Baba

People, mainly young but of all ages really, walking around constantly using their mobile phone. It's at pandemic levels out here in the Far East, almost as though everyone has an additional permanent electronic appendage 18" in front of their face. Getting through crowds is a nightmare, almost like zombies.

Has he had that bad a spell? If we put aside the last two months of the season where everybody was bad and we could have been pulled towards a relegation battle, he's only been back for one cup match plus a few prem minutes. He scored some in the euros so is ahead of the likes of Kane. Need a couple more full matches before we can say he's in a bad patch surely, just like Mccarthy needs a few more good ones before we can say the opposite?

Indeed, purely speculation. He'll leave for less than £20m eventually, I suspect. Somewhere around £18m sounds reasonable.

What does done his own legs mean; haven't heard that one before? Is it reference to his injury?

Sounds like speculation with little foundation and is mentioned in another thread, but reference here to McCarthy being on his way soon: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/08/22/everton-in-talks-to-sign-deportivo-la-coruna-forward-lucas-perez/

Not sure how a newspaper quote, in Holland, of RK speaking can be seen as Lukaku arrogantly saying that he'll bless us with another season. Firstly there is the media poetic licence aspect, and secondly, we don't know the context in which RK asked Lukaku. For example: RK; "Will you stay another season Romelu?" Lukaku; "At least, yes" He's let us down for sure, but let's not allow folklore to grab the few quotes he did make and twist them to something entirely different. From memory, and I may have missed or forgotten stuff, he said on one occasion that he wanted to be playing for a CL team next season. Not a wise statement but a very honest one, and which player would honestly say no if asked? Secondly, I recall him saying in July that he knew where he wanted to be next season, but nothing more specific than that. Could that have been here at Everton? Maybe. If I have missed other bits (from him and not his oddball Dad or overzealous agent) then I'm sure someone could point them out, and I would be eager to see them in order to have a fuller picture. Edit: for clarity, not trying to defend him here. Don't disagree with any comments pointing towards the fact that he ought to consider himself lucky to be here and to be given the leeway that he seems to be given, or that his effort at times was way short of what is to be expected from a pro.

There are many nuances to the keeping one's trap shut rule. I've given up trying to understand what they are as they tend to vary, case by case, also.

Maybe demonstrates that he punished the club's refusal to let him leave by playing like an amateur last season, with his bottom lip out when fans gave him stick for behaving like a twat in our own penalty area. If he proves that he can defend and he is anything other than a liability this season then it says something about his contempt last season; would be comparable to Lukaku leaving and then running his knackers off every game for his new club. Nevertheless, I expect Stones to remain impressive and inconsistent in equal measure and can't imagine Lukaku ever giving his all every game irrespective of the shirt he wears.

A season at RB cover for Holgate could be a great idea and may be Koeman's intention; young CBs often learn the art of defending in the less risky full back spots. He may turn out to be a better player than Stones - and certainly hopefully a more committed one who doesn't look/ push for his next move within months of breaking through into the first team.

Great, if the price is right. £30m would be way too high imo and we might be better looking elsewhere. Not the same urgency now in view of Stekelenburg's assured start.

So much speculation and hyperbole in this thread; it's becoming worse than the red tops! Can't believe that Lukaku is called out when he talks to the press and is now called out when he doesn't as well! Hope he goes now for his own sake, because he's in for a very rough ride from fans if he doesn't. Can't see it being worth him staying from his point of view - though he did start all of this himself, so possibly deserves most of it.

This could be his real breakthrough season. If Koeman and the coaches get him and the rest of the squad fitter than the last management team achieved, if the rest of the team play with conviction and confidence, and Lukaku himself is coached to reduce his flaws and emphasise his strengths - and he himself improves his attitude (which could happen purely as a result of those coaching and wider team improvements). We could be looking at £100m bids next July..

He's at an age where more experience and maturity could allow him to ease the mistakes and moments of madness out of his game, still quite young for a keeper. I wouldn't want to spend silly money, but less than £20m would be reasonable value. Needs to be weighed up against the benefits of investing in a couple of up and coming European or South Americans keepers (or lower UK leagues even) who could have potential both to be better still or have a sell on value.

Looks like we missed his finishing from what I've read of reports. Will be good to see him back, especially with improvements made in the playing style. Tighter at the back now, but with the goal threat back then we could have won yesterday surely.

We knew from the papers and sports channels that we were in for Williams and Gueye recently and probably a week before signing in the case of Williams. We aren't quite as guarded and secretive as has been the case previously. Don't doubt that there will be some contingency planning in place, but whether that is still on the drawing board or not can't be known, so the spectre of a panic buy or half measure still exists if he were sold - especially if we couldn't get the players that we wanted. We couldn't start the season with no strikers so would have to compromise on a Bony or Remy etc.

My only concern about him going is that there haven't even been rumours about links to a replacement for him so would we do without, or go for a panic buy/ half measure? Both prospects are equally worrying because the team is hardly full of goals from elsewhere and that is something that hasn't changed since last season.

That's not RK's account though is it, unless he can't spell his own name...

Palace fans don't seem too bothered about losing him, or not this one at least: "We are apparently just about to mug Everton off for £30million for one of the most inconsistent players I've ever seen in a Palace shirt and a step over merchant to boot. Show me the money!" Last laugh will be ours though if rumours of Oumar going the other way are true....

Not sure how he's not a Stones replacement though; they are both CB so he must be a replacement surely. He can't be in addition to, because Stones has already gone.

He was a force for a very short time at Swansea, around two thirds of a season until early spring from memory, but that is one of a couple of exceptions amongst a record of relative mediocrity. His one great season at Vitesse got him a move to the premier league and that purple patch at Swansea got him a move to City as back up. Otherwise, he's not done much and is now nearly 28. He's had lots of opportunity to get runs of games and score consistently during his career but hasn't really done so (ignoring the spell at City - not his fault that he had Aguero in front of him, and Iheanacho then coming along and impressing). Happy with him as a battering ram or back up option for ~£15m, but definitely need a first choice striker as a priority - proven goal scorers are hard to find though and even harder to buy/ convince to come to us.

Really can't get excited about a striker that City don't see as being worthy even of warming their bench. If he's anything more than a Kone/ Niasse replacement as back up or impact sub then I'd be very concerned - more so if we did decide to cash in on Lukaku. Would suggest, in view of the defenders seemingly on their way in, that we will be moving towards a strategy of keeping clean sheets and trying to nick the odd goal like in the Moyes days. Bony has been around for a long time now, and has never looked like he could become prolific or consistent. Conversely, could be good for giving defences a really hard time alongside Rom, to allow Rom to focus on what he does best, but can't see Koeman playing two out and out strikers.

I feel that the future looks bright and that solid foundations are being put in place, but the worrying bit is the period of time between now and reaching that potentially bright future. It's not looking as comfortable as it should, though it's not precarious yet. Depends on how bad the very worst teams are this season, last time they were appalling and if the same applies then we'll have nothing to worry about. Top end is looking far stronger and better prepared this year though. Utd, City, Chelsea, Liverpool are all going to be firing this season. Probably Tottenham as well, maybe even West Ham and Stoke pushing on again. Top half for Koeman this year would be a big success at this stage I think, but might leave him struggling again to bring in the players that he wants next year - if he is actually struggling this year, rather than it being a case of nobody out there that he fancies.

'Arouna Kone came on to replace the £28m forward.' That single statement sums up the gravity of our predicament if he were to be injured for the start of the season. Could be another nail biting season looking at how others are building and strengthening - or even just consolidating on where they were last season. If Lukaku were to be out injured and Jagielka potentially as well we could be cannon fodder, unless Gueye alone can make a massive difference to our soft centre.

As have Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Napoli according to several reports. Not fancying our chances in that company.

He couldn't be more ironic with his interview statements if he tried: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36977138 "We will always work to be on the ball and be an attacking team, but you have to be able to defend. We want to play attractive football but we have to win." Failed in the PL to play attacking football for the most part and as for defending, it's hard to think of a manager with lesser ability to coach a team to defend. "We have the talent but you need to build a winning mentality and play without too much expectation" He certainly knows how to destroy expectation, but the winning mentality rarely appeared.