Sorry - no matter what some might think of Neill (and clearly a lot don't like him) I can't see him warming the bench. Moyes would have had to be talking more than that for Lucas to sign on. Also, I know he has a name for being a mercenary but before the uproar over him snubbing Liverpool for West Ham he was with Blackburn for years and was a fans favourite (until he left). He also clearly has strong leadership skills. He's rated highly by the managers he's worked with and was captain at Blackburn (before Nelson returned from injury), captained West Ham and ditto the Socceroos. That sort of experience is invaluable. The issue of him conceding a lot of fouls is a throwback to his Blackburn days and let's face it that was the sort of football they played/play. Finally, when he's on his game he is more than a decent defender. Of course he might take some time to reach that after missing a whole preseason - although he has been keeping physically fit if not match fit. He reads the game well, is relatively calm under pressure, has great positioning and good distribution. He set up some great attacks for West Ham. I can't help thinking that a lot of the stick he gets emanates from the Liverpool controversy. He was a huge Liverpool fan (I'm sure he's exorcised that particular demon) as a kid but Benitez wasn't offering regular football. So yeah, he's pretty keen on the financial rewards - that doesn't make him a freak among footballers. But he's also highly motivated to succeed and I think that makes him a good signing for the Toffees. (Sorry for the rant....)
No need to apologise for what is a well-composed, sensible and, most of all, OPTIMISTIC post!
transfer merry-go-round for us.
