Steven Pienaar

[MikeH72]

Baines was boss. Pienaar wasn’t.

They were both excellent tbh.

 

[MikeH72]

We spent £45mill on a player not fit to lace his boots.

£45m. Every time I think of that I do a little sick. Forty five million pounds. That's no joke, that.

 

[sageyefc]

£45m. Every time I think of that I do a little sick. Forty five million pounds. That's no joke, that.

Biggest waste of money in football history

 

[Carlito]

Favourite Everton player of my lifetime.

 

[MikeH72]

Biggest waste of money in football history

I never thought I'd see the day we had £45m to spend on a single player. And unfortunately, when the day arrived, it fell into the hands of Messrs' Fat Ron and Fat Steve.

 

[Milkman]

I never thought I'd see the day we had £45m to spend on a single player. And unfortunately, when the day arrived, it fell into the hands of Messrs' Fat Ron and Fat Steve.

Nothing sums up supporting Everton more than this sentence.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Remember how awful he was in his last few years here? Stole a living ffs.

 

[Big Fat Sam]

Remember how awful he was in his last few years here? Stole a living ffs.

Probably earning far less than current thieves Bolasie, Jagielka and Williams to be fair. But yes, he was poor in his final few seasons. Typical Everton though isn't it? Keeping players for far too long. Same will be said with Gueye when he's lost his legs at 31 but still has two years left on his contract.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Remember how awful he was in his last few years here? Stole a living ffs.

Not really his fault though. Everton kept him too long. Was he supposed to tear his contract up and leave because he knew he was on the wane?

Remember many wasted hours on Kipper in the old days arguing with people that he was class, but the fact he didn't assist or score many was seen by a few of the biffs on there as proof that he wasn't good enough.

There was a great stat a few years ago, I forget which season but it *might* have been 2012/13 - Baines created more chances than any player in Europe's top 5 leagues other than Valbuena - this says a lot about Baines and he was absolute class tbf, but he was simply not the same player without Pienaar. Pienaar made everyone else around him better.

Lovely little player

 

[evertonarntwe]

him and baines down the left back in the day though

 

[Saint Domingo]

Some over reactions in here, Baines made him look better than he was which is why he could't get in the Spurs team after he got off on us! I was made up when he left, proper rat. He's a bell on Twitter as well.

He couldn’t get in the Spurs team because they played with two flying wingers in Bale and Lennon (who was top class then). They also had Modric and VDV in the middle. Everton suited him down to the ground as we tended to build up the play through him Arteta Osman etc.

We were generally poor if he wasn’t playing and the difference he made when he returned was huge too. A class player who knew how to play football the right way but because he wasn’t hitting 30 yarders or shrugging off Ya ya Toure some people think he was rubbish.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Remember how awful he was in his last few years here? Stole a living ffs.

Complete myth. He turned around that season when he returned in Jan along with Gibson and Jelavic. He was great in Moyes final season too, him on one side with Mirallas on the other we played some very good stuff. He rescued us countless times during Martinez’s first season as well, games against Southampton and Villa spring to mind when he turned the game around off the bench. He then had injury problems in Martinez’s last few seasons but Martinez also seemed reluctant to pick him and Osman (which ultimately led to his downfall as he thought Cleverley and Kone were better options). Martinez probably ended Pienaar’s twilight Everton career a season too early.

Baines fan boys love to perpetuate the myth though that Baines made Pienaar look good whereas every single other observer has realised it’s the other way round. Baines was allowed to attack so well because Pienaar not only created the space and could play him in but knew how to cover defensively. Since then Baines has been shaky in defence and impotent in attack.

 

[Big Fat Sam]

him and baines down the left back in the day though

Makes it all the sadder to see a slow, ponderous 2018 Leighton Baines, afraid to cross, unable to dribble and without a free kick goal in over three years. RIP, Leighton.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

Gylfi isn't even a left winger and will probably end up with more goals and assists this season than Pienaar's most in a season for us. All this with Martina behind him. Pienaar is another example of a player becoming better when he no longer plays.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Makes it all the sadder to see a slow, ponderous 2018 Leighton Baines, afraid to cross, unable to dribble and without a free kick goal in over three years. RIP, Leighton.

In fairness complete bells like Lukaku Siggurdson and Rooney started taking them when Baines is still probably the best free kick taker. When you’re a complete coward though it’s no surprise to find yourself at the back of the queue.