Moyes: None of my Everton FC stars are going anywhere

[GhostOfDixie]

This won't be popular but i'm not hopeful with Distin.

I voiced concerns at the time of spending £6m on a 32-year-old who was available on a free transfer just two years before, but I did concede that the signing was one out of necessity, given the need for a 'ready made' replacement for Lescott. Ready made in that he had just on ten years experience of the Premiership. With that in mind, I don't think Moyes had the same bedding in plan for Distin as he did for Bilyaletdinov.

He talks the talk but for me, he just isn't good enough. I actually can't think of a worse centre half ever at the club. He's master of the sliced clearance, competes with Yobo for aimless long balls, shocking aerial ability for a lad his size (6 goals in 330+ Prem games, hardly surprisingly when McFadden won literally every header against him in the cup game) and he looks like a rabbit caught in headlights whenever a ball is sent high directly through the centre (Wolves, Birmingham x2, Benfica etc)...

He's also indecisive and makes ridiculous decisions. The Anfield derby, a long ball clearance and Distin looked favourable all day long. He then lets N'Gog make life difficult and punts it out for a corner (why not a for a throw in I'll never know...) which we then condeded from.

Then theres his positional ability. See Spurs, especially the first goal. He's 25 yards forward of Jagielka, in an inexplicable position.

In short, I think Distin is Moyes' worst Everton signing, especially if Yobo is shown the door at his expense in the summer. Despite that condemnation, I do sympathise with Moyes for the out of character signing given the situation.

And before people shout Per Kroldrup at me, Kroldrup had some sell on value, didn't command £50,000 a week and didn't cost us progression in Europe. He also didn't stay around long enough to frustrate me.

Most will disagree with the above and find it out of character, but he's on a par with Simon Davies for frustrating me.

I think mate we all need to give all players at least 12 month's grace, time to bed in, time to settle, time to get used to how we play football at Everton.

If we didn't then we wouldn't have seen the goals from Yak, the class of Arteta, the drive and energy of Pienaar and Baines, and the sheer silky skills of Fellaini.

You may well be right, but he deserves 12 months including a pre-season.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I agree, Distin hasn't impressed me either. I'm inclined to think positively though so hope its more a case that he hasn't had a settled partner etc. Not particularly convinced but I hope he does come good because, as you say, he doesn't have much of a resale value.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

In all honesty, he's basically a left footed version of Joseph Yobo. Yobo seems to get off with it a bit because of his longer stay here. But they do exactly the same frustrating things.

They are both one footed, prone to lapses in concentration, lack composure on the ball and there games are based around there physical attributes rather than there intelligence and positioning.

I agree, Distin has been disappointing after a good start but Yobo is exactly the same, he's so hit and miss it's untrue. Neither are good enough to be starters for us, both players are capable backup at best.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I think mate we all need to give all players at least 12 month's grace, time to bed in, time to settle, time to get used to how we play football at Everton.

If we didn't then we wouldn't have seen the goals from Yak, the class of Arteta, the drive and energy of Pienaar and Baines, and the sheer silky skills of Fellaini.

You may well be right, but he deserves 12 months including a pre-season.

I appreciate that thinking and as you know I always advocate the bedding in process. I was Blue in the face saying it with regards to Fellaini.

The difference for me here, and why "i'm not hopeful with Distin" is because he's had ten years Premiership experience and he's still struggled with the basics. I mean, any long ball through the centre we look likely to concede from.

Distin has brought Howards tourettes back.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

I appreciate that thinking and as you know I always advocate the bedding in process. I was Blue in the face saying it with regards to Fellaini.

The difference for me here, and why "i'm not hopeful with Distin" is because he's had ten years Premiership experience and he's still struggled with the basics. I mean, any long ball through the centre we look likely to concede from.

Distin has brought Howards tourettes back.

Well i'm fairly sure Moyes is aware and will work on it. I remember Jags being dodgy as hell when he first arrived.

But if Distin is a mistake, and people are starting to feel that Billy is also, that's 15m quid down the tubes.

I don't subscribe to that way of thinking, I can't imagine Moyes to give up on that kind of money.

 

[Matt Damon]

I appreciate that thinking and as you know I always advocate the bedding in process. I was Blue in the face saying it with regards to Fellaini.

The difference for me here, and why "i'm not hopeful with Distin" is because he's had ten years Premiership experience and he's still struggled with the basics. I mean, any long ball through the centre we look likely to concede from.

Distin has brought Howards tourettes back.

I view the Distin transfer as one of necessity, rather than choice. At the time Moyes said there was no one else available in the appropriate price range:

Upson - 8Million? No chance.

I think that 6million is offset by the Heitinga for 5.5million massively.

And equally, long term we have Duffy and no doubt other Moyes targets he's no doubt looking at.

Remember we'd just come off the Arsenal defeat and the instability, and so the club needed to make the change quickly.

So thats what probably caused the higher price.

The club did pull it back though in my opinion getting Heitinga in for what they did.

* Oh and Billy is just like Fellaini. Having seen what Moyes was doing there, I think its only right to give Billy time. Plus he's shown flashes of what he can do, which Fellaini did last season. Consistently this season.

Oh and my old man has watched Everton since the 60's ... he reckons if we can keep the squad together, maybe add one or two in the summer: HE CANNOT WAIT FOR NEXT SEASON.

HE CAN SMELL IT, that we're (provided we stay clear of injuries) gonner be a major force next season...

As I say, 50 years of watchin the blues. I'm goin with my old man on this one!

 

[davek]

Well i'm fairly sure Moyes is aware and will work on it. I remember Jags being dodgy as hell when he first arrived.

But if Distin is a mistake, and people are starting to feel that Billy is also, that's 15m quid down the tubes.

I don't subscribe to that way of thinking, I can't imagine Moyes to give up on that kind of money.

That's true about Jagielka being a liability when he first came. That was through nerves and exuberance. Just needed to find his bearings. But Distin looks all over the place and off the pace, and he's an experienced top flight pro. He's not going to offer too much more. In his defence I'd accept he hasn't had a settled partnership, but it looks like £5M wasted at the moment.

 

[Matt Damon]

That's true about Jagielka being a liability when he first came. That was through nerves and exuberance. Just needed to find his bearings. But Distin looks all over the place and off the pace, and he's an experienced top flight pro. He's not going to offer too much more. In his defence I'd accept he hasn't had a settled partnership, but it looks like £5M wasted at the moment.

See my comment above.

I'd like the ones saying it was "wasted" to list any players available at short notice last summer for less.

Upson would have cost us 8million. And he had a mare yesterday against Drogba.

The same player Heitinga and Distin played out the game at ours.

 

[davek]

See my comment above.

I'd like the ones saying it was "wasted" to list any players available at short notice last summer for less.

Upson would have cost us 8million. And he had a mare yesterday against Drogba.

The same player Heitinga and Distin played out the game at ours.

Upson is trash, but at least he'd have sell on value. There's always some mug willing to pay up for an England player based at a London club.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Upson is trash, but at least he'd have sell on value. There's always some mug willing to pay up for an England player based at a London club.

Is that where our new stadium is going to be? That would be a bonus.

 

[bluebastardo]

See my comment above.

I'd like the ones saying it was "wasted" to list any players available at short notice last summer for less.

Upson would have cost us 8million. And he had a mare yesterday against Drogba.

The same player Heitinga and Distin played out the game at ours.

There was a stage we could have gotten Taylor from Newcastle for a similar amount.

 

[Matt Damon]

There was a stage we could have gotten Taylor from Newcastle for a similar amount.

But he didn't want to leave Newcastle. Being a Geordie. And they wanted 8 million or more too.

 

[Neiler]

Im wanting to give Distin the benefit of the doubt but hes not 22 or 23 hes 32 with over a 100 prem league games to his credit. In terms of the task he was set i.e. coming in expierenced and filling an immediate void quickly he hasnt lived up to the billing - i was hopefull once we got abit of consistencey in partnerships he may kick on and it hasnt happend.

For me the main thingin is he hesitates far to much especially in the box, hes vulnerable on the high ball shockingly so for a big man and he doesnt make the best use of his stature. He also tends to drop of then hold the line.

The defending yesterday was shocking and has been all season, we dont look solid from front to back, but the defending has been god awfull at times.

If you luck at all our results we dont have a problem scoring goals or creating chances despite what Davey says about a cutting edge, we just conceade to many 5 clean sheets all season is abysmal. we could be easily top four with a few more clean sheets.

 

[bluebastardo]

But he didn't want to leave Newcastle. Being a Geordie. And they wanted 8 million or more too.

He'd have come I reckon. Regarding centerbacks, it's not a position that gets rotated too often in any team, so perhaps someone like Distin might be content to sit on the bench occasionally, where as a younger top class defender might want away.
I think Moyes had money in his pocket and was in a rush to spend it though when he bought Distin, who actually started very well.

 

[bluebastardo]

Im wanting to give Distin the benefit of the doubt but hes not 22 or 23 hes 32 with over a 100 prem league games to his credit. In terms of the task he was set i.e. coming in expierenced and filling an immediate void quickly he hasnt lived up to the billing - i was hopefull once we got abit of consistencey in partnerships he may kick on and it hasnt happend.

For me the main thingin is he hesitates far to much especially in the box, hes vulnerable on the high ball shockingly so for a big man and he doesnt make the best use of his stature. He also tends to drop of then hold the line.

The defending yesterday was shocking and has been all season, we dont look solid from front to back, but the defending has been god awfull at times.

If you luck at all our results we dont have a problem scoring goals or creating chances despite what Davey says about a cutting edge, we just conceade to many 5 clean sheets all season is abysmal. we could be easily top four with a few more clean sheets.

Jags was even worse yesterday if we're honest.