Les co crazyness for Everton?
Posted by Ian Marshall's Double in Everton, Premiership, Transfers | 5 June 2006
The scars of others should teach us caution.St Jerome.
Hmmm, the Lescott issue is perplexing. There is definitely some kind of problem, a knee bashing administered by a baseball bat seems to be the favourite, and whilst this is a disappointment, we need to be patient.
The latterly extremely bullish official Everton website has gone very quiet and the view from the humorously named Jez Moxley of Wolves is that we need more time and that they respect that. Suppose it puts them in a tricky spot now as well as hawking ‘damaged goods’ will have a stigma after Everton have knocked him back. And the Everton doctors seem to have been proved right on both Davis and Forsell.
Alternatives are being considered with Andy Webster of Hearts and Abdoulaye Meite of Marseille, apparently. Robert Huth (would he have been Everton’s first ever German?) appears to ‘favour a move to the North-East’, possibly the centre half’s graveyard of St James’ Park. Anyway, whatever the Blues do we should proceed with caution. We were all starting to lose faith on the Johnson deal, but it all turned out OK in the end, well didn’t it?
Looking at the wider transfer market, some Blues will be dismayed that we appear to be signing Man Utd ‘rejects’ in the form of Phil Neville and Tim Howard. Interestingly in the time of Chelsea signing Ballack and Shevchenko, it also appears that some of our so called ‘more illustrious’ North West rivals are also some way down the transfer food chain. Reports suggest that United are in for Gudjohnsen, and Liverpool for Wright-Phillips or even Damien Duff. So maybe just about all of us are dining on crumbs from a more lavish table.
Finally, we had a look the other day, probably tempting fate on the state of Joleon’s knee, at a potential starting line up for next year of;
Howard – Hibbert, Lescott, Yobo, Valente – Neville (or Carsley), Cahill, Arteta, Osman – Beattie, Johnson.
The one thing this team appears to lack is a proper big 'enforcer' in midfield, a Papa Bouba Diop or a Viera, or even, dare we say it, Sissoko. Moyesy has apparently tried to sign Diop, and virtually did sign Sissoko so this is no kind of criticism, but these players whilst sometimes looking ungainly, are worth their weight in Robert Green Esso World Cup coins. A beastly midfielder would probably allow Arteta and Osman to play, and Cahill to bomb forward more.
Just a thought. Next time we will really look at the 3 Everton players off to the World Cup, and maybe check out some of the former Blues making the trip. No, not him. See ya.
Comments
You're right of course. The midfield does look a little light. We need a Parkinson!
I'm concerned aboot the whole Lescott business but the fact that it has all stalled is a good indication we're doing the right thing. Wolves haven't started trying to hawk him off elsewhere.
I'm still warily optimistic aboot next season. I still can't see anything above eighth with our squad though.
I'm putting two pounds on every game in the world cup. I'll tell you what my final tally is.
Beefy
I'm hoping the Lescott knee situation is being played to our advantage in that we're using it to get a reduction in price or in the event that there is still lasting damage - covering our @rse!
I am quietly optimistic also, I don't want to commit myself to saying so too publicly though, I only look an idiot when he falter again. Agreed on the Parkinson front, we need that bulldog, all action, beast of a midfielder.
