things can only get better
It was a bad week for Everton last week and during the ‘international break’ things just got worse. Big Victor Anichebe on duty with Nigeria suffered a groin injury and Leighton Baines has left the England bench with a niggle that could leave him out of our match against Villa on Saturday. If neither are fit for purpose we can assume we’ll get an early look at Drenthe and Stracqualursi.
Long and winding road
On The Guardian’s website is an entirely feasible portrayl by Andy Hunter of Everton Football Club’s current status. Based on the sale of Arteta on Wednesday and the evidence presented by the club and that indicated by the actions of the club management over the last couple of years, there’s no reason to doubt this synopsis. We’ve consistently sold off our better players, replaced them with inferior versions and reliable completely on the management of David Moyes to plug the gaps. At some point, Moyes will jib it and then what Mr Kenwright?
Busted
Whatever way you look at it, however the misguided fans attempt to put a positive spin on Everton’s late entry into the transfer market, yesterday was a bad day for Everton Football Club. In pure squad numbers terms, we have one fewer player in an already poorly-sized squad. In quality terms, the disparity is even greater. In the last 12 months Everton has sold two of their best players and the only truly creative ones we have. Bad timing; bad management.
Out Foxed
Smart move by EFC on transfer deadline day. Arrange a loan for an Argentinian striker playing for ‘El Tigre’ in the Argie top flight. Scores a rake of goals for them and well respected apparently. But no Riquelme. Anyway, minutes later, improved offer from Leicester City for last season’s top scorer Beckford of £4m. Hard to see a skint club like Everton turn that one down especially as Moyes never looked that happy dealing with Beckford’s attitude.
Upshot? Becks is sold and at the 11th hour, we cannot get the relevant work permit for the Argentinian because he’s got no EU passport and hasn’t played at the full international level to count. We’re left with even fewer striking options, no time to do anything about it but the bank gets a drop-in-the-ocean reimbursement on loan interest repayments.
Only a theory like.
More Transfer News
You’ll see a host of puns on transfer activity involving Everton’s new signing ‘Best Buy’, an enormous US-based electronics retailer. We’re now technology partners apparently. Anyway, it is somewhat ironic that a club in such a parlous financial state as Everton has joined up with a business that posted a £62m loss to March 2011.
Rats
A mate texted me last night to alert me to the story about Everton youngster Seamus Coleman being sold to Liverpool for £8m ahead of the transfer window shutting. Good profit on the £60k investment two years ago and we’ve got cover in Coleman’s position, plus that £8m would be put to good use improving other areas of the squad, helping fund a bid for Messi. Hang on a minute, now I’m talking shite. I meant that French-Polish rat-faced centre half that ‘plays’ for Arsenal. Forget his name but he’s foreign and can’t defend. Wait a minute, a foreigner who can’t defend and plays for Arsenal? Could be anyone of 25 players.
What the hell, let’s do it anyway and swap him for Jagielka because that would be in keeping with the media’s latest bizarre transfer link which involves us giving Arsenal out best player, Arteta, in exchange for their Danish lump and non-scoring forward Bendtner. We can play him up front with Anichebe wide right and Cahill wide left. Moyes kops a lot of flak for his tactics of only ever having one forward on the pitch at most, sometimes none when Cahill does the job away at Wigan and Norwich, but Ferguson seems to have decided to ape his protege’s tactical selection this season by utilising Welbeck, Rooney and Young in the same fashion. It can only be a matter of time before Everton twat some hapless London side.
Uninspirational performance at Ewood on Saturday but snuck a win thanks to a unique referreeing decision in that someone actually penalised a defender for clambering over an opponent in the box. Arteta showed Venky FC’s players how to finish it off. Boring, mundane win. Here’s to more of the same.
EFC 0-1 QPR
There’s bugger all to be said about this one. I expect that to be the case for most of the season. The good news is that first I was in the far north of Scotland and therefore unaware of all things Premier League. Second, good that we didn’t open our 2011/12 season away at Tottenham as planned. We must thank the local rioters and Met Police for that. Perhaps they can be booked for a reprise when we have to visit Old Trafford or the Etihad this year?
The man that scored Ranger’s goal was Mr Tommy Smith. Have a look at his bio here. Seems like a nice bloke on TV and radio interviews and that was the fifth Premier League goal Tommy has scored in his career.
Well done Everton.
And for my next trick…
After a long period of silence, Chairman Bill breaks cover and tells everyone that Everton cannot sign any new players because of the bank. Damn those banks for not lending us any money that they’ll never get back; how selfish of them.
“We just can’t borrow any more”, says Bill in an interview with Sky.
On the same day, a small operation and only the third biggest club in West London, has been taken over by a multi-millionaire investor called Tony Fernandes. Oh the irony.
Happy To Stay
A typical modern transfer story in the media.
‘understands, are believed, expressed an interest, are believed, is thought’
The only fact in the article is the one that states Beckford scored 10 goals in 38 games last season.
