Everton Summer transfers 2021

[Mitch Ward's Minder]

Positive is that we didn't end up with Barkley back here

 

[Barnfred 55]

I hope he does realise he is in last chance Saloon, no manager apart from Ancellotti and a weak manager would have indulged him like last year. Benitez isn't that so he has no choice. All depends now if Benitez is the forgiving type. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt it. As for being a disaster of a window I don't agree, could we have done more yes, without a doubt we could have got another right back in, seems that Patterson was the one we wanted. I necessarily don't think it's a bad thing that we refused to pay over the odds for him. We also reduced the wage bill and Gray and Townsend have started well. By the looks of things Benitez seems to be getting a tune out of Iwobi, as much as I disliked Benitez and his appointment any man that can win a champions league with Djimi Traore and Vladimir Smicer can no doubt get the best out of average players. Just going to have to hope he does the same here.

I don't think the transfer window was a disaster either. I do think it was poor in that we've left ourselves with zero cover with both full backs and will need to play people out of position. Plus right back was, or should have been, our main priority and we once again failed to sort it out, even temporarily.

But overall I think we pretty much agree on this. Here's a post I just did in another thread.

Somebody would argue that you are getting your excuses in early.

The fact is we are going into the season with a very similar squad to the one we had last year. We have brought in a replacement for Kean, (which we didn't last year), have replaced Bernie and Siggy with Gray and Townsend, and have improved our back up keeper. Plus there is a chance that we will hopefully get some decent game time out of Gbamin who gave us a glimpse of what he may be capable of during pre-season. The only negative on last season is that we have offloaded our left back cover, but then again we didn't play him last season anyway.

So, on the whole, I'd say that our squad is actually stronger than the one we began last season with. I expected us to challenge last season and I expect us to do the same this season too. Maybe not top 4 but certainly for European places. Despite me not liking him as a person, I do believe that Benitez has also very quickly come up with a playing system that suits the majority of our group of players and lads like Doucoure, Iwobi and Gomes may all benefit from that. We play with more purpose and the players look fitter too. It's good to see. Gray and Townsend look like good purchases and hopefully that will continue.

Unlike you I believe the manager needs to integrate James back into the squad, get him fitter and use him when we need a plan B. I'm hoping he's pragmatic enough to see this because discarding him from things serves no purpose whatsoever apart from being a complete waste of resources when we have so little anyway.

I think we're more than capable of winning a trophy this season and competing for top 6/7, and based on what I've seen so far, only a bad run of injures will stop us doing that. We're due some good fortune in that regard. I said in a different post that, with 2 pens in the first 3 games, maybe Benitez turns out to be a lucky manager for us.

 

[stretford blue]

There are plenty on here who have made the argument that they would be happy with mid-table "stability" (whatever that means?) until we get the new stadium which will somehow magically transform us into an elite club.

I wonder if Sunderland fans all them years ago felt the same owner prepared to but millions in new stadium would catapult them into the top six in the prem.we are a badly run football club repeatedly making the same mistakes

 

[joebocop]

I don't think anybody can be genuinely happy about this window, net spend or not. Some have stoically accepted it due to our financial situation and others have put on a brave face but we have left the window, once again, with an unbalanced squad. My biggest worry this year is about how thin our squad looks in several positions. The right side has still not been addressed, central midfield looks weak behind the first 11 and having only one senior LB looks foolish.

I just don't think it's as bad as people make out. We've brought in Gray and Townsend who look to have a good attitude and have already started contributing. We have a back up striker that the manager has repeatedly gone back to, who whether you like to admit it or not has got goals wherever he has gone. Considering our back ups have been Kean and Tosun, this is an improvement. The right back and now left back situation is frustrating but the squad we have will make do.

And most importantly our manager seems to have found a system that gets the most out of the players we already have. Maybe he can have a positive impact on players like Gbamin, Kenny, Branthwaite and Gordon that previously contributed nothing but under the new system could become squad players. I just don't think there's any point being negative. Our best chance of improvement is through stability.

 

[Pabbers]

So you're putting the entire fan base under the same umbrella because of what you have seen on Twitter of all places?

Quite ridiculous don't you think?

Well if you are offended by it, than you are part of the soft-arses.

 

[Daytripper]

So you dont read blue twitter then, all I see are fans crying about everything and everyone, its pathetic.

Why are they crying about everything and everyone?

 

[Lord Buckethead]

People won’t like it but this is the scenario we have always been in. The board could get us out of it in one fell swoop by selling DCL Richarlison Digne Godfrey, but we haven’t sold our best player since the sale of Gueye for a very tidy fee back in 2018. How many other mid table clubs can say the same?
Since that period we’ve also added Docuoure Allan James and Godfrey whilst getting rid of some deadwood.

People won’t like this particular window but the squad now is better than it was last season, and a lot better than it was in previous seasons before that.

Would be interested to know if we have had any actual credible bids for DCL, Richarlison, Digne and Godfrey.

Also, I see you are counting Hammy Rodz as a member of this Improved Squad, I'm fairly certain that Bulbous Benny does not.

 

[windymiller]

Terrible window and best in ten. If you need me to elaborate on why they aren't exclusive i can.

Yes, please

 

[toffee-L]

Well if you are offended by it, than you are part of the soft-arses.

Yet you are the one bothered by peoples' opinions on twitter, and I couldn't care less about them...

 

[Dwight K Schrute]

So are the net spend crew happy or sad?

And are they the same gang that want to spend loads on players and not spend anything at the same time?

For me the biggest problem relates to the acquisitions. Yes they are perfectly serviceable squad fillers, but their age profile is concerning.

We all expect Richarlison to be sold next summer, and I would imagine that if we have a poor season, there is a good chance DCL will request to go too. IF that happened, we would also be losing (not necessarily a bad thing) James, Sigurdsson, Branthwaite, Kenny and Delph at the end of their contracts. Plus players like Allan, Mina and Gomes will be in the final year of their contracts.

We will be left with a 33 year old Rondon, 31 year old Townsend, 60 year old Begovic, plus Seamus will be getting his bus pass etc.

The nature of the signings and the existing squad actually leaves us with an unbelievably large amount of work to do on the squad. And even if we sold Richarlison and DCL for good cash, it won't be easy to bring in that many players. I didn't want Benitez at all but the club should be giving him a chance to succeed.

 

[windymiller]

I just don't think it's as bad as people make out. We've brought in Gray and Townsend who look to have a good attitude and have already started contributing. We have a back up striker that the manager has repeatedly gone back to, who whether you like to admit it or not has got goals wherever he has gone. Considering our back ups have been Kean and Tosun, this is an improvement. The right back and now left back situation is frustrating but the squad we have will make do.

And most importantly our manager seems to have found a system that gets the most out of the players we already have. Maybe he can have a positive impact on players like Gbamin, Kenny, Branthwaite and Gordon that previously contributed nothing but under the new system could become squad players. I just don't think there's any point being negative. Our best chance of improvement is through stability.

The manager is getting a tune out of a squad with no injuries or suspensions. Behind the first 11 there is very little quality, it's reasonable to be worried about what happens when first team players are unavailable and it's reasonable to ask questions of the club as to how, with all of the money that has been spent on fees and wages, that this has happened.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Juventus just received $15 million euros for Ronaldo. $23 million if various terms are met i have read.

I am more annoyed at the way we can't seem to sell players. We have a backwards way of doing things. We potentially had a bit of leverage with Kean going back there as they had to find a replacement within a short period of time.

I understand we have received some money for him through loan fees but when we are skint like we are now we should at least be managing the assets that we do have a bit better imo.

When we're good at football our players will have the perception of being good footballers and will sell for reasonable fees.

 

[jazzy]

I will simply reply to the Kean point. I CBA with the rest of the Brands nonsense.
Look at how Juve wriggled out of the Kingsly Coman deal and tell me that you have faith that this conditional obligation will definitely result in a sale. As a lawyer I can tell you these conditional agreements can be a nightmare to enforce

 

[Dwight K Schrute]

My only hope is that being frugal this summer will allow spending next summer, where we will pick up the targets identified in this window, such as Richarlison leaving and being replaced by Diaz, Patterson replacing Coleman etc.
Even though it's been disappointing we need to become more sustainable in our transfers and if there isn't a viable target available, not just going out and buying anyone to fill a gap.
Hopefully also players like Kenny and Gordon get game time (fortunately or unfortunately) with the future proof of increasing value to sell for decent money, just like the RS do with their youths that aren't going to make it! Going out on loans hasn't done anything for their market value or publicising their talents.

Diaz will move to a Real or even Liverpool next window. A club like us only really gets one crack at players that good. We will have to identify someone else.

 

[Marius57]

I don't mind free transfers on short-term contracts and reasonable wages, especially when we got rid of some expensive and non-contributing players.

Sending our only LB cover on loan is stupid.
Not signing a RB is criminal.

I would have considered the window very good if we had signed a RB(Dumfries) and one of Nunes, Diaz, Cunha.

Still could have been worse.

I mean rondon is reportedly on 100k a week and will have had a hefty signing on fee due to no transfer fees. Hardly a free transfer on reasonable wages.