However, somehow he didn't seem to fullfill his potential and just looked like a flair player with no end product whatsoever. He then moved to Saint-Etienne, but again he seemed to have the same trouble as before: lots of flair, but no end product. Personally I started believing he would become one of those players with bags of talent, but nothing to show for it in his carreer. You know the kind... they move from club to club and stay for a maximum of 2 years with only a few goals, lots of sub appearances and maybe 2 decent games a season. I think many were fearing the same thing for him as his carreer was looking like it would turn out that way.
 
However, after his spell at Saint-Etienne, he moved to Olympiakos in Greece and did well in his first season. I was a bit surprised he had done as good as he did, not because I didn't think he was good enough, but because I thought he didn't have the right mindset to fulfill his potential. later I read an article in a magazine or newspaper (don't remember exactly) where he was interviewed, and he was surprisingly humble and down to earth in that interview. He said he had realized he was not doing things right in his carreer, and he had started realizing he had to put in hard work if he wanted to make it at the highest level. Reading what the Olympiakos fan posted earlier in this thread, that proves Mirallas put in the extra efforts that are necessary to make it as a topplayer. The return for his hard work is shown on the pitch where he has become a lot more effective. Becoming topscorer in the Greek league and being named POTY was the result.
 
There was a time that he wasn't being selected for the Belgian national team because he was regarded as an ineffective player at the time, but his performances in Greece got himself selected again. In his second carreer for Belgium (that might be a bit exagerated though), he has done very well, and he surprised many people in his first appearances, in which he showed how good he had become. He made that 'click' in his head that is the difference between remaining a talented prodigy and becoming a star.
 
I remember a game from Belgium a few months ago, that quite a few posters from redcafe (United forums) where watching, because Eden Hazard was playing and we were heavily linked with him then. But it wasn't Hazard that caught the eye of the Unitedfans, it was Mirallas (or Meirelles as they thought his name was) who they noticed, because he was the better performer in that game, much to everyone's surprise because most had never heard of him.
 
To conclude, I congratulate Everton for signing him, as I believe you have found yourselves an exciting player for a very very good price. You can never be certain if someone will make it at a new club in a new league, but I believe he has all the attributes (both the qualities and talent as a player, as the right mindset) to be a success for your team.
 
Oh, if someone was wondering about his position on the pitch... he started his carreer as a striker, but he can play and often plays from the wing nowadays. He can play both from the right and left wing, and he can use either feet. In my opinion playing from the wing is what he does best. For Everton, I think he'll play from the right wing.
 
Hope it sheds some light on your new signing..
 
Ok, now I can go back to prepare myself for tonights game. I think it will be a close one, with nearly all our centre backs injured. :s
 
Have a good season, Toffees! But not tonight just yet..

That's what she said.

I think our first 11 is far more balanced than it has ever been. From a playing perspective I am happy that Cahill has gone, his inclusion meant our playing style was very predicatble, non fluent and a bit boring. Love the fella but I said for past two years he was an asset worth selling for the greater good of the teams evolution - which needed to happen.
 
I think we have a first 11 that will see an improvement against the top 4 teams and I look to see if we can do a double over Liverpool.
 
I think moyes deserves alot of credit for the way in which he was engineered our transition on a shoe string. I just hope he too can evolve with the team and bring more flair and adventure to our style of play. Mirallas for one looks to have the capaility to do that.
 
Off the field - as you all know I have big concerns... commerically we are still average joes. Our finances continue to be a massive cause for concern and without Moyes we would have been in serious trouble.
 
He does annoy the living daylights out of me at times, but I need to remind myself of what he is dealing with. On the balance he is a solid coach and an excellent organiser/book keeper. I just hope we can get a buyer for the club, our debts will mean we will continue to have to sell players and replace with cheaper ones, and this is not always going to work for us.
 
When other clubs start to realise the extra £14m TV revenue I feel it is going to massively impact our transfer appeal, we can't break our wage structure and shouldn't but other teams can and will. Already we have seen sunderland bag a big shirt sponsorship and our £4m a year change deal isn't good enough, nor is our kitbag deal. Big work to be done by our CEO and team.

Congrats Rick and welcome

That's what she said.

Hello everyone - Newbie here from Maryland, U.S.A. First year following the EPL and have decided to root for Everton after a lot of research. Excited for the match tomorrow. I've perused a few Everton F.C. forums, but this one seems to be the best by a wide margin (in terms of knowledgeable discussion), so I'm glad to be on board. Excuse my general football ignorance. Along those lines, I will post minimally, until I can "hang".

Welcome, Rick. Started following the Club for a few of the same reasons you did, with the added draw for me being Tim Cahill seeing that my dad is Australian. Hope you come to love Everton as much as the rest of us do.
 
 
Would've rather either seen Naismith out on the right, with Osman/Felli partnering Gibson and Felli/Barkley in behind Jelly. Oh well though, let's see how they go.

I wanted a team that was an under dog, but that wasn't in enough danger to finish in the bottom 3. I like Howard a ton. I love the motto and logo. Everything I've read about Moyes makes me confident in the Toffee's future (hopefully he stays on board). I like that there is so much tradition and history with Everton.

Hello everyone - Newbie here from Maryland, U.S.A. First year following the EPL and have decided to root for Everton after a lot of research. Excited for the match tomorrow. I've perused a few Everton F.C. forums, but this one seems to be the best by a wide margin (in terms of knowledgeable discussion), so I'm glad to be on board. Excuse my general football ignorance. Along those lines, I will post minimally, until I can "hang".

Thanks but I will stick with the one I have, It is more ageless (Meaning I won't need to change it and I am rubbish with a computer as most of you know.)

Aaargh. Caant wait ! COYB!

Good choice on both counts!!

I'm sure having had Landon Donovan in the team and currently having Tim Howard will have something to do with it, along with the US Tours we've done in the past to promote ourselves.
 
Oh, and glad to have you on board Rick!

Welcome aboard the Everton roller coaster, strap yourself in!

I wanted a team that was an under dog, but that wasn't in enough danger to finish in the bottom 3. I like Howard a ton. I love the motto and logo. Everything I've read about Moyes makes me confident in the Toffee's future (hopefully he stays on board). I like that there is so much tradition and history with Everton.