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Good luck, Dan

By Max Fine :  12/07/2010 :  Comments (55) :
The BBC today are reporting that the "England Under-21 Star" (two appearances, one as a sub) Dan Gosling has signed a 4-year deal with Newcastle on a reported £26k a week.

As much as I'd have liked him to stick around (Moyes obviously believed he had potential), if £26k is what it would have taken for him to re-sign then I'd rather have him off the wage bill.

If a player's wage is proportional to his worth to the team, can Dan actually look at himself in the mirror and believe he is the equal of Jack Rodwell / half as valuable as Pienaar/Arteta? Even his Under-21 England call-up was as a last minute replacement for the injured Rodwell.

I was always of the opinion that Moyes kept him around more for his potential at versatility (Moyes's favourite trait in a player) than any supposed Roy Keane-esque "box-to-box" greatness... But I could be wrong ? Franny Jeffers once told Moyes how and when he should be played and that worked out well for him.

If Dan had wanted to leave, he could've waited to sign the contract (like he verbally promised to) and THEN requested a transfer. This would have allowed the club to recoup some of the £1.5-2million that had been outlaid and invested in him since his arrival. But I can only assume that a lack of faith in his own ability and a realisation that any transfer fee would seriously water down his potential earnings forced him / his agent to use a lucrative window of opportunity and a naive/incompetent EFC to their advantage.

Do us a favour though Dan; please don't insult our intelligence by using this "first-team opportunities"/"preferred midfield position" gumf as a smokescreen for what amounts to pure and simple greed. There are ways and means of making Moyes and the fans aware of your ambitions before doing something as rash as leaving, so tell your agent he's as thick as we're led to believe you are if he thinks we're going to swallow it.

And if you're sat there all shocked and hurt at the fans' reaction to your departure, it's less due to us believing that we're losing England's future midfield star for nothing and more to do with the fact that we're fairly incredulous you thought you were good enough to be on £25k a week, or be anywhere near the first team.

So good luck with that busted knee, Dan, and on developing your fairly limited game without Moyes's tutelage. Obviously you and your agent/estate agent/Ferrari dealer know what's best for you. Thankfully for you it seems, Newcastle obviously still do their scouting on YouTube.

Reader Comments (55)

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Dickie Price
1 Posted 12/07/2010 at 13:50:48
The Mirror - http://tinyurl.com/3abtc6r - are reporting that Gosling has signed for the Toon, seeing his wages rise from £15k to £25k per week. Apparently he also spoke to Bolton, West Ham and Sunderland before opting for the Magpies.

Obviously you take these things with a pinch of salt, but they are also reporting that Newcastle were the only ones willing to pay a transfer fee if Everton win an appeal against the Premier League.

I think he's made a big mistake football-wise, but I don't think it's a major loss to Everton, and I wish him all the best.

Kevin Spencer
2 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:16:24
Dickie - Wish him all the best? ...And don't forget Lescott, Fernandes and Barmby.

All the best would most certainly be his knee never to heal, and that contract with the Toons falling apart in the last second and he ends up like an ordinary unemployed youth with no money and no job.

That greedy traitor!

How many of you would turn down an Everton contract for £15k per week?
Kevin Spencer
3 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:28:43
With that being said, I believe Pienaar is one hell of a greedy bastard too. What is wrong with people?
Matt Traynor
4 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:39:08
Understandable sentiments from all. Would still like to hear something from the club about how this ridiculous situation was allowed to arise. Do we no longer have an admin department? Was that out-sourced too?
Simon Gilmovitch
5 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:33:09
My reading of the situation is we gave him a verbal offer of £15k a week but didn't put it in writing because he has a serious injury and it would have been an expensive gamble.

Worse case senario being we would have to pay him £3 mill over the length of the contract and he may never play another game for us.

So I suspect BK & Moyes were waiting to see if he would fully recover before putting a offer in writing.

This being the case Gosling obviously sought employment & a contract elsewhere. Fair enough, who wouldn't do the same? Get paid a guaranteed £25k a week by the Toon whether he plays again or not, or stay with us and maybe pick up £15k a week if he fully recovers from his injury.

From our club's point of view, ok we have lost a squad player, but we will have his wages to play with and should be able to get a replacement fairly easily.

All this rubbish about us loosing out on £4mil is bullshit. Who would pay that for him? No-one.
Henry Jones
6 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:52:42
I absolutely despise Gosling for what's he has done to our club. I agree that he's a very average player but to negate on a Gentleman's Agreement is very poor. For those of you who don't see any wrong doing, just think if this had been Rooney or someone else with greater talent than Gosling.

I only hope we get some money.

I just don't understand why he would move to a lower club when in all honesty I don't think he'll get much more game time. Championship team player.

One more thing. If this were Man U etc wouldn't the papers be supporting them in claiming what a travisty this is?
Dick Anderson
7 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:44:06
Its a shame that an adminstrative error has let this player go free.

Not that I'm worried about losing a talented youngster. More I'm sad that Everton have lost out on a couple of million.

The truth is Gosling is a very limited player. He had a knack for scoring goals but his all-round play was very average.

He may go onto have a decent career but I feel it will be along the lines of Gavin McCann.

Most likely if he had stayed at Everton he would have been a squad player filling a gap every now and then before Moyes eventually sold him off for a small fee.

Gosling certainly cannot be compared to Rodwell. He's not even near that class. I even expect Baxter, Coleman, Garbutt, Duffy & Orenuga to have better careers then Gosling.

No great loss other then a small financial one.
Giles Larkman
8 Posted 12/07/2010 at 14:52:48
Good article, it sums up pretty acurately how I feel about this situation... but I honestly don't feel that I can wish him luck. But I can wish him good fucking riddance.

I know others will disagree, but I am entitled to my view.
Dick Anderson
9 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:10:39
You cant blame Gosling. He's a very average player who suddenly found himself a way to earn £26k a week.

Once people realise how average he is, he'll never be offered that kind of money again.
Liu Weixian
10 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:12:18
If he wants to go, let him. There are more important things to be concerned about, like doing well in the league and winning a trophy for once.
Giles Larkman
11 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:12:55
£104,000 per month (before tax), truely unbelievable. Only Newcastle could do that!
Craig Taylor
12 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:20:53
Absolute shocker. The boys had a shocker.

If his knee holds up, regular first team action in Championship is the best I expect for young Dan now.
Ste Traverse
13 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:33:03
So another error by the Goodison admin has cost us the services of Gosling, oh and the chance to sell him, and Kenwright's stooges down at the Echo put all the blame on Gosling.

Had the idiots in charge of our club done something as simple as put the contract offer down in writing, this sorry situation would never have have arose, but doing something as basic as that is beyond them.
Ray Said
14 Posted 12/07/2010 at 15:51:31
15 grand a week and near 750k over a year saved-great news.
Dave Roberts
15 Posted 12/07/2010 at 16:03:39
Somebody mentioned Gosling's goal as the greatest derby winner ever?

I think Ball, Sharpe and Kanchelskis at least will be very disappointed at that opinion!
Brian Waring
16 Posted 12/07/2010 at 16:04:51
Kevin, never thought the reason he may have gone is nothing to do with money, but because he wanted to play regular football, and not just play a bit part off the bench? Also why is he a traitor, along with Pienaar?

Mark Murphy
18 Posted 12/07/2010 at 16:58:34
Kevin,
I wouldnt leave Everton if they offered me 15k a week but I'm an Evertonian,
Gosling isnt and never will be so I fo one, will not miss him!

Great to see that the Toon fans are lauding this as a sign that they are back in the big league - nicking our 5th choice centre mid..
Chris Wilson
19 Posted 12/07/2010 at 17:01:32
I'm only disappointed becuase we missed out on some money for him. But I think this is one of those scenarios that we'll never really know the true story as to who was at fault. The Echo makes it sound like Dan and his agent devised a scheme when they discovered the loophole and that he made demands for playing time and only at central midfield. But then you hear that Dan was ready to sign with us and we dragged our feet.

One thing though, after the whole Manny Fernandes incident you'd think we would've avoided "gentleman's agreements" henceforth. Maybe we should rethink our own business practices with that regard...
Mike Green
20 Posted 12/07/2010 at 16:50:34
Giles - he's probably already had £700k out of us already pre-tax - and has got another £5.4m in wages coming his way if he is on £26k for 4 years.....

So - not counting his earnings at Plymouth that's over £6m before tax.....?

That cant be right.... can it....?

Newcastle must have a printing press going like the clappers somewhere under St James Park thats all I can say.
Lee Mandaracas
21 Posted 12/07/2010 at 17:11:27
Re Gosling, I really hope the Judas goes to Newcastle so he can fester and feel the bile of the Evertonians when he comes back to Goodison. Unlike Rooney who raises his game when booed (and I never had an issue with Rooney going anyway as I think it was the making of us), I reckon Gosling would crumple like the sack of shit he has proven himself to be. Not only to screw us but to screw his old team too by losing them their sell on fee. I hope his friends and family are suitably ashamed of him. I know I am. At least it looks like he is going to the one team that embraces a player like that...
Alasdair Mackay
22 Posted 12/07/2010 at 17:16:01
Re Gosling. It is a shame he has gone, and it can only be for more money and more game time. I don't blame the lad for that. It's also not his fault we never got our offer in writing. I think someone on the admin team should be sacked for this error and we should certainly appeal the decision, but none of it is Gosling's fault. Thanks for the greatest derby winner ever!
Kristian Boyce
23 Posted 12/07/2010 at 16:52:50
I've been reading a few of the Newcastle fan sites, and it seems they are treating this as a huge signing. I'd thought Newcastle had learned their lesson after a few seasons of craziness and ultimately relegation. I would've thought they would've gotten their act together but it seems nothing changes. Offering a player £10k more a week than he was being offered here, for a player who has very few first team appearances. Also, to give a contract to an injured player, with this type of injury, is a huge risk. But this is Newcastle after all.

A point was made about Gosling was leaving due to the need for 1st team games in his favoured central position, but did he not check out the Newcastle squad before signing. Nolan, A Smith, Guthrie and our friend Mr J Barton all can play in that position and I don't consider him any better than them.

In the end of the day, there was a mess-up with the contract, but it seems the club are more bothered losing a potential £4M than losing a 'starlet'.
Jay Harris
24 Posted 12/07/2010 at 18:24:45
What irritates me beside the Admin cock-up which you kind of expect under Kenwright's regime is that Gosling has had the best medical treatment and collected wages while sitting on his arse plotting to screw us out of a fee.

We can go on about player's lack of loyalty and scruples but this ranks alongside any of them.

Good riddance, Judas.
Alasdair Mackay
25 Posted 12/07/2010 at 18:42:41
We have got what we deserve for an admin cock-up. We don't deserve a fee after such a monumental error.

I feel sorry for Plymouth - who clearly need the money even more than us and have lost out on their 25% sell-on. Why? Because he wanted an extra £12k a week. He should agree to donate half that extra money to Plymouth over the first two years of his contract.
Karl Masters
26 Posted 12/07/2010 at 18:36:26
I prefer to remember vthe goals against Manure and Liverpool. No point in getting wound up about it.

He's picked the wrong club and the wrong time to leave, but on the other hand with Arteta, Fellaini, Pienaar ( we hope ), Cahill, Bily, Osman, Rodwell and Anichebe all clearly ahead of him in the queue he would not have played that often so it won't make a lot of difference.

We have more important things to concentrate on like getting in the Top 4, paying homage to the 24 year rule etc while The Magpies can worry about staying up.

However, I would say that it is another example of the shocking state of Everton off the pitch and somebody should get the sack. If you or Icost our businesses a couple of million quid and made us a laughing stock, we'd be gone the same day. Ian Ross is very quiet on this so we know they fooked up big time.
Jamie Sweet
27 Posted 12/07/2010 at 21:52:53
Max, he doesn't even look very good on youtube! I can't believe Newcastle are paying him that much... just imagine what Pienaar thinks he must be worth now! Thanks Dan! Now fuck off!
Ray Robinson
28 Posted 12/07/2010 at 22:02:53
I must be one of the few who quite rated Gosling. He will certainly score a few goals if he recovers from his injury. He has a good engine and eye for a goal scoring opportunity ? but he does lack pace, which is one reason why I don't think his loss is as big as it might have been.
Alan Clarke
29 Posted 12/07/2010 at 22:04:22
We should fear those Geordies next season - what a formidable midfield of Nolan, Guthrie and Gosling.
Julian Wait
30 Posted 12/07/2010 at 23:31:18
He needs to play and he's not good enough to start for the Everton we expect to see. I really think this works out best for everyone in the end.

Everton screwed up and lost a *potential* transfer fee, that's the only real downer in all of this.
Michael Grundy
31 Posted 12/07/2010 at 23:56:42
Just wondered if anyone else had noticed that the official website have failed to even mention the whole Dan Gosling contract saga? Not a single mention that he has actually left, although they do say that Gueye has taken the suddenly vacant number 19 shirt...

Do they think we are soft? I have always been of the opinion that i wont believe anything regarding our club until I see it on the Official Website, but this to me just goes to prove that in reality the 'Official Website' is simply there to drip-feed us what they want us to know. Anything negative to do with the club doesn't get a mention.

Everton have dropped a major clanger with this situation, and it seems they have thought that by not mentioning it, maybe we won't even notice it has happened...

Michael Kenrick
32 Posted 12/07/2010 at 23:58:02
My original thought when this story first appeared as scurrilous rumour was that it was completely bogus. How could it possibly be true?

Then more reliable sources carried it but still nothing on the OS ? classic symptoms of denial? Even the Premier League website carried an official-looking announcement. My thought then was, perhaps they are still holding out for a full reversal on appeal, and Gosling will still be an Everton player...?

But then he did apparently walk away, fully in line with the rumoured story, which had by this time been pretty fully fleshed out. But instead of acknowledgment from the Club, we got the classic snow-job appearing in the Echo, cynically designed to place the player in the role of bad person and to avert any blame from the Club, who are, as we know, a completely innocent victim of a "gentleman's agreement" cynically not observed by one side.

Now Gosling will apparently join Newcastle ? although not until after the tribunal appeal, according to the Guardian ? and his No 19 shirt has been assigned to newcomer Magaye Gueye. The only possible recourse will be that the Barcodes are (on appeal) forced to pay some sort of development fee compensation. If true, why on earth does the Official Site STILL say nothing? It really is quite astounding, and thoroughly disingenuous regarding the estimation of our intelligence as fans.

Oh, but there I go again, putting the club down... However, a part of me still suspects they actually engineered all of this, based on medical records for the lad's knee, which presumably were NOT released... as why would they have cooperated with the Newcastle 'medical' (ha!) and ludicrous signing? The only gamble would have been the lost development fee... which they may still perhaps secure on appeal.

Oh I love a good conspiracy theory!!!!
Brendan O'Doherty
33 Posted 13/07/2010 at 01:28:04
"Just wondered if anyone else had noticed that the official website have failed to even mention the whole Dan Gosling contract saga? "

Only every other Evertonian on the planet, Michael.

"Do they think we are soft?"

You'd better believe it.
"it seems they have thought that by not mentioning it, maybe we won't even notice it has happened..."

Now you're getting the hang of it. That's how soft they think we are.

As MK says, it's thoroughly disingenuous. Even an interim statement would suffice.
Gerry Quinn
34 Posted 13/07/2010 at 02:12:39
Don't think for one minute that I am condoning the club's stance on this, but in all seriousness, there may be legal issues that the club are needing to stick by...
Adam Fenlon
35 Posted 13/07/2010 at 02:43:39
Agree with Gerry Quinn ? it is very possible that the club may have been advised to make no public statements on the matter while its still going through the legal/appeals process.

Having said that, even a brief press release confirming that the club won't be talking while it's in play wouldn't have gone amiss.....
Chad Schofield
36 Posted 13/07/2010 at 02:29:38
The only thing positive which hass been hinted at is that we would have had to pay out £200k plus between £780k (£15k x 52) and £1.325M (£26k x 52) per year (excluding signing-on fee or any other bonuses) for someone who may hold no value after the course of his next contract... And if he does come back from the injury he's had, any sell-on fee gets sliced by Plymouth.

I think by looking at it this way though, it's giving Everton more credit than they deserve ? the whole thing's been a shambles. Poor naive Everton or devious money-pinching wankers who put injured players out to dry... Neither a good light to be seen in.

Going to Newcastle is a terrible idea. He won't get the first team opportunities once/if he recovers, and unfortunately those players who simply seek to line their pockets before thinking of their careers simply don't have the opportunities handed to them at an international level either ? just look at Lescott and Parker.

Well done Dan, enjoy your money and The Toon... Sink a few with Gazza and piss your career away.

Keith Glazzard
37 Posted 13/07/2010 at 04:21:53
Anyone who expects the OS to tell 'the whole truth' all of the time probably believes in fairies at the bottom of the garden.

Ferraris at the bottom of Gosling's garden are a much more believable possibility.
Tom Ponsford
38 Posted 13/07/2010 at 04:03:47
It's always sad to lose a player when you've nurtured along and then WHAM... he's taken off for the money on another team.

The truth is, no matter what is said by the fans, managers and the players themselves (albeit in a low voice), there is little club loyalty when it comes down to cold hard cash.

Yes, there are a few players who feel obligated to their clubs, to stay, IF they are comfortable and the money is right. And don't feel that we are the superior to other clubs, if the club doesn't "poach" a little, it is foolish not to.

It is an art to identify young talent, improve it and reap the benefits. Managers who have smaller clubs (and less of a transfer budget) depend greatly on homegrown talent. brought up through the youth or reserves. They also depend on inside information, keen observations in spotting talent in other countries and leagues that are often overlooked.

Often they MUST take chances and sometime they don't work out. When they do, they then worry about being poached by another team up the food chain. So it goes.

So here is my "tip" to those in Toffee-land as someone who follows the MLS closely (being a native Southern Californian) and can see talent floating under the radar of the larger teams.

So how about a big, agile, 6'5", 205 lb, young, smart centre-back? He is a starter for his MLS team. His University football (soccer) team won an NCAA Division I title, and finished runner-up the year before. His teammate was one of the young New Zealand players who went undefeated in their World Cup group.

Out of University, he won a starting role for the Columbus Crew (Brian McBride and Brad Friedel played for this team, which went on to win the MLS Cup).

His manager is a former Toffee himself, Robert Warzycha. And last, but not least. The lad is from LIVERPOOL! Meet Andy Iro:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Iro

Can he be bought reasonably? Yes, the wage disparity between the MLS and EPL means that, barring a bidding war, he can be bought for a small price.

Can he play in the EPL? RIght away? Perhaps, Perhaps not. He was taken from the college ranks and thrown onto the an MLS first team right away. so he is used to sudden adjustments, and it seems that the transition from the MLS to the EPL is still difficult for all but the best players, but it's getting better. The fact that he would be playing in his hometown and not a foreign country has a lot to do with this adjustment.

Will Everton go after this guy? They would be foolish not to, and if they wait, they will most certainly lose him to another English team. So that is my player tip of the year. This one is almost a no-brainer. He is under the radar for now and his manager is loath to publicize him to anyone (including Everton) as his talent (and height) is hard to find right now.

Michael Brien
39 Posted 13/07/2010 at 07:07:25
Admin error?!! Well, for all you BK haters out there, if it makes you feel better then hold on to that. As a public sector worker who has just been informed that there's a pay freeze for the next 2 years, I believe that the blame is fairly and squarely with the player. It is the player who has the power now and Gosling has used that.

However, he would have been wise to listen to the old adage ? absolute power corrupts absolutely. Yes, Gosling has held all the cards in this... but if he thinks he is as good as Rodwell, then it's not just a doodgy knee he's suffering from ? it's a dodgy mind.

When Rodwell's contract was yet to be signed, it was Chelsea and Manchester United that where "sniffing around" ? have they shown any interest in Super Dan? No ? doesn't that say it all?

So he scored the winnwr in an FA Cup Tie against Liverpool ? so did Imre Varadi didn't he and did we miss him?

Dan Gosling has been good for Everton... but Everton have been good for Dan Gosling. When he is unable to get a game for Newcastle or is languishing in their Reserves ? as I hope that he finds himself doing ? I hope that he has time to reflect upon that.

As regards news on the Official site, when I look on the Everton website, I have more important things to look for than to check up on news about Dan Gosling. If the PFA had an award for the Player with The Most Inflated Opinion of His Ability then Dan Gosling would win it by a mile. He is clearly a legend in his own mind. And we are well rid of him.

Lee Smith
40 Posted 13/07/2010 at 08:59:03
Tom (#37), I wouldn't call 25 years old 'young'. If he hasn't been 'discovered' already, then I think there's probably a reason for that.
Max Fine
41 Posted 13/07/2010 at 11:31:38
I am amazed that some people think the club somehow engineered this move in order to see Gosling off their books. As has been shown by our own ?punt? on Saha (and to a lesser extent Lescott), a less financially secure club will always take a risk on a potential bargain of a player regardless of his injury record.

I?m not saying Gosling IS that bargain, but the media attention thrown our young players? way (probably due more to Dan riding on Jack and Wayne?s coat-tails) has made him appear a brighter prospect than he is. So even if we thought he was crocked, there would always be a Newcastle, Sunderland or Bolton ready to risk £2million on him.

There have even been rumours this summer linking Bolton with a £1million bid for our very own sick-note James Vaughan. And a rebuff of West Hams £4million offer for Yak, a player who in Toffeweb eyes is way past his best after a similar injury and should probably be drawing his pension.

What I?m saying is that when very average players like Glen Johnson are moving for around £18.5million, the small numbers of £4million and under are seen as neither tempting enough by the selling club to part with a potentially decent player, nor risky enough to the buying club who stand to bring a potentially useful player in.

So if my options are to believe that a club who have been able to accumulate £27million for Neil, Johnson, Beattie, McFadden, Davies, Kilbane and Bent:

a) Didn?t think they?d be able to offload Gosling for a fee so refused a risky two year wage extension in favour of cooking up an elaborate scheme to get rid of him, or

b) Made yet another monumentally amateur administrative cock-up in the same vain as Kings Dock and the Nyarko work permit situation?

?Then I?m afraid my money?s on the latter.
Richard Reeves
42 Posted 13/07/2010 at 10:54:27
I think the reason why Gosling left was mainly greed but also to get more of a chance of first team football. I see him as a squad player at Everton, coming on as sub, maybe starting a few games if we have a lot of injuries. Moyes is adding quality to the squad and with what we allready have Gosling probably knows he'll be used sparingly.

I've always thought he's an average player showing on occasion a good bit of play but that's about it. I think that's why I'm not to bothered about him going other than his total disrespect to Moyes and our great club.

Best scenario would be if Newcastle flirted with relegation for about 4 years (you know, so he can get a bit of abuse from our fans), then get relegated, during which time he can not get into any England team and watches Rodwell become an England regular. I'm not bitter though... Honest.

Mark Stone
43 Posted 13/07/2010 at 12:58:42
Kevin

I would certainly turn down £15 grand a week from Everton.

I'm shit. It wouldn't be fair on the fans!
Kevin Spencer
44 Posted 13/07/2010 at 13:15:22
Brian Waring # 16 - James Beattie and James McFadden also left us to play regular football, but they did not betray us in any way. We got more than £8 million for those two, but Gosling saw his chance to screw us big time, as we will get nothing!

Pienaar seems to suffer from the same disability to sign a contract. How can the club benefit from that? If he signs that contract, at least we will get money when he possibly leaves the club at the end of next season.
Kevin Spencer
45 Posted 13/07/2010 at 13:28:52
Mark - Haha, possibly so... but I guess you wouldn't mind paying the club for having the chance to play on the biggest stage? =)

...but you have an interesting point. It could be that Gosling signs the contract for Newcastle just to play "shit" for them (when needed). =)
Jon Hayfield
46 Posted 13/07/2010 at 13:58:34
Tom (#37), I hate to disagree but as a season ticket holder for the Columbus Crew... Iro couldn't cut it in the EPL. I have been able to get a laugh out of him during warm-ups by giving him a shout to "give us a smile if you're an Evertonian." Short of that, he'd struggle mightily.
Mike Green
47 Posted 13/07/2010 at 14:09:11
"Dan Gosling has been good for Everton - but Everton have been good for Dan Gosling."

Spot on Michael Brien. Until we hear from either side the motives behind this can only be speculated on but....

The sad thing for me is that Dan Gosling is no Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell or even Franny Jeffers. He's a decent little player with good ability, spirit and a bit of a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He's been given a fair crack and earnt a bit of respect and rarely a bit of a cult reputation. He's got potential, but that's all at the moment and is about to leave one of the best clubs proven to develop that potential... for what?

Money?

After all he was only guaranteed to be a millionaire ? not necessarily a multi-millionaire ? if he stuck with the Blues.

If it is about money, that's fine; what stinks is he doesn't even appear to have hinted that he wanted out of his contract ? which is probably one of the reasons for the "admin cock-up" because the club naively probably didn't feel it was necessary. The theories about the club possibly looking to fuck him over should his knee not recover I take on board, and don't discount, but if that was the case I guess we'll never find out.

If, however, it has all been orchestrated by Dan and his agent, for those of you that revel in sticking it to Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman on a weekly basis, think on. Players we should be proud of and show more respect too, and this is why. Gosling on the other hand will have fucked us over and the club that gave him his break in the first place.

If it's down to the club, Dan, I apologise for all of the above and wish you the best of luck. Otherwise... well you know the rest.
Martin Clark
48 Posted 13/07/2010 at 14:42:13
It's incredible to think that a contract offer can be forgotten and the result leaves Everton not only with the loss of a decent player with potential but also looking incompetent.

I had been hoping it was all just more paper talk and thought even with this error it would just take Dan to put pen to paper.

I now accept that Dan has left, with the fact his squad number was given to Gueye. I just found it hard to believe as he has been given plenty of opportunities and highly regarded by Moyes who even gave him the opportunity to play in the Prem and an appearance in the FA Cup Final ahead of Rodwell!

Such a basic error will most likely never happen again as everyone will learn from the huge mistake within Everton's administration.

It's disappointing that Everton could be so slack and that Dan would take advantage of a situation that he had already agreed in principle. I can understand him wanting more money (as who doesn't) and game time and that he was a little down the order but he did get opportunities and could even have gone out on loan but by choosing this route he has turned his back not only on Everton but also Plymouth who both took gambles on him and aided his development.

He has shown himself to have no principles and has treated Everton with even less respect than Lescott, Barmby or Rooney.

I feel Everton will soon move on and will hopefully tighten up on potential flaws but if Gosling has indeed turned his back, I will have no respect and will only despise a player of such low moral caliber.

Chris Butler
49 Posted 13/07/2010 at 14:45:54
The reality is, Football is a job, whether you like it or not; he's injured and has an uncertain future at Everton so therefore looks for a better job. While I liked him, I think that to call him a mercenary is ridiculous. Effectively, we all are, aren't we? We want as much money as we can get to make ourselves comfortable. He is not an Everton fan or even from the local area.

As I've said, let's say you were a footballer, an Everton fan, and you end up playing for West Ham, getting paid £15k pw and Aston Villa offer to pay you higher wages ? you would probably be happy to leave.

Stephen Kenny
50 Posted 13/07/2010 at 15:44:51
For those of you who haven't bothered to read the story properly, here goes.....

Dan Gosling verbally agreed a new deal with Everton. EFC never followed this up wth a written offer (this seems to be the norm).

Dan Gosling or his agent think, "Why are they messing about? Let's see what my options are..."

Suddenly, his options are worth a good few quid and he changes his mind; perhaps he thinks, "After all, if they really wanted me, they would have had this sewn up the minute I agreed verbally."

The fault lies with EFC, not the other way around. So thanks for the memories Dan and I hope you go on to have a good career as a goalscoring midfielder, a la Tim Cahill.
Roger Domal
51 Posted 13/07/2010 at 16:25:18
I can't figure out how his contract will be insured at the Toon without him passing a medical, which he cannot do right now. I'm sure all clubs have these contracts insured to some degree. I also think EFC MAY have dragged this out because they were unsure of recovery from such a serious injury. He probably will not turn out for the first team for nearly two thirds of the upcoming season. Why would Newcastle take a punt on him then? This is really fishy.
Matteo Rosingana
52 Posted 13/07/2010 at 17:25:09
He's got crap hair anyway, like a lego man. See yer Dan, off to the footballer's graveyard in the north-east...
Andy Crooks
53 Posted 13/07/2010 at 18:52:31
Alan Clarke sums this up pretty well. If this is what Newcastle have to offer then they will be back where they belong by the end of the season.

I actually think that Dan will be an ok player but not with a club with any aspiration other than survival, The way he went only confirms that Bill Kenwright presides over a regime which is unworthy of the supporters.

Michael Brien
54 Posted 13/07/2010 at 19:51:49
Sorry, Stephen Kenny; I have to disagree. Loyalty cuts both ways and whilst Dan Gosling has been good for Everton, as I stated earlier, Everton has been good for Dan Gosling. He has seemed very determined to leave ? and the crux of the matter is that he thinks he should be on the same salary as Rodwell.

If that's the case then I think the young man has a rather inflated opinion of his ability and a rather unrealistic one at that. Funny isn't it that Man United and Chelsea are not scrambling in a mad rush to sign Danny Boy? I think that we are well rid of him, it may seem old fashioned in 2010, but I do happen to think that loyalty should count for something.

As regards Dan Gosling, I think the whole episode has shown him in a bad light ? as Cindi Lauper puts it, "I see your true colours..." We've seen your true colours, Dan ? let's hope you don't regret your actions, which at best are rash, at worst selfish.

BJ Farrimond
55 Posted 13/07/2010 at 21:58:51
He was never going to be a Goodison great. He played a few games for us when our squad was decimated by injuries. His decision-making is shit on the pitch and he has just shown that his decision-making off the pitch is also shit. If he doesn't want to play for us... get lost, fool.

He is forgotten already.

Rob Fox
56 Posted 14/07/2010 at 00:16:07
Just a thought, but maybe being sent back on the pitch to run off an injury that will keep him out for 9 months was a factor in this, not to mention the departure of another employee this summer.

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