Who let Everton/Koeman down?

[Blue Magic]

@The Esk

I wondered if you could give your opinion on a question that occurs to me. I have no interest in spending money for the sake of it, and I've been impressed with all of the new signings that I've seen play so far - Stekelenburg, Gueye, Bolasie and Williams. I also appreciate how Everton has been a difficult sell this window - we have no European football, we haven't won anything for a long time, and we aren't at the present time a 'big name' club. However, as a club with those disadvantages but wanting to transition to a brighter future, could we and should we have gone 'all out' just on one signing, i.e. have offered absolutely silly money in wages to one of our targets to ensure that they came here? Is that the price that you need to pay to make the kind of transition that we are hoping to? Did we make a mistake in not doing this and instead looking for good value in all of the signings?

 

[scratchnsurf]

Excellent - a blame thread.



Canada, obviously.

 

[Joey66]

The last few days of the window are just a lottery though with teams second guessing one another and playing silly beggars. We had the same with Berahino and in the end just gave up and moved on to Bony. Much rather have 3/4 decent additions to the squad than 8/9 panic buys......

8-9 are you an optimistlol
I feel we have some great youngsters it looks like all our targets fell tough and Sissoko was a last ditch effort hat ended in a mare!

 

[Tigger]

Can you use this picture please mate?
View attachment 28182

lolYour a lovely boy x

 

[lancs blue]

moshri needs to sack everyone and get robertoooo back

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Everyone calm down, slowly slowly catchy monkey. I'm confident we will have a good season, European qualification, by league or cup...

 

[ToffeeDoug]

@The Esk

I wondered if you could give your opinion on a question that occurs to me. I have no interest in spending money for the sake of it, and I've been impressed with all of the new signings that I've seen play so far - Stekelenburg, Gueye, Bolasie and Williams. I also appreciate how Everton has been a difficult sell this window - we have no European football, we haven't won anything for a long time, and we aren't at the present time a 'big name' club. However, as a club with those disadvantages but wanting to transition to a brighter future, could we and should we have gone 'all out' just on one signing, i.e. have offered absolutely silly money in wages to one of our targets to ensure that they came here? Is that the price that you need to pay to make the kind of transition that we are hoping to? Did we make a mistake in not doing this and instead looking for good value in all of the signings?

Arguably, the error was the other way round. Moshiri wanted the big name signings earlier in the summer to make his statement about vision and intent and show the footballing world what was happening at the club - and the approach didn't work as we were being knocked back. Then in came Walsh, the strategy was changed and expectations on targets were lowered. From looking at Mata and Witsel, we moved to Williams, Gueye and Bolasie.

And more generally, could one star signing alone help ensure that transition?

 

[Sapie88]

lolYour a lovely boy x

He never even used it either the twot.

 

[Blue Magic]

Arguably, the error was the other way round. Moshiri wanted the big name signings earlier in the summer to make his statement about vision and intent and show the footballing world what was happening at the club - and the approach didn't work as we were being knocked back. Then in came Walsh, the strategy was changed and expectations on targets were lowered. From looking at Mata and Witsel, we moved to Williams, Gueye and Bolasie.

And more generally, could one star signing alone help ensure that transition?

Think about what it would have been like if we'd got one star signing alongside the other signings we've made this window. The current first 11 is a good team, but imagine it with, say, Mata added as well. It would have been a different prospect, both on the pitch and in terms of how we were viewed.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

Think about what it would have been like if we'd got one star signing alongside the other signings we've made this window. The current first 11 is a good team, but imagine it with, say, Mata added as well. It would have been a different prospect, both on the pitch and in terms of how we were viewed.

Not many would disagree there. A mixture of both. Bit like Countdown, "one from the top and 5 from the middle please"

 

[Tigger]

He never even used it either the twot.

I don't agree with your view but that picture made me chuckle, your recruitment for Moshout should be in full swing right now. Poor window and doubts over his intentions, the forum needs another plotters v cult ala Martinez discussion, all the best!

 

[Blue Magic]

Ha

Not many would disagree there. A mixture of both. Bit like Countdown, "one from the top and 5 from the middle please"

Haha. That's a good way of putting it. I think that's how you need to start turning round a situation like ours. If there's a been a failure this window it's been the failure to do that rather than the failure to sign a bunch of top players.

 

[The Esk]

Very interesting article from Paul Joyce which I'm pleased to say is consistent with much of the information I provided throughout the summer, particularly our desire to go big in the market early on, Witsel for example, Moshiri's willingness to provide funds for transfers and ultimately as per my article today our inability to convert interest into closure.

Good read

 

[The Esk]

owever, as a club with those disadvantages but wanting to transition to a brighter future, could we and should we have gone 'all out' just on one signing, i.e. have offered absolutely silly money in wages to one of our targets to ensure that they came here? Is that the price that you need to pay to make the kind of transition that we are hoping to? Did we make a mistake in not doing this and instead looking for good value in all of the signings?

Hi mate, it's an interesting question, and actually we did do pretty much what you are suggesting in our attempt to acquire Witsel. We met pretty much all of his excessive demands having agreed a fee with Zenit. Unfortunately for us over his holidays his demands increased and eventually we said enough is enough.

There's no doubt strategy changed be it because Walsh arrived or there was a recognition a "marquee" player was not likely to happen - probably a touch of both. Had we got that first marquee, Witsel, Mata or Carvalho for example the window probably would have shaped up very differently, clearly though we did not and we went in a different direction.

 

[Nealroy]

Hi mate, it's an interesting question, and actually we did do pretty much what you are suggesting in our attempt to acquire Witsel. We met pretty much all of his excessive demands having agreed a fee with Zenit. Unfortunately for us over his holidays his demands increased and eventually we said enough is enough.

There's no doubt strategy changed be it because Walsh arrived or there was a recognition a "marquee" player was not likely to happen - probably a touch of both. Had we got that first marquee, Witsel, Mata or Carvalho for example the window probably would have shaped up very differently, clearly though we did not and we went in a different direction.

If we think back to when City were taken over by the Sheiks this is exactly what they did in buying Robinho. Unfortunately for us things have moved on a lot since 2008 and a statement that cost City £32million then probably would've cost us two or three times that amount in this window. Whilst they may have appeased the fans I don't even think a Witsel or Mata would have been a big enough signing to 'announce us' on the world stage. Can't imagine what it would be like if we spent £60m on a player who flopped like Robinho did at City. Perhaps this all just became apparent through the summer hence Walsh coming in and the change of strategy? Maybe we should have just been open about all this and swerved all the insistence on trying to break our transfer record for the sake of it - no shame in trying to improve the club from the ground up (so to speak).