The senior players at Everton: do they need to go before we can prosper?

[Steve Wigan]

..clearly @davek has a bee in his bonnet over certain players.

I think this is simple. We need better footballers, not just to replace the more senior players. The trick is to bring in better than what you have, regardless of the names Dave highlights. Getting rid of those will not make us a fine team, it’s all about who you replace them with.

It’s not about who leaves, it’s absolutely about who comes in.

Correct, but there is something else we need,and someone mentioned it in another thread.It might have been you, Eggs. We need to get the philosophy right. The 'style',etc.....regain our reputation for being extremely hard to beat,start useing wingers as they should be used, be dominant in the air in defence, and have an out and out main striker who scares the living daylights out of opposition defences. Lets stop solely worrying about how to stop the opposition, and spend more time making them worry about us. If we sign a player because he has particular qualities, give him a chance to let those qualities shine. And remember that practicality should always supercede sentimentality.

 

[SpongeBob brown shoes]

It's only Baines I would be happy to stay the rest can leg it

 

[Dario Terracotta]

Remember Carraghers comments about our lot in the tunnel before the derby games?, says it all really, good lads Jags and Baines in particular but not winners by any stretch.

 

[mightymoyes]

Get rid, could handle Baines staying as cover for a new quality left back

 

[dholliday]

Get rid all. Rooney to USA, Snides to don't-care, the rest will prob just retire.

 

[Brisan123]

I'll reply more sensibly - I am inclined to off Rooney from the wage bill, but who the hell will take him?

Williams and Jagielka are our most experienced centre backs. First out the door for me would be Williams. I wouldn't be expecting Jags to play regularly but he's reasonable back up. But if we got in a solid experienced centre back or two I'd let him go.

Baines I'd keep for another season but not as our sole left back. He needs to be phased out by a high quality successor.

Schneiderlin? Just unreliable, out.

Can’t argue with any of that
We have Rooney for 12 more months minimum weather we like it or not.

 

[PickeringBlue]

We cant know for sure, but the events since the last two years under Martinez to the present (including the trying and dismissing of three managers if Unsworth is thrown in - because I think we saw a lack of fight for him too) is disturbing.

Yes, managers are to blame too, of course they are. But senior players have gone missing way too many times in recent years and the suspicion (shared by outsiders) is that is a conscious decision.

This is my number one issue. Until we root out the bad apples in the dressing room, we will never go anywhere.

 

[Toffeelover]

McCarthy???

 

[Khalekan]

To me it is a very simple answer.

Be they “senior players” or young players or even players in their prime.

e.g. Baines, DCL or Gana.

If we can sign better players to replace them then we should “get shut”.

And if we cannot sign better than what we already have, then keep them.

 

[BHvisitor]

Jagielka still improves the defence, with his vast knowledge and excellent communication. Keane looks far better with him, than Williams.

Perhaps some of the more recent buys, who've flopped, like Williams need to exit first?

 

[Badge1878]

It’s a mix of the times for me. We have a bloated squad acquired over multiple managers, it’s a squad that’s under performed and like in any workplace fingers get pointed. Some of the older players have seen the club perform at a better standard in past years, earning money at a level that we see as unbelievable but in the past summer windows there has been a change of ownership, new media deals and the arrival of many players who in my opinion their salary doesn’t deserve their contribution to the team.

Senior players? It’s not their tenure at the club or their individual age that marks them out, it’s whether they are leaders on and off the pitch. To my mind we have too few in both areas, must be so hard for the young lads who have won junior world cups and titles to break into a dressing room clique that lacks real leaders, or who to be fair, they even look up to.

Seen more from Pickford in one year than I could say Mirallas about what it means to be a first team player at Everton. Too many bang average recently acquired players on massive wages at our club to say its up to the senior players to hold them to account. We lack an identity and pride in that Royal Blue shirt, too many players do not actually understand the privilege they hold if ever selected to represent Everton Football Club.

 

[captainvindaloo]

To me it is a very simple answer.

Be they “senior players” or young players or even players in their prime.

e.g. Baines, DCL or Gana.

If we can sign better players to replace them then we should “get shut”.

And if we cannot sign better than what we already have, then keep them.

Exactly. Trouble is, we have failed to do this in too many windows recently. Instead of buying improvements, we have blown wads of cash on lesser players. So here we are, stuck with these "senior" players, who must think they are irreplaceable!

 

[Frank Halfcoate]

Can’t argue with any of that
We have Rooney for 12 more months minimum weather we like it or not.

oh thunder only happens when it's wayneing hhahahaha

In all seriousness though yeah, get rid of the lot of them, maybe pickford and gana aside
I understand what's been said about a huge overhaul in one go, but I honestly cannot see the benefit in keeping some of these crabs

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

Said it for years. Our problems go way beyond just who the manager is, there's a fundamental problem with our players who have a losers mentality ingrained into them. It's not all their fault but there's no way back for the vast majority of them. There's only about one or two senior players we have worth keeping. The rest we need to rid ourselves of asap.

 

[anton66]

This has been our problem for decades. We just hang on to players forever if they want to stay. Eventually, they all get another job at the club. Get rid and move on.