Bent rejects WHU - will AJ be next?

[Welton Toffee]

I endorse Interia's post 100%, and would add the intangible team spirit issue. AJ is 100% happy to be a Blue, great team player by all accounts.

I would hate to see AJ go for any price whatsoever.

As do I CT. He can become an Everton legend if he stays with us. Terrific player

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

I don't see it at all.

This is some good news. AJ after the surgery and recouperation said it the best he's felt in three years. Imagine that I was impressed in all the lost causes he went for last year. I couldn't imagine him not being 100% then. We need to hang on to him at all costs.

 

[Neiler]

To be honest i like A.J. and would be dissapointed if he left. But i cant help but feel that he got a little found out toward the end of last season, defenders learned how to push him into channels and he seemed a little bit one trick i.e. when his normal game didnt work he offered little in the way of varience though admittedly hes a hard grafter.

I vote keep him because i accept the point that he was palying injured, unfit, by himself and i think he has the wilingness to learn and add to his game through coaching.

It will be intresting to see how he gets on next season but im expecting a better return to be honest, he needs to play with a partner though, i think both Johnson and Beattie have been hinderd by being played upfront on their tod and a lack of natural width.

(Jumps for cover for defending Beattie).

 

[chicoazul]

Defending Beattie is easy mate. Thats why he doesnt score.

 

[Neiler]

Made in Cuba Class!

 

[Robert Jarvis]

Monty states AJ is not a 20 mill player, I disagree if WHU are willing to paythat much then he is a 20 mill player. The fact is that strikers with a proven record are in short supply. There is talk of Nugent but exactly what is his strike record? Last year how did Ashton get on not very well I recall due to injury but has he fully recovered. As for AJ if we can get away from just playing him upfront and provide a decent co-striker then matters could be pretty good. Also do not forget lets have a fit Cahill back just behind AJ.

 

[monty]

Monty states AJ is not a 20 mill player, I disagree if WHU are willing to paythat much then he is a 20 mill player. The fact is that strikers with a proven record are in short supply. There is talk of Nugent but exactly what is his strike record? Last year how did Ashton get on not very well I recall due to injury but has he fully recovered. As for AJ if we can get away from just playing him upfront and provide a decent co-striker then matters could be pretty good. Also do not forget lets have a fit Cahill back just behind AJ.

Robert, barca are reportedly offering £17 mil for Henry, Schevnecko could be going back to Italy for less than 15 mil, if any one wants AJ for 20 mil sell him. Is it not strange to see those two London selling clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea upsetting their changing rooms in such a fashion. I have said many times before that AJ, although a very good player, is not a natural goal scorer in the Prem. Defences sussed him early on after his intial goal scoring spree hence he dried up for long periods last term. When he breaks he is forced into corners because defenders know he isn't the best crosser of the ball hence his danger is snuffed out, he appears to have little ability to break on the inside hence he is forced wide every time. I would take the chance on Nugent, it is a less of a chance than AJ actually as he is far more advanced internationally than AJ was when we signed him from the Championship. As for speed up front, both Vic and Vaughan are like [Poor language removed] off shovels when it comes to speed and Nugent is no slouch.

If someone comes calling, as I expect both West Ham and Arsenal will, especially if they sell Henry, then yes give me £20 mil and I'd be happy to sell. As for sending a message to the changing room, DM will make sure the real message gets through, to think any less of him would be showing either him disrespect or it would be total arrogance on behalf of anyone suggesting that a wrong message would be sent.

 

[Rob]

I agree monty, after the liverpool game all of us thought AJ would score upwards of 15 plus easily.

Never came.... I'd love to see vaughan and AJ up front next season but that requires we buy a strong midfielder.

 

[Keith_Shabs12345]

Sell AJ and you can probably expect Arteta et al to follow suit either now or in January unless were doing unbelievably well in the league. Signing AJ and us actually having a consistant goal threat for once in a good few years was a step forward in our remarkable ascendancy from relegation battlers to regular European club in just a few short years. Selling him now, even for a vastly inflated price of £20 million, would be a signal of intent, or lack thereof, however, would anyone here be willing to swap AJ for Fernandes and Nugent ? Thats the real question because that is what most likely the money would be spent on.

£12 million on Fernandes, £7 million on Nugent. And a bit left over to make a few other nifty signings. For me that would be vastly strengthening our midfield, but weakening our strikeforce.

 

[Cal]

If we want to be a big club and prepare for the future then we dont sell our best players whatever the price tag, its all good selling AJ for 20 million but are you guarenteed that you will find someone?

 

[inertia3112]

Robert, barca are reportedly offering £17 mil for Henry, Schevnecko could be going back to Italy for less than 15 mil, if any one wants AJ for 20 mil sell him. Is it not strange to see those two London selling clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea upsetting their changing rooms in such a fashion. I have said many times before that AJ, although a very good player, is not a natural goal scorer in the Prem.

He's had one injury-ravaged season in the prem and your telling us he's not a natural goalscorer in the prem.
I have to completely disagree, beattie IS someone who isnt a natural goalscorer in the prem.
Henry and shev, are going cheaper because ones almost 30, the others over 30, and both have salaries well in excess of £100,000 per week.


Defences sussed him early on after his intial goal scoring spree hence he dried up for long periods last term. When he breaks he is forced into corners because defenders know he isn't the best crosser of the ball hence his danger is snuffed out, he appears to have little ability to break on the inside hence he is forced wide every time.

This is a complete fallousy about all players IMO.
'Getting found out', owen was supposedly found out when he was 22, still kept scoring tho. any player is accused of being found out, when there is a drought and the player has an identifiable style of play.
All defenders are taught how to push pacy forwards wide and snuff them out from day one, its part of their coaching from an early age.
And he's been getting pushed out wide all the time for years, through goalscoring periods and droughts, the difference is on some occasions he will have some support just behind him and wide where he can push the ball and head back for a return in the centre, or if anyones up with him who can make a dummyrun across the defence, one slight hesitation from the defence and he will be off and through them.
However if the balls played over the top and not to his strengths and without support,well, no he's not diego maradonna.
And when we play tight, ie. the first half of a lot of games, that support is rarely there because of the game plan keeping things tight.





I would take the chance on Nugent, it is a less of a chance than AJ actually as he is far more advanced internationally than AJ was when we signed him from the Championship. As for speed up front, both Vic and Vaughan are like [Poor language removed] off shovels when it comes to speed and Nugent is no slouch.

How can it be less of a chance on nugent than it was aj??
He is NOT more advanced internationally, a tiny cameo and a freak goal does not back up what you say.Aj had more senior caps when he signed than nugent has right now. I dont need to say this but obviously nugent has no experience of the top-flight whatsoever, whilst AJ was the topscoring englishmen in his first season.


If someone comes calling, as I expect both West Ham and Arsenal will, especially if they sell Henry, then yes give me £20 mil and I'd be happy to sell. As for sending a message to the changing room, DM will make sure the real message gets through, to think any less of him would be showing either him disrespect or it would be total arrogance on behalf of anyone suggesting that a wrong message would be sent.

This is a mind-boggling and arrogant last paragraph monty, shame on you!!
How can selling your top striker be taken any other way, no matter who you are!
IMO if AJ goes and is replaced by nugent, THAT is unequivocally a negative and back-wards step and unless moyes has some mind-control tricks the dressing room WILL see it that way, at least until Nugent could 'prove' it wasnt. Now, AJ AND NUGENT, that'll do for me!
And to suggest anyone who disagrees is displaying 'total arrogance', surely is a display of arrogance in itself.

No offence monty!

BUt its been ages since I broke a post up like on toffeeweb!

 

[SuitsBlue]

johnno was carrying injury and was in a side with no cahill, vic and vaughan stepped up but werent in the frame all the time.

cahills physical attributes in the advanced midfield position coupled with his magnificent aerial ability causes problems for defences and midfields, get some service into them both from the left as well as the quality arteta provides from the right and watch them both bag a few more goals next season and seasons after.

at the minute we are lop sided and if teams are finding anything out it is that arteta is our dangerman and that they have to stop him at all costs.

lets get some quality on the left.

please.

 

[monty]

No offence monty!

BUt its been ages since I broke a post up like on toffeeweb!

Glad to have given you practice inertia.

This reminds me of the response I got last season when I had the temerity to point out what I saw as BT's weaknesses, seems most now agree with me on that one.

I will be prepared to eat my words if I am proven wrong this time, I honestly believe I won't be. The main difference this time is that fact that rather than say AJ is [Poor language removed], as I did with BT, I'm saying he is a decent player but he will not live up to the expectations you all have in him.

Incidentally how come it is arrogant to support the managers abilities to manage, just curious?

 

[inertia3112]

'DM will make sure the real message gets through, to think any less of him would be showing either him disrespect or it would be total arrogance on behalf of anyone suggesting that a wrong message would be sent.'

I'm just pointing out, that, I strongly suggest no matter what DM says the wrong message would be sent to the dressing room.
But you made a bit of a sweeping statement mate, that basically says I cant think that without showing disrespect or 'total arrogance'.
Now I've been one of DM's biggest supporters good times and bad (robert will tell you), no way am I showing DM disrespect, so it seems without discussing the actual point, youve swept my opinion away as arrogance.

Now I'm not being prickly here or trying to be funny with you, I'm just saying.

I dont know how the bt thread went, but from where I'm sitting its like comparing fish and chips to quantum physics.
But All my expectations for aj are 20+ goals.
I dont see how that can be ruled out as a possibility because he's already done it previously.

 

[monty]

'DM will make sure the real message gets through, to think any less of him would be showing either him disrespect or it would be total arrogance on behalf of anyone suggesting that a wrong message would be sent.'

I'm just pointing out, that, I strongly suggest no matter what DM says the wrong message would be sent to the dressing room.
But you made a bit of a sweeping statement mate, that basically says I cant think that without showing disrespect or 'total arrogance'.
Now I've been one of DM's biggest supporters good times and bad (robert will tell you), no way am I showing DM disrespect, so it seems without discussing the actual point, youve swept my opinion away as arrogance.

Now I'm not being prickly here or trying to be funny with you, I'm just saying.

I dont know how the bt thread went, but from where I'm sitting its like comparing fish and chips to quantum physics.
But All my expectations for aj are 20+ goals.
I dont see how that can be ruled out as a possibility because he's already done it previously.

That is what I am suggesting, he won't produce a return anything like that because defences have him sussed. It could be that the trainers try and get him to cut in once in a while with more success, he hasn't so far. Due to matters beyond my control the BT threads are on another site but I think RBJ will endorse that what I've said about being in the vanguard of his critics, and so many said I was wrong then, I would love to be proven wrong this time but I don't think I will be, sell him for £20 mil