Everton clinch Gareth Barry on permanent deal

The lynchpin of Roberto's plan!

Next for a quality striker!!

The youngsters in the squad should be better this season, we just need to secure a proven goalscorer up-front.

Much less worried now.

Now let's go sign Rom on a permanent and then we can relax a bit.

Plus if Roberto can attract 2 or 3 quality loan players then we will be motoring!

He'll be doing well when he's 36 or 37 if he stays injury-free.

Now for the other 6 signings ......

Also it's a perfect illustration of why you should never believe anything you read in the papers.

Di Stefano smoked, drank and played until he was 40:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpcnCXJCEAASUIx.jpg

Now prepare to get slagged off for being slow, one-footed and over-the-hill by the experts on here!

I'd like to see Barkley at 10, and Barry at... maybe 8?

Either way, we can focus on that striker with our loot. Although I would take that Croatian winger if you asked.

He's no fool and has found a great place to ply his trade where he is appreciated. And we do appreciate him. Have a great season or three lad!

Hoping for a more quick signings now. They'll come; I was getting worried with everyone else signing loads. I've faith in Bobby that work is being done in the background.

Everything about having you playing PERMANENTLY for Everton feels right, Gareth.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsDO-AyIYAARIdM.jpg

Also great to get a player signed early.... looking forward to more. I fully trust Martinez – he over-performed last season and will know what blend he needs at the club.

We don't have that many players with his experience and I think will become part of the coaching staff.

Top signing in my book!

Every time the rest of the midfield are looking for Howard to punt it long, he drops off, and is always available to pass the ball into our midfield. You might think it's easy, but ask Jagielka or Distin to play that role and they go to fecking pieces for some reason.

He's such a calming influence in the side, and there is no doubt McCarthy will come on leaps and bounds learning off him – I'm not sure I could say that about Osman, or Pienaar.

Never seems to be injured, a great signing!

The haggling must have been about money but as he apparently always wanted to stay, the 3-year deal clearly helped in the end.

I think he will enter in our coaching staff in the near future.

I feel certain that not only will Gareth Barry continue to perform on the pitch but be a mentor in the dressing room, and that is equally as vital.

( I recall a "rumour" that when Mikel Arteta was sold, a young player had a row with the manager. The gist was "So who the hell do I learn from now in training?" Of course, the youngster was Ross Barkley.)

3 years seems a little charitable but who am I to second guess Bobby's master plan?

One down, a few more to go, I hope. COYB

Then I found out that he won the training competition that Martinez held all of last year. I was no longer worried at all. A player who out-trains everyone on the club is not the type of guy who will ever take it easy. Barry was an accomplished veteran and a Premier League champion. He didn't have anything to prove yet he still put forth more effort on the training pitch than anyone else. That's a great role model for all our young guys.

WHEW!

Now....4 or 5 more!

Perfect first signing, though more imagination may be required for the rest.

Hopefully when Gibson comes back (everyone's forgotten about him!), we will have good options in centre midfield.

Granted Gibson's injury was unlucky, and not part of the recurring problem he's had, but we can't take on more injury risks in an already-threadbare squad for the campaign ahead.

I predict that this guy will become an Everton legend and I can’t wait for Gibson to be fit. He will be our creator in midfield – Barry will allow him to play.

Come on you Blues!

I think people who question him being 33 is actually an insult to a 33-year-old man that is fit and looks after himself – we are talking about an athlete here, not a unfit slob.

I was playing 90 minutes of football at the age of 36 and 37 and felt like I wanted to play every day and I am not an athlete that trains every day with a dedicated professional fitness programme.

To do the role that Barry does so well, all you need is the football knowledge and the brain and Barry has that; he doesn't need to run around loads, he has McCarthy and Barkley next to him for that.

Gary McAllister, Paul Scholes, Andrea Pirlo, Teddy Sheringham, Gianfranco Zola, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard...

Just a small list of examples but trying telling them they couldn't perform well at the age of 33.

It's a great signing to get Barry and it keeps the core of our midfield from last season. (Shame Geri couldn't have stayed one more year though...)

Now we need to work on signing a striker to score the goals Lukaku got last term and perhaps replace the raw pace that Deulofeu offered on the break, albeit mostly cameos.

Potentially, between Barry, McCarthy, Gibson, Ledson and this Galloway lad, we could have defensive midfield sewn up for a decade to come... and at Barry's level of quality! For a fee less than a couple of million? Unbelievable deal!

What we could do with is another midfielder who can attack and create things a bit more than Ross or take the burden off Barkley to do it so often.

We are fine now for defensive midfielders, as people say; nobody has forgotten Gibson, he just doesn't play enough through no fault of his own. You also have to worry that all the time he's missed over the years will possibly mean he can no longer be the player he was, I have no idea the state of his injuries or just how much they hold him back, though we heard he was restricted from striking the ball too hard at one stage about 18 months ago – that was before his last injury.

You'd like to think a few games in Europe or the League Cup may get him into the swing of things but, to be brutally honest, and I say this with a tinge of sadness, I can't see Gibson still being here this time next year. One more season of injuries that don't clear and you start to wonder why are you paying the wages. I can see him ending up somewhere like Stoke or West Brom eventually.

I think RM needs to issue Lukaku with a date by which he needs an answer, as it does seem that alternatives will only be considered after Lukaku has decided where his future lies.

Welcome to the club again!

I can see your logic on Rodwell, but with his injury record and that he is probably a confidence player (when he’s down he’s and when he’s up he’s up!) we need to get him at reasonable price; we shouldn’t be spending mucho wonga on him.

My inclination is to leave alone though.

Or did I dream it?

If it's right, his availability may vastly improve this year.

I hope he doesn't think Real Madrid are going to put an offer in for him... or maybe his agent is telling him they might and that he just has to wait!

Screw your head on tight, Rom lad.

I think whatever the reasons for his time on the sick bench, he’s missed so much valuable first-team playing time and probably just training with the squad, and having a knock around has been a problem.

I fear he won’t be able to integrate again, I think it’s not just his body that has to catch up, it’s his mind as well.

It will be a very gentle reintroduction by RM over a period. His contract runs out in June 2016, so that’s this season to ease his way in and then one to impress or it will be ..................?

Rom at the right price!

And that’s a very contentious subject on here. There are other options: if I thought Chicharito was available (and he might be) we’d probably get him for £8-12M... I’d pay it!

1. A striker – a 'marquee' signing (whatever that is) someone to score 20 goals and get us into top 4. The usual suspects being Lukaku, Bony, Remy etc

2. A creative midfielder – someone to compete with Ross (who is not that creative) for the crucial No 10 role. Tadic has gone but the likes of Firmino, Brahimi, Ziyech and my pick Perisic have been linked.

3. A centre-back – We need four senior centre backs and I'm not sure how highly Martinez rates Duffy. Galloway (if he signs) may be pushed forward but is only 18; otherwise, the likes of Martins Indi and De Vrij have been linked to everyone... or Manolas that Greek lad we have been linked to before.

4,5 and 6. Some squad fillers maybe in central midfield, on the wing and for up front. Likely to be loans or cheap deals. The likes of Ba, Tello, Traore (two types) Rodwell, Cleverley, Besic, Pardo, Samaras (?!) have been linked. I'd be more than happy with Bony, Perisic, Manolas and Besic with Tello and Ba on loan.

Howard
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
Barry McCarthy
Mirallas Barkley Perisic
Bony

Subs: Robles, Distin, Manolas, Besic, Tello, Mcgeady, Ba

Wishful thinking!

I can now see him being ready for pre-season and getting together with the squad. I wouldn't have any fears about him integrating with the squad, He will probably get game-time in the pre-season friendlies to help get his head right.

Let Roberto do his thing, preseason hasn't even started yet...

I rate chicharito (over Lukaku) and unlike Lukaku he can hold the ball up with his back to goal.

We were hemmed in and under so much pressure last season at times, the ball was pumped up to Lukaku, either his first touch was poor or he was simply dispossessed straight away and the ball came right back at us.

Hernadez will run the ball into corners, win a free kick or find time somehow.

He’d be a good buy.

He's also FIVE years older than Lukaku! Ridiculous.

Lukaku has done it now for two season in the Premier League and I believe that, if he would have started more games for West Brom and wasn't injured last season, he would have scored 20 in each one.

Yes, he can look disinterested and lazy and his first touch isn't the greatest, but by fuck, he knows where the goals is.

That would be CoCo The Clown.

Firstly what’s age got to with it we’ve just signed Barry?

Pirlo, Gerrard, Robben, Ribbery, Cambiasso, Kaka, Drogba, Sanga, Di Rossi, Tevez, Terry, Cole, Alves the list goes on and ......................on! Do you want me to dig some more out?

All of the above are the wrong side of 30 and still playing excellent football, FFS Hernandez is only 25!

Many will agree with me I’m not the one making ridiculous statements on age here pal. Just like your age statement, you haven’t got much idea either of what you’re talking about on Hernandez.

Ridiculous? I certainly know where to find it now!

Somebody posted the other day about the bargains certain clubs got from with foreign players, while ignoring the longer list of duds the same clubs bought from overseas.

It can be made to work both ways.

To my mind, while he had his moments with us with a few goals, he never really showed any great promise, was constantly caught in possession, couldnÂ’t seem to cope with hard defenders, and was constantly out-headed in the air.

He has already been quoted that he wants Champions League football with a Â’bigger teamÂ’ so I think Robbo should look elsewhere, preferably in the UK.

You beat me to it. To class Hernandez as a back-to-goal, hold-the-ball-up player is way, way incorrect.

If we are to compare Lukaku to alternatives, we should at least use the same type of player for comparison.

The point about Lukaku's age is that he (in theory) is nowhere near the finished article. He could quite easily go on to be world class. How often do we have even the faintest opportunity to sign players of that caliber? Or what about a more conservative scenario: we sign him for £25M and he doesn't improve. We are stuck with a guy with a poor first touch labouring to a measly 20 goals a season. Sounds like a good signing in either scenario to me.

For the record, I really like Hernandez and would not be averse to is going for him. However, he isn't going to lead the line by himself... and he has repeatedly failed to impress when he has started games. A loan with an option to buy for say £10M would be good business.

As Paul Andrews has said, you are comparing apples with oranges.

Experience matters and so I suppose he, Osman. Hibbo and Distin are worth keeping for a while longer to help with the younger players coming through.

Some of his play at times was outstanding, especially in the first two months and the final two months; he did have the expected lull and loss of form but his one-touch finishing and hold-up play at times was devastating.

We are going to miss that.

With Lukaku it’s entirely subjective, but I personally feel his potential isn’t that great, he’s not too far off his full potential now.

The World isn’t queuing up for this kid, I might be wrong but I suspect there’s a lot of top flight managers might agree with my point and don’t want their fingers burnt with him.

I like Lukaku and want him, he’s big and strong, got skill and frightens defenses, but with the limitations above (in my humble opinion). Lukaku yes, but not at Jose’s £25m.

I regard Hernandez as an Arteta type player but in the forward line, very cunning and could do a job for us, he’s a thinker whereas Lukaku is very much head down and charge.

Apples and oranges yes, but it’s the ultimate job done that matters? I’d go for the Mexican.

Lot better out there for the asking price IMO but if Roberto likes him who am I to argue? A no-brainer at around £9-10 million but not above that.

Given Roberto's favoured system of play, what position would you see Hernandez playing?

He might be useful in the FA and League Cups as a start though. Still, probably not worth the money unless you want to build a Mexican market, but even there's he's lost his shine (and was mostly a sub in the World Cup for them as well).

Baines, Coleman, Barkley (not proven yet!) possibly Stones & McCarthy if they improve – not yet at the required level.

So that's two players out our entire squad who would be regulars for a Chelsea or Man City. Some opposition fans would say there's only Barkley, who needs a full season and double figures for goals and assists to prove he is ready to step up.

Barry is a step up from all these players. Proven quality over a full season.

File under bollox

Either his body just can't cut it or he doesn't look after himself in the manner Barry etc do. Europa League games at a push.

Someone here mentioned Huddlestone the other day. I wasn't convinced, but the more I think of it, the more it makes sense.

Perhaps some of the impatient wailing and moaning on this site can be put on hold for the rest of this transfer window while the club gets on with negotiating the best possible deals for the club.

Yes, another bacon sandwich has just gone flying past.....

"Lukaku isn't too far off his full potential."

How do you know this? Can you name me some other quality, goal scoring, target men who were close to the finished article at 21 years old?

Drogba was playing in the French second tier until he was 25. He scored 32 goals in 109 games at that level. He hit his peak about 29/30 years old.

Lukaku has got 31 EPL goals in 2 seasons. He can trap a ball just fine. He sometimes struggles to control a ball fizzed in to him from 40 yards with 2 CB's up his ass. If you've ever played football, you would understand how difficult this can be.

So he is going to improve on his 1 in 2 ratio, but that's not good enough for you?

And what qualities does Hernandez possess that makes you think he could play the lone striker role better than Rom?

How many players have we bought in recent times can we say that about? Come on, Bill, get the money out and get him in – it’s a no brainer! Guaranteed two things: goals and at least our money back.

Hernandez needs to play with another forward to take the heat off, or else he just gets marked out of a game, and (as was mentioned earlier) he gets called for offside so often that you'll start missing Nikica Jelavic.

Goals win games and Lukaku is very, very good in front of goal, so I hope we can sign him. He also scored against all the top 4 sides and it’s a very long time since Everton had a player who did this.

I think he’s better than an impact sub. Most of the teams we play are the Wigan and Swansea types. There’s only 5 big teams... if he only plays against these types, there’s a lot of damage he could do.

Appreciate it.

If you read my #95 post to Phil Sammon, the answer to your question is simply stated in the first line and the rest of the first two paragraphs.

If you don’t understand after reading it, I’ll explain it to you.

The first paragraph in that post is what I was querying in mine.

You're failure to address any of the 4 questions in my post leads me to believe that you cannot, so here we go again:

How do you know Lukaku is close to his full potential? (Feel free to ignore this subjective question).

Can you name some quality, goal-scoring, target-men, who were close to the finished article by the age of 21? (Feel free to refer to Drogba, the player we hope Lukaku can emulate and peaked around 30 years old).

You state that Lukaku is close to full potential (likely to improve, slightly). Is an improvement on a 1:2 goal:game ratio not good enough for a line striker at Everton?

What has Hernandez ever shown in his career that leads you to believe that he can play the lone striker role at Everton? Has he ever had a stand-out game where he got the ball to feet and brought supporting players into the game? Has he ever picked the ball up wide or deep, ran at defenders and buried the ball in the back of the opposition net?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

He sometimes struggles to control a ball fizzed in to him from 40 yards with 2 CB's up his ass.

We have lost Deulofeu, Lukaku, Vellios and Gueye. We have gained just Barry? The above were all members of our published first team squad and we are supposed to be INCREASING the squad by 6 or 7 players?

By my calculations we need to bring through a few youngsters! As we are short by 10 or 11 players on last season. We have some long term injured squad members who may not return to full fitness eg; Gibson, Kone, Pienaar and Oviedo.

The above sounds negative but it is factual. I reckon this board need to get their fingers out!!

The players will arrive. The transfer merry-go-round is only just starting to get going now that the World Cup is winding down. Let's just wait and see what Martinez does. He didn't disappoint last summer...

In my post (95), the key word was subjective which basically means based on a person’s feelings/instincts.

You quite rightly have quoted stats for him and they’re not bad stats at all. If you look through posts, I’ve never said this kid is a bad striker who can’t do a job for us.

Give him the ball to run onto and charge at a defense he’s awesome, but there’s more to a striker than that. What I have said is that I believe his weaknesses will not improve enough to justify that ’potential’ based price tag.

And I believe that most of Europe’s top managers feel that way as well, there’s no queue for him, there’s so many teams out there desperate for a striker who don’t seem that interested (it might that potential based price tag?).

Look at what the dark side payed for Sturridge £14m, do you think Lukaku is worth £11m more than him based on what happened last season and the in World Cup? The Dark Side managed to beat Chelski down to a reasonable price, why can’t we?

£25m for Lukaku? No fucking way, Jose!

You keep dodging quite simple questions here.

I can't think of a single player who has a scoring record like Lukaku's aged 21, and then proceeded to decline. Very few players peak at 21... and subjective it may be but I think 99% of people who watch Lukaku will see potential for him to get better.

His main flaw is his first touch. It's not just balls drilled at him, but even simple easy balls bounce off him at times. If you iron that out of him then we really have a quite incredible player on our hands. Let's be clear, this is not a lack of pace we are talking about. This is not a lack of 'striking instinct'. This is not a lack of bravery. It's his first touch, and it's something that can be practiced and improved upon.

Interesting that you brought Sturridge into the debate. Would you swap Sturridge for Lukaku? I 100% would not.

Can you name me a powerful, pacy, goal-scoring target man, who was close to the finished article by the age of 21?

Liverpool got a good deal for Sturridge but, like Phil, I wouldn't swap the two. Also, the big clubs weren't battering down Chelsea's door to sign Sturridge, therefore if Everton had been linked with him, you would've dismissed him as not good enough.

Lukaku is already quality, with scope to be world class. If he came to us and had 4 years like last season, without improving his first touch or overall play, he would still become our best striker in the last quarter of a century.

Here’s a long one Phil.

We’ll talk about dodging answers at the end.

(1)
"I can’t think of a single player who has a scoring record like Lukaku’s aged 21, and then proceeded to decline"

Yep decent stats based analysis, but most if not all top flight managers will pay more attention to the players overall game and his weaknesses will be added to his positives on one side and then on the other compared against his price tag, yes?

I challenge you to find anywhere where I’ve said or intimated a possible decline of this player? You said it not me (are you putting words in my mouth?).

(2)
" ....and subjective it may be but I think 99% of people who watch Lukaku will see potential for him to get better. "

Neither one of us has conducted a poll as to the precise numbers pro or against Lukaku? To be fair though, I believe there are more who want Lukaku than those who don’t, but the figures are no where near that 99% margin, you might be surprised just how many have doubts, Especially at the big clubs.

(3)
"His main flaw is his first touch. It’s not just balls drilled at him................................. and it’s something that can be practiced and improved upon."

I agree with some important points in this paragraph. He is brave, strong, fast and defenses do not like him running at them.

I think you’re being overly optimistic about his first touch though, at age 21 he should already have a good one at this level, most kids have sorted that one out in their early to mid teens (if not younger). There are other issues as well that are also instinctual, I don’t think can be taught.

Peter Crouch is a million foot tall, but can’t head a ball? Yet he’s got good feet, heading a ball is instinctual, his heading has not improved over the years, even though he has the tools just like Lukaku. I don’t think we can iron all of Lukaku’s problems.

(4)
Sturridge

The case can be stated for both, but I’d rather have Sturridge, I don’t have to think too hard about that one.

By the way do you think Lukaku is worth £11m more than Sturridge right now, based on last season and the WC?

(5)
Dodging bullets?

You quote stats and age, yes they’re good, but not the final say in buying a player. I’ve tried to point you to these other issues, but failed.

You might not agree with what I’ve said, but does the above clear away some of the fog?

Or maybe it’s been lost in translation?

There have been loads of centre forwards whose first touch was criticised over the years, and I'm reminded of a quote I once heard about the mighty Steve Bull, which went something like "people say he hasn't got a great first touch, but he usually scores with his second."

Lukaku scores goals, and scares the shit out of defences to the point where other players find space to score goals too. Nothing else matters.

I can’t see us buying him at the higher price, we need new bodies right across the team, it would be crazy to put such a big chunk of it on one player.

Mike I can see you’re devotee of the Vinny Jones school football.

And a colossal optimist, if every top rank football manager thinks like you, there will be massive queue for Lukaku. Including Real, Barca, City etc, none of them would turn their noses up at quick £25m profit in one year would they?

Chelski may even decide to hang onto him if the profit margins are so great, yes?

You can do my lottery numbers for me as well.

Don't you think that putting so much faith in a 33-year-old to lead the tribe back to the promised land is a little naïve? Just a thought.