Tezzy Tez
Player Valuation: £225k
Everton's transfer dealings of the summer just gone have been discussed again and again but I thought I'd perhaps give a different slant on it than has been brought up before.
The transfer market last summer was unlike any other in living memory in terms of money changing hands between clubs and player valuations, a situation brought about by the crazed spending of Manchester City and Real Madrid in a large way.
Both clubs warping the market and valuations of different players and adding worth to aspects such as the age and nationality of players.
So perhaps this current market is a market to sell players in and not to buy in?
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson - the two greatest managers in our league (perhaps the world) - have identified this and acted accordingly, unlike many managers like Benitez.
Man Utd sold the most valuable player in the world (Cristiano Rondaldo) for a record fee and didn't spend nearly any of the money gained in the same transfer window. Instead investing the money in several young players who will ensure quality in their ranks for years to come and in the short term made the shrewd signing of Michael Owen, a proven goalscorer in this league and at international level with a wealth of experience to add depth to the squad, for free.
Arsene Wenger sold one of his longest serving players in Kolo Toure and top striker in Emannuel Adebayor for huge fee's and brought in a clever signing in Thomas Vermaelen.
To the untrained eye, they sold key players and didn't replace them but in hindsight they have strengthened their squad on the whole and now have a huge transfer fund for future purchases, when the market rights itself again.
I think Moyes also see's this but given the difference in situations, did not have the luxary of a squad big enough to get by without adding numbers.
As is officially on record from Robert Elstone, Moyes' original plan last summer was to keep hold of all of his players (going so far as to reject a significant offer for Saha) and bring in: Philipe Senderos, Fabian Delph, Kyle Naughton and Rasmus Elm. 4 young players for modest prices, adding numbers and long term quality and potential to the squad.
Of course Everton fell foul of one of the monsters warping the market in Man City and were put in a position where one of our key players forced a transfer away from the club.
In response - adding to the fact many of his original transfer targets didn't result in moves - Moyes changed his tact.
He sold Lescott for a huge fee but rather than sit on the money he spread it around the squad accordingly and though painfully done, ended up with a squad (when all fit) is much stronger than last season's or in fact any other squad under his reign.
Out - Lescott, 24 million.
In - Distin: Like for like replacement for the outgoing player with a wealth of experience and a perfect short term remedy for a fraction of the money, 5 million.
In - Bilyaletdinov: International class winger and long term target who adds a new dimension to the team with his play, expert at set pieces and a natural winger, 10 million.
In - Jo: A young and talented striker (if unpolished) eager to play for the club who adds depth to the striking department in the squad and for little to no outlay, Loan.
In - Heitinga: International defender with excellent versatility who can play in a couple of positions and adds more quality to the squad, 6 million.
In - Neill: A surprise addition of an international captain and versatile defender who adds much needed depth to the squad with a wealth of experience in this league and also requires little to no settling in period due to his personal connections already in the squad.
David Moyes though unable to sell and sit on the profit like his Arsenal and Man Utd counterparts, did better in this transfer market than many of his peers and resulted in a strong squad of players with several different options rather than what he had the season before, a team of 14 strong players but little in the way of depth behind that.
Of course due to injuries this season (which are substantial and have already been covered at length) have prevented us from seeing the true quality of this full squad. However once we start to regain all our players and look to finally have a full strength squad once again, I think we'll see the true quality of Everton and perhaps go on a run such as last season in the later part of this season, storming the European placement make up at a late hour, proving that though the league is much tighter, Everton are still a force in the division and should not be written off simply because we've had to get by thus far in stormy waters with a badly makeshift and patched up ship.
The bigger issue of whether the the market is a selling not buying market which is set to calm down is yet to be seen, but with Wenger and Ferguson acting in a way which suggests it is and Benitez acting in a way which suggests he's blind to it... would you really bet against it being true?
Thanks if you read through all of that, I'm not especially short winded and I know that was a bit of a meaty post, but I hope it was of some interest to any who read it.
The transfer market last summer was unlike any other in living memory in terms of money changing hands between clubs and player valuations, a situation brought about by the crazed spending of Manchester City and Real Madrid in a large way.
Both clubs warping the market and valuations of different players and adding worth to aspects such as the age and nationality of players.
So perhaps this current market is a market to sell players in and not to buy in?
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson - the two greatest managers in our league (perhaps the world) - have identified this and acted accordingly, unlike many managers like Benitez.
Man Utd sold the most valuable player in the world (Cristiano Rondaldo) for a record fee and didn't spend nearly any of the money gained in the same transfer window. Instead investing the money in several young players who will ensure quality in their ranks for years to come and in the short term made the shrewd signing of Michael Owen, a proven goalscorer in this league and at international level with a wealth of experience to add depth to the squad, for free.
Arsene Wenger sold one of his longest serving players in Kolo Toure and top striker in Emannuel Adebayor for huge fee's and brought in a clever signing in Thomas Vermaelen.
To the untrained eye, they sold key players and didn't replace them but in hindsight they have strengthened their squad on the whole and now have a huge transfer fund for future purchases, when the market rights itself again.
I think Moyes also see's this but given the difference in situations, did not have the luxary of a squad big enough to get by without adding numbers.
As is officially on record from Robert Elstone, Moyes' original plan last summer was to keep hold of all of his players (going so far as to reject a significant offer for Saha) and bring in: Philipe Senderos, Fabian Delph, Kyle Naughton and Rasmus Elm. 4 young players for modest prices, adding numbers and long term quality and potential to the squad.
Of course Everton fell foul of one of the monsters warping the market in Man City and were put in a position where one of our key players forced a transfer away from the club.
In response - adding to the fact many of his original transfer targets didn't result in moves - Moyes changed his tact.
He sold Lescott for a huge fee but rather than sit on the money he spread it around the squad accordingly and though painfully done, ended up with a squad (when all fit) is much stronger than last season's or in fact any other squad under his reign.
Out - Lescott, 24 million.
In - Distin: Like for like replacement for the outgoing player with a wealth of experience and a perfect short term remedy for a fraction of the money, 5 million.
In - Bilyaletdinov: International class winger and long term target who adds a new dimension to the team with his play, expert at set pieces and a natural winger, 10 million.
In - Jo: A young and talented striker (if unpolished) eager to play for the club who adds depth to the striking department in the squad and for little to no outlay, Loan.
In - Heitinga: International defender with excellent versatility who can play in a couple of positions and adds more quality to the squad, 6 million.
In - Neill: A surprise addition of an international captain and versatile defender who adds much needed depth to the squad with a wealth of experience in this league and also requires little to no settling in period due to his personal connections already in the squad.
David Moyes though unable to sell and sit on the profit like his Arsenal and Man Utd counterparts, did better in this transfer market than many of his peers and resulted in a strong squad of players with several different options rather than what he had the season before, a team of 14 strong players but little in the way of depth behind that.
Of course due to injuries this season (which are substantial and have already been covered at length) have prevented us from seeing the true quality of this full squad. However once we start to regain all our players and look to finally have a full strength squad once again, I think we'll see the true quality of Everton and perhaps go on a run such as last season in the later part of this season, storming the European placement make up at a late hour, proving that though the league is much tighter, Everton are still a force in the division and should not be written off simply because we've had to get by thus far in stormy waters with a badly makeshift and patched up ship.
The bigger issue of whether the the market is a selling not buying market which is set to calm down is yet to be seen, but with Wenger and Ferguson acting in a way which suggests it is and Benitez acting in a way which suggests he's blind to it... would you really bet against it being true?
Thanks if you read through all of that, I'm not especially short winded and I know that was a bit of a meaty post, but I hope it was of some interest to any who read it.
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