EVA

In respect of Sttugart's bid for Nace, I will fancy a direct player swop. Their Ludovic Magnin, a Swiss Left Back, played very well in the match of Swiss against France. If such swop does effect, I am sure we would improve. Magnin is far much stronger and faster than Nace. He could also play left MF thus may replace Kella as well, with Valente retaining in the LB post. At just 27, I rate Magnin very highly!! The other possible prospect is Cote D'ivoire's Abdoulaye Meite. I remember some has mentioned him in other threads. He is such a verstaile player who could play in any position of the back 4. He could be a very good backup player, especially when we do not have any serious backup for Hibbert in fact.

Don't sign him!! He could upset the team spirit we have. As McFadden will sign soon and we have Anechibe and Vaughan. NO PLEASE!!!

Thanks, EFC2007. U R so alert to what's going on in the transfer market!

Boro is going after Onyewu Oguchi. Middlesbrough have tabled an offer to Standard Liege for defender Ogushi Onyewu. The USA international was scouted regularly last season by Boro and it's emerged in the last 24 hours in Belgium that Boro have made an offer for the centre-half. Boro have moved to tie up a deal for Onyewu before the World Cup as a successful tournament could see his price skyrocket. My view:- Onyewu, 194 cm, DOB 1982/5/13, aged 24 A fast and tall defender who have won the best CB in the World Cup Regional Division stage of the games. Have played 7 matches. Should be the starting XI of the USA team. USA is in the same group as Iatly, Czech and Ghana. Would be interesting to see how he handles Toni and Totti. Would anybody from USA comment? I think he could be a good addition. Would like us to have a look at him if we can't have Lescott/Huth.

I would prefer Lescott becsuae in my opinion although Huth is taller and stronger, his pace is not that fast and he has the same probelm as Weir and Stubbs do, his turning is slow. Hw could be caught by fast, small and agile forward like defoe and owen. If we have Yobo to partner Lescott, both with reasonable pace, I think I would be less worried about the defence. Of course, a solid defence depends on partnership. Hope both together would generate the necessary synergy.

I agree w/ EFCfan2007.

WHY did he think he could replace BT to play alongside AJ?[/SIZE] No Way, we don't need him even on the bench. We would rather hand our youngsters a chance.

Yes, Gd luck to the Wolf as well. I have just wished Palace gd luck in another link.

My starting XI:- Howard Hibbo, Yobo, Lescott, Valente Arteta, Cahill, Neville, VDM/McFadden BT, AJ Subs: Stubbs, Martyn, McFadden (as an additional forward when we are after or as a winger to replace VDM who could be lack of stemina), Osman, Carsley (a cover for Neville when he is moved to replace Hibbo/Valente) To trasfer out: Simon Davies (2.5M), Killa (0.6M), Weir. May also sell either Naysmith or Pistone (prefer to sell Pistone more). Youngsters for further development: Anechibe, Vaughan, Ruddy, Turner, Spencer Unlike most, I won't sell McFadden, because he has just begining to show he could be a very good player, he is still young and could come even better at 25-26, and he has already built up some partnership w/BT and the entire squard. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I think the above squad is quite a complete one. But to criticize, if I can still add a player to this squard, I may try:- (1) A pacy and tricky winger like Pennant, Lennon, SWP. (2) A playmaker ---- I like Zidane very mcuh but I don't think he would join us. I do not have much ideas about any world class playmaker. They are rare species who won't come cheap. But with the very good pair of BT and AJ, I hope Arteta/Cahill could mature into a playmaker, OR we make a sensational bid next season when we get European football. This is the next piece of jigsaw which could bring the club forward.

Gd luck to CPFC. I think they have great fans in the likes of you who understand their hero's ambition and will not moan against his desire to move back to a premiership club. I personally like AJ becasue he is such a loyal servant to his clubs ----- he sinks with CP, he even did not over-celebrate when he scored against the Brum who deal him out. I can understand why there are so many CP fans wish AJ gd luck here. Sincerely hope that CP would make the promotion next year. Just let AJ come back and play in from of U again when we visit U!!

I share w/xavier's view. Most youngsters are rated as having good potential but their potential never matured to yield good players (Jeffers, Branch, Cadamateri). Anyway, gd luck to the list of younsgters, hope as many of them could make the change into a good player. I'll not be greedy, if 1-2 come really good like Hibbo does, I would be most satisifed.

BT is okay as he himself got 10+ goals. Jimmy Mac is weaker than AJ. If Jimmy got 6 or 7, I expect AJ to get 10+ as well, given (1) he is English and should not have probelm in settling down; (2) good friednship w/BT may bolster their linking and partnership. It is just too early to comment if the price tag of AJ is over-rated or not. We may have the answer by the end of next season. I suggest we Evertonians stop debating this on the basis of hypothetical scenarios. The price tag of player to certain extend is quite subjective. Perhaps try get behind AJ, give him the cheers and support. Our support will definitely help him to prove to us he does worth 8.5M. I believe!!! Would you guys believe that?

According to a number of sources Everton have agreed personal terms with England International Andy Johnson. The player travelled to Merseyside yesterday for talks with David Moyes, Keith Wyness and Blue Bill. A reported wage of £30,000 per week has been agreed, which is £15,000 under what Wigan offered. The deal will see Everton pay £8.5 million for the striker which breaks the club transfer record and will be formally announced on Tuesday. http://borntobeblue.co.uk/index.php?option...=1406&Itemid=84

What the hell quality player like Kuyt would love a move to the Barcodes!!!!!!! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt has made a 'come and get me' plea to Newcastle United. The Dutch ace was scouted by Toon in the closing weeks of the season and said: "I would love to play in the North-East. When I was young I loved Italian football. But only because Van Basten, Rijkaard and Gullit were playing for AC Milan. "Now I'd rather play in England. I love English football. I also think my style of play is completely right for the Premiership. "A club like Newcastle would be my dream." @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ I would definitely love him to join us, though the chance is null!

Totally agreed!

Donaldinho 15 May, Season 05-06 Donato Recouber Vascimento: Following on from signing the player dubbed 'the next Wayne Rooney', Scott Spencer from Oldham Athletic, Everton have signalled their ambitions by agreeing a first option on one of the hottest properties in South American Football, according to 'reports'. [Err.. What reports? We can't find any... ?Ed ] Donaldinho, a 14 year-old striker who is contracted to Fluminese [Err... would that be Fluminen se? ?Ed ] in the Brazilian Serie A, has already been dubbed the 'new Ronaldinho' and Toffees boss David Moyes has agreed a deal which means Everton can sign him at any point in the next 3 years for a fee believed to be around ?.25M from the cash-strapped Brazilian club. Real name Donato Recouber Vascimento, the young hot shot scored 7 goals on his début for Fluminese's under 13's back in January 2005. Everton South American scouts were immediately impressed with videos they saw of the player. And last week, alerted by the news that according to Brazilian regulations, Donaldinho was eligible to sign a professional contract with Fluminese for the first time after his 14th birthday, Moyes moved swiftly to beat off competition from fellow Premiership sides, Bolton and Tottenham Hotspur. But yesterday the Scottish manager had a word of warning for his young star:  remember when Wayne Rooney turned 18 in October 2003. He could sign a professional contract for longer than 3 years for the first time but we didn't want to pressure him or single him out. We wanted to wait until after the Euros. Why? We wanted to treat him the same as everyone else. We made sure we wouldn't frustrate him and decided to take him off after 55 minutes in a game we were losing 2-0 at Bolton. It was the right thing to do. We didn't want to single him out because he is a passionate lad who wants be treated like everyone else. I knew that much, I not stupid. Though he stormed off down to the bench and the press had a field day, it was the right thing to do. We wanted to treat him the same as everyone else. Protect him. Make sure he wants to play for us. Then just two games later against Manchester City, at home, I took him off at half-time. It was the right thing to do. I the boss and we wanted to protect him and not single him out when the team was doing poorly. If I鏆 left him on it would have created an issue. We didn㦙 want that. We wanted to treat him the same as everyone else. That's why we took him off or kept him on the bench in big games like at home against Manchester United and although we went 0-3 down before half-time, I don㦙 regret it. It was the right thing to do. We hoped Wayne Rooney would stay. We didn't want to single him out in public. Me and Bill both, we didn㦙 want to talk about how much we wouldn㦙 sell him for during the Euros, so we both did and talked about ?0M. We weren㦙 hoping for Chelsea. We were protecting him. Ie always maintained that.? "It will be the same with young Donald. I will protect him, I don't want to put to much pressure on the lad. You have to remember, he is only 14 years old and I want to make sure we do things right and that he looks back when he's 23, and says 'David Moyes protected me', because you never heard Alex Ferguson talking about Ryan Giggs when he was 14, did you? The same applies here." http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/05-06/news...icle.asp?ID=157

Everton have told Crystal Palace to drop their asking price for striker Andy Johnson. The Liverpool Echo says Blues boss David Moyes has had a long standing interest in Johnson and would love to bring the striker to Goodison Park. It is also understood that the 25-year-old would relish the chance to link up with his close friend James Beattie. But Moyes won't consider meeting Palace's initial £6 million asking price for AJ.

Everton boss David Moyes will be trying to tempt Birmingham to part with Upson in the summer. Moyes had to bring back David Weir to stabilise his defence in the January transfer window and Upson could be an ideal replacement for the ageing central defender. Moyes has also been linked with a move for winger Jermaine Pennant who could be available in the summer but will face competition from Merseyside rivals Liverpool. http://www.worldcupengland2018.com/30april06.php :lol:

Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard is set to join Everton on a 12-month loan next season. The American stopper, 26, signed from New York Metro Stars for ?.3million in July 2003 and at one stage looked like being the new Peter Schmeichel. Howard was the regular No 1 in his début campaign but last season he shared the job with Roy Carroll, and has since lost his place to Edwin van der Sar. This season he has made just five cup appearances and did not feature at all in the Premiership. It is understood Howard asked for the move to revive his career, and he is now expected to leapfrog Nigel Martyn and Richard Wright into Everton's first team. source: http://www.tribalfootball.com/april/englinews1270406.html

Jones: Latest star off Alex production lineGradi ready for fight to keep Jones Crewe boss Dario Gradi admits he would not be surprised to receive offers for Billy Jones after he was linked with both Everton and West Brom. The Alex, condemned to relegation earlier this month, saw scouts from Everton watch Jones' display in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff. The 19-year-old, also Crewe's top goal-scorer, is rated as the best talent to come through the ranks at Gresty Road for several seasons, but Toffees boss David Moyes faces a battle from West Brom for Jones' signature. And Gradi said: "I don't know if there's any truth to the rumours. "But if they've got any sense they'll all be looking at him."

COMPARE Bellamy:- GS: Games started, 20 SB: Used as substitute, 5 G: Goals, 13 A: Assists, 2 SH: Shots, 50 SG: Shots on goal, 33 YC: Yellow Cards, 4 RC: Red Cards, 0 FC: Fouls Commited, 16 FS: Fouls Suffered, 32 Cameron Jerome:- GS: Games started, 46 SB: Used as substitute, 0 G: Goals, 20 A: Assists, 3 SH: Shots, 113 SG: Shots on goal, 58 YC: Yellow Cards, 7 RC: Red Cards, 0 FC: Fouls Commited, 95 FS: Fouls Suffered, 47 Goal Ratio: 13/20 = 0.65 per match for Bellamy; 20/46 = 0.43 per match Goal:Shots Ratio: 13/50 = 1 goal per 3.84 shots for Bellamy; 20/113 = 1 goal per 5.65 shots for Jerome. I think for 3.5M for Bellamy last season, and 4M for Jerome this season, I do prefer Bellamy as the stat are all better and such stat are from the Premiership level, unlike Jerome. 4M for Jerome could be a risk on second thought.

agreed!!!! Try and get him la!!!

Billy Jones profile 2005/06 GS: Games started, 42 SB: Used as Substitute, 1 G: Goals, 6 A: Assists, 3 SH: Shots, 31 SG: Shots on goal, 15 YC: Yellow Cards, 5 RC: Red Cards, 0 FC: Fouls Commited, 45 FS: Fouls Suffered, 43 Played nearly all league games for Crewe. 6 goals+3assists in 43 games is quite good for a defender/midfielder. His goal to shots ratio is 1:5, it's high (Compare Cahill 6 goals from 63 shots, ratio is 1:10). Seems a useful player in Champ league level.

Billy Jones profile http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=38871&cc=4716 seems a defender according to ESPN.

Everton are keeping tabs on Wolves defender Joleon Lescott. The centre-half is expected to be made available by Molineux chiefs at the end of the season and is also a target for Aston Villa. The Sunday Express says Everton will move for Lescott should Nigeria international Joseph Yobo decide against signing a new contract. source: http://www.tribalfootball.com/april/englisnews4240406.html