We have a load of posts analyzing why many feel this was a good deal for the club.

You talk of suddenness and quickness as if this means something but it has been in the works for two weeks, and Moyes will have known of it when he spoke those words...

As mentioned elsewhere, I would expect the people at Everton who were involved with Rodwell's grooming and nurturing will be a bit bummed this morning... but in a sense we all knew something like this was likely to happen this month. Yes, morale may dip a little... but maybe we will see those incoming soon...

Does that help?

To be fair if we can keep Maestro Fellaini and Bainsey then we will be doing well. Whether the squad is ready for the Utd match is anotehr matter.

I just wonder, however, why the Club felt it necessary to insert that line you qute: "The Chairman didn't want me to go". It feels rather superfluous. Unless, that is, the Club know how this will be perceived, and know where their PR weak spot is - ie in the Boardroom.

For 12 million quid, I think we bit their hand off. It's always good to be loyal to your players but there comes a point where an offer is too good to refuse.

I'm no more or less optimistic about the start to the season. 2 days ago, I thought we had a good squad but I know better than to expect too much out of our starts to the season. I feel exactly the same now.

I can't think of a game where I thought, WOW, this guys going to be great.

He wouldn't have played that much this season anyway unless injuries forced it.

We've got enough players in midfield and desperately need a right sided player so someone had to go. It's a sad state of affairs but that is the case.

Morale hasn't dipped here. Whether it will have when the window shuts is a different matter.

Another wild rumour now being quoted as fact.

We have the same manager with the same deficiencies and less players..

I've read the posts about Rodwell on this site with utter contempt. They show nothing but half baked understanding of a great young talent...

Last year our great white hope (for most)...Mr Fellaini was absolutely abysmal for most of the season. He only started to show some promise whenever Gibson took over the mopping up role..

I have no doubt whatsoever that If Rodwell had been given the same freedom in our team - playing as a box to box in front of Gibson - then he would've outshone Fellaini...But no, he gets played right wing after a pretty serious injury..and when he does get a go in centre midfield he plays the defensive role which is not his game..

You have people on here saying that 'he's shit' that all he does is 'pass it sidewards'...well ive news for you...when youre forced to play the mopping up role then that's what you are employed to do...build up play, pass sideways, keep the frigging ball...

You don't get the opportunity to play technical balls or rake shots at the keeper...

The times when Rodwell has looked good for us was when he was allowed to play the 'box to box role' albeit...very rarely.

Come next Monday we will see Neville in midfield...and I hope all the cheerleaders for this disgraceful pantomime pat themselves on the back.

Shambles.

Definitely not - more optimistic than ever; we seem to have some reality in the club at last.

If they're not good enough - get shot!!

Funny how fickle we as fans are, we are quite happy for the club to buy back a 31 year old with no resale value and pay him what we refused to pay him 12 months ago. Yet Rodwell who had just broken into the England team and wasnt one of the highest earners, some fans are happy to see him go. I think there is a good chance Jack will get even better, but it is very rare that a 31 year old gets better.

Anyone who was optimistic for this season was clearly a nutter anyway.....so who knows?

Hanging around the division never threatening any competition awaiting our best players to be filched never seemed a cause for optimism in the first place.

"IF" Moyes adds quality with some of the loot I can see a mildly positive slant on an overall crap situation.

How long should we have kept Rodwell for? When would he have reached his full potential?

The offer was to good to refuse for everyone. Rodwell more so.

Man City do!

I don't dislike Jack, but apart from the Man Utd game a few years ago, I can't recall a good game he's really shone. £12 million + add ons if re-invested would be useful to Moyes to strengthen other areas.

I would suggest that using phrases like 'he's just broken into the England team' are a bit wide of the mark, he's made a couple of appearances I'll grant you, but when it comes to the competitive games, I doubt he'd be in the squad, let alone the 'team'.

In answer to the initial post, my optimism will be fine without Rodwell, as sooner he went than Baines or Felli. It will, however, diminish if none of the funds are utilised in other areas.

I wish him well. He was a player that we hoped would be a driving midfielder in the gerrard mould. Peaked with the goal against the mancs, but never really kicked on in a blue jersey. Hope Moyes gets the money and signs some bargain gems, rather than Russian duds (real signings rather than paper over the crack loan deals).

With arteta, lescott, and Rodwell gone I suspect this article can be recycled again replacing the name with Barkley. Thanks bill.

I don't feel that I have lost any optomism at all. We have conducted our transfer business in a decent way this summer. We have so far kept the players that we have wanted to and Moyes now has extra cash to spend a whole eighteen days before the end of the transfer window.

Ian at 532, I also agree with your last paragraph. I think in time we may see Barkley's name at the top of an article like this.

Doubtless we mind our P's and Q's with City now - we want top dollar for Barkley, Fellaini, Jelavic when the time comes.

On a plus, I was shopping in town on Saturday and noticed our new kit on sale in the Nike store in L1, now that in itself gives cause for optimism................

I have no optimism going in to this season. Our smallest squad just got smaller. We've sold off another player just to service debt, not to clear it. Some fans are rejoicing at the sale of one of England's best young players from our club because 'at least we don't have to sell Baines or Felli'.

Honestly, when are we going to fucking wake up? We are on a complete road to ruin with that clown in charge of the club where yet more of his mistakes are said to be 'good business'.

This time last year I was gearing up for The Blue Union's first meeting. Is there any chance of another one?

" Davy can you pop in the office and bring Jack with you, but tell him to wait outside"

"why..whats up/"

"Just come up...you gonna piss yourself"

Moments later...............

" Whats your thoughts on young Jack ever reaching his potential"

" I don't think he will Bill, he is going backwards"

" Well City have offered us 12 million plus add-ons"

" You fucking messing right"

"No Davy I am not"

"well rip there arm off at the shoulder"

"OK......"Jack you can pop in now"

"Hello Mr Kenwright"

"Jack we have recieved a offer for you....but we don't want you to go"

" I am happy here boss........but how much wages are they gonna pay?"

"They are gonna treble your dough"

"wheres my fucking coat.......people say I got pace well watch how fast I leg it down the lancs I will make Usain Bolt look disabled"

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In all seriousness, he will not be missed, he started his career with us as a promising youngster who really as only been above average about 5 games since....average about 40 times since, poor about 20 times and fucking anonymous the rest.

Moyes knows that he will not quite make the heights we all wished for and and obviously given the ok for the move to go ahead, off the top of my head I cant think of a single player who as improved or flourished since leaving us, lescott as maintained his level, but not improved, so I am happy with this transfer but hope Moyes gets a nice wedge of it to buy a right winger.

I don't expect to see many new faces. Maybe one buy and one free.

I am hopeful that we won't sell anyone else.

"We have lost Donovan, Cahill, Rodwell, Drenthe, McFadden, Baxter, Straqualursi, Yobo, Silva. Naismith has come in. Pienaar hardly counts as a new signing."

No Kevin, we haven't 'lost' any of these players, we've let loanees who weren't up to it or weren't able to sign return and reserve teamers that didn't make it are released. Specifically:
Donovan - good player, was on loan and returned home ages ago
Cahill - yes, he was passed his best and we got a fee
Rodwell - Youth prospect who's clearly injury prone and not been able to make the breakthrough, sold for 12-17M
Drenthe - again, a season long loan and despite some talent the guy is clearly a wastrel with a big ego and a lack of discipline who massively let the club down when he was needed and was rightfully let go.
McFadden - Really? I mean really? Short-term laoanee as a favour.
Baxter - Reserve team player who didn't make the grade and was only ever a very occasional sub.
Straq - Another loan. Hard working, but not quite good enough.
Yobo - Not sure if you noticed but he has actually been away from the club for the past 2 years and we sold him for c.£2.5M
Silva - Again, a reserve team punt at best.

Your framework is also convenient in terms of the fact it conveniently ignores the signing of Jelavic and GIbson and you massively downplay Pienaar and Naismith - all 4 of which appear improvements on the players they were replacing.

You also conveniently ignore the fact that we have over 2 weeks of transfer window left and that there will almost certainly be further moves in (either paid, loanees or both). I'd expect 2 more arrivals minimum before the end of August, if it doesn't happen you can carp about the size of the squad...or maybe find something else to whinge about, maybe the shade of blue we're playing in?

Unless, though, more players are brought in , our squad will be dangerously weakened. We never have much luck with injuries.Also,if there are new signings they will need to blend in fast, otherwise an excuse for another slow start will be ready if required.

We need to move into the modern world, lots of the fans are complaining (rightly so) that the board hasn't adapted to the premier league but neither have a lot of the fans. We live in a cynical world where cash is king and loyalty is rare. Liverpool sold Mascherano, Torres, Alonso, Arbeloa, meireles and Benayoun to 'bigger' clubs. United sold Ronaldo. they did this because of a blend of factors involving players with no loyalty, lured by cash, with overinflated opinions of themselves. It is rare that a Gerrard type player of genuine ability will stay at a club for their entire career. Why should Everton be any different? Why should every foreign player who plays for us suddenly become adopted scousers and never want to move on. Why whould we be able to keep hold of our world class talent when even Man U can't. Why should our players be immune to the lure of increased wages or champions league football when every other player is vunerable to these same things?

We are not an exception. It's this same mentality amongst some fans who think that if we just 'go for it' then we'd beat City away despite their billion pound team being at fulll strength whilst our loan star team is decimated with injuries with a few kids playing. The fact it happens, even quite regularly is miraculous. The fact that we keep/ kept players of the calibre of Arteta, Cahill, Baines, and Pienaar at the club for so long is miraculous. The turnover at other clubs is far greater than this one. We have sold some big players but we have also kept some big players for a long time which is a rare thing considering our position in the structure of world football.

There is something special about Everton, that's why so many players do stay for a long time and why its a kick in the teeth when anyone wants to go, but that's what every other football fan up and down the country feels far more regularly than we do. Arsenal are a selling club, Spurs will lose Modric, Newcastle lost Carrol. You can either wallow about it or adapt to it like most other sets of fans do. We've been spoilt of late by remarkable shows of player loyalty, and some remarkable against the odds performances, but you shouldn't expect that to be the norm in this economic environment of the premier league. Man U will be coming to Goodison having spent more on one player in this window than we have for several years combined yet some will still demand Moyes's head if we don't play like Barca and win. First choice central midfield pairing out injured? No problem, it should still be a convincing home win surely, all we have to do is 'go for it'. If only the football world worked like that. Perhaps some of us are more like Kenwright than we'd dare to admit. Both fans stuck in the past unable (or not wanting) to grasp the realities of premier league football.

"Newcastle lost Carroll"

They didn't lose him, they committed the crime of the century. If City had paid us £80 million for Rodwell it wouldn't come close.

I thought the deal was £12 million plus £5 million based on appearances, and he's not going to be a 1st team starter for City is he so that's going to take a few seasons to get.

So rather than 'the best part of £20 million', we're getting about half of that IF they pay the initial fee in cash NOW.

Unfortunately Gazza's just gone back into rehab so won't be available.

Remember we still have Jelavic, Fellaini, Baines, Pienaar so expectation is a lot higher than it was last season for me.

I'm not expecting to beat Man Utd though, so maybe some people can hold their breath for an extra week.

COYBs!

As for Moyes changing his approach to the game I've given up on hoping for that after 10 years.

I heard it was £7 million up front with a further £5m depending on

That's the problem with "undisclosed" - you can make up any figures to placate your target audience/confuse your rivals

Love to know the what the add-ons were dependant on - leading England to a WC final, 100 games, finding life on Mars? drives a hard bargain Bill, y'know

If I wasn't shit at writing things, or too lazy... that's what I would have written!!!

That said, COYB - 5-0 home win against the Mancs!!!

As much as I love my Mrs if an Arab Sheikh offered £25million for her I'd pack her suitcase myself.

Sorry Jess....

Duncan @ 722 - Ha ha , brilliant !

Also worth mentioning that we ourselves take advantage of other clubs financial difficulties ( Jelavic and Naismith from Rangers ) and take the better players from '' smaller'' clubs ( Cahill , Lescott , Jagielka etc)

Good luck Jack, a sound Evertonian.