Greg O'keeffe Live Blog

[adamsmith69]

:09 [Comment From Gipwardy: ]

Greg, i've always wondered, do you get to travel with the players? Do you have a nickname with the players I'm very jealous if you do. I usually just fire up the mondeo for the long distance matches, with a 2-2 formation with my 3 mates!

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:09 Gipwardy

1:11 Greg O'Keeffe: We travel together on tours and Euro flights. Otherwise seoparate. No nickname yet (of which I'm aware!) Dread to think what it might be...

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:11 Greg O'Keeffe

1:11 Greg O'Keeffe: I travel with them on tour pre-season and on Euro flights. Domwetically, we go our separate ways. Dread to think what a nickname might be...not sure I have one yet.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:11 Greg O'Keeffe

1:11 [Comment From True Blue: ]

Just read about dave Hickson losing his wife. Very sad story.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:11 True Blue

1:12 [Comment From Don: ]

How much of a problem will losing Cahill for several weeks be do you think?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:12 Don

1:12 Greg O'Keeffe: Don - massive. The only one scoring any goals. Do the maths.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:12 Greg O'Keeffe

1:13 Greg O'Keeffe: Also Tim has that galvanising effect on the team. He works so hard in training and in matches that the players (to a man) look up to him.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:13 Greg O'Keeffe

1:13 [Comment From Nick: ]

Hi Greg - a lot of Blues want to see Arteta dropped. He's been poor this season (albeit by his usual high standards) and may benefit from the realisation that he isn't untouchable. Given how poor he's been, do you detect any resentment amongst the other players at the fact he's getting paid so much more than them and delivering so little?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:13 Nick

1:15 Greg O'Keeffe: Mikel is very popular with his team mates. Just suffering from poor form and it;s nothing to do with contract negotiations. The rest of the lads were delighted when he signed a new deal. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:15 Greg O'Keeffe

1:17 Greg O'Keeffe: If I am being honest, then there is always a rick of friction. My priority is to write for the fans and not for the club. If I am soft-peddaling, the fans know. Equally I have to avoid knee-jerk criticism of players and results.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:17 Greg O'Keeffe

1:17 [Comment From Don: ]

yeah that's what I think. Going to be a hard start to 2011

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:17 Don

1:17 [Comment From Lou: ]

Do you think that Pienaar will still be an EFC player come August?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:17 Lou

1:18 Greg O'Keeffe: Lou. To be honest, I don't.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:18 Greg O'Keeffe

1:18 [Comment From Mike Wright: ]

Yakubu has hardly been on scintillating form lately, should we have let him go in the summer and put the cash towards another striker?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:18 Mike Wright

1:19 Greg O'Keeffe: No Mike. This is still a business and what Everton were offered was way beneath his worth. You have to ensure you can bring in someone better and to get someone markedly better than Yak will take big money. £10m-plus.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:19 Greg O'Keeffe

1:20 Greg O'Keeffe: No striker suggestions at the £4m I mentioned...shows what a tough market it is and how difficult it will be in January.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:20 Greg O'Keeffe

1:22 [Comment From Mike Wright: ]

Striker is the most inflated position price-wise. Who will let an in-form striker go for £4m? Jay Bothroyd would probably cost more than that.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:22 Mike Wright

1:24 Greg O'Keeffe: Youi're right, Mike. And Boothroyd is 28! Sadly though, that, without selling, is the type of money Blues would have in January. At best. It will be intersting to see if the sponsorship deal, and the GP development create a bigger kitty.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:24 Greg O'Keeffe

1:24 [Comment From Tom: ]

Greg, are you concerned that this squad may have reached its peak? Every team has a certain lifespan and with Pienaar likely to leave, Saha and Yak out of form and with low sell-on value, and the fact we're completely skint, a lot of fans are worried that we're falling too far behind the rest - e.g. Spurs. You only have to look at the Chang sponsorship deal (a lot lower than the teams we should be competing with) to see that Moyes continues to operate at a significant disadvantage to his rivals with little prospect that it will change. 2011 is a big year.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:24 Tom

1:26 Greg O'Keeffe: Tom - I can see where you're coming from. The belief at EFC is that this squad is AT its peak, not past it. Thiis was the season for silverware or a top-four push. Still all to play for...just about. Draws must become wins and an FA Cup run is vital.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:26 Greg O'Keeffe

1:26 [Comment From Liz: ]

Do u think the pienaar situation is affecting the squad like it did with lescott. Something doesn't seem quite right at moment

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:26 Liz

1:28 Greg O'Keeffe: NO, Liz. Definitely not. The Lescott situation unfolded pre-season and affected the manager's focus as much as anyone's. With Steven everyone knows where they stand and it''s simply up to him. His team mates are always asking him to stay but they are realists.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:28 Greg O'Keeffe

1:28 [Comment From TomL: ]

Apart from Donovan, any signs/hints that Moyes has a left _and_ right winger in his sights. Pienaar is almost certainly off, he will be a massive loss. He and Baines work incredibly well together. Hope Moyes has a few ideas up his sleeve. Right wing has been an issue for over 5 years now

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:28 TomL

1:29 Greg O'Keeffe: No names, and again cash an issue.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:29 Greg O'Keeffe

1:29 [Comment From True Blue: ]

What about that scouser who was at Portsmouth and Burnley? He's not bad

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:29 True Blue

1:30 Greg O'Keeffe: As my editor says, Nugent slower than me.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:30 Greg O'Keeffe

1:30 [Comment From Tom: ]

Do you think Bily has a future, Greg? I quite like him and think he's got terrific potential (see his goals and assists last year) but he's not looked up to it so far this year.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:30 Tom

1:32 Greg O'Keeffe: Tom, my colleague Dave Prentice wrote an interesting piece explaining how he feels Bily is being played out of position,. I agree. His success for Russia has come from an in side-left position - he's not a winger. Might get a run in the inside left slot when Cahill goes to Asian Cup.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:32 Greg O'Keeffe

1:33 [Comment From TomL: ]

I fancy Moyes will dip into the Championship again with what cash we have. Hopefully selling Heitinga and Billy will provide some cash.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:33 TomL

1:33 [Comment From TomL: ]

Maybe sell Saha too? His workrate is so poor for 451. Yak or Beckford (442) have to start on Saturday surely?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:33 TomL

1:33 Greg O'Keeffe: I agree with that, Tom

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:33 Greg O'Keeffe

1:34 [Comment From Liz: ]

Are you aware of any injuries that arteta is carried and that is why his form is so poor. Heard he's having injections to get through matches

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:34 Liz

1:34 Greg O'Keeffe: Mikel is not 100% fit...but he's not far off. Most of the first team have carried injuries - Cahill does it all the time. Nature of the Premier League and can't be used as an excuse.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:34 Greg O'Keeffe

1:35 [Comment From Nick: ]

Heard Moyes has had Adam Hammill looked at a few times, and with a £500k release fee he'd be decent value too. We're desperate for a RW (as we have been since Kanchelskis left) and it'd be a nice kick in the teeth to that lot to give someone Rafa booted out a chance to prove himself.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:35 Nick

1:36 [Comment From Mark T.: ]

presumably Gueye might be Pienaar's eventual replacement on the left? He looked great in pre-season.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:36 Mark T.

1:36 Greg O'Keeffe: Agree. Could be. Some of his crossing was wonderful and he took a goal well.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:36 Greg O'Keeffe

1:37 [Comment From TomL: ]

Good point about Billy getting a chance with Cahill away for a few weeks. Probably his last chance to save his Everton career. He has talent but not he's doesn't appear to be suited to the league.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:37 TomL

1:37 [Comment From Adam Smith Adam Smith: ]

I am sorry if this has been covered Greg, do you know if Arteta is deliberately being deployed as a defensive midfielder?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:37 Adam Smith

1:38 Greg O'Keeffe: He is struggling to dictate patterns of play as he does at his best. May benefit from a spell on the right. Not really being used defensively though.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:38 Greg O'Keeffe

1:38 [Comment From Tom: ]

Do you think Phil Neville might be given a role as a coach in the not too distant future? He seems like the sort of player who will progress into management/coaching and we all know how much Moyes thinks of him, so it seems logical?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:38 Tom

1:39 Greg O'Keeffe: Good call, Tom. I'd be delighted if he started a coaching career at Everton. You really get the impression he has a lot to offer.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:39 Greg O'Keeffe

1:40 Greg O'Keeffe: These are great debates. I've been told though, that I'm being guillotined in five minutes, so apologies if I don't get round to everyone's question.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:40 Greg O'Keeffe

1:41 [Comment From Adam Smith: ]

We have been heavily linked with Dale Jennings of Tranmere. Is there any truth in this and do you think he could step up?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:41 Adam Smith

1:42 Greg O'Keeffe: I think Dale is a fantastic talent and could steop up now. I know too, that Tranmere would have to listen to any sensible offers. It's what david Moyes thinks that counts though, but I know they've watched him. Liverpool let him go!

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:42 Greg O'Keeffe

1:43 [Comment From Tony M: ]

We obviously have a striker problem – goals, or rather lack of them. Why pick Saha all the time? He doesn't look interested. Rotate Yakubu, Beckford, Anichebe and Saha until one of them scores. Then stick with him.

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:43 Tony M

1:43 [Comment From Adam Smith: ]

What do you think of our new sponsorship deal? it may be better than lastyear but surely we could get more?

 

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:43 Adam Smith

1:44 Greg O'Keeffe: I think we've done really well. There;'s a worldwide recession. Please don't compare with Spurs - Champions' League exposure skews the equation completely, as does being in the capital.

Thursday November 25, 2010 1:44 Greg O'Keeffe

1:46 Greg O'Keeffe: Signing off now - reluctantly. It's been a really good hour or so. Will do it again soon - with your assistance! Cheers all.

In the meantimer, keep an eye on my blog and feel free to comment.

[scouse]

Very good blog