Streetsweeper
Well-Known Member
Darker shade of Blue said:
True, it probably is - though if that's an implicit criticism of City for making an approach for Lescott, it applies with equal validity to Everton for making an approach to Sheffield United for Kyle Naughton. That cuts both ways.
Can't disagree here.
Nor here - I don't blame Moyes at all for fighting tooth and nail to keep lescott - If Real Madrid came in for Ireland, I'd hope Hughes did the same.
Whilst I may not agree with quite how highly you rate these players, they're certainly strong premiership players, or rather (and this is a crucial point) they were before they were injured - there are no guarantees that they'll be as good as they were before their injuries. Even though they are coming back, if Moyes has any sense he'll recognise the possibility that they'll not be the players they were before they were injured, or that they'll take time to regain match fitness and form. In Jagielka's case, that may take until February next year, if the timetables flashed about in the media about his return date are to be believed.
See comments above. If they were new signings, you'd question your medical staff. Fit, they're strong signings, but are they fit?
We'll wait and see. Senderos doesn't fit the definition here, in my opinion.
In terms of investment, this is a refrain I hear from lots of clubs. Liverpool seem to be endlessly on the verge of new investment and have been for two years - the same song I notice here. It reminds me of that Charlie Brown cartoon strip where the annoying girl with the big hair would hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick and every time he tried, she'd pull it away from him and he'd land on his arse, but every time she'd convince him that she wouldn't pull the ball away. So it is with fans and investment. There's always a new investor in discussions, there is always a saviour round the corner - usually about the time season ticket renewals are due yet strangely the investment never comes.
How long have Everton been looking for new investment. What are the terms? Will Kenwright sell up? Is the current economic climate encouraging this kind of investment? It certainly isn't if the buyer wants to load debt onto the club, because these kind of arrangements are harder to find now than when Gillette, Hicks and Glazer turned up. I think by any sensible or realistic measure, major investment in Everton now is less likely than it was this time last year - IF you get a new stadium, that might change, though evidence suggests it probably won't (see Arsenal about how financing a new stadium comes BEFORE investors see the advantages). This is the big gamble - If Everton have to fund a new stadium development on the back of current land prices without any significant inward investment, then it won't be just Lescott they have to sell, and fire sales generally don't do good things to player values. New stadia can both create and burn money.
Nevertheless, the earlier points you make are valid. Moyes doesn't have to sell, and Lescott is making it easy for him. That's fine (though I'd argue the moral high ground in terms of contract loyalty is an uncomfortable place for any football club to stand) - I can understand not wanting to sell one of Everton's best players.
From my point of view, City need to chalk the whole episode down to experience and move on. If Hughes is really keen on Lescott, he can make an approach again next summer. One would hope we'd be looking at the next standard of player up by then though. I don't really blame Moyes for doing what any manager in that situation would do. That said, some of his public protestations on the matter have been sour-tempered and cheap shots. It wasn't us that leaked any of this (or the fact that Jo was training with Everton) so he's dropped a few pegs in my estimation on his performance there, which came across as like a petulent teenager.