RuffRob

Meant to say - great post.

He is definately not cheap, the problem now is you simply have to pay these fees and wages for the best and most sort after youngsters around. This lad has been on the radar of some big clubs, lets hope we have caught them napping this january, sorry I mean December. Pretty much all transfers are a gamble. Some just more so than others.

It is interesting to read that Mykolenko was a player both Benitez and Brands agreed on. If they had BOTH been looking at a £20m LB was there already a plan to cash in on Digne in the next 12-18month. The 'fallout' simply excelerating the process? Just a thought.

Its fair enough to say people should try and second guess what Digne's behaviour is and make him out to be a villan. However, in all fairness should offer Benitez the same sort of respect. It sounds to me like its half a dozan of one and half a dozan of the other. My only critisisum of Digne is that he has not been half as good in the past 12 months (so pre Benitez) as he was in the preceeding 2 years. If you are going to disagree with your manager to the point it strains the relationship, I think you should at least be doing it when you yourself are playing well. We know an on form Digne is capable of backing his argumnet with Benitez up on the pitch, but alas he just has not done that in past 12months. The Premier league stats have Digne putting in 70 cross in his 10games under Benitez. Last season it was 215 crosses in 30 games, a near exact ratio of crosses per game, so it is not as if Digne is not being allowed to venture forward. It could be due to the injury he suffered or the fact he has no competition at LB or that he has signed a long term contract in February. Something is not quite the same with him over the whole of 2021 and the team has suffered a bit in this period.

I believe Burnley have a near full strength squad. So massively in their favour for this match to go ahead. I think its disgraceful from the Premier League to let some games be cancelled and some not be cancelled. I believe our 'fit' 9 outfield player include DCL and Digne. Can DCL really be classed as match fit having been out for so long? Results wise at the moment I would settle for all our players coming away without injury. How is that right.

I will second that. I think if we had taken this approach of buying high quality youngsters from day one of Moshiri' tenure - we would be in a far better position - football wise and financially. Lets hope they have leant.

I know, I can't get my head around a player that age being so full of himself. Like you say it not like his gone where he is getting any more of a chance of first time football. What compensation did we get for his development in the end? Anybody know?

The irony in all this is that a certain Thierry Small fucked off this summer to Southampton. Supposedly a very well thought of 17 year old LB. My take is that he must have seen his arse when Nkounkou came to the club as a young LB. He was wanting off last year when Ancelotti was around, and still pushed to get out when Benitez was came in.

I wouldn't think we will get anything more beyond Patterson (if we sign him for £10M ish) and Coleman. but you can hope.

He is being kept out by James Tavernier who was Rangers player of the season and also Scottish PFA Player of the Year 21 - So when highlighting the fact he is not a starter its worth consider who he is playing second fiddle too. Tavernier also chipped in with a very respectable 19 goals last season. Not a bad mentor for him. Patterson got plenty of kind words when he stepped to the plate and covered Tavernier. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-nathan-pattersons-rangers-credentials-23592518

In an ideal world, but at proven Premiership level the 'Max Arrons' et al come at premium prices and wages. Which we don't have. There is a risk that this lad will take some time and will be inconsistant for 12-18 months and at the end of the day might not even cut the mustard, but that's what around £10m get you - potential. I would rather see £10m spent on potential than £10m in wages for a player in his 30's. Every single transfer comes with some element of risk. Its getting the risk profile right, and this is what the club have been guilty of in the past.

but counter to that is - the age old 'supply and demand'. There are not that may good players in supply in January and there seems to be a demand by more than one club. Digne is also not cup ties for playing in Europe. Once you have more than one club interested, then any single club loses a lot of negotiating bargain chips. A replacement lined up means Digne faces being on the bench at Everton if he does not move to a club that we are willing to sell him to. He will not want to be on the bench on the run up to what might be his last chance to play in a world cup. I don't think Mykolenko deal hinges on Digne sale, but a Digne sale may also allow another one or two to come in January. £25M is probably not far of the mark of what he is worth, as whoever buys him will take on his hefty wages as well. I think we get a better deal selling him now than in the summer though. If he stays until the end of August that's also another £3.5M in wages spent!!

my overriding issue with FFP is that it now essentially protects those clubs who where 'lucky' enough to get massive cash injections 10-20 years ago and effectively penalises those clubs that didn't. To me it is the most significant ruling that has ever been brought in to the game and has influenced who are not considered the top teams like nothing else, and continually offers them protection. Its like going in to at half time 1-0 down off a fluky deflection but then the rules of the game changing - the team who are a goal up can put a 12th player on (to represent your CL etc earnings) and the team who are one goal down has to take a player off (as you now have limits on what you can spend related to turnover). It hard to come back in a game with these rules. At least let the losing teams keep 11 players on the pitch!!!

I don't think even the clubs fully understand them, I read that Everton had to check with the power that be to see how close there are of if they are likely be be broken, and there are two forms of them, Premier league ones and UEFA ones, and them you have a COVID adjustment. Which might kick in again as some European countries now not letting fans in grounds again. It a mine field. I think its probably safe to say that we are probably pretty close to falling foul of them given our big spending coupled with limited revenue streams.

One thing I am pretty sure of is Digne will be desperate to go to this summers World Cup - he missed it 4 years ago when France won it. He know this summer will be his last chance. Digne does have his own personal agenda of why he would like play this season to continue to be channelled through him, in the hope his form rapidly improves in the second half of the season and he is on the plane and potentially even first choice LB. He will not want to be on Everton's bench.

Don't think clubs like Chelsea and Man city bat to much of an eyelid at +£100K wages. I think Digne will do well at club like this where you probably end up doing more offensive than defensive work as a full back give how much these teams dominate the ball. The Benitez fall out aside I actually think is smart business cashing in on 29 year old (either January or in the summer) and investing in top class youngsters. I hear we are linked with Patterson in the media again today. If we did bring two young promising full backs; one either side, it might be a slight step back while they bed in to the premier league, but it would feel like a step in the right direction. I am prepared to see us tread water and build the team properly for 18 month or so if it means going in to the new stadium with a younger and well balanced squad.

I agree he would not be first choice left back, but they usually have to rotate their squads so much more given all the comps they go deep into - so usually have 2 teams worth of high quality players. Not saying he would play as much as he would here, but would still get games, win trophies and earn plenty of money.

We get updates in the industry magazine though. https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/everton-stadium-passes-another-milestone-with-completion-of-dredging-and-sand-infilling-13-12-2021/ little bit more technical detail for those interested https://www.burohappold.com/articles/infilling-the-bramley-moore-dock-for-everton-fc/

I have been very impressed at how quickly they have got on with the dredging and the ground improvement works. I work in this industry and usually the Institutions of Civil Engineers would organise site visits and detail presentation by the Engineers and Contractors involved for such specialist and high profile works - but nothing on the offering in these COVID times - which is a bit disappointing as would have been nice to have a tour of the site during the works.

that does not surprise me. You would need to be a total mercenary to want to go there are the moment. I would not be overly keen to see him line up against us for either a poorer team or a direct rival. A top 4 team I could handle as they have worldies all over so a Digne is not going to make the difference against us. Although an over inflated Newcastle transfer fee would be tempting though. I am sure you would get an extra 20% out of them with money burning a hole in their pockets in January and most likely paid in a single instalment, which would do our FFP dilemma the world of good.

I think as it turned out the youngsters where put in at a good time. Maybe luck over good judgement Benitez did not have to put any senior noses out of join by dropping them and putting young players in ahead of them and equally it was a game that they could go in to with a little less pressure on them - they where not being put in ahead of a senior player and it was a game which we where not expected to get anything out off of other than a lose was a massive bonus. Ok, I get the argument that he had little choice other than to play them, but some good performances after getting their start has give food for thought and these decent performances do actually make it easy for Benitez to put them in the game ahead of more senior players.

I have said previously, that I am not convinced we will be paying as much as the media is making out (maybe with add on etc), so would expect there to be some money left over between the two figures - even if its only £5M or so. However, you need to also consider that with Digne being here 3.5years 70% of his original fee will have been amortised in our books and Mykolenko's fee will be spread over 4 to 5 seasons. In the most basic of example - If we sold Digne for £20M and paid £20M for Mykoenko it means there would still be a considerable amount of net money left over this transfer. When you also consider likely wage difference as well over the contract, then I would think that a Digne sale could also open the door for a similar purchase of a right back, say in the mould of something like Nathan Patterson or similar.

January is notoriously difficult to buy decent players, so I think there would be a queue of clubs interested in buying Digne. The cynical could even suggest that we have well and truly put in him shop window and at the forefront of the minds of any club with money who might be looking for a a left back. I don't mind seeing any player leave, as its just a part of football. I just want to see us get good value from sales and then equally I want to see the proceeds reinvested wisely. This will be the true acid test of Benitez - he HAS to use the money gained from any Digne sale wisely. If Mykolenko does come in and become a direct replacement he is inevitably going to come under a lot of scrutiny. At 22 and from a far inferior league he is not going to be the finished article by any means, but I think we will all want to see really some good glimpses of talent and athleticism from very early doors with him. It looks like we have committed early and hard to sign this lad, maybe trying to catch others napping, so I am really hoping he is the real deal. https://sempreinter.com/2021/03/29/inter-could-battle-juventus-ac-milan-for-dynamo-kievs-vitaliy-mykolenko-italian-media-claim/

Different managers have different approach's. I read that one player was a bit bemused at the lack of instruction and direction that came from Ancelotti - 'just player your game' was the instruction. Where as Benitez is very clear on the instructions he wants. Players have to adapt to tactics of different managers (Especially if you play for Everton!!) Brands brought Digne to the club, Brands was sacked on 5th Dec and Digne was first left out of the team on 6th Dec. Coincidence? Could there have been words between the two centring around Brands dismissal. Could Digne's frustrations just boiled over. Who knows. I really don't think Benitez drops Digne lightly just for a minor disagreement or discussion about tactic - In the current climate at the club it had to be something significant for Benitez to drop Digne the way he did. It's a double edged sword - we want and need a strong manager who will ruffle a few feathers in this squad as there has been to many inconsistent and lacklustre performances over the part few years and no player should be treat above any other. Equally we don't have the depth of squad to be able to afford dropping our best players. There is an interesting stat for crosses so far this season - Lucas Digne is still one of the players who has delivered the most crosses in the Premier League this season. In 10 games so far this year Digne has put in 71 crosses, last season he put in 215 over 30 games, so an identical ratio. I was not expecting his crossing figures to be so high this season. This would suggest the quality of his deliveries has suffered as much as anything. Others will have seen him play a lot more than me this season - so am wondering is that very much the case, Has the quality of his deliveries notably dipped? https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/total_cross