Muhamed Besic

[Neiler]

Regardless of whether we tie this up or even if he's a success, I'm glad this is the market we're in. We can't compete financially with the other teams around us and consequently can't buy proven premier league talent, so we need to look to our academy and a larger scouting network. Eastern Europe is still, to a point, an untapped market loaded with potential.

While I agree with the sentiment of bewilderment as to why the likes of Stoke/Fulham/Sunderland season on season regularly outspend us, why we finish above them is because we look to different markets, because we have such tight finances, we don't just settle for average Premiership/Champioship players, who, because of their exposure, instantly come with a ridiculous premium. We look to find other ways to succeed, rather than accept being an also ran and just doing squad building the way the majority of the league try to.

Great post mate - post more FFS! I think its a balance to be honest, its important to buy proven quality like - McCarthy, Barry and Lukaku if it comes of. There are positions that just can be scrimped on when it comes to impact and bottom line effectiveness. But i agree an essential strength for us is to identify young or wayward talent - Arteta, Coleman, Pienaar, Fellaini, Stones etc etc. Martinez has much to prove in this market for me - for all the mocking Moyes gets these days, he was exceptional at this.

I would say the margins are very different now though, i am watching this window now with one eye on our debt, the new TV deal means we have 10s of millions additional revenue. A key decision the board need to make is how to use it. They have already predicted a projected set of accounts that would have us virtually debt free bar the securitisation deal - which for me is far more important than doing a Sunderland or Newcastle and jibbing money on flashy names.

So i am encouraged by the market we are shopping in, if we get Besic, Barry and Galloway for reasonable fees and competitive wages - it gives us an indication that the board is committed to bringing down our overall reliance on debt. To me that is more important to the broader welfare of the club overall in future seasons, then spending 30mill+ on players this window - i know most wont see it like that - but i would be concerned overall if we spent 25mill+ on players.

What never gets aired is the projected accounts that would have us relatively debt free for the first time in decades - that really is possibly the biggest and most important news to come out of Everton in decades, if it comes to pass. So im overall encouraged by the market we seem to have identified, the profile of player and the balance overall.

 

[dublinbluenose]

If we do sign him I presume its cover for either Gareth Barry or James McCarthy? we dont need 3 holding mid-fielders.

 

[FTY]

Its an Adidas isn't it

Hahahahahahahaah

 

[flibbyflob]

If we do sign him I presume its cover for either Gareth Barry or James McCarthy? we dont need 3 holding mid-fielders.

But we do with all the extra games.

Besic might just play every european match and domestic cup matches to bed him in and be a sub for most of the league campaign. Might still get 25-30 matches though if we have a couple of cup runs and he covers suspensions.

 

[Neiler]

But we do with all the extra games.

Besic might just play every european match and domestic cup matches to bed him in and be a sub for most of the league campaign. Might still get 25-30 matches though if we have a couple of cup runs and he covers suspensions.

I know there is some debate about this, but hes played most of his competitive football at centre half.

 

[bluebud]

If we do sign him I presume its cover for either Gareth Barry or James McCarthy? we dont need 3 holding mid-fielders.

Rotation, Roberto wants to be able to field completely different sides for Europe so that the players playing at the weekend don't need to travel mid week, he even mentioned splitting the coaching staff so while one team is traveling to the Europa the team for the weekend continues to prepare uninterrupted at FF. We could play Barry and McCarthy in the prem with Lundstram on the bench and Gibson and Besic mid week with Ledson on the bench, Likewise with Lukaku/Kone and Traore/McAleny etc.

 

[flibbyflob]

I know there is some debate about this, but hes played most of his competitive football at centre half.

Still need a centre half long term, for the price it seems a no brainer to me. Worth a punt.

 

[dublinbluenose]

But we do with all the extra games.

Besic might just play every european match and domestic cup matches to bed him in and be a sub for most of the league campaign. Might still get 25-30 matches though if we have a couple of cup runs and he covers suspensions.

Rotation, Roberto wants to be able to field completely different sides for Europe so that the players playing at the weekend don't need to travel mid week, he even mentioned splitting the coaching staff so while one team is traveling to the Europa the team for the weekend continues to prepare uninterrupted at FF. We could play Barry and McCarthy in the prem with Lundstram on the bench and Gibson and Besic mid week with Ledson on the bench, Likewise with Lukaku/Kone and Traore/McAleny etc.

So its as cover then, sounds like a good move, can play centre half as well.

 

[Deco]

I know there is some debate about this, but hes played most of his competitive football at centre half.

He's quite short for a centre back... 5'9/10"?

 

[broders]

Regardless of whether we tie this up or even if he's a success, I'm glad this is the market we're in. We can't compete financially with the other teams around us and consequently can't buy proven premier league talent, so we need to look to our academy and a larger scouting network. Eastern Europe is still, to a point, an untapped market loaded with potential.

While I agree with the sentiment of bewilderment as to why the likes of Stoke/Fulham/Sunderland season on season regularly outspend us, why we finish above them is because we look to different markets, because we have such tight finances, we don't just settle for average Premiership/Champioship players, who, because of their exposure, instantly come with a ridiculous premium. We look to find other ways to succeed, rather than accept being an also ran and just doing squad building the way the majority of the league try to.

Spot on mate. In retrospect, i suppose it was why Martinez was such a canny move by the board; he'd been doing precisely the same thing for Wigan, and before that Swansea, for years; admittedly on a smaller scale, but the principle is the same.

 

[FTY]

If we do sign him I presume its cover for either Gareth Barry or James McCarthy? we dont need 3 holding mid-fielders.

4, Gibson, and yes we do. We play 2 don't forget.

We're in 4 competitions next year so we need 2 teams.

 

[allen]

Rotation, Roberto wants to be able to field completely different sides for Europe so that the players playing at the weekend don't need to travel mid week, he even mentioned splitting the coaching staff so while one team is traveling to the Europa the team for the weekend continues to prepare uninterrupted at FF. We could play Barry and McCarthy in the prem with Lundstram on the bench and Gibson and Besic mid week with Ledson on the bench, Likewise with Lukaku/Kone and Traore/McAleny etc.

I know that's what Roberto said, and it sounds like a great way of dealing with the early group games. But it sounds a bit too good to be true, doesn't it?

 

[AusToffee]

Fabio Cannavaro was only 5'9 and was one of the greatest defenders of all time. Even in the air.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Regardless of whether we tie this up or even if he's a success, I'm glad this is the market we're in. We can't compete financially with the other teams around us and consequently can't buy proven premier league talent, so we need to look to our academy and a larger scouting network. Eastern Europe is still, to a point, an untapped market loaded with potential.

While I agree with the sentiment of bewilderment as to why the likes of Stoke/Fulham/Sunderland season on season regularly outspend us, why we finish above them is because we look to different markets, because we have such tight finances, we don't just settle for average Premiership/Champioship players, who, because of their exposure, instantly come with a ridiculous premium. We look to find other ways to succeed, rather than accept being an also ran and just doing squad building the way the majority of the league try to.

Thanks god for the L-shaped sofa and headphones - seems Roberto puts that hours into it when looking at players.

 

[marty mcfly]

Regardless of whether we tie this up or even if he's a success, I'm glad this is the market we're in. We can't compete financially with the other teams around us and consequently can't buy proven premier league talent, so we need to look to our academy and a larger scouting network. Eastern Europe is still, to a point, an untapped market loaded with potential.

While I agree with the sentiment of bewilderment as to why the likes of Stoke/Fulham/Sunderland season on season regularly outspend us, why we finish above them is because we look to different markets, because we have such tight finances, we don't just settle for average Premiership/Champioship players, who, because of their exposure, instantly come with a ridiculous premium. We look to find other ways to succeed, rather than accept being an also ran and just doing squad building the way the majority of the league try to.

We are a much bigger club than Stoke/Fulham/Sunderland even if we have less money to spend on transfers our name, history and support base allows us to get the players at a cheaper price than those teams and it puts us up the pecking order whenever they choose who to play for - the fact is those teams go for them but rarely get them as the "bigger" clubs normally come in and pinch them.

For me it's not the price of the player that I care about but their value relative to their price. I wouldn't want to spend 15m on a player with no resale value but I would gladly spend it on one who would make a profit even if they're 20m etc.

But this season more than any other is the season we need to spend wisely due to the extra money. Waste it now and a few teams may leapfrog us permanently. Spend it wisely and we could be up there for the next 5 years. But we do need to spend it.