AlbanyNYToffee

Espn+ baby! They've got contracts for both cups.

It's fantasy football thinking but I'd like this deal on one of two conditions: We pay 30mil and give them two players (Delph, Siggy, Walcott, Tosun, Bolasie) We pay 15mil and give them Iwobi Also if he's as desperate as it appears to leave we should play hardball over wages. 80k max.

I'd also like to get players who need a loan/sale a runout for potential suitors - J Virginia, Branthwaite, Gibson, Siggy, Besic etc.

With all the craziness in terms of last season ending, short preseason and quick turnaround I'm hoping for full rotation but the same shape. Would like us to keep the same shape as much as possible. Lossl/Virginia Kenny Branthwaite Gibson Nkounkou Gordon Besic Davies Siggy Bernard Kean Besic because Delph and Gbamin aren't fit. Davies and Siggy in the middle is a nightmare. Struggled with this one - we have too many 'wingers' if we're going to continue to play a 'CM' at the LM position. No space for Walcott or Iwobi here but I'd be comfortable if either was played instead of Bernard. Want to see what Gordon can offer in the James role. I understand the full strength argument, I guess I would just say if as a Premier League team we can't rotate and beat a League Two team we don't deserve to win the competition anyway.

Sorry for being tardy to the party, didn't get to watch until last night. Longest time I've avoided football news and social media in a LONG time. Because that match was so amazing and my/our expectations have skyrocketed for the season I'd just like to point out a few things moving forward: 1. Hopefully we made Spurs look bad but I'm not confident that Spurs were ready for that match. They looked woeful. 2. Team shape - absolutely fantastic. It allows every player to thrive. Carlo is even beyond my wildest dreams. Just an incredible footballing mind. 3. Defined roles - I love how the bench roles are now clearly defined as well. Delph for Allan, Davies for Doucoure, Siggy for Gomes, Walcott for James, Kean for DCL. That allows the subs to be more effective when they come on. They'll change depending on if we're chasing or leading the game but going into every match they'll know where they're meant to play. So important. 4. Holes - We still lack depth at important positions. Should Allan get hurt will Delph be fit or can Doucoure fill that role and then Davies fills Doucoure's? Obviously Walcott cannot fill James' shoes so he better stay fit. The one that worries me most is Richarlison. The assumption is Kean and DCL could partner up top but I don't think that's a recipe for success. I realize I'm asking for depth for probably our two best and most dynamic players which isn't easy but we won't be able to field that starting XI every week and if we want to achieve our goals we need to think about how to fill those boots when they'll inevitably be out for a period of time. We've all been here before. It's the hope that kills you and good lord am I filled with hope right now.

Spurs 1 - 2 Everton Walcott thank you for doing this again Steve. Much appreciated by all who participate.

Yea fair enough I'm inclined to agree...especially since that would be a very tedious search. Even if we want to assign different amounts of credit to Brands, let's just continue to marvel that Carlo is our manager

Again I think we agree on this we're just not understanding each other's points I guess. I'm not trying to make him out to be a genius. I just want to give him credit for getting these contracts right. I completely understand he gave long contracts to younger players as you'd expect. My point is that in order to attract names like Allan, James and Doucoure you have three things to sell: winning/Europe, contract, and 'project'. We obviously don't have winning/Europe. That leaves contract and project. From Brands' perspective it would have been much easier and quicker to sweeten the pot for these aging players by agreeing to 5 year deals when they're past their prime. That likely would have been enough to get them across the line. Instead he leaned hard on Carlo and sold the project. For example we get Doucoure at 27 on a 3+option contract. He's (seemingly) a far superior talent than Schneiderlin, Gylfi and Bolasie yet all 3 of them signed 5yr contracts at the same age. 5 year contracts put all the risk on the club. 2-3 year contracts distributes much of the risk back to the player. It's definitely a sports culture difference between US and England. We're so quick to sign a player to an extension that still has 2-3 years left on their current contract. I've never been a fan of that. If you want to reward a player simply increase his wage and release clause. Nothing says you have to make the contract longer until there is 1 year left on it.

Absolutely!! At worst we clear out Walcott on 100k, Sandro on 65k, and Bolasie on 75k. We could also be in a position to clear out Bernard on 120k, Gylfi on 100k, Delph on 80k and Tosun on 60k as they'll have one year left on their deals.

In many regards I agree. Plenty of dicks out there doing exactly that. Where I think this situation is different is in the profile of the three signings. Add in Richarlison and Digne and you could argue these three signings are immediately 3 of our top 5 players in the squad. To sign marquee players on team-friendly contracts at a club like ours is very difficult to do. The credit is more down to the profile of the player rather than the age I guess, should have been more clear.

More or less this is exactly what happened with Zouma and Holgate.

Today. In the hub of one of the largest and most relevant cities in the world. As an American Evertonian I find this both unfathomable and encouraging.

Nice spot - that means a lot!!! Was hoping that would be the case with James and the #10.

As impressed as I am with the quality of the signings, I'm equally if not more impressed by the contracts. It seems like for far far too long it was 'you're a new signing here's a 5 yr deal'. Never understood that the club takes on all of the risk. Allan is 29 and his three year deal takes him to 32. James is 29 and his 2 year deal with an option takes him to 31/32. Doucoure is 27 and his 3 year deal with an option takes him to 30/31. If it's working out great sign him up to an extension and if it's not you don't get stuck with Martina/Niasse/Gylfi/Bolasie/Besic/Tosun.

IN: Allan, James, DoucoureOUT: Schneiderlin, Hornby, Baines (retired), DowellLOAN IN: LOAN OUT: MarkeloYOUTH: Nkounkou YOUTH pro deals: Markelo, Ouzounidis, Quirk, Kristensen, McAllister, Hagan, Onyango CONTRACT EXT: Branthwaite, Keane, GordonOFFICIALLY RELEASED: Stekelenberg(Ajax) , Niasse, Martina, Garbutt, Feeney (Sunderland), Denny (Salford), Foulds, Adedoyin, Mampala, Phillips (Huddersfield)

Good summary Mark. Here's a similar summary taken from official website as Marcel wants 23 players - 3 gks, 8 def, 6 mid, 6 fwd. This doesn't account for Doucoure or any other transfers we'd like to see. Just analyzing where we are at the moment. Squad: GK: Pickford, Lossl, JVirginia DEF: Holgate, Keane, Mina, Branthwaite, Digne, Nkounkou, Coleman, Kenny MID: Allan, Gbamin, Andre, Davies, Delph, Siggy, Besic, Beni FWD: Richarlison, DCL, Walcott, Tosun, James, Bernard, Kean, Bolasie, Gordon, Sandro Players to sell not on official website: Pennington, Connolly GK and DEF settled (sounds like Tomori is coming in to give Branthwaite a loan). MID settled with sales of Besic, Beni and one of Delph/Siggy (or both when Doucoure is announced). FWD settled with sales of Tosun, Bolasie, Sandro and Gordon loan. As you suggest Mark I'd like to see us have 24 with Gordon being that extra player. Need to sell: Connolly, Pennington, Beni, Besic, Delph/Siggy, Tosun, Bolasie, Sandro, Need to loan: Gibson, Branthwaite, Simms, Broadhead, Adeniran

Absolutely need 4 senior CBs. Someone is always hurt, in our case usually Mina, but for instance right now Holgate is facing a few weeks out. Get Gibson and Branthwaite on loan in the Championship and if Tomori provides cover on the bench that is Chelsea's problem not ours. Plus with the way Keane runs hot and cold Tomori has a real shot to play, just like Zouma.

Thank you for sharing that again - forgot how interesting it was. So many head scratchers.

Is there any chance the delay could be tied to kit numbers? I will be buying a James shirt the second it becomes available and I imagine thousands more will be joining me - as long as i know the number is correct. Trying to sort Gylfi out quickly so James can have the 10?

No doubt about it. First and foremost I believe Sergio Romero gives us a better chance to earn points than Jordan Pickford. To make a profit on top of that is awesome is my point. Not often you can make improve a position and make a profit.

That's actually exactly how you have to run a club like ours. Sell high and buy low. Considering the impact Barkley and Stones have made on their respective clubs those were great transfers. Especially because Barkley was just going to run his contract down anyway. Not to mention Rodwell, Lukaku, and Fellaini. We f***ed up by buying the wrong replacements. Apparently Romero is available for 8m and we could sell Pickford for 25-30m. He's England no. 1 that inflates his value right there.

To swap Pickford and Romero and make a 25m profit would be the transfer activity of the decade. I would kiss Marcel's feet. Chelsea, Palace, West Ham, Villa, Leeds and Fulham could all use an upgrade. At least a few of those clubs have money to spend.

I get where Mark is coming from with position of need, and honestly I've never been impressed watching him either, however if Brands and Carlo want him 25m is a 'bargain'. It would probably be double if Watford stayed up and we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Signing Doucoure doesn't excite me but Brands/Carlo getting another one of their targets in the door at a decent fee does. I look forward to Doucoure proving me wrong!

Ecstatic with the all but done incomings. Just a reminder these folks are still collecting an Everton paycheck. I understand it's not easy but Brands needs to offload these, and quickly. Wouldn't mind seeing Besic stay until Gbamin is fit. Gylfi Delph Tosun Beni Besic Sandro Bolasie Connolly Pennington

Probably naive to think but I can't help but wonder if Allan and James could buy us another year of Richarlison if we show real progress this year. They could be big enough influences to keep him here.