Should we prepare for life after...

[a bell maul]

It's a delicate matter. I can't post in the appropriate thread so I'd have to give it some thought how to address your question fully. Suffice to say for now that the man in question hasn't won a bean in a decade and prior to that win some BS trophies, including some weird item called The Johan Cruyff Shield x 3.

lol you must have a LOT of fun on here. I don't necessarily agree with a fair bit of what you say, but man I have fun reading it.

 

[Joey66]

I think Barkley would be wise to look at a certain J Rodwell who thought himself better than Everton FC.

Rodiwell had a reported hamstring problem, when in fact it was a lower back pain causing his problem never really got rid of it?

 

[Khalekan]

lol you must have a LOT of fun on here. I don't necessarily agree with a fair bit of what you say, but man I have fun reading it.

He is the star turn on here, no doubt about it lol

 

[a bell maul]

He is the star turn on here, no doubt about it lol

Mate, I've actually told @davek that if he isn't already a professional writer in his private life, he should seriously think about taking it up. He's immensely readable.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Finding myself getting less and less bothered about the saga around these two. If they stay fine, if they don't we move on an replace them. They're not good enough to get devastated about.

 

[Aar_the_Toffees]

Good piece Andy.

"Would Ross Barkley be better off leaving Everton FC ?"

Yes.

"Would Barkley blossom under Mauricio Pocchetino - Spurs have reputedly made tentative enquiries ?"

Yes

"Were Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku to leave Everton this coming summer, the monies involved would likely be staggering."

Staggering too would be the fact we'd lost the three jewels in the crown of the club in 12 months...thus running a coach and horses through the 'determined' policy of the owner to keep our best young players.

No matter what you think of one or all of them:

Stones
Barkley
Lukaku


...looks like a club with zip to offer ambitious young players.

It seems till you realize that we're buying Keane and/or Gibson/another CB. We lose Ross, but gain Sigurdsson and that Dutch fella who is absolute class and probably a better player, just underrated because he isn't English. As for Rom, other than goals, he doesn't do much. Granted a striker is supposed to all that, and I'm not denying that as a young fan to the game and to Everton he is the best I have seen at our club and one of the best I have ever seen. That being said, we will replace him. He will leave eventually. Sooner the better in my opinion. He leaves this summer and the new striker has an opportunity to cement himself into Everton folklore. The new striker will become part of the NEW core of this team. A complete squad rehaul, as they say here in North American sports, is needed. Getting rid of the core that made the previous manager's team, albeit heartbreaking, is definitely a step in the right direction.

I would however like to see Ross stay and blossom into a world class player.

 

[davek]

It seems till you realize that we're buying Keane and/or Gibson/another CB. We lose Ross, but gain Sigurdsson and that Dutch fella who is absolute class and probably a better player, just underrated because he isn't English. As for Rom, other than goals, he doesn't do much. Granted a striker is supposed to all that, and I'm not denying that as a young fan to the game and to Everton he is the best I have seen at our club and one of the best I have ever seen. That being said, we will replace him. He will leave eventually. Sooner the better in my opinion. He leaves this summer and the new striker has an opportunity to cement himself into Everton folklore. The new striker will become part of the NEW core of this team. A complete squad rehaul, as they say here in North American sports, is needed. Getting rid of the core that made the previous manager's team, albeit heartbreaking, is definitely a step in the right direction.

I would however like to see Ross stay and blossom into a world class player.

Seeing as you are new to Everton allow me to offer you some advice: no matter who is in charge of this club don't ever expect Everton to retain its best players. We are a selling club and we remain a selling club regardless of who's name is above the door.

 

[Papa Shango]

dont really get this line of argument. they may have been here for a while but theyre both only 23! coming off a promising first season with our new manager who is a winner, and will definitely target silverware more than his 2 predecessors

i understand the difficulties in keeping them but they quite clearly arent the reason we havent been winning crap, and the prefrred option would be to build the team round them

Of course.

But if they go well so be it. We will cope.

 

[Papa Shango]

Seeing as you are new to Everton allow me to offer you some advice: no matter who is in charge of this club don't ever expect Everton to retain its best players. We are a selling club and we remain a selling club regardless of who's name is above the door.

Barring 1 or 2 every club in the world is a selling club.

 

[TennesseeBlue]

i don't think barkley thinks he's too good for everton, there is something odd going on there though. He won't be sarting for spurs if he went there, that's for damn sure. As much of a fan i am, spurs have a supremely talented bunch in and around his positions. It's just all a bit odd for me, it'd be fairly sad to see him go if he did in the summer, despite his inconsistencies, i just think he needs help. Coaching on how to not let his confidence get down too easily.

Lukaku will still be here after this summer, whether he wants to go or not, we're not going to sell him, niasse, kone and send valencia back all in the same summer. We'd have to buy 3 or 4 strikers this summer, i'm fairly relaxed about that, but if a team comes in with a massive offer, i'd like to see us show we won't be pushed over from anyone, he's the key to qualifying for the champions league. If he scores the same he has this season, and we bring in some good players alongside, he'll fire us there, and he can leave with my well wishes should he still wish to go then. I won't ever complain about us turning down a massive offer for £80m this summer and instead selling him for half that next summer, it's a gamble we NEED to take.

Agree with this totally. There's an air of romantacism with Ross and while I'd love to see him develop his potential here, the irreplaceable player is Lukaku not Ross.

No team reaches the CL without an elite goalscorer and history has shown that replacing a proven one in the PL is a tenuous proposition, even if throwing silly money around.

 

[Aar_the_Toffees]

Seeing as you are new to Everton allow me to offer you some advice: no matter who is in charge of this club don't ever expect Everton to retain its best players. We are a selling club and we remain a selling club regardless of who's name is above the door.

If selling means improving I see no problem. Ross out and Sigurdsson + the Dutch lad in than there is no problem. Rom too can be replaced. He will leave. The sooner the better, as it allows the other striker to adapt to the team and the style Ronald wants to implement.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Seeing as you are new to Everton allow me to offer you some advice: no matter who is in charge of this club don't ever expect Everton to retain its best players. We are a selling club and we remain a selling club regardless of who's name is above the door.

Of course you have absolutely nothing to back that up with. But great advice to tell a fellow poster to stop being remotely optimistic even if there are indications he should be.

Back on topic, it would be nice for Ross to stay, but he is replaceable. Simple as that

 

[gorgeousgeorgeEFC]

Due to a distinct lack of investment, our squad would be no better than West Brom's if Rom and Ross were to be no longer a part of it.

 

[TheFinnFan]

Sell both contract Rebel and get on with it.

With £130m Koeman would do miracles with. We need more winners into the team. No whiners.

 

[PercyThePig]

A preface before my comment, I would like both Lukaku and Barkley to stay.

I still call bullcrap on Lukaku's "I just want Champions League" narrative, though. Hypothetically, Malmo can offer him that, but if they came calling you can bet your life that he'd turn them down. He wants the Chelsea/Juventus-type transfer and we all know it.

Just seems to be such a big song and dance because he wants to play and extra 6 fixtures a season (Champions League group stage). If he goes to the established Champions League heavyweights that will make it out of the group stage, he'll be on the bench or playing in dead rubber games, so not much point in the move.

In my opinion he just likes the idea of playing for the elite clubs and the circus around it. He's a flat track bully as seen by the games he's scored in and the games he's not contributed.