ToffeeWeb

Of course this deal is in trouble. It’s for a right back innit! I find it hilarious that under new deep pockets owner that we haggle about three million quid. Three million quid when we desperately – DESPERATELY – need a right-back.

OK, so Saint Daniel walked away from the table and walked back – a real risk, by the way – to buy us at a very agreeable price.

Erm, you can’t do this all the time, not least when it comes to transfers. If we keep on doing this we will lose players and our reputation for wheeling and dealing like this will spread like the oil to get those cars started home and abroad.

This negotiating erm ‘strategy’ for a club like us is not sustainable, especially when the fee is ‘just’ 15 million.

We do not look like smart negotiators/recruiters in this particular deaL (and if we continue like this we will become a known entity).

This back and forth might work in Toyota-land but there is no guarantee that it will do so in the cut and thrust of the transfer market. I believe that we got away on one with HH, but that does not at all mean that this is the route that we should always follow.

Pragmatic? Possibly in some case. Pragmatic? Might it work on the last day of the window or the few before when we traditionally ‘pounce’? Other clubs know our situation and strategy and that gives them leverage.

This make a low-bid stuff will not work when there is competition for the player in question. It is making for an already underwhelming window in which two new players have been signed (one of whom, we were told yesterday, was not actually recruited by Cox and co.).

Our crack recruitment team have 24 days to pull something out of a hat. It looks like they have royally screwed up in the case of a not first- but second-rate right-back. They now have three-and-a-half weeks to get us a striker (two would be ideal), right-back and left-back (others and I feel like this also, want someone else out on the left – I hope to Sheedy that it is not Grealish).

I don’t at this point see much innovation and creativity over the next few weeks. I expect loans and this budget bargaining and the more it continues the more we will be from any sort of progress on the pitch.

But, as always, I end up with let’s hope and let’s wait and see and I would love it, just love it, if my hunches are proved wrong.

The fact that Johnston is keen for a move to the EPL means Everton has the upper hand in the negotiation. And there’s no other club chasing means they have to come back to us if they want the cash.

Johnston is not Riquelme. Just move on to next if we can’t get him.

Brendan, thanks. see what you mean. I guess whether saving £2-3m is a good idea depends on 1) The total transfer value and thus the % saved and 2) what you bought instead of(if anyone at all)

Mike Gaynes #19 spot on. Do many managets and not one vote of confidence in Patterson, who even found himself with a brief bit of World Cup experience, not to mention qualifying. Nobody at Everton seems to rate him and recent mgrs have spent a lot of time trying to sell him.

We have spent three years replacing Coleman. You rarely see transfer policy managed like this. However admitting that frustration it feels equally frustrating because the infamous transfer committee of such repute I cant name any of them, may still be on the verge of pulling off a £75m fee for a player we paid £15 for just a few minutes ago..,,,,

It’s all so bloody Everton. Moyes pulling off a small miracle keeping us in the league is the very very notable exception but nothing seems to change and hope is all we ever start a season with and most of all know itd fruitless and pray to be proved wrong.

Transfer mgt at our club is the main cause of soul destroying activity from an already stagnating approach that I guess will keep us up but more 14 or 13 place finishes are on the way. Harsh ? Please show me how but I say again how else does it feel to you ? The rest of the top ten are again improving and huge amounts of money are being spent. We have the filthy rich owners don’t we ? But now play second fiddle to Roma. The Patterson saga and buys like Dibling, Barry, counter the good time of profit from a couple of big sales? Sigh, again, how does it feel to you ? I’d respect the well argued optimistic feel and have no issue bringing mocked if it all comes good. I told you so would be amazing and incredibly welcome in 12m time but in
The meantime I will be off to see us start the season soon hoping Johnson arrives or an unknown does on his place and that lad up front from
Turkey. It’s still all about hope but at least the cheese and mushroom pie is showing consistency we hoped for and I bloody love it all tho god knows why !

He’s a 10m right back, no other suitors, Celtic pushing for £15m.
As he’s ordinary at best. We should park up and seek better.