RuffRob

Good chance in this one as Wigan are as threadbear as we are at the moment - there early season form has dipped a little bit and point are hard to come by for them. Although, they are still decent and anything less than 100% could see us come away with nothing. I am a bit concern about who we have got to play upfront - Beattie may still be a doubt, Ferguson may not be able to play a second 90min in three games and McFadden may be doubtful after picking up his knocks Saturdays game. All things considered a draw might not be a bad result - but if Beattie is fit to lead the line then 3 point should be well within the teams grasp. 2-1 to the blues

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/index.php?page_id=8973 The replay is going to be televised - So we will lose

Earnshaw isn't much of a PLAYER - Decent finisher - But Cardiff fans always sort of wondered how he scored so many - his general play and desision making is poor, even but Championship standards. I can hear you say - but if he scores goals who cares - But if he is as bad a PLAYER as Bryan Robson may have us beleive. He is likley to lose us possession a lot and general mess up our forward play. So he may get a few goals personnally -but this could be outweighed by the less chances we make for the rest of the team. If he was cheap enough - then could be a player to come on from the bench - but don't think he could ever be considered as a starter in the long term - hence £3M wasted to a certain degree, as we don't have money to burn.

Big big shame we didn't hang on to the win on Saturday. If we had managed to knock out and with Arsenal out, and Liverpool vs Man Utdnext round. This seasons FA Cup would be an ideal chance for a non top 4 side to win it (remember we were the last non-top four side to win it back in 1995) No disrespect to Colchester - If we could pull out all the stops and beat Chelsea we would have a very good chance of getting to the QF at least. But only the matter of Chelsea away first - (I seem to remember Charlton in a similar possition in the Carling Cup)

I don't know - I still think Nugent is a fair possibility. I am not going to say I am a huge fan - as I don't know that much about him, but he is said to be - - Fast - A grafter - Decent on the ball - fairly strong - gets his fair share of assists and - can score, Don't mind paying £4M as long as a decent chunck is dependent on games played and performances. So you have some safeguard against a flop. Don't beleieve the bull doing the rounds about BT either, he is doing well for us now, and don't like to see people latching on to an idle rumour for the sake of it.

I bet you would

I am very secptical about this rumour - all hinged around Liverpool Airport. I wouldn't be suprised at Jol letting Defoe go, as there is talk of him looking for a 20 a season goal scorer - (klyt, Berbatov linked) So Defoe moving would not surprise me. However, with a player like Defoe - there is no way Spur sell him or Defoe (and his agent) would do a deal with Everton without seeing what intrest was like else were - why would they. But they may do something like that with Liverpool. and I would say that Liverpool are perhaps a decent striker short of being a very good team (pains me)

agreed Kids should be coming on for 15 min at the end of a game that is won for a cameo role - and to slowly get a taste for Prem action - At that age should be not be considered for anyhting near a starting role - I would rather see your Cahills, Osmans or even Davies as starting 'upfront' before chucking kids in at the deep end.

Considering the odds were similar last week with Arsenal - This is a decent bet. If this game was played a dozon times - I wouldn't be surprised at that scorecast at least once - so good odds.

Trouble with the Intertoto cup is that it really messes up your pre-season preperation. Last season our preparation was based on the Champions League qualifiers, and to be honest I don't think that really stood us in good stead for the beginning of our domestic season. You only get in the UEFA cup via the intertoto - and to be honest I don't think may of us lost that much sleep when we got knocked out of that comp last season. If we can get in to the UEFA cup via normal routes - then great, but I wouldn't risk another dodgy start to by trying to get in to the UEFA cup next season. If we don't get through via the intertoto - then its a downer we could do without at the begining of season 06/07 I wouldn't try and force the issue european wise to be honest. if it comes it comes.

Have put a link in on the CJ to Norwich thread - Indicating that Norwich are looking at £2M - £2.5M for CJ, but will not enter a bidding war. It also sound like Cardiff are maybe thinking of cashing in. £2.25 raising to £3M on appeaences + maybe a 20% of any profit made on a sell on fee.

No, No, No, £1.2M for a 29 year old striker who's highest level of football played is 6 months in the first division. Showboating in the first and second division is a different kettle of fish to Prem football. To be able to do what he does in the the first divison in the Prem he would have to be a WORLD CLASS player (think about it) - and without this side to his game he would be a 29 year old with no top class experience and less than average pace. Can't see him being able to jump up two divisons and doing what he does to some of the worlds best defenders. In my opinion would be £1.2M as a benchwarmer at best - but worse than that is that buying him would mean we maybe miss out on somebody else. Personnally I would rather stick with what we have got and keep the £1.2M in the bank until the summer earning 5%.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/...-name_page.html Sounds like Norwich are not going to pay over the odds becasue they have got a few quid, and Jerome may be a £2M buy rising to £3M if he cuts it in the Prem.

Everton do need to be a little more aggressive in the market -especially when it comes to bringing in decent youngsters to the Prem from the Championship - I can't honestly believe that Ashton would have moved from Crewe to Norwich if we had put a similar offer in for him last january. At this end of the market its often only an extra £250,000 to £500,000 to seal a deal. And wages you have to pay are relatively low - I am all for Moyes being careful when you are spending £4M+ and having to spend big wages - to me the main finacial problem is BIG WAGES - and not been able to off-load high earning players who don't perform. Jerome and Vaughan - in two or three seasons time the chances are that at least one will be a £8M player and maybe both. They would provide very good competition for each other.

his stats are good 2004/05 - 22 starts (10 subs) - 7 goals - 4 yellows 2005/06 - 32 starts - 15 goals - 6 yellows Total - 54 starts (10 sub) - 22 goals - 10 yellow (so no pussy) Height 6ft 1in only 19 years old, but powerful and fast and can obviousely finish. http://www.cardiffcity-mad.co.uk/footydb/l....asp?pid=109856 Now Sheff Utd are no longer in the running. please please don't let him go to Norwich without even having a go. I don't think any fan would be unhappy at us splashing out around £3M on him.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0600soccer/...-name_page.html

Big right up in the Western Mail (South Wales's Daily Post) today on Cameron Jerome - 'Cam & Go' I basically says that cardiff are willing to let the striker go for the right money- none of this he's worth £5-7M+ bull. They are talking around the realistic £3.5m mark (a figure Sam Hamman has hinted at). A sticking ponit in a deal may be why would Cameron what to move to Norwich? - Not much of a step up than Cardiff. If we came in I think we could broker a better deal for Cameron, Everton and Cardiff. I really hope something is going on behind the scenes on this one. As I haven't heard a sniff on any Everton interest. A decent prospect, (as good as Nugent anyday) and a club willing to sell at a realistic/reasonable price.

Me too - Although winning the FA cup would be great - I am afraid now I can only really get exited about cup games quater final onwards to be honest. so not been excited about them for a long time

I must admit I would rather take the word on a football fan (SCF08) who sounds as if he has seen a fair of the player over a couple of seasons - than verses a single video clip indicating he is something special - There is a libary of video clips showing what a special player Laurent Robert is.!!!!!Means nothing. I would rather take the chance on somebody else is I had £5M burning a whole in my pocket.

I have heard some conspirsy theories in my time - but that is total fantasy. Makes great reading - but lets get real. If he was that bad he wouldn't have got a game in a itailan team who managed to finish 4th in seria A. Moyes, who I would say is over cautiouse if anything and a ex-defender himself spends £5.1M on the hearsay of a european scout. At the time of his singing the words 'highly rated Danish defender Kroldroup' was all over the newspaper - are they all sourced to the same european scout. What on earth do Fiorentina owe Everton to say they paid £3.6M if he is only worth £700,000. I am sure their fans are more than happy for their club are spending £3.6M on seria A's worst defender, who was signed by a mistake by Everton. My god, you would swear than no clubs ever lose money on players.

This is maybe my biggest problem with Moyes's dealings in the transfer market- He doesn't look to the Championship enough for my liking. You look at our squad and only Cahill (and I think maybe Killa) have been brought in from the Championship. Now look at Cahill, Ashton, Darren Bent, Earnshaw, Johnson, Jason Roberts, Harewood, Defoe. All strikers who have done well at Championship level and just carried on scoring goals in the Prem. Now if you bought all those at the right time for £2-4M. Total average £24M What would be there collective value now Cahill - £5M Ashton- £7.25M Bent - £7M Earnshaw - £3M Johnson £8M Roberts - £4M Harewood - £4M Defore - £9M Thats £47M - So basically double your money in the long run. (and I didn't fudge the values to make it come out double) A common theme to me is that if a player is a good goal scorer in the Championship has a strong chance of doing the business in the Prem - OK we do see the odd players that move to a Prem club and flop, but not really that many who are highly regarded. But based on the values above - please stop me if you think they are over estimated (I think underestimated if anything based on Ashton for £7.25M). Can basically afford to buy two at £3M or so - expect one to flop, and one to do the business, and still be quids in as even the flop will have a residual value. you are also likley at all times to have one or two goal scorers at the club, and plenty of cover. All these player are also likley to come to the club on a three or four year contract on very low wages when you compare them to the likes of your Owen's, Anelka, Hasslebank Viduka's and Baros's. Now if you build up a reputation of giving budding young strikers the chance to shine in the Prem - It will attracked other young strikers to the club. If you are able to turnover these stikers over every couple of seasons or so - i.e buy in a couple - sell on the next AJ or Ashton and use the money to buy the next two. You always have hungry young talent at the club. top proven strikers are always top dollar transfer and wages wise. We would save a fortune. This money saved could be spent on quailty midfeilders and defenders (who are cheap compared to top strikers) who will provide the youngsters with plenty of goal scoring chances and increase there value further. Jerome, Nugent and other mentioned should be seen as investments with one eye on selling them on. We should really look to market ourselves to these players rather than the established names. Cahill has been Moyes's best buy - I'll rest my case.

It just that with the likes of Norwich and Sheff Utd as other potential suitors on a £3M ish player - we would be fools to miss out. His wages will be that of a low ranking sqaud player. Pace, Pace, Pace - something we just haven't got and really need to streach other teams a bit more. If we had a player with pace- Beattie and the supporting midfeild players would get a lot more room.

If Carsely is available I would say the team will pick itself -----------------------------Martyn----------------------------- Hibbo---------------Weir----------------Neville-------------Valente -----------------------------Carsley--------------------------------- Davies----------------------Arteta--------------------------Kilbane -----------------------------Osman--------------------------------- -----------------------------Beattie---------------------------------- and basically everybody else who is available on the bench - McFadden, Dunc, Naysmith, Wright But to be honest - Given how thread bear we are at the minute then I don't really hold out much chance of getting past Chelsea - But to be honest if we had every single player available for this game - we would still be very much underdogs. I think the boys will turn in a good performance, but in vain - shame to our 'games since a defeat' run is likley to come to an end. O well any team who draw Chelsea was going to odds on to get knocked out - a least it won't be by some second Div team and the downer that goes with that. At least for the next game - Cahill, Stubbs and probabley ferrari (and possibley a new signing will be available)

Be reading that Norwich are going to splash £3.0M to £3.5M of the Ashton cash on the Cardiff striker. Come on Moyes - Bent money would cover most of this fee - You only need to find and extra £1.0M. His wages will be minimal by Prem standards. He really is one for now and the future. Low risk and huge potential, strong with bags of pace. If I had the money I would buy him myself