Brownie
Player Valuation: £70m
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Moyes-transfer-search-continues.html?ITO=1490
"David Moyes has opened up on his growing fears over an increasingly desperate search for signings and admits Everton are only one injury away from a crisis.
Despite another week of frantic behind-the-scenes activity following a morale-sapping 3-2 opening day defeat at home to Blackburn, Everton have yet to add to the squad that finished fifth in the Barclays Premier League last season.
As he braced himself for having to pitch another untried teenager into the fray at West Brom today, should Phil Neville fail a test on a damaged ankle, the Everton manager warned: 'If we don't get anyone in before the window closes, I don't think we'll be able to cope.'
He refused to elaborate on the extent of his fears, but it was evident the strain was showing after months of sifting through targets and contacting clubs, players and agents without making a breakthrough.
Even his firm stance of only wanting players who would significantly improve Everton has softened after a series of setbacks and frustrations that have forced him, out of desperation, to lower his sights.
It has led to suggestions he may be ready to quit, particularly with his new contract remaining unsigned, but it is understood he remains loyal to the club and his players and is reluctant to walk away just as problems are piling up.
'There is a good possibility we won't get anyone, and if that happens I don't think we could get through to January,' he said.
'We'll keep striving to sign players but it's not open season, like it was six or eight weeks ago.
'The shutters on the shops are halfway down, and it is becoming more difficult all the time. The plain fact is we may have to change what we're looking for. When we finished fifth last May, I knew the level of players we would have to get in to challenge the teams above us, and I knew how much they would cost.
That was the situation on May 14, but it looks now as though, if we do get players in, it won't be the quality ones I was looking at to begin with.
'We are possibly going to have to stick kids in before they are ready, and we could be in trouble if we have so much as one injury. If we have five or six, as has happened often enough before, we could be struggling to field a team.
'It has taken six years to reach the situation we were in at the end of last season, and I thought the days of being a yo-yo club had gone. We had 14 or 15 senior players I thought were good enough, and I simply wanted to add four or five to make sure we could at least think about challenging those elite few above us.
'I still hope I can put out a winning side, whatever happens. That is a measure of the belief I have in myself. But it does look like we may end up bringing in five or six players who cost nothing. That's what we might need to do now, because we simply have to get numbers in. We have to make sure our season isn't over before it has even started.
'I want to compete against the top sides and really challenge them, but the signs are we might finish up taking a backward step this season. This time last year, people were tipping Everton to be the ones to emerge from the pack and have a right go at the top four. I'm not hearing any of that this time, and you have to ask yourself why?
'There is still a week and a bit to go, and you keep hoping, but it has been frustrating.'
Moyes has given up on trying to persuade Juventus's former Chelsea midfielder Tiago to return to England but still hopes Stephane M'Bia will be able to convince Rennes to grant him his wish of a move to Goodison Park."
Erm, [Poor language removed]?!?!?!??!?!
"David Moyes has opened up on his growing fears over an increasingly desperate search for signings and admits Everton are only one injury away from a crisis.
Despite another week of frantic behind-the-scenes activity following a morale-sapping 3-2 opening day defeat at home to Blackburn, Everton have yet to add to the squad that finished fifth in the Barclays Premier League last season.
As he braced himself for having to pitch another untried teenager into the fray at West Brom today, should Phil Neville fail a test on a damaged ankle, the Everton manager warned: 'If we don't get anyone in before the window closes, I don't think we'll be able to cope.'
He refused to elaborate on the extent of his fears, but it was evident the strain was showing after months of sifting through targets and contacting clubs, players and agents without making a breakthrough.
Even his firm stance of only wanting players who would significantly improve Everton has softened after a series of setbacks and frustrations that have forced him, out of desperation, to lower his sights.
It has led to suggestions he may be ready to quit, particularly with his new contract remaining unsigned, but it is understood he remains loyal to the club and his players and is reluctant to walk away just as problems are piling up.
'There is a good possibility we won't get anyone, and if that happens I don't think we could get through to January,' he said.
'We'll keep striving to sign players but it's not open season, like it was six or eight weeks ago.
'The shutters on the shops are halfway down, and it is becoming more difficult all the time. The plain fact is we may have to change what we're looking for. When we finished fifth last May, I knew the level of players we would have to get in to challenge the teams above us, and I knew how much they would cost.
That was the situation on May 14, but it looks now as though, if we do get players in, it won't be the quality ones I was looking at to begin with.
'We are possibly going to have to stick kids in before they are ready, and we could be in trouble if we have so much as one injury. If we have five or six, as has happened often enough before, we could be struggling to field a team.
'It has taken six years to reach the situation we were in at the end of last season, and I thought the days of being a yo-yo club had gone. We had 14 or 15 senior players I thought were good enough, and I simply wanted to add four or five to make sure we could at least think about challenging those elite few above us.
'I still hope I can put out a winning side, whatever happens. That is a measure of the belief I have in myself. But it does look like we may end up bringing in five or six players who cost nothing. That's what we might need to do now, because we simply have to get numbers in. We have to make sure our season isn't over before it has even started.
'I want to compete against the top sides and really challenge them, but the signs are we might finish up taking a backward step this season. This time last year, people were tipping Everton to be the ones to emerge from the pack and have a right go at the top four. I'm not hearing any of that this time, and you have to ask yourself why?
'There is still a week and a bit to go, and you keep hoping, but it has been frustrating.'
Moyes has given up on trying to persuade Juventus's former Chelsea midfielder Tiago to return to England but still hopes Stephane M'Bia will be able to convince Rennes to grant him his wish of a move to Goodison Park."
Erm, [Poor language removed]?!?!?!??!?!
