It is wonderful to have signed a man credited with getting Kante, Mahrez and Vardy, even if he wasn't the scout who spotted them.
Still, many would count only Stekelenburg as our only signing. Many are disappointed and ranting over the lack of signings being alike previous years. Many are demanding marquee signings while denouncing every "average" player linked to us (like saying Gylfi Sigurdsson is a squad player).
I'm impatient, generally. I would be lying if I am to say I don't want to see new players. However, I don't want Everton to be splashing $50m for every player we want to buy. I have no expectation of a marquee signing. If we get a quality player for a bargain, sure, but when everyone is worth $25m or more, you're quite likely to be paying a fortune for scraps.
That is where Walsh comes in. Unearthing talents, bargain hunting, whatever you call it, that's the way to navigate the overpriced market nowadays. How many "marquee" signings can you make with $100m if everyone is priced at $20m minimum? Also, this is the season where agents make all the noise, so anyone letting the media take you for a ride over every player linked is wasting their time.
Looking at the material changes at the management level, it is fair to say that no player targeted by the club until Walsh signed up. And even then, it would be less Witsel and more pre-Leicester Mahrez and Vardy and I'm fine with that. When you spend $5m for a player that plays like a $50m player, you're a genius. If you can't win a title with a team of $50m players, you don't last long with the English bloodhounds of fans, media and owners. And the club will be bled dry very quickly, something very true for those outside the mega rich.
Back on the Sigurdsson point, $25m is probably fair value, but bargain hunting wise, I'll hope we nab him for less. He is a quality player, might not bring us to the elite level but definitely a step upwards. However, the question I always ask, can the money be put into better use elsewhere? Besides, Koeman might be able to whip the current team into shape and reach UCL without much.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Friday, July 1, 2016
Welcome Maarten (Stekelenburg)
I remember seeing him play in the final against the superior Spain in 2010. He was solid throughout the World Cup and was beaten by a well worked goal.
How the mighty have fallen, though his compatriots fell equally far. He was relegated with Fulham and had to spend the next 2 years on loan, incidentally last season with Southampton. Koeman worked with him and now he's bringing him over.
Clearly he rates him enough, with speculation high that Robles might be leaving. Well, it's silly season so rumors are all over the place. The funny thing is, reading how many of the naysayers rate him, he's garbage, except they kept thinking he sat on Fulham's bench instead of Southampton's.
Well, a few things they forgot, other than that he was at Southampton instead of Fulham.
How the mighty have fallen, though his compatriots fell equally far. He was relegated with Fulham and had to spend the next 2 years on loan, incidentally last season with Southampton. Koeman worked with him and now he's bringing him over.
Clearly he rates him enough, with speculation high that Robles might be leaving. Well, it's silly season so rumors are all over the place. The funny thing is, reading how many of the naysayers rate him, he's garbage, except they kept thinking he sat on Fulham's bench instead of Southampton's.
Well, a few things they forgot, other than that he was at Southampton instead of Fulham.
- He was competition for Fraser Forster, a good GK, and replaced by him after a run of bad results
- That string of bad results come at the end of 17 games totaling 30 points, 2 points more than the average over the rest of the season
- He is younger than Nigel Martyn when he signed, who was a great signing especially after taking over from Richard Wright, who was not a World Cup finalist when he signed
- Clearly, not our long term solution, so we're possibly adding a true starting GK at some point and one of 3 GKs that Koeman wants
- Came at a fairly low price
So, while I'm not sure how Koeman's team next year looks like, I'm quite happy to have him signed on. Welcome Maarten.
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