Reports suggest Naismith is set for Norwich move

Sell Naismith then we have to replace him in January!!

Heaven knows he has his detractors on this site. Whilst he has his limitations as a footballer, he is one of 3 players at the club always capable of scoring a goal for you.

He is also the only true 'nark' we have in the club with the cojones to get in the face of refs and the opposition. Something sadly lacking in too many of our players.

Where we are right now, I'm not totally convinced we are better off taking the money, rather than retaining him, at least to the end of this season...

If he goes will wish him nothing but the best!

£8m seems a fair price, I hope some of the other dead wood makes way for a keeper, centre half, left wing and STRIKER. Good knows what happens if Lukaku gets injured, Kone can't even shoot...

On Naismith it is a decent price and wish him well. However, with the 2 injuries picked up yesterday and Nais going it reduces our options significantly.

Don't get me wrong, he has a great work-rate and is a good finisher but for that money it's good business.

I had enjoyed not seeing his moaning over the last few months but there he was on Monday whinging about a free kick we actually got.

Of course, as others have said, the money must be used to buy a direct replacement because an injury to Lukaku and we'd be doubly fucked with this lad gone.

We have cup matches coming up that will make or break our season, irrespective of them we also have the possibility of new owners. The latter if it eventuates will I believe be the catalyst for the change of manager as the current board or chairman doesn't have the balls to do what should be done.

As most have said, what we need is a quality back up striker, Hernandez ( ex Man U) would fit the role perfectly, I could see him scoring a bag full at Everton given the amount of chances we create but his price may have risen too much given his form in Germany.

I also can't see us prising Yarmelenko away from Kiev, he will choose a better team so I guess we'll have to wait and see who Bobby can find!

Kone has done many a good thing this season but it's starting to look like it's catching up a bit with him now sadly, he's been ineffective since the Sunderland game on November 1st.

I'd get Charlie Austin to eventually partner Lukaku, much in the way Martinez has used Kone this season.

I thought Gibson would go but now with these injuries I suppose we'll see more of him.

The rumours of Osman going to Hibs as player/coach are still doing the rounds.

McGeady off the wage bill with Osman will free up a few quid.

*Spanish for pillock.

Stewart, If you honestly think that we...Everton.. would still have £25m just waiting to be splashed on Yarmolenko, providing he'd want to come to Everton now, then you need a reality check. Any spare funds will be sidelined to make Everton a look a better proposition for any potential buyer. Otherwise, surely, Martinez would have already addressed the deficiencies that exist on the field and in the backroom staff.

And I more than aware that the vast majority of Premier clubs nowadays do not have to sell thanks to the latest TV deal which is why the likes of Stoke can spend £12m on Shaqiri and why we managed to hold onto Stones. It will undoubtedly make the Premier League a more equal competition which is yet another reason why our failure to capitalise on our winnable games make this season, so far, so bloody tragic. How's that for (accurate) negativity?

Apart from a top class keeper, and I am now assuming that Martinez has insufficient faith in Robles to award him the first choice slot between the sticks or he would have given him the nod by now, the addition to our club which should take the highest priority is not a player, but a top class defensive coach. Man for man, we are the equal of the majority of teams but until we can stop leaking goals via the most porous Everton defence we've seen for years we will continue to flatter to deceive. And that's not negativity, that's fact.

And as for £120 a WEEK on a 34 year old disruptive, self aggrandising forward, well, words, for once, fail me.

£8m is about right, although we paid £6m for the injury prone Kone; when he was 29?

In terms of return Kone is slightly worse than Naismith, although Naismith has come a lot more off the bench than Kone. I don't think Kone has been that bad this season, his link up play has been good and looking like 10 goal return for the season, not too bad for the second striker.

Thanks for the 3 against Chelsea amazing game and perfect hatrick and from the bench too.

So what changed in 5 months?

He'd better have something good lined up - hopefully a catalyst in the mould of Reid or Gray.

Get the deal done early and use the cash to sign a top 'keeper.

I know that will attract criticism but we are pissing away the best squad I've seen for years because we can't find the balls to say "we gave him nearly three years and truth is the doubters were right, he comes up short in too many areas and has failed to get the best from a high quality squad of young players".

Selling anyone, inc Naisy without substantial replacements will be the football equivalent of suicide. We still need 16 points to avoid relegation let alone trying for a top four spot for pity's sake. Martinez has one shot left in my view. He simply has to wheel and deal in the next four weeks else a team that must score three to win most games will go backwards very quickly. The board such as it is now must see that a collapse this season from one of great promise to utter mediocrity or worse will damage the best chance of a sale for three decades.

So suddenly I'm thinking that there's a positive if Naisy and Mirallas are sold as it must signal that the Club sees the current disorganised roller coaster performances have to be stopped and a much bigger than expected arrivals list is on the cards......of course the sale mularkey could drive even more surprising action and see Martinez sacked but I think it's the transfer stuff that is now likely to be the "news" as we attempt to end this plucky Everton punching BELOW our weight and stop a mass summer exodus of some of the best quality players we've seen at Goodison for many many years.

And a goalkeeper is a top priority if Martinez is not going to play Robles.

Martinez must also be given some credit for putting the side together. For all the derision he got by many on TW for the Lukaku fee we now have a 50m striker - Who'd have ever thought we'd ever have a consistent 20 goal striker when OFM seemed to ruin every other striker we had who showed early promise by getting them to run the channels and blunt their instinctive goal scoring instincts.

Martinez has also done well to get players like Stones, Barkley and Coleman to sign new deals.

That all said, for all the many positives the results just aren't good enough for the players he's got at his disposal. Fair enough, we've turned the corner now in the style of play. We're playing some good football... But.. the fundamental defensive flaws haven't been addressed and I see no signs that obvious things like playing a GK who looks competent on crosses (Joel) and playing more defensively when we take a lead in the latter stages of a game.

My hope is that the problems with not being able to hold leads in games is down to having a young spine running through the team, and it will all come good.. if for some inexplicable reason we manage to hold onto the likes of Stones and Rom. But in my heart of hearts I'm starting to look at the results in these games we should be winning and think it's our defensive style of play that is flawed. And while it could be changed we don't seem to have a manager who looks willing or able to address the flaws that could change us from a talented albeit unpredictable side into staple champions league contenders.

If Martinez has no faith in Joel lets hope the Naismith money is used to buy a quality GK. I'd also be happy if we took a look at Dembele from Fulham. Charlie Austin or an experienced defender like Vidic for the short term.

Sam Byram also looks like he'll be available and another player who looks like a Martinez type signing.

The win loss record is built entirely on the first half of his first season. Since then his win loss, and especially draws, record has been very poor.

We are on a downward trend, where the results started to go away at the end of his first season, last season was awful, and we're getting worse this season.

Your post shows that statistics can be interpreted and used to back up an argument, whether for, or against.

I agree that the results from the first season can make Martinez's overall win ratio look better than the actual reality. However, I wouldn't agree that we are worse than last season and I think Martinez should be given until the end of the season.

I expect the deluge of posts using tired Wiganism's about relegation by saying that, but lets be clear.. we are scoring and far too many goals to even flirt with relegation this season. Last season the football was awful to watch. This season, has been the antithesis of that. The attacking play has probably superseded that of, Martinez's first season in charge. The big problem is that we're still defending like last season still.

I don't think Martinez is getting enough out of the players at this moment in time...Might that change?!..Well, I'm still hedging my bets until the end of the season.

Naismith: tireless worker; not afraid to get in an opponents face if required; nice touch around the goal; played out of position most of the time.

Mirallas: the most raw talent of the three; very inconsistent, sometimes the best player on the field, other times invisible; a wee bit greedy.

McGeady: the biggest disappointment; shows flashes of brilliance, but most of the times is useless.

Of the three, I will miss Naisy the most.

I don't care about Martinez's overall win rate since becoming our manager because it is this season that matters. He is chronically under-performing and seems incapable of getting enough wins.

Fantasists talk about a top 4 Challenge. We are now the same number of points off the relegation zone as we are to top 4. An abysmal performance and Martinez must shouldera significant amount of the blame for this as his in-game management result in draws becoming losses and wins becoming draws on a regular basis.

One of the most honest, decent and combatative players of recent years. Good luck, lad !

Pity if Naismith goes but 'c'est la vie'

We have millions to spend, if you add the Arteta money it must be close to 40M and once the Fortress Sports Fund cheque is cashed we will be in dream land.

BK guaranteed the cheque would be in the bank by the morning so the names Stewart mentions have every chance of coming.

People often remark on his ability (or lack of), but he's a great header of the ball and a good finisher, but more importantly has a great footballing brain and a fine positional sense, usually popping up in the right place. He's very lively as a no. 10-type, and draws defenders to help free up the main striker.

I wish him well, and understand that he needs games to keep him involved in the Scotland set-up. But this seems another case of terrible man management, and I'd really like to know who Martinez thinks he has in his squad who's better than Naismith in the role.

Seemingly little events like this can make a big difference, and I'm even more troubled by this transfer given that more than once recently we've given gutless displays and have thrown points away. We need more heart, not less.

Difficult to say what we need player wise as I think Stones and Funes are good players but the defense is obviously the issue. Perhaps a star GK? Look at Arsenal win the league in large part due to buying Petr Cech.

Also buy Sam Byram and bring in a loan to cover Naismith's absence and I'll be a happy man this window. Of course a new GK would be at the top of my wishlist. No chance of that happening though!

For Everton, eight million, for a player not fancied by the manager, 29 years old. For Naismith, regular football, longer contract, and a few extra pennies.

I think the manager has got a replacement!

I hear we may be looking at signing David Marshall from Cardiff, by the way. As for Charlie Austin, it seems Palace are after him again.

As well as his goals, we will miss his in-your-face attitude and closing-down work rate. I think it is a good deal for Norwich – good luck to them both.