McAleny to sign Everton contract

Can anyone please explain how we have a 19-year-old whose 'current deal' has expired? What sort of deal do we offer these lads and how long are they?

Mark,

Isn't there a restriction on the length of contract a club can offer a player in his first professional contract? I thought it was fairly standard that the players sign their first professional contract at 16, and it's usually for a max of 3 years. It might be a regulation, but it might also be clubs not wanting to invest a 5-year contract on a 16-year-old coming out of the academy with no idea how he'll continue to grow.

How much playing time can he reasonably expect this season? He's probably 4th choice behind Jelavic, Anichebe and Vellios (presuming Naismith plays in midfield). Is this a 'first team' contract or just another one who'll waste away in the reserves. There seems to have been so many false dawns with players making their first team debuts such as Wallace, Forshaw, and Baxter. Hopefully McAleny might be able to save us a bit of money and become a viable striking option up front.

Looks a useful player. Best thing for him would be to get a year at a football playing club in the championship. If he stays with us he won't get enough first team time to push on I feel.

A prospect who will get a contract to reflect his potential. If he doesn't want to sign he will go elsewhere. Has potential to get in first team thats it. Simple

I've seen him play for the reserves. He's quick and sharp — the type of forward who doesn't suit our style of play, and we know Moyes won't change that.

Spot on Sam #526

Look at Vellios and Barkley...both quality young prospects who have only managed to play first team football on the rare occassion.

I'm not saying Connor can't make it as a first team player but I can't see him getting enough experience at that level any time soon. So for his development he should be loaned out to a solid Championship club. If they want him of course. Training with qaulity players is massive but as anyone who has played football at any level knows nothing beats playing in tough matches for improving you as a player.

Russell,

Vellios was given a decent amount of playing time last season, given a few starts as well. Overall, he looked pretty poor when given the start. He scored a few goals as a sub, late in games when he was fresh and the defense was not. I hope he gets better and proves valuable. But last season, he was given some decent chances and didn't do much, with Straq proving more valuable on the pitch despite his limited ability. Then Jelavic came on the scene and scorched the league the second half. No way in hell Vellios should have been in there ahead of Jelavic. But Moyes obviously sees something in him, as he let Straq go and has kept him around.

Right now Vellios is probably second choice, if McAleny signs he might have a chance to challenge him for that place. Lets see how it develops over the season. Even Chicharito has had to bide his time at United despite his considerable talent. I have to admit I really liked the few minutes I got to see McAleny play against Arsenal though.

I see McAleny as a withdrawn forward like Naismith, not a striker competing for time with Jelavic and Vellios. McAleny's not a target man or one-touch finisher like Jeli and Veli... he's a guy who likes to have the ball at his feet and attack off the dribble.

I heard Naismith looked sharp as hell last night, and definitely a second forward, not a midfielder. If he has trouble staying fully fit, McAleny could see some significant minutes.

Not sure about about false dawns, just players who come through the youth setup to make the fringes of the first team, but ultimately prove not-as-good as the senior international professionals they are attempting to displace. If we were as shit as we were late 90s, these players would get more Premier League experience before they went off and signed for a Championship or League One team (see Michael Branch and Danny Cadamarteri as examples). Thankfully we are not. The problem really is with those fans who think every academy graduate is going to be the new Rooney. Doesn't work like that.

David Barks - That is simply not true about Vellios. You really should check your facts. How you can say Vellios was given a decent chance is beyond me. He played a grand total of 259 minutes in the league last season and scored 3 goals. 259 minutes!! That's less than three matches game time! How many minutes did we have to endure Saha last season? You also say he had a decent amount of starts and looked poor? Really, two starts is a decent amount? You are going to judge him on that? If that were applied to all first teamers then we wouldnt have seen Cahill or Saha after the first two games of the season. You seem to have a default position of defending Moyes but seem to have no problem denigrating our players with incorrect statements like "he looked poor from the start" and "he only scored when the opposition was tired and he was fresh", as if that was easy and anyone could do it.

Vellios was one of the bright sparks out of all the younger players at the club last season, he was excellent last pre season and done more than his bit in the very limited opportunities he got at the start of last season and then he was pretty much frozen out, well before Jelavic came. I hope his development hasn't regressed as a result of not playing enough and most likely taking a knock in confidence but he hasn't looked as impressive in the again limited time he has had this pre season, but he hasn't played enough to make a fair assessment.

Daivd Barks,

Vellios was our top scorer after starting his three games and was dropped. He looked anything but 'pretty poor'...

Seamus, I'll take your word for it that Vellios only had 2 starts but what I remember of him when he did start was that he was knackered before half-time and wasn't up to a full game. He'll have to be a lot fitter to get a start this season.

David, Moyes kept Vellios and let Stracq go because Stracq was on loan and Vellios isn't.

He'll never make it etc ...

Seamus,

My default position is in no way to defend Moyes, but believe what you like. Vellios was given a couple starts after people had been crying out for it. In those starts he was just not very good. The reason why a manager might be inclined to stick with a player like Saha is because he at least has a proven track record of going on a run of form and banging in a load of goals. Strikers are the most streaky players in the game and every manager, every one, stands by their striker through a dry spell knowing it's just a matter of time before it goes the other way. It happened to Rooney, it happened to Dzeko, and on and on.

I don't disagree Vellios was a bright spot amongst the young players last season, but he was far more effective as a sub. He did not look ready to start games and lead the line last season. I thought he started a couple more games, I was wrong. But I do remember watching him and feeling he was in no way ready to start and much more effective as an impact sub. As I said, I have him as second choice to Jelavic, I'm not sure how that makes me "denigrate" him.

Few players who have the stop-start introduction of Vellios and McAleny ever seem to be given a chance to establish themselves. Vaughan and Anichebe are also cases in point although us fans are as much to blame as we frequently show as much intolerance to their inconsistencies as does the manager.

I can't say I've ever seen my club, Everton, as a good place for kids to learn their craft. After all, the one with the most skill and affection for EFC couldn't wait to get away!

I saw him in DC last summer. I remember thinking that we had a real talent on our hands at the time along with Barkley.

Thought the same after his cameo against Arsenal. Too soon to judge but he reminds me of Cottee.

I find this thread a bit surprising as it was reported on Toffeeweb a few weeks ago that Conor McAleny was still waiting for a new contract almost a month after the previous one had expired (apparently the lad only got a one year deal in June 2011).

As I said then, it seems a little odd that he wasn't formally released or signed to a new deal straight away. My own opinion is that the club are not yet convinced he will make it and are desperate to keep head-count in the 'potential yet to be fulfilled' ranks.

This new U21 / reserve competition may have caused a rethink, as our U21's being understrength, and getting creamed every week in a re-vamped competition, wouldn't do much for the club's profile or the morale and development of our youngsters.

Meant to type '.... keep head-count down.... '.

The wage demands of those on the periphery of the 1st team squad will always be a defining factor in the issue of contract negotiations, i.e what Everton would be prepared to offer against the possibility of the player earning more by dropping down a division and likely to be playing on a weekly basis. On a separate issue, rumours seem to be resurfacing about the possibility of Philiphs singing from Blackpool.

Last season I found myself looking forward to the League Cup games just to see the fringe players. I know we need to play it safe and ensure our survival, but surely there is room for blooding a few players? After watching Barkley in one midweek cup game I left Goodison with a warm glow thinking that we had found a real gem. I just hope he stays injury free and we feel strong enough as a team to give him a chance, but that is just one player. If we are not confident in these lads then what does it say about our youth policy?