Report: Funes Mori to forego Olympics

Plus personally speaking, don't see the point of proper national football teams in the olympics (should have left it to the alehouse sides).

Jags is still our best centre back whoever he is partnered with.Funes Mori has a really good chance of regular game time if Stones gets his transfer wish !

Surprising how many seem to be willing write him off, despite a solid first season.

Surely if we are all expecting Stones to become a better defender under Koeman, then the same can be said of Funes Mori. They both worked under the same defensively clueless manager after all.

For a relatively young centre half, changing continent, cultures and being thrown into big games I think he coped pretty well where many lesser players would have been found wanting.

Plus he is our biggest goal threat from that position since Lescott which is an area we have been lacking in. Imagine what he could do if we actually started practising set-pieces again!

You don't get linked with Barcelona if you haven't got something a bit special about you.

If you believe the media (who does) then Stones has already left in my book. Also the difficult challenge for RK is to assess the current squad, including both youngsters and the established players in recovery mode from last seasons mismanagement and there is the possibility that several new players may slip through the net. However there is also the Christmas window by which time the picture will become more clear.

I am waiting patiently to see what transfers emerge but would willingly settle for a breakthrough season for 2 - 3 youngsters and a shed load of money invested into the stadium. We need to give both managers and players a break to get used to each other and the new set up. Alternatively we can go out and spend, spend, spend like Manure and feed the media,and see where that gets us.

Am I being small-minded? Possibly. Just the way I see it. Although I would like to see some new arrivals, I still believe an Everton on their day with the existing squad well-managed, are a match for anyone! COYB

I haven't written him off although I was close to it last year. New Manager and a clean slate for everyone (almost). Sounds like he might have his head in the game this year.

Stones is as good as gone, but there is a lot there with Jags and possibly Mori still (or Galloway).

Apparently he didn't want one!

The lad is a pro and has a hunger that far exceeds many other players at the club. Plus he is left-footed, goal-scoring centre back. He will always be worth a premium.

However he, like the rest of our defence, suffered greatly under Martinez's stewardship. Hopefully we see a different player under a manager who knows how to defend.

He is a powerful threat up front from dead balls. And if he is a starting defender for Argentina he just has to better than the guy I've seen so far.

I hope he gets an injection of confidence and proves himself to be a great asset.

Our back line options at present consist of Coleman, Connolly, Holgate, Browning, Pennington, Stones, Jags, Funes, Baines, Kenny, Garbutt, Oviedo (plus another of the U 21's whose name escapes me . . . ).

All looks good to me, with or without JS.

Defenders need to defend first and play second. We have a midfield tasked with controlling the middle of the park and linking defence to attack.

One point I would like to add to those who feel he was not up to standard last season - let's wait and see how he develops under a proper manager, then judge him - but for me right now I'm delighted to see him back at FF.

The Olympics football is usually U23s but they are allowed a few over-age players. Funes Mori is 25 now and probably knows he's in with a good shout of being an Everton regular if he can stay in the team after last season's good performances.

It will be interesting to compare where he and Stones are in a year's time.

I agree with you about him being a pro with hunger, because when we lost to City in the Semi's, he looked genuinely hurt even though he'd only been with us for a few months. Something I couldn't say about everyone that night.

A cynical South American, if he can cement a place in Koeman's back four, then maybe he might even become our captain?

My one doubt is that he repeated the Origi tackle in the Copa – he needs to get that out of his system, doesn't need that dangerous hot-headed attitude which will damage him and his reputation.

Ramiro Funes Mori has promise, snide and a physical edge to his game, but also based on last season and the Copa America a 'Rick in him.

The CopaAmerica games were easy except the final but he made several foul-ups that went unpunished against weak sides.

The point by Ian Burns is well made: he merits time under Koeman, to see if there's an improvement in concentration of nothing else. Keep the edge, lose the nasty tackles, Origi and the Copa America final too.

Despite all of this doubt over Stones, stay or go, and actually Jags, at the stage now we're he picks up a hamstring or something which has limited his playing time the last 2/3 years. Time to get a statement CB who is likely to stay fit all season and get the stability that position craves.

Have to say the lad might be basic but Dann looks a decent option if no statement signing is attainable?

John @41, fair comments but one I think will change regards both Jags and the whole of the squad, we are certainly going to have a lot less muscle and hamstring problems. The amount of injuries for almost 3 seasons was a joke, without question caused by Martinez and his amatuer cronies.

Don't forget, the team physio (may have been young Donachie, sorry not sure) walked out mid-contract without a job, simply down to Martinez and his 'control-freak' organization.

We will have a fit squad next season which in itself will produce points, I actually think Funes Mori is going to be a part of it.

I would imagine Funes Mori wants a big year this season with the rumour of Barcelona tracking him. While I don't want him to leave, it's easier to get more money for him while he is a first team regular instead of him sitting on the sidelines for extended periods.

Sure his tackle was bad in the derby but no worse than the red shites Gerrard, Suarez and Kuyt have put in on us on a regular basis.

More of the same lad..............fuck em up.

Do you mean one of:- Matty Foulds, Gethin Jones or Antonee Robinson.

Koeman becoming manager, talk of Stones and Lukaku moving on, and hopefully a handful of quality players coming into the mix.

This is not I me for Mori to be bailing on us.

Mori has to be a main stay in the starting 11, ideally with Stones, but if not then with Jags.

With better defensive organisation it will then be up to Funes Mori to show that he can step up and eliminate some of the positional and other errors of last season. I hope he does, because he's certainly got the commitment that we need to go forward.

I am also a fan of Browning and hope to see more of him in the coming seasons. I don't think it will be at centre half though - he's not tall enough. Right back will be his spot.

Do you think we seem to have a abundance of defensive talent but are very thin on the attacking side of things in the U 21's?

I think he has tripled his worth for our Club. I have said this before and I will say it again and again... this Hombre will be our future Captain; he is maturing like wine!

Interesting article here.

Mourinho made 3 bids for Stones last year.
If he reckons Bailly may not be ready to start the season will he make another bid for John?

I'm sorry, Darren Hind (#53), but I cannot seriously see Galloway and Holgate as being preferable to a man who has now made himself a regular first choice for Argentina, one of the finest international teams on the planet. He gave his all throughout the Copa America and a runners-up medal was certainly no disgrace in a hard-fought final. I presume you didn't watch the games.

I can't understand the underlying negativity that still exists around this lad. Would John Stones make the Argentine squad? Ffs, he couldn't even get a sub appearance in a pathetic excuse for an England team at the Euros yet we have people who are prepared to slag off the one defender we have who has actually performed well for his country this summer.

Remember, all our defenders suffered under the Martinez regime... so, with RK now in charge, we should see a better, less error-prone defensive set-up this season. Stop knocking one of our better players. He could well be the best long-term signing of Martinez's time with our club.