Summer Transfer Window

[StevO]

41 minutes ago, Makis said:

Remember how much people moaned about Dithering Dave?

Yes, and a lot of that was also to do with the club not wanting to spend money until late. In fairness to Moyes, a lot of his signings came late but a big majority of them were solid when they came in too. 
 

But if anyone is expecting transfers to start flying through the door right now, it’s just not going to happen. We’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. Not many transfers have happened yet anyway. Even before getting into the finances of clubs with the current uncertainty in the world, not even just football, you will have footballers who might be a bit fearful of moving away from their families, or moving their families, while people are still dying. 
In addition, players who want to play in European competition may still be waiting for the EL and CL to finish, they may currently be involved in those competition. 
There are more factors to delay transfers than we have ever had before.

This isn’t a normal summer where we would all like players through the door on day one of the window. It’s just not going to happen like that. We need to be realistic. 
When you can walk into Tesco without a mask, sit next to a stranger in the pub, take a flight to anywhere in the world and not have to socially distance, maybe then transfers will be normal. 

[RuffRob]

1 hour ago, StevO said:

Conned how?

Brands has spent most of his time so far trying to sell players. Ancelotti has only been here a matter of months. How much improving did you expect and how quickly?

I agree the players you mentioned are much better than what we currently have, but Carlo can’t just suddenly make the players better in a few months. You need to be looking at previous managers and directors of football if you want to complain. 

Totally agree, we can't even begin to judge Ancelotti this year. Totally unfair to make any calls on his performance to date. 

He arrive in December to a frantic Xmas period - all preping and recovering for games - very little proper training time with the players. Brands an Ancelotti did the exact right thing in January - no panic buys and thus more ill spent transfer funds!!! So good call on this.  

Then we come to March and lockdown and no proper player contact or training sessions for around 3 months. Then in July back to restricted training sessions and frantic game turnaround again. 

Last few weeks players been on holiday break. 

So since his arrival it been frantic game after game, little to no contact, frantic game after game. There has been few opportunities for prolonged periods of in depth training sessions. 

In the 8-9 months that Ancelotti has been at the club, how much quality management, training and coaching has he and is team been really able to do?

There is now going to be very little pre-season before the start of the coming season, so in all honesty - even when it comes to his 12 month anniversary  with the club it will have been the one of the strangest and most testing 12 months that there has ever been in all walks of life and not just football.  

With Brands I actually like the general philosophy of player purchasing - there will always be duds in transfer dealings, but generally we are moving deadwood out the door and bringing in younger players to the club. But it is going to need 4-5 seasons of averaging to see how this philosophy really pans out. Patience really is needed, probably this coming season more than ever.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Good posts rob, patience is the key and Everton fans usually don’t have much, so we gotta hope for a favorable schedule and a miracle signing or too.  I’m more worried the lumps will want carlo gone and we will have wasted our best chance to revive this club.

[Bill]

Brands has been here for a few years and he brought in most of the rubbish we are now trying to get rid of.

[StevO]

Just now, Bill said:

Brands has been here for a few years and he brought in most of the rubbish we are now trying to get rid of.

Which ones? 
He only got here in May 2018.

[StevO]

Richarlison, Digne, Bernard, Mina, Gomes, Zouma (loan), Lossl, Delph, Gbamin, Kean, Sidibe (loan), Iwobi. 
That’s all the first team players signed since Brands got here that I can find. He’s not done too badly really. Jury is out on Iwobi and Gbamin, Delph hasn’t done enough but the rest haven’t been bad. 
 

The shite he got rid of? A few non contract renewals in here, but shows the crap we had here. 
Niasse, Stekelenberg, Martina, Dowell, Garbutt, Schneiderlin, Mirallas, Onyekuru, McCarthy, Gana, Lookman, Galloway, Jagielka, Vlasic, Williams, Klaassen, Rooney, Mori, Robles. 

Just from that list, 12 players in, 19 out. Plus the many other young professionals who have been released. 
I’m not saying Brands is perfect, but it’s clear that he came in and decided we need more players out than in and to bring down the age of the squad. He’s probably got five or six more he wants rid of and hopefully a handful to add to the squad. 

I wouldn’t envy the job hes had to do so far, and the next part of the job in the current climate will be a nightmare. 

[Bailey]

3 hours ago, RuffRob said:

Totally agree, we can't even begin to judge Ancelotti this year. Totally unfair to make any calls on his performance to date. 

He arrive in December to a frantic Xmas period - all preping and recovering for games - very little proper training time with the players. Brands an Ancelotti did the exact right thing in January - no panic buys and thus more ill spent transfer funds!!! So good call on this.  

Then we come to March and lockdown and no proper player contact or training sessions for around 3 months. Then in July back to restricted training sessions and frantic game turnaround again. 

Last few weeks players been on holiday break. 

So since his arrival it been frantic game after game, little to no contact, frantic game after game. There has been few opportunities for prolonged periods of in depth training sessions. 

In the 8-9 months that Ancelotti has been at the club, how much quality management, training and coaching has he and is team been really able to do?

There is now going to be very little pre-season before the start of the coming season, so in all honesty - even when it comes to his 12 month anniversary  with the club it will have been the one of the strangest and most testing 12 months that there has ever been in all walks of life and not just football.  

With Brands I actually like the general philosophy of player purchasing - there will always be duds in transfer dealings, but generally we are moving deadwood out the door and bringing in younger players to the club. But it is going to need 4-5 seasons of averaging to see how this philosophy really pans out. Patience really is needed, probably this coming season more than ever.

 

I definitely agree that patience is needed but at the same time I also think it is fair enough to question the teams performances in his tenure, especially post lockdown when all the sides were in the same boat.

I dont think it would be unkind to say that since Ancelotti arrived our performances have gone downhill. 

You can't (generally speaking not you personally) on one hand call him a world class manager and then excuse him completely for the terrible form we showed at the end of the season. Bar the Sheffield game, I thought we were lucky to pick up the points we did.

[Gwlad]

17 minutes ago, Bailey said:

I definitely agree that patience is needed but at the same time I also think it is fair enough to question the teams performances in his tenure, especially post lockdown when all the sides were in the same boat.

I dont think it would be unkind to say that since Ancelotti arrived our performances have gone downhill. 

You can't (generally speaking not you personally) on one hand call him a world class manager and then excuse him completely for the terrible form we showed at the end of the season. Bar the Sheffield game, I thought we were lucky to pick up the points we did.

Since when on TT?

[RuffRob]

1 minute ago, Bill said:

Brands has been here for a few years and he brought in most of the rubbish we are now trying to get rid of.

I can't agree with that - who are the club trying to get rid off that Brands has signed?  - Its very easy to get confused from the dross brought to the club prior to Brands. Brands has been ushering these out of the door himslef.

2018/19

Richarlison - very young - now worth at least double what we paid (massive gain)

Mina - Jury still out a little bit for me. He ended up 3rd behind Richarlison and Digne in this forums Man of the Matches scores, so far from a dud.  He is young and would still command a decent fee if we sold him so not a dead duck by any means - so not a complete waste of money

Digne - again a massive gain at least worth double the money paid

Zouma - did really well shame we couldn't buy him

Gomes - did brilliant - who wouldn't have bought him after his loan season he had with us.

Bernard - A free transfer (although very high wages), but overall it makes him a fairly low risk transfer and worth the gamble  - been very hit and miss and it sound like he has had some mental health issues during his time at the club, consistency wise maybe we have not seen the best of him yet. So again, he is not a lost cause and age wise  - in his prime? 

Began to move out the dross!!

I would say on the whole a very good first seasons transfer market.  Anybody argue with 4 out of 5 for that transfer window!!

Iwobi - I was surprised when we signed him for the money payed, He has not shown anywhere enough to justify the fee, but he still is pretty young and at a new club, and not been playing in a great team to be honest also not been the best of seasons for football, so will not be overly critical of him. However, given his age there is potential, he has not come on stupid wages - so could sell on at still a decent fee if needed in a season or two. Questionable signing 

Kean - I still think this was a cracking signing one - only 19 years old at the beginning of the season and in a whole new country and league (the toughest in the world!!). If anybody expected him to be a regular in the team this season with lots of goals then your not in the real world. Don't forget DCL has only bee cutting his teeth this year as well.  Seen enough from Moise Kean to think we are not going to loose money on this lad - still massive potential to be a big player with big sell on fee. So a good signing.

Gomes - Who wouldn't have signed him after his loan performance (Brands would have been public enemy No.1 if he didn't buy him). Not had a great season compared to his loan year, but horrific injury and very poor form after injury and lockdown been disappointing. However, I can't at all criticise Brands for signing him as should great form for us in his loan season and was bought at a fair price and he is a good age.

Gbamin - who knows - just pure bad luck - all I can say is he is the right age for a signing. So chance he will come good for us.

Delph - I can fully understand this signing, not silly money for an experienced player and could kind of see him being brought in as safety policy for unproved Gbamin as he settles in to Premiership football. He was definitely bought in as a short term squad player. Also unlucky with injury this season and given run of games he has had in an Everton shirt also think its a tad early to fully right him off as fully on bad signing. 

Sidibe - started well and looked amazing going forward but faded - low risk loan signing with a buy option - not going to buy so was a useful loan period. 

I think if you look at Brands transfer logically then you will see they look a little more considered than in the previous regimes and in the main they are difficult to disagree with at the time of signing - There is a general trend for decent younger players at affordable prices, signing that could equally result in good sell on profits as opposed to just massive loses on big fees and contracts for overrated player on there last big contract. 

Have to give this 5 years or so to see if on average we end up with more Richarlison's and less Iwobi's (and not wrote him of yet!!)

We can't forget Jarrad Branthwaithe either.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Palfy]

36 minutes ago, StevO said:

Richarlison, Digne, Bernard, Mina, Gomes, Zouma (loan), Lossl, Delph, Gbamin, Kean, Sidibe (loan), Iwobi. 
That’s all the first team players signed since Brands got here that I can find. He’s not done too badly really. Jury is out on Iwobi and Gbamin, Delph hasn’t done enough but the rest haven’t been bad. 
 

The shite he got rid of? A few non contract renewals in here, but shows the crap we had here. 
Niasse, Stekelenberg, Martina, Dowell, Garbutt, Schneiderlin, Mirallas, Onyekuru, McCarthy, Gana, Lookman, Galloway, Jagielka, Vlasic, Williams, Klaassen, Rooney, Mori, Robles. 

Just from that list, 12 players in, 19 out. Plus the many other young professionals who have been released. 
I’m not saying Brands is perfect, but it’s clear that he came in and decided we need more players out than in and to bring down the age of the squad. He’s probably got five or six more he wants rid of and hopefully a handful to add to the squad. 

I wouldn’t envy the job hes had to do so far, and the next part of the job in the current climate will be a nightmare. 

The 12 players brought in by Brands haven’t improved us from Koeman 1st season, I’m not a fan of DofF but if you have to have them then when it comes to players in and out, it should be totally the managers decision who they are, he should just do the donkey work if you like negotiating contracts ect. 
Why should the manager carry the can when it doesn’t work if he didn’t pick the players, Silva must feel hard done by that he took all the blame for our poor performance this year, even Ancelotti has struggled with the players Brands brought in and we touted him as a world class manager, if he is then we can only conclude that the players at his disposal really aren’t good enough, and Brands is guilty more than anyone for that and should count himself lucky he’s still got his job. 
So for me he can get rid of what we don’t want, but leave what we do want down to the manager. 

[Palfy]

6 minutes ago, RuffRob said:

Have to give this 5 years or so to see if on average we end up with more Richarlison's and less Iwobi's (and not wrote him of yet!!)

We can't forget Jarrad Branthwaithe either.  

 

 

Richarlison is undoubtably our best signing but the credit for him joining us goes completely to Silva, nothing really to do with Brands.  

[Bailey]

Great post @RuffRob. Of all of those signings the question marks are only really about the fees on Iwobi and Gbamin. They both may come good, but they feel high, albeit in an inflated market. I don't really like Delph but I'm not sure you can argue with that logic and idea to bring him in. 

Part of me thinks if Gana had stayed or Gbamin / Gomes stayed fit then we wouldn't be having these type of conversations.

[Makis]

Iwobi's price was probably high simply because club couldn't get the deal with Zaha through so there wasn't much time to negotiate. If his price had been 20-23 million instead of 28 I think there would be a lot less moaning.

Gbamin's price at the time felt about right. He has lots of potential and has all the ingredients to be a really good DM.

[RuffRob]

55 minutes ago, Bailey said:

I definitely agree that patience is needed but at the same time I also think it is fair enough to question the teams performances in his tenure, especially post lockdown when all the sides were in the same boat.

I dont think it would be unkind to say that since Ancelotti arrived our performances have gone downhill. 

You can't (generally speaking not you personally) on one hand call him a world class manager and then excuse him completely for the terrible form we showed at the end of the season. Bar the Sheffield game, I thought we were lucky to pick up the points we did.

I don't agree that all teams where in the same boat - some teams battling for European places other playing just to stay in the Premier league - but the Everton squad not really sure why the league as even continuing after lockdown!!!. We had a outside chance of Europe, but don't think the player really believed it and neither did we. 

We have been utter dog shit since the re start under Ancelotti - but like I said in a previous post did any of us give a fuck if the season restarted in July? That wasn't the case for all clubs and fans as some had plenty to battle for. I was pretty devoid of enthusiasm or motivation for it. So to that end, I just can't really use the last 10 games as a yard stick to measure Ancelotti against. More a measure of the character and mentality of the players. 

Some player will not have done themselves any favours in that last 10 games, and it if help Mr Ancelotti show then the door - then maybe the restart games where not a dead loss after all!!! 

[Aidan]

Just breaking down a few relegated players, some of which could improve our team. 

Norwich

• Emiliano Buendía - I'm hoping he will be a top target of ours. Hard working right sided attacker, 2.8 tackles per game (the only forward to out perform Richarlison in this area). 4th most chances created in the league. 4th most successful dribbles in the league. 7 assists contributing to over a quarter of Norwich's total goals. Plays in an inverted winger role which would suit our system. If we can realistically sign anyone this season, this is the guy. 
• Max Aarons - Looks like a good prospect but I think bigger clubs are sniffing around. Would improve our squad. 
• Todd Cantwell - Plays on the left and looks to have potential, but we have enough left sided players. Maybe not worth the risk. 

Bournemouth

• Joshua King - Versitile and lightening quick. Wouldn't be the worst squad player.
• Aaron Ramsdale - Would be great competition for Pickford. Brilliant shot stopper, young and will improve. Questionable distribution. 
• David Brooks - Had a good debut season last year but injuries wrote him off. Probably avoid.  

Watford

• Abdoulaye Doucoure - A box to box with the ability to change a game. Some much needed power and drive in our midfield. 3rd highest distance covered in the league this season. Would love him here. Prioritise for me. 
• Ismaila Sarr - Another young right winger. Looks really direct and powerful every time I've seen him play. Good potential and wouldn't mind him at the right price. I hope we are looking at him. 
• Deulofeu - Seems to have found himself on the left side at this point in his career. We all know what he's capable of and what his weaknesses are. Probably avoid. 

I'm not sure how much of a price tag would be on Buendia, Doucoure and Ramsdale, but with the current financial climate of football and the fact all these teams have been relegated we could be in for a bargain. Or on the contrary maybe not, as we've seen with Liverpool being price out of a move for Jamal Lewis. 

[RuffRob]

27 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Richarlison is undoubtably our best signing but the credit for him joining us goes completely to Silva, nothing really to do with Brands.  

I don't agree at all with that 'black and white' statement.

Brands will have an overall transfer strategy and philosophy for the club - and hopefully one that is a long term strategy. Signings will not solely be Brands and the will not solely be the managers, both parties will need to sign off on them. I think Brands will be a more longer term sustainable approach transfer guardian - where as a manager will simply be by default a more interested in the 'now'  kind of transfers - its a results game in the end, with many of us already criticising.  

I don't doubt that Silva would have been the main instigator in wanting Richarlison, but Brands would have signed off on it as Richarlison will have been a player that fits the 'blueprint' that Brands will be developing at Everton. So it will have had something to do with Brands. 

I imagine Silva could have asked for Zaha -- £80M over £130k a week wages (could be our next Gyfi!!). Brands may have suggested Iwobi as an affordable option at £27M - £50k week -  less risky with potential . We would never move Zaha on again, Iwobi will be saleable, but maybe lose a few million  -  Just surmising. 

Its also why I made the point about looking at this after say 5 years (as a minimum) and in a way taking the names of individual signings out of the equation. Over the past two seasons we have made three big  'under 23' signings (Richarlison, Iwobi and Kean)  for an average of around £30M each, but they are not yet on what we would call out of this work salaries - they WILL want to be earning more. They have quality and are hunger to be world class and get big money transfers to Barc, Real, Man City etc an be on the big bucks. 

Lets not kid ourselves we may only get one more season out of Richarlison if he keeps improving, we are going to need this conveyor of players that will replace the Richarlison's  - maybe Moise Kean will be that player and so on and so on. This is what Brands has to try and do, but you don't do it in a couple of seasons.  Lets say Richarlison brings in £80M, that gets recycled on three more young £20-30M players in the hope we get two or three good seasons before one of those also goes for £80M or so. 

Just look at Liverpool, they have done this - they have been a selling club!! Recycle the money and go again with more quality hungry players with massive resale potential. 

All transfers are a gamble - what I am hoping is that over the long run Brands ensures our manager play the transfer odds a bit better. 

 

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

 

AlwYs loved Al !

[Bailey]

2 hours ago, RuffRob said:

I don't agree that all teams where in the same boat - some teams battling for European places other playing just to stay in the Premier league - but the Everton squad not really sure why the league as even continuing after lockdown!!!. We had a outside chance of Europe, but don't think the player really believed it and neither did we. 

We have been utter dog shit since the re start under Ancelotti - but like I said in a previous post did any of us give a fuck if the season restarted in July? That wasn't the case for all clubs and fans as some had plenty to battle for. I was pretty devoid of enthusiasm or motivation for it. So to that end, I just can't really use the last 10 games as a yard stick to measure Ancelotti against. More a measure of the character and mentality of the players. 

Some player will not have done themselves any favours in that last 10 games, and it if help Mr Ancelotti show then the door - then maybe the restart games where not a dead loss after all!!! 

Europe was definitely in our grasp especially when you consider we had to play some of the other teams fighting it out for those places and that Liverpool were the only top 4 side we played. 

If that effort from the players was all they could muster even with a small carrot with a chance to impress their new superstar manager then we have much bigger problems. 

Obviously I didnt see all teams and I clearly watched us a lot more than everyone else but we were the worst. Soton had nothing to play for but they didn't throw in the towel. 

There are clearly excuses there but the reaction would be a lot different if it was Moyes, Allardyce, Pardew etc that took over and served up that dross. Ancelotti's reputation and CV will give him more time and patience but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass.

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, RuffRob said:

I don't agree at all with that 'black and white' statement.

Brands will have an overall transfer strategy and philosophy for the club - and hopefully one that is a long term strategy. Signings will not solely be Brands and the will not solely be the managers, both parties will need to sign off on them. I think Brands will be a more longer term sustainable approach transfer guardian - where as a manager will simply be by default a more interested in the 'now'  kind of transfers - its a results game in the end, with many of us already criticising.  

I don't doubt that Silva would have been the main instigator in wanting Richarlison, but Brands would have signed off on it as Richarlison will have been a player that fits the 'blueprint' that Brands will be developing at Everton. So it will have had something to do with Brands. 

I imagine Silva could have asked for Zaha -- £80M over £130k a week wages (could be our next Gyfi!!). Brands may have suggested Iwobi as an affordable option at £27M - £50k week -  less risky with potential . We would never move Zaha on again, Iwobi will be saleable, but maybe lose a few million  -  Just surmising. 

Its also why I made the point about looking at this after say 5 years (as a minimum) and in a way taking the names of individual signings out of the equation. Over the past two seasons we have made three big  'under 23' signings (Richarlison, Iwobi and Kean)  for an average of around £30M each, but they are not yet on what we would call out of this work salaries - they WILL want to be earning more. They have quality and are hunger to be world class and get big money transfers to Barc, Real, Man City etc an be on the big bucks. 

Lets not kid ourselves we may only get one more season out of Richarlison if he keeps improving, we are going to need this conveyor of players that will replace the Richarlison's  - maybe Moise Kean will be that player and so on and so on. This is what Brands has to try and do, but you don't do it in a couple of seasons.  Lets say Richarlison brings in £80M, that gets recycled on three more young £20-30M players in the hope we get two or three good seasons before one of those also goes for £80M or so. 

Just look at Liverpool, they have done this - they have been a selling club!! Recycle the money and go again with more quality hungry players with massive resale potential. 

All transfers are a gamble - what I am hoping is that over the long run Brands ensures our manager play the transfer odds a bit better. 

 

2857 fans filled a questionnaire in on various Everton issues one question being are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Brands 54.6% were dissatisfied, that is a fair percentage. 
I’m one who is disappointed that you can spend the money we have in the last 2 seasons yet go backwards, 5 years seems a long time to give him based on his last 2, if we have another spending spree this summer and we see little return, would you carry on with the strategy and Brands, as you rightly pointed out it is a results industry. 
Your point of bringing young players in and moving them on for big money has happened here under Moshiri with Lukaku and Stones was that money reinvested well no, obviously I’m not suggesting Brands was responsible  and what’s made Liverpool go from a top 4 team to number 1 is Klopp and we are hoping that Ancelotti is going to be the difference for us in the same way Klopp was for them. 
After all we cannot keep accepting the sort of performance and results we’ve had over the last 4 years something has got to give and it can’t always be the managers fault.  

[RuffRob]

 

59 minutes ago, Palfy said:

2857 fans filled a questionnaire in on various Everton issues one question being are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Brands 54.6% were dissatisfied, that is a fair percentage. 
I’m one who is disappointed that you can spend the money we have in the last 2 seasons yet go backwards, 5 years seems a long time to give him based on his last 2, if we have another spending spree this summer and we see little return, would you carry on with the strategy and Brands, as you rightly pointed out it is a results industry. 
Your point of bringing young players in and moving them on for big money has happened here under Moshiri with Lukaku and Stones was that money reinvested well no, obviously I’m not suggesting Brands was responsible  and what’s made Liverpool go from a top 4 team to number 1 is Klopp and we are hoping that Ancelotti is going to be the difference for us in the same way Klopp was for them. 
After all we cannot keep accepting the sort of performance and results we’ve had over the last 4 years something has got to give and it can’t always be the managers fault.  

That sort of poll means very little - team does good - pole is positive, team does poor - pole is bad. Part of the problem is lack of patience and it is blinkered reaction.

Do you think chopping and changing the personnel and strategy of the club every couple of years because you are not seeing immediate progress is the best way to go forward? 

Will Brands be a success? I don't really know, but he does have an actually transfer, youth development and squad strategy I can kind of see and can follow, so I am prepared to get behind it. The alternative - sack him, and back to square one.  He is moving out the deadwood and bringing in talented younger players. If we sold all the players that Brands has been involved in purchasing - averaged all the fees together we would be pretty much be breaking even. That achievement in itself blows what happen at this club the three year before he arrived out of the water. 

Lukaku and Stone sales wasn't part of any  bring young players on for profitable sale 'strategy' - Massive offer comes in, player makes it clear he wants to go, club has to sell  - then spunk away the money in desperation because no decent alternative player waiting in the wings to take his chance and step in to their shoes. For Lukaku - replacements buys upfront where Rooney and Ramirez. 

As for Liverpool and Klopp - Klopp is actually a keen supporter of the role of a sporting director at a football club as part transfer and recruitment strategy - its how he is used to working. There Sporting director  Micheal Edwards, has been key in much of transfers alongside Klopp. Liverpool have also been pretty lucky with there owners FSG. They are very shrewd operators and have had a management team in place with a proper recruitment strategy since day one, and have stuck with it- it was 2010 they took over the club, so this takes time. A bit of patience is needed. 

You also mention 'accepting' this kind of performance over the last 4 year' - but Brands has only be here two, but is is so easy to subconsciously add a few more years due to failure that proceeded him. He hasn't really been here that long considering part of his remit is the youth development in to first team players.

[Romey 1878]

I think we need to have a bit of a balancing act this summer. I get that we find ourselves in very extraordinary circumstances, so things may take time to sort out. But equally this is the summer when we really do need to do business reasonably quickly with the short turnaround between seasons. I do not want to see us still fucking about come deadline day in October for our most important business meaning we have to write off the first month or two of the season. Bad results in that period will mean the squads confidence suffers and then we end up writing that season off in January because we're nowhere and say we'll be better next season. But then we do the same thing the next summer. Rinse and repeat.

It's a piss take and we can't afford to do it this summer. So, yes a little patience is needed and there's nothing to worry about yet but we do need to get our finger out soon and do some big business.

[Bill]

Almost all the players we have been linked with have already been signed by other teams.  Once again we will be left with the players that nobody else wants.

I can see another shitty season coming up so we might as well forget the joy of the new stadium because we'll never have a team to fill it.

[Romey 1878]

1 hour ago, Bill said:

Almost all the players we have been linked with have already been signed by other teams.  Once again we will be left with the players that nobody else wants.

I can see another shitty season coming up so we might as well forget the joy of the new stadium because we'll never have a team to fill it.

Considering we’ve been linked with probably 300 players I don’t think that’s quite true. 

[StevO]

2 hours ago, Bill said:

Almost all the players we have been linked with have already been signed by other teams.  Once again we will be left with the players that nobody else wants.

I can see another shitty season coming up so we might as well forget the joy of the new stadium because we'll never have a team to fill it.

Fancy naming these players?

[Bailey]

15 hours ago, Palfy said:

2857 fans filled a questionnaire in on various Everton issues one question being are you satisfied or dissatisfied with Brands 54.6% were dissatisfied, that is a fair percentage. 
I’m one who is disappointed that you can spend the money we have in the last 2 seasons yet go backwards, 5 years seems a long time to give him based on his last 2, if we have another spending spree this summer and we see little return, would you carry on with the strategy and Brands, as you rightly pointed out it is a results industry. 
Your point of bringing young players in and moving them on for big money has happened here under Moshiri with Lukaku and Stones was that money reinvested well no, obviously I’m not suggesting Brands was responsible  and what’s made Liverpool go from a top 4 team to number 1 is Klopp and we are hoping that Ancelotti is going to be the difference for us in the same way Klopp was for them. 
After all we cannot keep accepting the sort of performance and results we’ve had over the last 4 years something has got to give and it can’t always be the managers fault.  

As if the average fan actually has any clue what Brands actually does. Holgate himself, currently a fan favourite, said if it wasn't for Brands he probably would have left. Time will tell how last season's summer signings will ultimately work out because some of them have mitigating circumstances (Kean and Gbamin). Iwobi has come into a side that has been terrible and played under 3 managers. He has played a lot better for Arsenal so there is more to come if Ancelotti can get the best out of him.

I actually think the Sidibe loan was potentially a great bit of business. It hasn't worked out but we had a world cup winner playing a back up right back role while our U20 world cup winner is getting good experience playing week in week out in Germany. He has given both Kenny and Sidibe (at a low purchase fee) the chance to prove themselves. Kenny will come back a better player for his trip abroad and hopefully we don't have to play with Sidibe again

4 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

I think we need to have a bit of a balancing act this summer. I get that we find ourselves in very extraordinary circumstances, so things may take time to sort out. But equally this is the summer when we really do need to do business reasonably quickly with the short turnaround between seasons. I do not want to see us still fucking about come deadline day in October for our most important business meaning we have to write off the first month or two of the season. Bad results in that period will mean the squads confidence suffers and then we end up writing that season off in January because we're nowhere and say we'll be better next season. But then we do the same thing the next summer. Rinse and repeat.

It's a piss take and we can't afford to do it this summer. So, yes a little patience is needed and there's nothing to worry about yet but we do need to get our finger out soon and do some big business.

The concern I have is that the targets that seem the most prominent (Gabriel and Allan) are ones where we will be holding on and holding on hoping to land rather than having the clout to be the ones that go in and get them and move on like we have seen with Man City recently. It feels like the Mina situation where the clubs and potentially the player are holding on. Brands was considered a genius for it with Kean and Mina however I agree that it could backfire on us if we don't have the player bedded in by the start of the season.

[AlbanyNYToffee]

Question/s for those who understand tactics better than me - which should be just about everyone  

What type of player is Carlo targeting for the LM and RM positions?
Does his system always set up with LM more attacking and RM more defensive, or could for instance those roles switch and the LM becomes more defensive and RM becomes more attacking?
Would he prefer both LM and RM to be more attacking, he just set us up that way because our CM is horrid?

I see all these names being linked to us and they are mostly attacking wingers. I'm just trying to get a sense of which are most realistic and most importantly which will fit in Carlo's system.

[Palfy]

4 minutes ago, Bailey said:

As if the average fan actually has any clue what Brands actually does. Holgate himself, currently a fan favourite, said if it wasn't for Brands he probably would have left. Time will tell how last season's summer signings will ultimately work out because some of them have mitigating circumstances (Kean and Gbamin). Iwobi has come into a side that has been terrible and played under 3 managers. He has played a lot better for Arsenal so there is more to come if Ancelotti can get the best out of him.

I actually think the Sidibe loan was potentially a great bit of business. It hasn't worked out but we had a world cup winner playing a back up right back role while our U20 world cup winner is getting good experience playing week in week out in Germany. He has given both Kenny and Sidibe (at a low purchase fee) the chance to prove themselves. Kenny will come back a better player for his trip abroad and hopefully we don't have to play with Sidibe again

The concern I have is that the targets that seem the most prominent (Gabriel and Allan) are ones where we will be holding on and holding on hoping to land rather than having the clout to be the ones that go in and get them and move on like we have seen with Man City recently. It feels like the Mina situation where the clubs and potentially the player are holding on. Brands was considered a genius for it with Kean and Mina however I agree that it could backfire on us if we don't have the player bedded in by the start of the season.

Are you and Rob saying you are a cut above the average fan and the 54.6 percent who didn’t agree with you don’t deserve a voice, you can give philosophical answers to questions but they are no substitute for results, and in the 2 years Brands has been here and for hundreds of millions spent that he has presided over we haven’t improved as a team, in fact quite the reverse has happened, you can make a case for every individual player brought in by him to find excuses for the dismal return on our investment to try and justify why it isn’t happening, but there comes a time when you have to accept this ain’t happening, which is sad because we go back to square one but better to realise now after 2 years than in 5.

[StevO]

44 minutes ago, AlbanyNYToffee said:

Question/s for those who understand tactics better than me - which should be just about everyone  

What type of player is Carlo targeting for the LM and RM positions?
Does his system always set up with LM more attacking and RM more defensive, or could for instance those roles switch and the LM becomes more defensive and RM becomes more attacking?
Would he prefer both LM and RM to be more attacking, he just set us up that way because our CM is horrid?

I see all these names being linked to us and they are mostly attacking wingers. I'm just trying to get a sense of which are most realistic and most importantly which will fit in Carlo's system.

His left midfield position tends to be a player who can also play a number ten role. As with the ball they will attack more centrally, leaving the left full back to attack out wide. 
His right midfielder tends to be more of an orthodox winger, with the right back not needing to attack too much. 
 

So if you look at a player like James Rodriguez; he’s pretty much a number ten. But he played on the left a lot of Carlo. He can link up play with the full back, but he can also get himself in the middle for an overload in the box or to create space for the full back. 
But when possession is lost, he has to get back out wide in a flat midfield four. 
When he first came in it looked ideal for Bernard to play that role. He still could in my opinion. Only really Bernard and Gordon who could in our current squad for me.  

[StevO]

33 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Are you and Rob saying you are a cut above the average fan and the 54.6 percent who didn’t agree with you don’t deserve a voice, you can give philosophical answers to questions but they are no substitute for results, and in the 2 years Brands has been here and for hundreds of millions spent that he has presided over we haven’t improved as a team, in fact quite the reverse has happened, you can make a case for every individual player brought in by him to find excuses for the dismal return on our investment to try and justify why it isn’t happening, but there comes a time when you have to accept this ain’t happening, which is sad because we go back to square one but better to realise now after 2 years than in 5.

We aren’t even back at square one yet. He’s still trying to get us to square one. 

To get  there he will still need to shift at least five more players on big money. Then he can work on square two. 

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, StevO said:

We aren’t even back at square one yet. He’s still trying to get us to square one. 

To get  there he will still need to shift at least five more players on big money. Then he can work on square two. 

That’s a lot of players in and money spent and a lot of players out and we are still not at square one, the mind boggles we do need to get rid of Sandro Tosun Bolassie and Gylfi, but I can’t see them going until their contracts virtually expire or expire, he’s had 2 years to get rid of Sandro and Bolasie just proves nobody wants shit on big wages.