Selling our best players

[tadpole]

Every summer it's the same story.

There's an endless stream of media articles saying that some of Everton's biggest stars are being chased by big money clubs. Sometimes it comes to nothing, sometimes we have to let a player go.

Everton are not a selling club in any sense of the word - especially not now, with the increase in the TV money, there's no longer any serious suggestion that we have to sell in order to buy. In the last five years we've generally been very good at holding onto top players who form part of our future plans (think Baines). Most fans think that players are just moneygrabbers, but if that was the case then we wouldn't be able to hold on to so many top players on the wages that we offer. Take Garbutt : so many assumed that he was going to leave. But like many before him, it seems that he decided that he liked the setup here, being an Everton player meant something to him.

Every club knows what it's like to sell their best player. United sold Ronaldo, Liverpool sold Suarez, Spurs sold Bale, and so on. It's traumatic, but it's not the end of the world. The stack of money helps (though Liverpool and Spurs didn't invest theirs very well). And Everton aren't are a team who rely on one star player to deliver the points. When we succeed it's because the team are all pulling together, working for each other.

Stones to Chelsea ? Coleman to Man United ? I'd hate to see either of them go. But it's great that we're in such a strong position : both players signed long term contracts last year, and the club are committed to keeping them. Obviously if Chelsea did offer us £40m for Stones there'd be a decision to make. However exciting a player Stones is, these days the Premier League is packed with very capable centre halves, so losing him would not be a catastrophe. Anyone can do the maths : it could buy us a replacement for £10-12 million, a striker for £20-22 million, and still have money left over for the Kenwright slush fund.

So this year I'm feeling relaxed about all this. Let's sit back and see how it plays out.

 

[sageyefc]

Stones is irreplaceable and if i could still neg id have neg bombed you to death.

And the prem isnt packed with very capable Cbs, its packed with sh*te ones

 

[ijjysmith]

It's a good thing that teams want our players, it means they are good.

Be more worried if they aren't linked or wanted.

 

[Neiler]

Anyone who leaves doesnt really do much tbf and we never seem to miss them.

One of our good skills is succession planning.

*Well Mustafi aside.

 

[banno]

Its the cycle of Evertons survival. We nurture players sell them for big money and start again. We cannot keep the rich vultures away. That's football for you.

 

[Visitor22]

Generally agree but don't have the confidence that TV money solves all the problems in selling to buy. History suggests that prices will just go up as every club ends up throwing the extra money away on transfers and wages

 

[TheCount]

It's a good thing that teams want our players, it means they are good.

Be more worried if they aren't linked or wanted.

That is such a Roberto thing to say. [In the voice of Bruno]

 

[Saint Domingo]

It's a good thing that teams want our players, it means they are good.

Be more worried if they aren't linked or wanted.

Exactly, not that long ago we had teams where we were desperate to get rid of players but no one in the prem wanted them. They were a mix of good blues and has beens but in general the team were old and they weren't good enough to go anywhere else. Now we have players all the top clubs want and at the very worst we get top money for them.

The media (especially the echo and Sky) love to paint Everton as the only selling club in England. Southampton are a savvy money ball team, it seemingly doesn't count if a top team sells, but as soon as there's even a rumour of Everton selling the head lines are all 'Everton struggling to keep hold of yet another top star' 'Everton can't shake off selling club tag' etc. And our fans are just as bad, we are paranoid about the thought of ever selling anyone.

Look around Europe. Juventus Champions league finalists are looking at a summer of losing Pogba Vidal Pirlo and Tevez. United will probably sell De Gea, Liverpool will sell Sterling the latest in a very long line of stars who were sold. We probably won't sell anyone, yet only one of these clubs has the label of a selling club. Unless you are Barca or Madrid there is no club in the world that is not a selling club. you may as well accept it and use player trading to your advantage like every other club does. We've sold Rooney, Rodwell, Lescott Arteta and Fellaini upwards in the last decade and a half. Hardly a huge list for a so called selling club. Apart from Arteta we spent the money well after each sale improving the team which is why we now have probably our most valuable ever squad.

Compare to that club over the road that 'isn't a selling club like Everton': Owen, Alonso Mascherano Torres Meireles Sissoko Arbeloa Reina Benayoun Kuyt Suarez (Sterling) all sold upwards. Yet you don't see their fans getting bent out of shape by the prospect of it, whereas we live in permanent fear of the day United come in for Coleman or Chelsea for Stones. Stones will have every club in Europe after him, if we don't start winning, he will go, even if we do start winning, he'll probably still go. He will leave Everton at some point. Get used to it. Crying about it actually makes us look like a small club. As soon as players don't want to be here they should be out the door and the money being spent on someone who goes. That's how top clubs operate.

 

[Neiler]

Martinez hasnt really sold anyone though really has he, Fellaini - but that just made sense given the deal and i dont think he fancied him. He did a good job keeping Baines - were traditionaly he may have went.

 

[micknick]

The Sky spin of trying to sell our players for us makes me fume. Its like the sky 4 have a god given right to just take whoever they want.

It pretty much spells the end of their careers when young players move to a sky 4 four club from another Premier league club- it rarely works out and they end up being on the bench or loaned out.

 

[ijjysmith]

That is such a Roberto thing to say. [In the voice of Bruno]

True though.

 

[EFC78]

Every summer it's the same story.

There's an endless stream of media articles saying that some of Everton's biggest stars are being chased by big money clubs. Sometimes it comes to nothing, sometimes we have to let a player go.

Everton are not a selling club in any sense of the word - especially not now, with the increase in the TV money, there's no longer any serious suggestion that we have to sell in order to buy. In the last five years we've generally been very good at holding onto top players who form part of our future plans (think Baines). Most fans think that players are just moneygrabbers, but if that was the case then we wouldn't be able to hold on to so many top players on the wages that we offer. Take Garbutt : so many assumed that he was going to leave. But like many before him, it seems that he decided that he liked the setup here, being an Everton player meant something to him.

Every club knows what it's like to sell their best player. United sold Ronaldo, Liverpool sold Suarez, Spurs sold Bale, and so on. It's traumatic, but it's not the end of the world. The stack of money helps (though Liverpool and Spurs didn't invest theirs very well). And Everton aren't are a team who rely on one star player to deliver the points. When we succeed it's because the team are all pulling together, working for each other.

Stones to Chelsea ? Coleman to Man United ? I'd hate to see either of them go. But it's great that we're in such a strong position : both players signed long term contracts last year, and the club are committed to keeping them. Obviously if Chelsea did offer us £40m for Stones there'd be a decision to make. However exciting a player Stones is, these days the Premier League is packed with very capable centre halves, so losing him would not be a catastrophe. Anyone can do the maths : it could buy us a replacement for £10-12 million, a striker for £20-22 million, and still have money left over for the Kenwright slush fund.

So this year I'm feeling relaxed about all this. Let's sit back and see how it plays out.

Well said. The negative Evertonians will be moaning all summer about certain players leaving and how we lack ambition etc but the likely scenario is that possibly only 1, maximum 2 of our better players will leave this summer. Personally, I can only see Mirallas going and even that is not nailed on as he apparently wanted to leave for CL footy which Spurs can't give him.

It's just made up lies by the media who need to keep their target audience entertained. The Sky 4's fanbases need cheering up and kept interested over the summer so it means that any "inferior" club gets their best players touted round to the "big 4".

I'm not worried at all.

We sold Lescott for £24m, Rooney for £25+, Rodwell for £12m, Fellaini for £27m. United tried to take the piss over Baines and Lescott and we beat them at that.

Let the media and the likes of Martin Samuel keep themselves happy over the summer spouting lies and we can sit back and enjoy the fact that in the unlikely event that our best players do go, they'll be leaving for big fees.

 

[Khalekan]

Anyone who leaves doesnt really do much tbf and we never seem to miss them.

One of our good skills is succession planning.

*Well Mustafi aside.

Yes.

Apart from Rooney I am struggling to think of a player this century who has been a roaring success since he left us and whom we never adaquately replaced (though I suppose Arteta has never been).

And precious few in the last century either.

Gary Lineker is the only player from the 20th whom I can recall going on to better things after leaving us......David Johnson as well, I guess.

 

[COYBL25]

Exactly, not that long ago we had teams where we were desperate to get rid of players but no one in the prem wanted them. They were a mix of good blues and has beens but in general the team were old and they weren't good enough to go anywhere else. Now we have players all the top clubs want and at the very worst we get top money for them.

The media (especially the echo and Sky) love to paint Everton as the only selling club in England. Southampton are a savvy money ball team, it seemingly doesn't count if a top team sells, but as soon as there's even a rumour of Everton selling the head lines are all 'Everton struggling to keep hold of yet another top star' 'Everton can't shake off selling club tag' etc. And our fans are just as bad, we are paranoid about the thought of ever selling anyone.

Look around Europe. Juventus Champions league finalists are looking at a summer of losing Pogba Vidal Pirlo and Tevez. United will probably sell De Gea, Liverpool will sell Sterling the latest in a very long line of stars who were sold. We probably won't sell anyone, yet only one of these clubs has the label of a selling club. Unless you are Barca or Madrid there is no club in the world that is not a selling club. you may as well accept it and use player trading to your advantage like every other club does. We've sold Rooney, Rodwell, Lescott Arteta and Fellaini upwards in the last decade and a half. Hardly a huge list for a so called selling club. Apart from Arteta we spent the money well after each sale improving the team which is why we now have probably our most valuable ever squad.

Compare to that club over the road that 'isn't a selling club like Everton': Owen, Alonso Mascherano Torres Meireles Sissoko Arbeloa Reina Benayoun Kuyt Suarez (Sterling) all sold upwards. Yet you don't see their fans getting bent out of shape by the prospect of it, whereas we live in permanent fear of the day United come in for Coleman or Chelsea for Stones. Stones will have every club in Europe after him, if we don't start winning, he will go, even if we do start winning, he'll probably still go. He will leave Everton at some point. Get used to it. Crying about it actually makes us look like a small club. As soon as players don't want to be here they should be out the door and the money being spent on someone who goes. That's how top clubs operate.

Southampton seem to be the club at the moment for getting their payers picked off, happened last year and happening again this year. It's just the way it is mate. Barcelona and Real take players from the so called " bigger " clubs, it's all about the money .

 

[Neiler]

Yes.

Apart from Rooney I am struggling to think of a player this century who has been a roaring success since he left us and whom we never adaquately replaced (though I suppose Arteta has never been).

And precious few in the last century either.

Gary Lineker is the only player from the 20th whom I can recall going on to better things after leaving us......David Johnson as well, I guess.

Lescott won the PL and Cup - but ended up at WBA.