Funes Mori on schedule for pre-season return

Just in time to be sold... hopefully.

Agreed.

James @1: Have you informed Ron? I'm not sure it's in his plans.

I know certain players are not that popular, but the Europa League will require an enlarged squad if we are to progress in Europe and at home.

Whatever the shortcomings of Funes Mori, Mirallas etc are, they are already Everton players, know our systems, set-pieces and the like.

He's Matterazzi-esque. Lots want him sold but wherever he ends up will be starting for his country (like Italy, one of the A-List national sides, World Cup contenders) for the foreseeable as we replace with another UK plodder like McGuire or Keane and feel like we've progressed. We did the same when we sold Marco and brought Unsworth back I think?

Same old Everton.

I agree to a point, Simon (#4). But Funes Mori is an absolute liability in my eyes.

I'm really not sure how he gets in the Argentinean first XI from what we see of him in an Everton shirt.

Good player, loads of enthusiasm, loves the club...

I like him, I just wish people would give him a chance. He is still learning to cope with the demands of the English game.

I really, really wanted to like him. To trust him. But I don't.

His positioning and decision-making are just...dodgy. He'll have three decent games and then totally lose his man for a crucial goal in a tight contest.

Perhaps we cannot do better but if we want top 4 then I feel we will have to.

I like him as well. Confident (maybe, sometimes, too much so) and always dangerous in the opposition's box. He's the only centre back who can score (excluding Jagielka's purple patch this season) and he's at a great age.

He should be first choice for me with Williams and Jagielka rotating with one of the youngsters. Jags has been great this second half of the season but was awful early on. I'm not convinced with Williams at all.

He cannot get any distance on his clearances... strange but true.

I just think he's not best suited to the English game. He's a bit too emotional; not great under pressure. He would probably do better in Spain or Italy. Like Materazzi.

The Napoli boss likes him... could we not use him in part-exchange for Koulibaly + fee?

When he first signed, I was impressed; he had pace and good ball control and seemed effective from an offensive perspective in terms of his aerial ability.

During the dying embers of Martinez's tenure Funes Mori became more calamitous, his decision making was poor and instilled Yobo-esque panic amongst his fellow defenders.

I haven't personally seen any real improvement under Koeman and, if we can command a good fee, I would be for moving him on.

I too expect him to be sold, but I won't be disappointed if he stays. We do need depth at CB for the Europa League campaign and, as Kieran points out, he's a "Euro-style" player who might be very effective in that situation.

He's relatively inexpensive at £40,000/week (Niasse, Deulofeu, Cleverley, Lennon all make more) and certainly not deadweight when fit.

I think a centre-half has to be decisive and determined not to let his man beat him. Too often I've watched him put in half-hearted challenges and not be busting his ass to get to the ball first.

I can see him staying as backup only but maybe he will want to leave if he loses his international place.

Despite my love of his BBQ pictures the lad is another one that is just bang average. He will be sold but, I might proffer, not until another left sided center back is bought.

Rare as hens teeth it just might save the lad, given his age and extra games we should we qualify for the group stages of the Europa.

It also raises a long standing question about our scouting from that continent. The cult that is the 'Straq' apart our record in spotting decent South American talent is bollocks.

Time to get someone decent in that neck of the woods finding the right type of player from a traditionally maverick footballing culture.

Anyone fancy a trip to Brazil?!

Glad to see him working his way back to fitness. For all those who delight in knocking him, please remember that the downturn in our form towards the end of this season began when he and Seamus Coleman were both injured during that calamitous international break.

Before that, our defence was pretty solid with Funes Mori and Williams in place. I'd rather see Williams and Jagielka leave and keep the younger Funes Mori, while adding another experienced under-30 centre-back.

The question is, if he is as poor as some on here think, how does he get into a top international side like Argentina, and keep his place?

I really don't understand this. Is it something to do with different systems of play and the way Everton are set up just doesn't suit him, under both Martinez and Koeman? Or could it be something about how the game is played in the Premier League?

And yet, as far as I am aware he hasn't been agitating to get away, as you might expect if he wasn't allowed to play to his strengths.

Paul,

I think you've probably put your finger on it there. The sheer number and variety of attacking threats he comes across every Premier League game, all playing with pace, power and skill is probably completely different to the challenges he faces playing for Argentina.

From Sanchez, Costa, Vardy, Coutinho, Mane, Aguero to Llorente, Carroll, Kane.... And from Chelsea to Sunderland, a different challenge every week.

Paul (#20),

As poor as he actually is the defensive options at Argentina's disposal are awful. Their current qualification record is questionable, and they've not had a world class center half for some time.

That's how he gets a game, and to reiterate, he is left-footed a rare quality. I live in the US now and get to watch the Comebol qualifying often and saw live in the Copa America last year how poor the back line of the Abli Celeste is. For every goal they score with their truck load of attacking talent, the back line is a circus act.

Swerve!

So, assuming that they qualify, they should be entertaining to watch in next year's World Cup!

Funny how Ramirez Funes Mori divides opinions so much; imo, he should be the main man at the back and we should buy a suitable partner.

Funes Mori has a mistake or two in him but so do many defenders who play like him: David Luis, Otimendi, John Stones and so on. All the above make errors because they take a bit longer on the ball, looking for the correct pass, instead of kicking it anywhere.