RuffRob

https://www.goal.com/en/news/ancelotti-calls-richarlison-to-discuss-possible-real-madrid/12ywhj2lzi73p1jo8b8cfhrda2 Obviously, don't know how true this is, but think Ancelotti would be more than capable of sticking the knife in and raiding us of our better players.!!

He definitely not a shit player, but might be a bit from the school of Ballotelli. I don't think Rafa is particularly known for having patience with players who might have an 'attitude' problem. He is more of a 'pull your socks up or ship out' kind of manager, rather than arm around the shoulder type. Not sure that will work on Kean. like others said, good profit on him at the moment. Keep him here for 12months, then its a year less on his contract and his value could go down if he doesn't produce for us in the Prem like he produced for PSG in France. Like I said one in the hand.....

https://www.goodisonnews.com/2021/07/06/everton-set-for-bigger-fee-as-mino-raiola-involved-in-denzel-dumfries-talks/ "Dumfries will in total supposedly cost up to £21.4million, with only £12.8million going to the club, with the rest to Dumfries and Raiola" and all of a sudden I have just go off this transfer a bit!!! and if the lad did really well Raiola will want him moving again in a couple of years time!!! We have been mugged off plenty enough over the past few years.

I would snap their hand off at anything near £45m. We paid enough for him to start with, so a reasonable profit on a player who as done fook all for us as a team, in a market where player values are generally tumbling. He might go on to be a Worldie, but one in the hand is worth two in the bush as they say. £45M could go a fair way this summer.

That's the thing about opinions - every clown can have one. He is here now, no matter who likes it or not or what their opinions are on him. First hurdle will be signings - It will be really interesting to see who comes in this summer. As always, it will be a struggle to attracted established names (for reasonable wages). It will be interesting to see which way he directs Brands. I really hope its geared more towards exciting young players keen to work hard, and step up and prove themselves in the top end of the Premiership.

other areas can be developed and improved - but pace, you either have it or you don't, same goes for being two footed. Given the squad Man U have there must be a bit more to his game if he has been used in so many games. Utd have obviously 'upgraded' by spending £73M on Sancho. I would guess there would be no need for him to move either, so no real settling in period. At the right price I think he could be a nice addition to our squad.

I have been reading that Utd might be looking to off load Daniel James this transfer window. Still a youngster at 23 and with bags of experience. Fast as fook and can play left or right as he can use both feet. Great player to have in a counter attacking team. Something we need is speed out wide, and this lad is one of the fastest about. He is no slouch having featured in over 70 games for Man U over past two season as a 22/23 year old. He would not be a kings ransom (fee or wages) and still room for him to improve as just approaching 24.

It is good to see him back and I think I feel exactly the same - When he was on form last year, he was on another level. But I don't just see him suited to living in the North West of England. Maybe it will be a bit different this season with being allowed out and about and playing in front of a stadium of fans chanting your name. If he stays and plays like we know he can - great. If he moves on and we get a few quid in for him then I will not worry to much either as he is toward the end of his career. We do however need to be bringing in a creative player in his place if he does go this summer. I also wonder if being dump on by the Columbia National team may influence his focus on his club team.

He would definitely be 5th in line - but is on the books and if not loaned out again, then if he had to step up to the plate either on the bench or as a starter for a game or two if unlucky with injuries, he would be a option to use. I agree think a loan out would be better for him. But he is definitely a talent young CB that we have in the pipeline, so think he should be in the managers mind when spending on the squad. Is £50M spend on young CB best use of the budget available. Does Jarred have the potential to be the next Ben White?

I would think a lot would depend on movements out of the club. If Mina and/ or Holgate where to move on then would be room for a CB. If money no object and also looking to spend on other areas of the squad as well - then great, but like other have said don't think CB reinforcements is a high priority unless decent money coming in for the likes of Mina. Our £20M on Godfrey last summer was a bit of a surprise and with Jarred coming back - already have 5 capable CB's in the squad for Benitiez to assess. White/Godfrey partnership would be quite mouth watering - both like a dart out of defence with a ball. I love a CB who is capable of doing that. (as long as they can defend!!)

and Chelsea. https://www.goodisonnews.com/2021/07/02/thomas-tuchel-demands-chelsea-sign-everton-star-dominic-calvert-lewin/ although, I take every transfer rumour with a pinch of salt.

two spending billions are better than none. A very general rule - but it seem American owners want to make money out of football clubs and Russian billionaire want to spend their money on football clubs and try and win as much as they can!! My thought is Moshiri is the current owners face (with Usmanov in the wings). Not being a current shareholder Usmanov can legitimately pump his money in to the club with 'arms length' 'sponsorships' - if Usmanov was named shareholder then would be limits on this. All quite crafty really in order to allow more funds to be legitimacy put in to the club. If this was 10-15years ago before FFP, I have little doubt now that Usmanov would have just bought the club and done a Chelsea/Man City. I think this is the ultimate end goal - just taking a lot longer and more fiddly due to FFP rules. Its easy to criticise Moshiri that 'success' is not yet happening, But I am sure with around £500million of his money spent and a new stadium actually being build over the next 3 year he is just as frustrated as we are, if not more so. Given what he is doing for this club, I am inclined to give him a bit of leeway in being strong in his choice of manager this time around. A manager he was paying a kings ransom of £10M a year has just walked out on him. We should actually count our blessing really to have such committed owners who genuinely want us at the very top table of English and European football. All I can personally do is to get behind him, and if that means giving Rafa as fair as go at the job, the same as I gave Ancelotti and those before him I will do.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating now. He is here and we just have to accept it - whether we like it or not. We can't be to hard on Benitez personal, he put his name in the hat and has landed a job he feels he can be successful at. After the interview process, he proved himself to the man who pays the bills that he is the best man for the job. I was against him to start with, he didn't even come in to my thinking for any of my 5 votes (due to redhsite blind bias against him), when he became favourite for job - I though 'no chance the club will never hire him once the fans backlash is vented' - so much so I instantly put £25 on Nuno when his odds shifted out!! (not as clever a move as I first thought), I had every confidence that the board would see sense and not go near him due to the divisive nature of his appointment. He is not a popular choice with many or most, but lets not kid ourselves he is a decent coach - you don't get his CV by chance. He is also proven and experienced at this level and the level we are aspiring too. We have had our fingers well and truly burnt with both Silva and Koenmen trying the next best thing with unproven managers, a steady pair of hands is probably what we need. From all I have read Benitez is a much better coach and tactician than Ancelloti, where as Ancelotti is a good man manager of very top players. Benitez will give the players much more direction in what he wants them to do on the pitch. I heard a sound bite that Ancelotti's instruction was often ' just go out and play' - great when you have Worldies, but not so much when you the player are not at the very very top level. Our problem will be the fans (and I include myself) simply getting over the fact that this is Rafa 'fucking' Benitez in the dugout. Whether we like it or not, the success or failure of Benitez's will actually be down to us actually giving him a fair crack at the whip and getting over our preconceived biases against him. I have heard he is a very nice chap who has done a lot of good work for the city of Liverpool, but on a professional side he is also ruthless in demanding the best effort and commitment out of both his players and employers. Perhaps this is why some clubs have shy in employing him - he has no qualms in holding owners to account if they are not doing all they can to bring success to the club. I have my fingers crossed that we all at least end up begrudgingly respecting him as he hopefully improved our club over then next few seasons. I am so tired of this manager merry go round!!

agree total with this, we have had some over stated fanfares with some of the previous appointment and they have all turned to shit. Lets hope this perhaps sensible but uninspiring appointment has the opposite outcome. Like it or not Benitez succeeding mean Everton succeeding, so I have flipped to not wanting him here to now being 100% behind him. Life is to short to worry about something that hasn't yet happened (Benitez failing) and it is something that is well beyond my control. So I will now be dwelling on the positives until there is actually something to be angry about in the performances on the pitch and the actual results. I will worry about exciting attractive and expansive football once we start getting regular good results. A new chapter started today and not one of us knows how it is actually going to turn out - so I may as well be on the optimistic side of the fence!!.

I am not sure why a lot of people think Brands and Benitez will not work well together or at least not better then Ancelotti and Brands - when Ancelotti's two signings where Allan and James both players pushing 30. Posted this before. Why wouldn't this manager work well alongside Brands? Sounds like two people signing from a similar hymn sheet. https://www.themag.co.uk/2019/11/rafa-benitez-sets-out-blueprint-for-growing-a-club-it-could-should-have-been-newcastle-united/

He is definitely using the right words for me - proud, ambition, fight, compete, winning mentality, walk the walk- not talk, working hard, passion, commitment, giving everything. If that is what he is expecting of himself, then we can be pretty sure the players will have nowhere to hide, as one thing is for sure Benitez is not afraid of upsetting players or even club owners if they are not on board and supporting this. I will give him one thing, he has never pussy footed around his employers (Hicks and Gillet or Ashley) if they are not properly behind a 'project' he will let them know, even if it cost him his job in the end!! He wants to compete and win.

Big welcome to Everton. I was very excited when Ancelotti came - and in the end he was a massive let down - and then some!! I was not very enthusiastic when Bentiez was announced as the favourite for the job, but the more I have read about him then the head actually thinks he might be a good fit for us at this moment in time. I have no doubt he will work his socks off for us, he obviously has a deep affection for this city, and will have a good understanding already about us as a club. It will have be a massive decision for him to come here - given this City is his family home - this move is a risk for him as well. I genuinely believe he has come here for all the right reasons and thinks he can do good things with the club. I also think he and Brands can work well together scouring the continent for top young players (much better than Ancelotti bringing in the old guard of players he has worked with before!!). I do hope, much like I have now done, underline his Liverpool past and simply more on and concentrate on his Everton future and get behind him and the team. I will remain positive and optimistic until I have reason to think otherwise. Given what I now know about Ancelotti, I think that maybe we should be more positive that somebody else (more in line with Brands) is actually at the helm this coming season. I believe another year with Ancelotti could have been a disastrous for us, and we may have just had a lucky escape. # Lets hope he gets a fair crack at the whip.

will get all this when we get the press conference today or tomorrow. They are never going to discuss these sorts of details about candidates before contracts signed, even if they wanted too in order to appease fans. It would be totally unprofessional for a start. Not going to say anymore .

but what do you expect them to be communicating or saying before a contract is signed - other than a nothing statement like "..we are continuing to be working behind the scenes to bring in a manager we feel will take the club forward in line with our vision.. blah blah"

https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/30/euro-2020-gary-neville-picks-out-englands-player-of-the-tournament-so-far-at-14850703/?ito=newsnow-feed

Pickford has really turned things around since that Van Dyke tackle - with great consistency and some top performances for both club and country. He was public enemy No.1 for weeks after that tackle, so all credit to the lad. Really deserves the plaudits he is getting considering the kicking he was getting in the press and by most of the pundits. Topped of our MotM charts and four clean sheet at an International tournament - no doubt he is a top keeper when he is on it.

Being a Welshman, not overly bothered - the less he plays, less chance of injury at the end of a long season. Might also make him hungrier when he comes back now he has had a taste of being on the fringes of the England set up. Best playing week in week out for us than on the bench at another club. Shame for the lad on a own personal note though.

Even before Benitez has been announced it sounds very much like he will be off. I really don't see him as a Benitez type player. Do you think we would get much of a fee for James when he goes? I have read £10M in places - realistic? Reading up his contracted salary is around £140k a week (but wage cut to £90K due to COVID and in line with rest of squad COVID % wage cut - apparently). James's wages would cover at least two very decent young prospects, a la Matheus Nunes I also wonder how much compensation we might be looking to get for Ancelotti's runner to Madrid - £10M? that would seem fair to me - payback the wages we essentially wasted last year on him!!!. I imagine Benitez wages would be at least half of what we had been paying Ancelotti. The saving on managers wages would cover two more players. I am beginning to think we may have actually dodged a bullet in Ancelloti going, and perhaps James along with him. This substantial amount of money might actually go to better use this coming season.

I don't think any club would openly discuss the process they are going through in appointing a manager and can only really come out and say anything formal once ink is on the contracts. It would be nice to be kept in the loop, but never going to happen - anywhere. Spurs appear to be worse than us!! They sacked their manager by choice and months in advance of us loosing ours.

Now do you know - has he had a go at a 'big' club yet?. All any manager can do is make the best of the resources he has available to him. Potter is doing that - and at the same time getting plaudits for playing football that is easy on the eye. To me you would be taking no more of a risk with Potter (a popular choice up and coming manager who plays nice football, but lack some experience) as you are doing with Benitez (a very unpopular choice with the fans a bit more of an older fashion manager, who has a bit reputation of being awkward and causing disharmony at clubs, doesn't play the nicest of football, but has experience and is relatively effective results wise). Every manager comes with there very own positives and negatives. Benitez is probably a sensible approach. I don't believe the journalists who say Brands has no choice in the matter of who becomes the next manager (lazy journalism if you ask me) - if you read a little about Benitez and his underlying philosophies, his approach to the development of youth and giving youth a chance aligns very well with the footballing philosophy Brands is trying to envelope at the club. Why would Brands not embrace a manager who has a very similar philosophy to what his is trying to achieve at the club. Brands doesn't have blue blood running though his vains - so I don't see why he would have a issue with a 'Benitez'. If there was a problem at an executive board level - it is most likely going to come from Kenwright et al who are true blues and would struggle a lot more with swallowing a Benitez size pill - a bit like some of us. I think Benitez will be far more in line with what Brands is tasked with achieving with the club than Mr Carlo 'I'm surprised how good Godfrey is' Ancelotti. maybe sensible rather than a more gung ho approach is what we need for the next 2-3years. I want to see quality 'Godfrey' like signings become the norm and if Benitez is behind that, then I might be pleasantly surprised.