Everton 2017-18 Post-mortem: Eight(h) is Enough

swiftaw

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Looks like Rooney will join soon on a free transfer. 2 year contract, 150,000 pounds a week (50% pay cut).

Also rumors that Everton are chasing Leicester's Demarai Grey. That would be another great young signing.
 

Zomp

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Apparently Lukaku wants to go to Chelsea, but Raiola wants him to go to United (I assume because he gets a bigger piece of the pie).
Don't fall for Chelsea spin. While there is no doubt Raiola wanted him to go United it's always up to the player on where they go.

Lukaku was Chelsea's number one transfer target and they made no denying that they were going to go hard after him. If they wanted him that bad they could have outbid United. The thing about Chelsea not paying his agent fee while United did is bullshit.

I also think his friendship with Pogba had something to do with it as well.
 

Dummy Hoy

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I really don't get the Rooney thing. I don't know where he's going to play and I don't think he's good enough to be a starter for a team pushing for Champions League.

I could be wrong, but to me he's too slow now and not technical enough to get away with his lack of pace. I like Everton quite a bit, so I hope it works out, but I'm not seeing it.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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If the idea is that he can be the wise old head/galvanizing influence on a young team, showing them How To Win The Right Way, fine. With Europa and cup congestion, there will be enough fixtures to test depth, so he could be a useful piece.

If they are counting on him to play 90+ every week in the PL and replace Lukaku's output- ack. I don't think Koeman's that foolish.
 

Zomp

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He's not. Football is also a business and with Rooney coming for free even though he has a high wage his kit sales alone will be worth it.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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He's not. Football is also a business and with Rooney coming for free even though he has a high wage his kit sales alone will be worth it.
No it won't. An individual's kit sales make almost no impact on club finances. The jersey makers get 90% of the profit, and the deals with clubs are set up that the up front sponsorship deal covers a massive number of jerseys sold before any workshop revenue sharing.

It's a myth that kit sales will make up for massive transfer fees or wages.
 

soxfan121

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Rooney isn't free, per this tweet:

Breakdown - £75m cash, £15m add-ons, Rooney (£10m). £100m transfer.
That seems very reasonable, and a good valuation of both players. Lukaku is a young, homegrown, proven EPL striker, and Rooney is worth much more to Everton than 10m.
 

soxfan121

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Marketing and business. Why wouldn't Everton give him the ol' lifetime contract in which he plays some more (mostly ineffective) games in the first team, then becomes the U-18 manager or club ambassador or some such?
 

ninjacornelius

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Rumors have been circulating that Jagielka and Barry might be on their way out. If that's Everton's plan, then I can understand the Rooney signing as more than just sentiment/advertising - senior leadership would be in short supply apart from Baines and... Ashley Williams, I guess? Still, acquiring Rooney doesn't feel like a Steve Walsh move, and that makes me nervous. For the past two windows Everton have been targeting either young players with tons of upside (Lookman, Pickford) or undervalued assets (Schneiderlin, Gaye). Rooney doesn't check either box, and ignoring the long-term plan for short-term intangibles seems a surefire way to stifle progress.

But on a personal level, I was fired up when Rooney put on the shirt for Duncan Ferguson's testimonial and I'm going to be hyped as hell the first time he plays a competitive match. I'm obviously part of the problem.
 

coremiller

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The issue with Rooney isn't so much the fee as it's the wages. Rooney reportedly took a 50% pay cut, but that still leaves him at about 150k/week, which would make him Everton's highest-paid player by a lot (probably by about double). I don't see how that makes any sense from Everton's perspective.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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The issue with Rooney isn't so much the fee as it's the wages. Rooney reportedly took a 50% pay cut, but that still leaves him at about 150k/week, which would make him Everton's highest-paid player by a lot (probably by about double). I don't see how that makes any sense from Everton's perspective.
I agree that the wage is still high and that's troublesome. I don't know what practical problems it causes, though. If Moshiri wants to spend, let him spend. If FFP was going to be implicated, that would be an issue, but I don't see any sign of it and the whole think is a joke anyway. I don't think other players would begrudge Rooney his pay. So I'm having trouble seeing any serious negative impact, other than an abstract concern that it's too high.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/everton-transfer-news-live-wayne-13304226

Of course Rooney dominates the news today, but the other nugget is they evidently are still in and pushing hard on Sigurdsson.

Not noticed: Joel Robles has left. No biggie.
 

coremiller

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I agree that the wage is still high and that's troublesome. I don't know what practical problems it causes, though. If Moshiri wants to spend, let him spend. If FFP was going to be implicated, that would be an issue, but I don't see any sign of it and the whole think is a joke anyway. I don't think other players would begrudge Rooney his pay. So I'm having trouble seeing any serious negative impact, other than an abstract concern that it's too high.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/everton-transfer-news-live-wayne-13304226

Of course Rooney dominates the news today, but the other nugget is they evidently are still in and pushing hard on Sigurdsson.

Not noticed: Joel Robles has left. No biggie.
There are two issues here. One is opportunity cost. Maybe Moshiri has unlimited funds and so this doesn't matter, but even the wealthiest owners often have to draw the line somewhere, especially with Everton's relatively limited revenues. If you're going to blow up your wage structure, you should do it for a star in his prime who significantly improves your team, not for an older player past his prime who may not even be a regular in the starting XI. Money spent on Rooney's wages is money Everton aren't spending on more useful players.

The other issue is the dressing room. Can you build a cohesive, positive culture in the squad when your highest paid player is regularly getting left on the bench, and when players making 1/5 his wages are starting ahead of him? Maybe you're right that other players won't begrudge Rooney his pay, but maybe they'll resent it. It's at least a risk.

And for what reward? I think most people would agree that Rooney is no longer good enough to start regularly for a team that wants to contend for the top 4. This move reeks of sentimental star-chasing, which is exactly the opposite of how a club like Everton can succeed long-term.
 

67YAZ

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I agree that the wage is still high and that's troublesome. I don't know what practical problems it causes, though. If Moshiri wants to spend, let him spend. If FFP was going to be implicated, that would be an issue, but I don't see any sign of it and the whole think is a joke anyway. I don't think other players would begrudge Rooney his pay. So I'm having trouble seeing any serious negative impact, other than an abstract concern that it's too high.
They won't make it back in kit sales, but the business side of the Everton operation is busily working the phones to their sponsors right now - "stump up a few million more quid, and we'll have a while campaign featuring Wayne Rooney. Imagine Wayne sipping a Chang staring out over the harbor..."

Rooney is still the most bankable English star, though Kane is probably closing in fast. There's money to be made all around in this deal.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Rumors very hot re: Gylfi. Insane transfer window if they land him, but mild concern about how all these pieces up front fit together: Sandro is the only pure striker.
 

soxfan121

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13 years ago we took their best player, now we've slung him back and took their current best player. Everton are our bitch.


We sent you David Moyes and destroyed a 25 year dynasty in 6 months. Your move, chuckles.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Toffees beat Kenyan side Gor Mahia 2-1 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania today. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4693632/Gor-Mahia-1-2-Everton.html

A group of African sides held a small tourney to earn the right to play in the game.

Stadium was full to its 60000+ capacity. (I'm synthesizing some of this from other reports, the links here are enough to give a taste).

Rooney was given an idol's welcome: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40592856

And he gave the people what they wanted: a beautiful strike from ~30 yards out:


Lookman's work in getting the ball to Rooney is also pretty.

The scoreline isn't flattering to the Toffees but Calvert-Lewin had a goal waved off and the consensus is that it should have counted. The Gor Mahia goal was a header on lousy marking off a set piece where no one covered the near post.

Koeman subbed out the entire XI at the half. Pup Kieran Dowell scored the winner at 81', minutes after hitting the crossbar on a free kick.

Nice look at the grey away kits (I suppose Tanzania is away, yes?)
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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On another note: Everton met with a Tanzanian side with a truly mindblowing story, and kicked the ball around a bit in training: Albino United FC:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-meet-albino-united-tanzania-13320319

People born with albinism in Tanzania - a genetic disorder in which skin, hair and eyes lack melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour and helps to protect it from damage by ultraviolet light from the sun - have a troubled existence.

Albinism groups say more than 90% of people with the condition in Africa die before they reach 40-years-old.

Many die from skin cancer, while witch doctors hunt those suffering from the condition for their body parts, which are used in potions to bring good luck and wealth.

Victims can be kidnapped and then dismembered by hired killers, or even sold by unscrupulous family members, with body parts fetching up to £60,000.

In recent years, albinos have been murdered in Tanzania, some as young as six months old, while others have been attacked with machetes and their limbs cut off while alive.

Albino United FC was launched to show the world that albinos are like everyone else and they wanted to spread the message by example.

Football not only offers exposure for albinos but is a rare tool to undermine the limitations imposed upon them as they travel into the heart of the areas with the highest numbers of albino killings.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Everton 's friendly with Dutch side FC Twente is streaming today on ESPN3 at 1pm Eastern.
 

ninjacornelius

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Everton beat FC Twente 3-0. Some of the kids impressed: Lookman had a few nice touches in the first half, Jonjoe Kenny put in a good shift at RB, and Kieran Dowell was a monster in the final 30 minutes, scoring one goal and creating a couple of other nice chances. I'm getting strong Tom Davies vibes from this kid, and I hope that he finds some regular minutes somewhere this season.

In other news from the match, Aaron Lennon scored a goal, which doesn't mean much apart from it being a relief to see him finding some joy on the field; Mo Besic had a cameo as a CB in the second half, and he acquitted himself well. I'm worried that he's too tenacious taking on attacking players 1v1, but I think it's an experiment worth exploring (especially with Funes Mori out for months); Davy Klaassen is Naismith-level translucent; still no Sandro, which makes me sad.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Chatter on FB that Barkley is out for a month with a groin injury. There was speculation that it was a phantom injury related to his transfer status when he didn't travel for the friendlies, but seems to be true.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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1-1 draw at Genk, of the Belgian first division (8th last year).

Goal was by Rooney, who was found at the far post by a streaking Sandro and banged it home. Rooney also had a pretty flick that almost Eephused over the keeper, a header on target, and a free kick from 35 yards that was only a few inches over the crossbar. He looked... very good. Granted it was against weaker and slower opposition than he'll get every week in the PL, but he seemed to be in the right place at the right time, most of the time- even defending set pieces, he seemed to be the guy always heading away Genk corners.

Midfield was disjointed, I thought. Schneiderlin, Gueye, Klassen seem to be feeling out how to work together. Genk had possession through most of the first 60'.

Keane is the real deal. Pickford started and was fine for the first half. The best save came from Stecklenberg in the second half, in a bizarre sequence - in the process he collided with the Genk striker (who was frisky all day) and kneed or kicked his head - the guy was stretched out across the mouth of the goal not moving while the play had moved up the field and none of the players or officials realized that Stecklenberg was motioning that the guy was maybe dead. He was eventually OK (I think).

The only truly shit performance was Cuco Martina, Southampton castoff. He did not play much last year and Southampton fans online were mostly glad to be rid of him. Toward the last 20 minutes the Everton attack started to gel and made several nice forays up the right - only to fizzle when Martina, trying and failing miserably to play the Seamus Coleman bust-up-the-right-flank role, would piss the ball away. The Genk goal came when Martina, instead of clearing, nodded a soft header right onto the foot of the Genk striker at the edge of the six-yard box.

Notwithstanding the games he missed, I thought Coleman was the Toffees' most consistent player last year. He was better than any of the midfielders in bringing the ball into the final third and starting the attack (he didn't overlap with Schneiderlin that much). They miss that right now.

A draw was the right result but good performances from Rooney and a few others aside, this was a bit of a letdown against weaker opposition.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Toffees jump into the third round of Europa against MFK Ruzomberok of Slovakia. Ruzomberok dropped the first leg at home 0-1 against SK Brann of Norway, but then scored two on the road to win the tie 2-1.

Thursday 7/27 at Goodison, and Tue 8/1 at Štadión pod Čebraťom, capacity 4,876:

 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Barkley is as good as gone:

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/barkley-leave-everton-koeman-sigurdsson-13388939

2017-18 is the last year of his deal. Board offered him a new deal. He declined it, saying he "wants a new challenge." Koeman says it's time for all to move on. No offer currently on the table, so he's free to go where he pleases. Of course they will sell him for what they can get rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season.

Since he's a local boy, there's lots of speculation on the blogs and fansites that he is cracking under the pressure of playing at home and/or wants to get away from his old haunts (he was in a bar fight downtown last year). There are also widespread sentiments that he is an asshole, which is true. Other comments include "he's getting out when the team is improving, he showed progress under Koeman, stupid move" and "he wouldn't crack our starting XI anyway." Not sure about the latter, but it's a close call - depends on if they get Gylfi and/ the development of the kids - any one of Dowell, Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, or Lennon emerging as a first-teamer (in order of likelihood) could nudge him out, and then Bolasie is coming back eventually.

There is not much fan sentiment re: keeping him because he's homegrown. The local-hero itch is being scratched quite nicely by Rooney right now, and there are enough academy products in or pushing for the first team that Barkley is not unique. Tom Davies in particular is a fan fave. So goodbye and good luck seems to be the sentiment.

He's damaged his number by publicly repudiating Everton - Spurs or whomever will pay less, there does not seem to be a bidding war over him.

Whatever.
 

swiftaw

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Plus Barkley's form last year was spotty at best, so I think many fans are wondering if he's really all that.
 

67YAZ

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He still has top-notch talent, the question is if there is a manager out there willing and able to get it out of him. A move for Barkley right now is so high risk/high reward, I wonder if a loan won't end up being the result. No fee, but Everton would get salary relief. Barkley could see it as a way to rebuild his value since none of the clubs ahead of Everton are knocking on his door. And for whatever reason, I imagine that the English managers at mid-table clubs might fancy their ability chances at reforming Barkley - Howe, Dyche, Pulis, or Shakespeare. I don't know why I imagine the English managers, maybe because Barkley seems like the quintessential contemporary English player.
 

candylandriots

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He still has top-notch talent, the question is if there is a manager out there willing and able to get it out of him. A move for Barkley right now is so high risk/high reward, I wonder if a loan won't end up being the result. No fee, but Everton would get salary relief. Barkley could see it as a way to rebuild his value since none of the clubs ahead of Everton are knocking on his door. And for whatever reason, I imagine that the English managers at mid-table clubs might fancy their ability chances at reforming Barkley - Howe, Dyche, Pulis, or Shakespeare. I don't know why I imagine the English managers, maybe because Barkley seems like the quintessential contemporary English player.
Wouldn't Everton rather sell him for less than they think he's worth than loan him out for a season and possibly get nothing?
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Plus Barkley's form last year was spotty at best, so I think many fans are wondering if he's really all that.
Yup. The flashes of brilliance just frustrate because of his inconsistency. He hasn't been reliable enough to base a scheme around. He had decent passing
 

swiftaw

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He still has top-notch talent, the question is if there is a manager out there willing and able to get it out of him. A move for Barkley right now is so high risk/high reward, I wonder if a loan won't end up being the result. No fee, but Everton would get salary relief. Barkley could see it as a way to rebuild his value since none of the clubs ahead of Everton are knocking on his door. And for whatever reason, I imagine that the English managers at mid-table clubs might fancy their ability chances at reforming Barkley - Howe, Dyche, Pulis, or Shakespeare. I don't know why I imagine the English managers, maybe because Barkley seems like the quintessential contemporary English player.
Wouldn't Everton rather sell him for less than they think he's worth than loan him out for a season and possibly get nothing?
There's no way Everton do a loan move, they'll sell him outright. There's also no way that Barkley goes to a 'lesser' club. He's angling for a move to a better club, probably Spurs, but I'm sure he would be interested if any of the CL clubs were interested.

Perhaps he should talk to Jack Rodwell to see how things turned out for him. :)

(As an aside, I sometimes think it would interesting if soccer operated under the same rules as US sport, where you could trade a player to another team without explicitly seeking their consent).
 

Infield Infidel

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Not that it's likely, but they could extend his contract a year and then loan him, so that next year they could get something for him.

Everton is in a tricky place; many teams below would want him but he wouldn't go; the teams above, vice versa. Maybe overseas?
 

67YAZ

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Reportedly, Barkley is seeking £150k/week. Which side is lining up to splash any kind of transfer fee and then pay him those wages for 4 or 5 years? Spurs, who can't offload Sissoko who plays the same role? The only other bigger club where he's a clear system-fit is ManU, but I haven't heard a peep about the possibility, and they're not really strained for homegrowns at the moment.

It's late-July. Very soon Barkley is going to face the choice of taking a step "down" or playing a backup role to Klassen (& maybe Sigurdsson). I hope the young man has a good agent to help him sort his future.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Not that it's likely, but they could extend his contract a year and then loan him, so that next year they could get something for him.

Everton is in a tricky place; many teams below would want him but he wouldn't go; the teams above, vice versa. Maybe overseas?
 

teddykgb

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I thought Barkley was tapped up for Spurs and this is just gonna be one of those drag outs.

He may prove a cautionary tale for not selling when you have the chance, as he was worth plenty a few seasons back and probably would have had a fight over him amongst top clubs. He didn't agitate in the same manner as others, stayed "loyal" to Everton in the loosest sense of the term imaginable, and now he's mincemeat that Everton want rid of. It's a funny sport.

FWIW, I think there's a player there and for whatever reason he and Koeman seem to not see eye to eye. Koeman is a good manager and Everton need to back his ideas, so they should sell, but I suspect Barkley was never as good as his hype but isn't as poor as his reputation is today. Someone will probably do well on this deal at this point.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Toffees top Ruzemberok 1-0 at Goodison on the first leg of their Europa tie. Goal was by Leighton Baines at 65' on a deflection in front of goal.

I listened to the game on a radio feed on evertonfc.com (I've never listened to a game on the radio, it was fun). As expected, Everton enjoyed possession, but it sounds like the midfield is still a muddle - more passes than you would want were going awry or being intercepted. Other than the last 20 minutes, it was kind of dull actually. Stecklenberg had to make one big save.

Gueye and Keane seemed solid in defense, from what I could tell, and Klassen and Mirallas had good moments up front. Sandro came on in the second half for Calvert-Lewin and was immediately lively.

The Slovaks did come down from a one-goal loss on the road to beat a Norwegian side in the second round. Still, you have to like Everton's odds to advance.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Calvert-Lewin scores at 80', after being subbed in for Sandro, to win in Ruzemberok 1-0 and advance in Europa.

Toffees haven't gelled yet. Some flashes of good link-up play between Klassen, Sandro, and Rooney, but not amounting to much. Radio guys were critical of Rooney for dropping further back as the game went on.

Keane was MOTM.
 

ninjacornelius

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Calvert-Lewin scores at 80', after being subbed in for Sandro, to win in Ruzemberok 1-0 and advance in Europa.

Toffees haven't gelled yet. Some flashes of good link-up play between Klassen, Sandro, and Rooney, but not amounting to much. Radio guys were critical of Rooney for dropping further back as the game went on.

Keane was MOTM.
I watched the match via an illegal Slovak livestream. It was like I was back in 2009 all over again. Good times.

The entire match was a drab affair, particularly the first half. Everyone looked slow and uninspired, and there were stretches where Keane was the only player looking to make creative passes into the box. When the team's already got more midfielders than it knows what to do with, the fact that a CB was our most consistent offensive threat was disheartening.

Things picked up a bit in the second half, though the radio guys were right to point out that Rooney slowly played his way out of the game. The only reason that DCL scored was that he abandoned his winger role, drifted inside into Rooney's space, took a lovely pass from Davy Klaassen in a central attacking position, and created his own shot.

Other random notes: Tom Davies isn't a wingback, and if he's Koeman's answer until Coleman returns then this team has problems (#FreeJonjoeKenny); tactically, it didn't make sense to have both Schneiderlin and Gueye as holding midfielders against a team that wasn't really a threat to score from open play, and the offense suffered as a result; I'm still not high on Calvert-Lewin, and definitely not as a winger. I think we should've kept Kieran Dowell this year, or at least shipped him off to somewhere higher up the pecking order than Forest; Ashley Williams is getting old in a hurry; apart from Keane, Davy Klaassen and Jordan Pickford put in decent shifts.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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With the exception that I'm more optimistic about DCL, I agree 100% with you.

Dowell is a needful piece, right now.

A Coleman fill-in is urgently needed and Cuco ain't it.
 

SocrManiac

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Everton sure as shit don’t walk away with three points with Robles back there. Pickford will be one of the most underrated moves in the league.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Everton fans aren't under rating Pickford, they're ecstatic and should be.

Rooney was MOTM. His goal was excellent but he was even more dangerous in the second half, in a deep lying position. You could see his football wisdom at work in his distribution. He wasn't the fastest player but he was smarter than anyone on the pitch.

Gueye was everywhere. Schneiderlin and Klassen were quiet. Sandro pit in a shift but not involved in any threats.

Keane was solid. Baines and Jags were too although Stoke lacked much quality to challenge them. Williams did little but Martina came on for him and was awful,
 

ninjacornelius

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What a weird match. The 3-4-3 that Everton started with caused the most dour, ugly soccer that I've seen from them in years. Hoofing 30 yard prayers into the box from behind the halfway line, no width, no pace, no ideas. Say what you will about Roberto Martinez (and I've said plenty), but at least his teams would get the ball into the attacking third before petering out and giving up stupid counter-attacks; this was just soulless dreck. Thank goodness for five seconds of brilliance from DCL and Rooney.

So they change the formation at the half, look infinitely better, and it still takes an awe-inspiring save from Pickford in stoppage time to get all three points. And the success(?) of the 4-4-2 should not belie the fact that Cuco Martina isn't a Premier League right back. If modern-day Peter Crouch was a little more "professional footballer" and a little less "fossilized giraffe given the gift of ambulation by a deranged Genie," he could have scored a hat trick from the amount of dangerous crosses that Martina allowed into the box. At this point I'm ready to throw my hands up and say fuck it, give RB to Tom Davies until Coleman is healthy.

Oh well, no need to panic. They can figure it out over the next few weeks. They've only got two Europa League ties, Chelsea, City, Spurs and United for their next six matches. Piece of cake.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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What a weird match. The 3-4-3 that Everton started with caused the most dour, ugly soccer that I've seen from them in years. Hoofing 30 yard prayers into the box from behind the halfway line, no width, no pace, no ideas. Say what you will about Roberto Martinez (and I've said plenty), but at least his teams would get the ball into the attacking third before petering out and giving up stupid counter-attacks; this was just soulless dreck. Thank goodness for five seconds of brilliance from DCL and Rooney.

So they change the formation at the half, look infinitely better, and it still takes an awe-inspiring save from Pickford in stoppage time to get all three points. And the success(?) of the 4-4-2 should not belie the fact that Cuco Martina isn't a Premier League right back. If modern-day Peter Crouch was a little more "professional footballer" and a little less "fossilized giraffe given the gift of ambulation by a deranged Genie," he could have scored a hat trick from the amount of dangerous crosses that Martina allowed into the box. At this point I'm ready to throw my hands up and say fuck it, give RB to Tom Davies until Coleman is healthy.

Oh well, no need to panic. They can figure it out over the next few weeks. They've only got two Europa League ties, Chelsea, City, Spurs and United for their next six matches. Piece of cake.
all true.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
Everton fans aren't under rating Pickford, they're ecstatic and should be.
Apologies for not being clear. I don’t think Everton fans will underrate him, but (and this should have gone in the prediction thread) I’ll be bold enough to say he’ll be worth more points to Everton than any other transfer into or around EPL this year. Doesn’t look that bold right now since one game in he’s already +2 over Robles- no way that hacker makes the stoppage time save.

Robles was bad in subtle but devastating ways. Commentary teams love to roast keepers when they allow one in on their near post or when they can get a hand on to something but not quite push it out. The suck that Robles brought was too subtle for those guys to catch, but far nastier. He never put himself in position to get his hand to a ball that went in. He didn’t allow the near post goals because they were all going in the overly-exposed far post.

Pickford will be a breath of fresh air when you didn’t know the air was that awful to begin with.