evertonfc said:
i would say he's joining you - it's now up to us to get the best deal possible, surely you understand that
and if that includes putting lescott himself on the spot, so be it
we then play with the money - with a different price range to you
don't forget when you signed your brasilian last year he was one of the most expensive players ever and you pushed the price up to get him
but - he is quality - i've read nonsense on here about how he's over-rated - not at all - athlete, scorer, positionally sound
my favourite centre half ever - that includes mountfield and ratcliffe
I guess that there has been a sea change in the attitudes of Everton fans over the last 72hrs, from what has almost been a seige mentality, there seems to be an acceptance that he is likely to move. I don't know what's brought this on, but it's nice that we can bury the hatchet to some extent, and hopefully there won't be any bad blood between the clubs or fans when the dust settles.
I hope that Lescott doesn't have to make a public request to move, as it would only inflame passions once again. If the deal is going to be done, I think it could be agreed amicably between all parties. City are not an evil empire. I think have handled our business this summer extremely professionally. My impression is that, as a rule, we will treat other clubs with as much respect as they have shown us. The deals with Villa and Arsenal were conducted extremely quickly with a minimum of fuss. The talks with Barca were concluded very quickly. If Chelsea saw another side to us, I think that's because we knew who we were dealing with. They have a record of underhand dealings. The initial bid for John Terry was made at the end of a meeting regarding Daniel Sturridge, a young player of ours who they signed after he refused a new contract, having courted him over several years. Make of that what you will.
I can understand if the Everton fans were unhappy with us submitting incremental offers, but I don't see how it could have been avoided. I can't help but feel that Moyes and Kenwright should have known that a deal was likely, and their proclamations never went so far as to rule out the possibility. If you are faced with someone who you think will sell, who doesn't rule it out, but makes statements like Moyes, Kenwright and Neville have, then I think it's fair to assume that talking sensibly was not their top priority. City's approach (the incremental bids) appeared to me a measured response to the conflicting signals that they were being sent. For what it's worth, I thought that we had shown our willingness to treat you fairly by not insisting that Jo's loan be conditional on any further business.
Moyes' comments that Hughes should have phoned him seem to me a little odd. The normal procedure is for all contact regarding transfer dealings to take place between Chairmen and Chief Executives. Hughes is not responsible for negotiating transfer deals at this club. Any conversation would have been a minefield for him.
Of course, I hope Jolean joins city. I have the same regard for him as a player that you do, and I have a favourable impression of him as a person, from his reputation amongst Evertonians, and the way he has handled himself throughout. What I'd hope for, above all else, is that, if he did have to make a public request to move, that the Evertonians would continue to treat him with the same respect they have shown him up to this point.
