Everton slowly building……..

After the past couple of weeks feeling hugely frustrated at the lack of dealings at Goodison, they finally appear to have finalised a deal!

Regular readers will know that I’m an Everton supporter and so I have been quite concerned recently.

We are in the last week of the transfer window and we are still six players down on the seven that Mr Moyes said he would like to bring in to bolster the squad.

It has not helped that there have been so many decent names linked with us. Names that seem to have appeared and disapeared without any developments. Obviously names that have been planted in and around the club to increase publicity.

The talk of the club looking for investors can’t have helped. The talk of the new ground deal floundering can’t have helped. And the continueing developments around the Managers contract, which remains unsigned can’t have helped. All of the above must make the club look far from stable to any players looking to switch clubs.

The arrival of Jacobsen is one that I am more than happy with. He has european experience and for me comes into to bolster our weakest position. Hibbert is a good player but he was not up to the standards required for european football last year. Jacobsen should steady the ship a little.

I would like to see a grafter brought into midfield and a striker to accompany the Yak.

Midfield, well firstly I must say I think Neville can step into Carsleys role and fill it very well. When you look at how much Chelsea paid for Deco I can’t help feel that may turn into the deal of the year. He is exactly the type of player I see us needing.  I wonder if Makele may have been worth a punt for 12 months or is that just desperation kicking in? There are a wide range of quality midfielders out there at the moment and I’d like to see us go for someone established in the game. Who? Well it’s hard to say. The season has started now. A majority of players have got their contracts in order and are settling for the new year. I think shaun Wright Philips is an attractive option BUT I really want a big lad in there. Someone who will win the ball in the air and help out the centre backs, I still wonder if we should take a few more risks not neccessarily actually buying risky players but be a bit cheeky like Redknapp and Sam Allyrdyce have been in the past.
I think it might be worth a look at Reo Coker or someone in that mould.

Strikers…..well there is one that I’d really like to see us have a chat with. He knows the area quite well and scores goals. Michael Owen…….. comments below please.

Robert Elstone – “It’s an honour”

Everton’s new acting chief executive officer Robert Elstone says he is delighted to have taken the job.

Speaking to BBC Radio Mersyside, Elstone said it is an honour to be helping the club reach the next level.

“I’m pleased and delighted to be part of the team that has brought Everton forward,” said Elstone.

“I’m now equally and even more pleased to be responsible for taking charge of the club at such an important time in our history.”

Elstone, who replaces former Chief Executive Keith Wyness, has been Deputy CEO at the club for the past three years.

“I had a real good grounding and that was Keith’s intention to allow me to do that. It was great experience and I feel I’ve got a handle on how this club works,” said Elstone.

Manchester United and Spurs – £25m for Berbatov

It looks like United will get Berbatov for approximately £25 million.

United have officially started negotiations with Spurs about the Bulgarian striker, although Spurs have apparantly said they will hold out for £28 million.

Ferguson has followed and made enquiries about Berbatov for the past 2 seasons and now appears to be the right time to make an official approach.

I think that Berbatov would be an amazing signing for United, the service he would receive from that team would surely see him hit the 30 goal mark and I see him as the key to deciding whether Ronaldo can go or not.

If they sign Berbatov expect to see Nani start making more appearances as they test the set up for Ronaldo’s departure, and if I am to be totally honest, with Dimitar on the books and Nani maturing into a top player in his own right, I think United can more than survive without Ronaldo.

I think they will have it more their own way this year than they did last year. They got off to a slow start last year, this year I expect to see them come flying out of the blocks and with Chelsea and Arsenal going through quite big changes at the moment I really can’t see Manchester United having much trouble defending their crown as Premier League champions.

And as an Everton supporter that’s not an easy thing to say!!

What do you think about the proposed signing of Berbatov?
Please leave a comment below.

Redknapp going for top 4 with Peter Crouch at Portsmouth?

I’m a massive fan of Harry Redknapp. I don’t really care about any gossip that follows him regarding deals etc.

I like him as a person, he always seems to give an honest and straight answer when talking about his football, whether it be his teams he is talking about or others. More importantly though I like him as a football manager and for me that is what he is, a manager not just a coach.

There’s two types of gaffer. There’s the all round manager such as Redknapp, Fergie, Wenger and the newer bread such as Mark Hughes and David Moyes. Then there is the more modern coach, who knows all the the drills for the training pitch, is tactically very aware of what goes on but perhaps can’t hold or comand the full respect of their players. Into this category I’d probably put the likes of Scholari, Paul Ince, Steve Copell and Steve McClaren.

I have to admit I prefer the Manager approach. I think the old fashioned “boss” approach has better results and always will in the Premier League.

Harry has continued to make progress as Portsmouth boss and in the signing of Peter Crouch I think he will take Portsmouth up another position or two. I would love to see Crouchys goals take Portsmouth above Liverpool in the coming season. For this could really come back to haunt Benitez.

I just wish Everton had made an offer but I have said that year in year out about Moyes and Everton, and Moyes always pleasantly surprises me just as I am getting frustrated.

 

Who’s to be a toffee? Crouchy for Everton

As an Everton supporter I was thrilled to hear we where tracking the talented Arshavin, the Russian player catching so many people’s eye at Euro 2008.

I wish though he had not returned from his ban! Since his return he’s orchestrated much of the Russian game and caught the eye of all the big clubs out there, which unfortunately, I think, has put him out of our reach. Especially as he openly admitted on TV last night that his dream was to play for Barcelona.

Funny enough Barcelona today launched a bid for him.

So who will we turn to now?

Well personally I would love us to launch a cheeky bid for Peter Crouch. With a couple of teams looking at making bids for Andy Johnson I reckon we could throw a £10million bid on the table and bring him across the park.

Crouchy is a huge talent, no pun intended, and it’s a shame to see him wasted on the bench at liverpool. If only he was Spanish he would be starting every game!

I think his goals together with Yakubu would be enough to take us one place higher next season and that would see him pay for himself in one season!

Who’s to be a toffee? Crouchy for Everton

As an Everton supporter I was thrilled to hear we where tracking the talented Arshavin, the Russian player catching so many people’s eye at Euro 2008.

I wish though he had not returned from his ban! Since his return he’s orchestrated much of the Russian game and caught the eye of all the big clubs out there, which unfortunately, I think, has put him out of our reach. Especially as he openly admitted on TV last night that his dream was to play for Barcelona.

Funny enough Barcelona today launched a bid for him.

So who will we turn to now?

Well personally I would love us to launch a cheeky bid for Peter Crouch. With a couple of teams looking at making bids for Andy Johnson I reckon we could throw a £10million bid on the table and bring him across the park.

Crouchy is a huge talent, no pun intended, and it’s a shame to see him wasted on the bench at liverpool. If only he was Spanish he would be starting every game!

I think his goals together with Yakubu would be enough to take us one place higher next season and that would see him pay for himself in one season!

Germany defeated but not yet pole axed!

Croatia deserve huge credit tonight for their performance against the favoured Germany in Euro 2008.
They played some swift well controlled football and exposed the gaps in the German defence to earn a well deserved 2-1 victory.

Germany found it hard to live with the pace of the Germans and their tag as favourites must surely now wave in the balance, although this is the Germans we are talking about, only a fool would rule them out of it.

Germany did prove one thing once again though. If you give Schweinsteiger a sniff of goal he will happily bang one in. He got his third of the tournament as they tried to pull themselves back into the game.

As an Everton supporter I have to say I am really pleased for Slavin Bilic, he’s done a superb job with his team and they must remain dark horses. One thing for sure, nobody will relish having to face them as they look to work as a superb unit from back to front.