FromBelgium

There's England for you. Can't walk for 100 metres without bumping into a souvenir shop. Nothing worthwhile if you ask me

Let me tell you, it's all about money

Not available if you're outside the UK, be warned.

Marr-ooh-anne Fell-aye-ni

By the way, as someone asked, it's pronounced Fell-Aye-Ni (like in the knights who say "Ni"). Simple, innit?

Wouldn't have talked about Bally if I hadn't known he also was one of yours, what do you think? Barcodes... Remember going there once... great fans when you are a neutral as I am, but shite board.

Cheers. Don't want to go off topic too much, but as it'll be a 3 month recovery, I might, just might enjoy a few days on Merseyside, in which case I'll need tickets sorted out. I love my English football (and I am no glory hunter as my beloved place is St Mary's - watching Bally and KK at the Dell just got me hooked on Saints) and visiting a new place could be fun.

Ta, mate. Just a bit of drilling in the spine to make room for the spinal cord. Can't do anyone any harm, can it?

Just having an op to make sure I don't end up enjoying my football in a wheelchair.

It is to us

Spares me a nightmare as I can't make it to any of both games. I'll be watching from a hospital bed.

€ 90,000 x 12. Insane for any human being if you ask me

I stand corrected. Yet it is well known that a subtop player in Belgian 1st division will almost double his wages if he goes to Holland and treble them if he plays for a "big club" (Saints, Wolves, Brum and other parachute clubs) in the fizzy league. To give you an example, Ba from Mouscron instantly multiplied his salary overnight by moving to a German 2nd division side. We just can't compete. But I don't think we're here to discuss Belgain footbll wages, so end of. *** After watching lunchtime news: Fellaini's monthly wages will be match his Liège's annual wages. Who wouldn't move for a 12-fold salary?

Mind you, we'd been warned by Liverpool fans on a forum: "Now that you've drawn Everton, Moyes will go into asset-stripping". Now that is nous!

I honestly don't think Fellaini would have left Liège if they had qualified for the CL. For knowing the lad a bit, he would have put club before money for one more season. Hence the deal being finalised that late, added to the perspective of not having to face a fierce opponent who has now moved to your side. Clever move by Moyes.

Can't make it to Goodison. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh! :sad01_anim:

Dante is class. Top drawer. He played a major part in the title last season, however not duly acknowledged. He's been a bit unlucky this season: missed pen at home to the Reds, misjudgement on Babel's cross at Anfield after 117 mins (knackered, probably) and was involved in a most dubious penalty on Sunday which eventually cost 2 points. His weakness must be that he is probably a bit too confident in his undoubted, natural abilities. Standard refused a € 4 m offer last night from CSKA Moscow.

We didn't make it up. He's really good

Re Licker's question: If the monthly € 90 k figure is right, my guess would be that Fellaini will earn in one month over what he'd have earned in Belgium in one year. The highest earner in the Belgian 1st division (Mbark Boussoufa from Anderlecht) is believed to earn in the region of € 200,000 k per season. We just can't compete wallet-wise. A different thing on the pitch and on the night, though.

A massive loss. We just hope that with our vice-chairman knowledge of international football (he once was Zidane's agent and organised his move to Real Madrid) and his many friends at the highest level in Spain, italy and Portugal, we'll find a decent replacement coming from a big club. There is one player who could do the business (Benjamin Nicaise), but he's untried at that level as he was transferred in the summer from a club used to fighting against relegation. However this stretches the squad a bit. Thanks for the compliment, Licker. Learnt my English in England and work as a translator

To give you an idea, the money paid by Everton to Standard represents a little over 80% of the club's annual budget.

Let's hope there's a nice sell-on fee, then

Now that Standard have lost their main man in the engine room, I should think that Everton's chances to make it to the group stage have vastly improved.

If you are not sure you are stronger than your opponent, weaken him. That's football for you. From a Standard fan's point of view, I'm gutted, but fair play to the lad. And € 16m is simply too much money for a Belgian club to turn down. Most of our clubs don't have that money as a yearly budget. Deffo an excellent signing for Everton methinks, though, and certainly a big, big step forward in the big fella's career. He's young, he's a great athlete and strong in the air. He still has a lot to learn, especially with regards to keeping his cool on the pitch (too many bookings and red cards), but Everton have signed a damn of a prospect of a gem. Good luck to him. He's not allowed to play against his former club in the UEFA cup as they are engaged in the same competition.

Wouldn't put a tenner on that, pal.