2023/24 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[Swartzy]

I guess it depends what you think is the most important thing in a line-leading No9: scoring goals or all the other stuff. He played 33 games last season, almost all appearances were at least ~80 minutes, and he got 7 goals (2 of which were penalties).

For me, 'brilliant' is reserved for the top players (ie. Haaland, Kane, Mbappe) but semantics aside, I just dont see enough level of value to warrant wanting to keep him as our first choice striker. Sure, everything has context, so when his competition is Dobbin or Chermiti or Maupay he's the stand out choice. And yes, Dyche plays his favourites, so DCL with his years of Prem experience will always start over some Portugese bloke from Udinese who has never kicked a ball in the "toughest league in the world", but Carlo aside DCL has never really been a prolific and consistent goal scorer for any manager.

It's easy to shift context into excuse making. "If he's not 100% fit, its unfair to judge him on goals. If he doesn't have top players putting it on a plate, its unfair to judge him on chances converted" etc. I think we all know if he was bagging 20 goals a season, no one would care about his 'all round game', but he's not so everything else becomes secondary to what he is primarily in the team to do.

Maybe you should forward that to Dyche, He plays him in a role that you wouldn't find any prolific strikers out there with the team around them..

As for using the word Brilliant, for what he's asked to do for us ( Which is playing all over the pitch ) he pretty much is...

 

[Titus Shambles]

Maybe you should forward that to Dyche, He plays him in a role that you wouldn't find any prolific strikers out there with the team around them..

As for using the word Brilliant, for what he's asked to do for us ( Which is playing all over the pitch ) he pretty much is...

You say brilliant, I say pretty much about the same as most half-competent strikers anywhere could do. Guess we shall just have to agree to disagree for tonight...

 

[The binman chronicles]

He played 33 games last season, almost all appearances were at least ~80 minutes, and he got 7 goals (2 of which were penalties).

Not that it changes the needle much, but he had a couple of goals that should really of stood chalked off and didn't Harrison get given a goal that either deflected off him or he made a final touch when it was already going in. Add those to if he had been on the pitch to take the pen that Beto missed, the figures start to look more what we would expect from him.

It was a strange season, out to start with, comes back firing (as a sub) then struggled for a large chunk of the season, then ended it quite strongly (more performance wise than goals granted).

Dom could stay and get 15 goals easily, he could also pick up an injury and play less than 5 games all season. This is the conundrum.

 

[Blueclouds]

He is over-rated. Wouldn't offer him more then 90k a week with his injuries. He not a bad player but he nothing special.

 

[Rugby Toffee]

On his day, offers so much , but like a lot of strikers without service , he offers very little. Would be great if we created more chances for him and he was a clinical finisher , but both sadly don't happen.
Maybe a move would be best for both parties in the long run.

 

[Nymzee]

I'm sure if you went back through the last few pages of this thread or the summer transfer thread you'd find multiple other people have cited that's the contract offer on the table for him. I don't know their sources, I'm merely using it as a current example that hardly seems wildly unrealistic, but I think you know that and can only assume you're trying to be pedantic to detract from the overall point, which is I would like us to aspire beyond a non-prolific No9 leading the line.

Not really being pedantic. I just don’t see why you’d use a made up figure, one which people might read and kick off about. I, personally, only use facts in my arguments but each to their own.

 

[Lobworm]

I don't discount his injuries, but by the same token, he played 17 games in each of the two seasons previous to last. He was obviously fit enough to be on the pitch, but it just furthers my point about excuses for a guy who is not prolific: "he wasn't 100% peak fit, therefore free pass". As if other teams dont have strikers with issues but if they ever get linked to us, whats the first thing we judge them on.

I refer back to my previous point, looking at the worst spell of his career when he was blighted by injury isn't a particularly objective way to judge a footballer. In each of the previous 2 seasons you refer to, his injury was quite possibly, poorly managed, he was possibly rushed back, hence he broke down.
I am not sure anyone is making excuses or giving him a free pass, although I haven't read the whole thread. His career record says for us, he is a 1 in 4 striker, possibly higher if you measure his goals by the minute, as opposed to games, but, your mind is obviously made up, so crack on.

 

[Sean Ashley]

How much would it cost to replace Dom like for like? That is the issue for the club. We could sell him for £25m roughly. But as we have seen for years buying strikers is something Everton don't do well. Already splashed that on Beto and who could we get that's cheaper Adams? Chris Wood? Hardly exciting or improving on Dom is it.

 

[Lloydystark]

How much would it cost to replace Dom like for like? That is the issue for the club. We could sell him for £25m roughly. But as we have seen for years buying strikers is something Everton don't do well. Already splashed that on Beto and who could we get that's cheaper Adams? Chris Wood? Hardly exciting or improving on Dom is it.

Just look at our signings upfront they've been poor... chermitti I think will be good though.

Moise Keane £25m?
beto £25m?
Maupay £12/15m?
ROndon-free
chermitti £15m?

 

[JLW]

How much would it cost to replace Dom like for like? That is the issue for the club. We could sell him for £25m roughly. But as we have seen for years buying strikers is something Everton don't do well. Already splashed that on Beto and who could we get that's cheaper Adams? Chris Wood? Hardly exciting or improving on Dom is it.

I think we already have a replacement for DCL, Chermiti.

More game time for him this season and he will offer us what DCL does.

 

[GoldenToffee]

How much would it cost to replace Dom like for like? That is the issue for the club. We could sell him for £25m roughly. But as we have seen for years buying strikers is something Everton don't do well. Already splashed that on Beto and who could we get that's cheaper Adams? Chris Wood? Hardly exciting or improving on Dom is it.

How I long for the days where we could land upon a striker like Kevin Campbell, Yakubu or be able to bring somebody as exciting as Lukaku was back then. It's gone badly wrong effectively since Moshiri came to the club. How ironic.

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

I think we already have a replacement for DCL, Chermiti.

More game time for him this season and he will offer us what DCL does.

I am all for positivity but that is a wild thing to say imo - he has played 179 minutes of premiel league football - and is just 20 NEVER ready to be our first choice striker

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

DCL looking very happy and relaxed at training this morning it seems..

 

[Salt & Pepper Toffee]

Bit much that

People still celebrate the death of Maggie Thatcher. If someone wants to walk away from Everton, after all they've done for him, so he can make a few extra quid, I personally hope it back fires on him spectacularly. Same with Barkley too. I appreciate this is speculation at this point but if that was his plan, I stick by it.

 

[sd_1992]

Fans never chased any of those out.

Miralllas gave up on the team with his attitude. All others sold by managers.

Fans were more than happy to see them gone.

Thinking anything else is just pure revisionism.