Stones joins Manchester City for £47.5m

He cost us many goals last season and continually showed in his body language that he had no affinity for the club or fans and would rather play anywhere else. His asking to come off during the humiliation at Anfield was one of the most cowardly things I have seen from an Everton player.

I love the idea of Williams and Kone at the heart of our defence. Koeman is doing exactly the right thing in re-building the spine of the team with quality players with heart and ability. Gueye in midfield looks like great business. We'll have Hart too and once Rom's gone (please let that soap opera end soon too) we'll have Bony and Remy up front please.

This is a transitional season for us. I have every faith we'll be a top team in 2017-18. We need patience to let the manager and Steve Walsh get on and do their jobs.

I certainly wont miss his erratic defending and unrest in the dressing room. Good value for us and part of the rebuilding that needs to be done.

Mata alone would leave me satisfied, we'll have 3 or more solid pros in with change.

Or, of course, we won't and TW can justifiably go apoplectic.

And logic dictates that Guardiola's guide was Koeman, so Stones would've had better guidance under Koeman...

None of this changes the fact that I'm so sad right now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37024172

I'm utterly bemused by what's happening at Everton. Worst window ever and it was supposed to be the best.

More importantly, I don't think his heart was in it here due to his head being turned.

A good deal for us in my opinion.

Rather than 'one for the future' I'd prefer our investments to hit the ground running - i.e. Williams from Swansea. Two or three more of those combined with what we have being coached more pragmatically should hopefully see us top 7 this season.

I don't blame Stones at all for wanting out we have not shown any ambition. Had we signed the likes of Witsel, Williams, Milik, Mane quickly before any exits the mood would have been very different around the club. I highly doubt we will have a net spend at all which would raise massive questions as to what is going on behind the scenes.

Been in the cards for three months!

Like it or not, football is a business and we have sold a player who wanted to go who we bought for ١m for 㿛.5m — thats forty-seven and a half million pounds!!

We need defenders who can defend now, not in 1 or 2 seasons time... Once we have that and we make progress in league placings, then we can and probably would have to go out and sign 㿔m + players but right now those types or that quality doesn't want to know; this is Martinez's doing on the whole.

Good deal all around in my eyes. Stones will not improve their shaky defence but by selling him gives us the perfect chance to improve ours!

I haven't understood the posters on here wishing him gone. This was a young defender who played for a manager who didn't practice set pieces or believe in winning 1-0. So we never got to see if he would throw his body on line blocking etc..

Last season is not a season to judge Stones on – they were all crap – Goodison was on pins because of RM and is ineptitude to manage at this level. Jags and Baines were England internationals when that idiot took over, now they are behind Smalling and Rose !!!! The effects of RM will be felt for some time to come.

Selling Stones only makes sense if the 𧴜m we are supposed to have does not actually exist. The 㿔m we get will pay the ٟm for Stekelenburg, ٥m for Agueye, 㾸m for Williams, 㾾m for Kone and leaves 㾸m for one more. We still need a goalkeeper and a Striker and you cant get two class players, which is what we need for that sort of money – ffs Niasse cost 㾹m.

This is EFC all over. Selling the best we have and I thought we'd stopped doing that – gutted gutted gutted.

Moshiri show us the money!! I for one would dearly welcome it.

However, we're rightly left scratching our heads at our lack of progress this summer.

This could be Kenwright's biggest con job yet!

All we have is empty promises so far. So glad I didnt renew my Season Ticket as all I can see is a season of discontent and fighting relegation ahead.

For me we need to splash the cash on a creative midfield source. As Peter above Mata would give me something to smile about in terms of player personnel.. But blow as much as possible to feed Lukaku.. And keep Lukaku.

㿛.5m, we have the best of the transaction, cant be good for a teams moral when he wanted away early doors last season.

We have sold a very promising footballer but we haven't sold a centre half; maybe he will become one but not at this point.

We will be much more solid with Williams and his leadership will be worth the fee on its own.

Kone for Jags plus cash works for me too; get rid of those too used to losing especially at RS and get some blood and guts into the team.

Then we will probably have sold our best striker in 25 years and replaced him with some 'decent, good enough' striker.

Maybe with the proceeds we'll sign a couple more decent, not great, players.

We'll have a net profit and fans will claim accountancy is more important than football.

Beginning to think Moshiri wanted a manager with experience of getting through a wholesale without crumbling nor complaining, rather than offering a manager the chance to make the next step.

Everton, from the people's club to the sellers club.

The lad is 23; at this age, and for that price, he'd want to be more than just potential. Williams on the other hand is in his prime; 3 or 4 more seasons at the top left in him. Great piece of business. Just think what Mason Holgate will learn from him and Koeman.

Good riddance to the lazy git. Not even worth half of £47.5M – we've done City big time here.

Link

Simple, straight to the point, well balanced and 100% correct.

He's a good lad and I think will be a great player. He has been nothing but respectful to the club in his silence and trying his best during the past year since he put in his transfer request. Best of luck to him (except against us).

I have no inside information nor anything other than this to base my opinion on.

I believe that if Koeman thought that there was no one within the club that would grow into the role originally earmarked for Stones, he may well have put up more of a fight and an effort to keep him.

However, having seen both Stones and Holgate play in pre-season and on the training ground, he has elevated Holgate to the first team squad and agreed to let Stones go.

Instead, it confirms (as if it was needed) that, despite all the hope (more like hype) surrounding Moshiri's arrival, Everton are as far away as ever from re-establishing themselves among the leading clubs in top-flight English football.

Nothing will be the same... indeed.

In the meantime we have a few quid to spend on some players who will be 'decent, ok, good enough, solid'.

When we got a new investor the thought was 'we would make the step up'. Keep our best players and add to them.

Well, so far we have replaced Howard with a similarly weak goalkeeper. Sold our best defender, will probably sell our best striker and signed a defensive midfielder.

In the meantime fans start celebrating our current account as if they are all accountants. Football is shit.

We've done a fine bit of business today. City are going to find they've overpaid because, without the addition of a bit of steel and a whole lot of muscle, Stones will never be a world-class central defender. I'd guess he'll eventually find his place as a deep-lying midfielder.

As good as Stones is and may develop into I have been concerned about the overall chemistry at the club.

This cannot be helped with instability, players not committed and a constant cycle of will he stay will he go – every year!

It's clear from pre-season that EFC are lacking. Most disturbingly in team chemistry and togetherness. How much of this is down to players not wanting to be at the club?

A fresh start is needed and for this we need new players who have not be infected with Martinez's softarse approach.

As good as Stones is or may become, he was in the too nice brigade as far a central defenders are concerned.

I like ball-playing defenders but I admire more defenders who are tough and make no-nonsense tackles and will, if in doubt... you know.

Like Michael, Fran and a few others I feel like something has been lost. Holgate, Kenny, Davies et al – you may as well start looking for the highest bidder as potential has become dirty word at Everton.

The only thing crazy about this is that he''s the 2nd most expensive defender in the history of the game.

Read that again; mental.

There is still 20-odd days till the close of the window but I would agree with the growing sense of impatience as our pre-season transfer activity has been wretched. There have also been rumblings from fans along the lines of 'meet the new boss – same as the old boss' which is evidently a bit premature.

Although, to be honest, Kenwright – despite his loss of shares infuriatingly still seems to have his paws well and truly still on the train set.

Dowell, he can fuck off too the lazy git. We could surely get a decent, first team ready 33-year-old for the money we'd get for him.

And if we do spend half a Stones on one Bolasie, well then end of days. Who wants to win anything anyway, the fun isn't in the winning, it's in the profits.

Rom next, with the hope of a Man City cast-off if we are lucky. This makes me sick and very angry. "Wait and see," we are told... well, what I've seen so far is appalling, on and off the pitch.

Alan Ball is a legend and in the EFC all time XI. I happen to think Stones would have ended up as an EFC legend too and been in the all time XI.

As they say, it's all a matter of opinion.

Stones has made no secret at all for some time now he wanted to leave. He put in a transfer request to try to force the move to Chelsea last year. There is no point keeping him if he does not want to be here.

Players in the EPL to do well need to play as a team and also give 110%. I am afraid that last season Stones failed on both counts.He has gone now we have lots of young players who want to be at our club and will now get the chance.

If Lukaku goes then as ling as the money, plus the 𧴜 million is reinvested I don't care. At that price, Stones will be expected to prove his worth at Man City. Let's see how he does. If he shines, we will know last season was down to attitude, not skill.

Still a selling club??? What are we meant to do when he has been desperate to leave the last two summer windows? He couldn't give a stuff for EFC – no problem with that as he ain't local but move him on and rebuild but give the new management some time!

Never gonna happen.

There are 3 weeks left of the window and we haven't kicked a ball in the Premier League under Koeman. Steady on.

Anyone who thinks it is good business is warped... UNLESS of course there is no 𧴜 million war chest. If we have had to sell to release funds, then fair enough, because then it makes sense. A grumpy prick who wants to move on, then yes, get rid... but I thought we were now minted? Clearly not, UNLESS of course we make some big signings between now and the January window.

Time will tell, we'll all have to wait. Lukaku must now stay otherwise the huge war chest story was and is an urban myth, and the new ground story was a conversation that was spun out of control.

We might have ripped off Man City for Stones but, IF this is true, we have been completely mugged. Can't get my head round this one.

I believe like others have said that Ronald Koeman has seen his squad and believes we can afford to lose Stones or we would have seen more of a fight to keep him as we have so far seen with the Lukaku saga. I hope I am right anyway!!!

I could go on but I won't.

I have to believe in Moshiri but he does have Kenwright (aka Svengali) following him around 24/7. Don't let me down, Mosh.

Good luck anyway, John; time for change at Everton. Patience, guys – we're on the up.

''Criticised by some Everton supporters and former players such as Sol Campbell for making mistakes, Stones made the joint most errors directly leading to goals in the last season's Premier League season — three.
Only former Everton team-mate Phil Jagielka, Southampton's Maya Yoshida and West Ham's Aaron Cresswell made as many.''

So now we should only be making half as many errors at the back!

Stones has been off pace since all the Chelsea shenanigans last year, his head was turned and he clearly wanted out for some time. That coupled with the Martinez effect and what appeared to be a toxic dressing room last season has left him open to clubs such as Man City tempting him.

Yes we are losing a player with a lot of potential. I'm sad to see him go, but what's the point of trying to hold onto a player who doesn't want to be at the club. If he did tell the club after the Euros he wanted to leave then he had to be sold.

I'll be happy with Williams, not only is he a solid defender, but he is a leader – something we've been lacking for some time on the pitch in my opinion. If we can get Kone in as well then it could well give us a solid base.

I, like others on here, have heard Holgate has more potential than Stones. Whether that turns out to be the case or not we'll have to wait and see, but the fact he's been put in the first team and will be coached by Koeman can't hinder his development. It also may be the case Galloway goes on loan to the Toon under Benitez for a season that could well help his development and give him regular football. So potentially next season we'll have 2 top young defenders at the club, with Koeman as manager and us moving in the right direction.

If the Bolasie rumours are true then that is a step in the right direction. If we could get Mata as well then that is another step in the right direction and leaves a new first choice goalkeeper and another forward to sort out.

The England defence will be built around him from now on. Those who go on about a few errors are blind to the many positives. I read ToffeeWeb everyday but never write in so that's how strongly I feel about this. He was also a good lad with a good attitude and if you've ever had the shits whilst playing football and been 3 times at halftime then you know he had to go off — or would you rather an Everton player mess his pants live on TV?

On a more general note, I hope this season sees a sea change where we give Koeman and all our players wearing the shirt a chance to improve. We need the bear pit back and general all-round support as Goodison. Too many in the crowd say nothing unless it is a negative. COYB.

His head had been turned, he himself wanted out, there's absolutely nothing to gain by making him stay and play for us knowing he doesn't want to be here.

When Suarez, Ronaldo, Bale and others were sold, were their clubs being unambitious? No, the player had told them he wanted to move and they accepted it, cashed in and moved on. Kinda like we have just done with Stones and maybe Lukaku if he wants out.

We aren't currently successful and can't demonstrate we can be without the right players and some trophies in the Cabinet. But we can't get all the right players (or, in this context, keep the better ones) until we win stuff. But the odds of winning are harder without those players. This isn't Moshiri's fault. 20 odd years of under investment can't be cured overnight.

Frankly Stones is a luxury player for us in the immediate future. We need a team that can get back in European contention. Maybe that way we will keep the next John Stones and also bring in some top players, kicking on from there.

John Stones has behaved very professionally throughout the last twelve months. He's 22 and has an opportunity to set himself up for life financially. Hopefully he will make a great career for himself. Best of luck. Now move on.

But not sure about Holgate just yet - even more a WIP. He got skinned a few times against Manure last week (although it was Zlatan who did him!). But I do like his reassured manner. Confident. Oh dear, that was John as well!

John's gone now so just let's make the most of the dosh.

Have I been watching a different player the last two years? It is Stones we are talking about?

£47.5M is a massive gamble and a great fee for us to re-invest on defenders that can actually defend! Goodbye and let's move on.

Lukaku will be next so the excitement is not over just yet, with several players still to move in I feel.

Stones didn't want to stay and we got top whack for him, imo. Koeman, I believe – and this is only an opinion – obviously thought that this was good business and would have been planning for this outcome.

On top of this, do you think an ambitious man like Koeman, who has eyes on the Barcelona job, would have accepted the Everton job without certain assurances, one of these assurances being based around finances and the amount of money available to himself? We still have 3 weeks or so until the transfer window shuts and we haven't kicked a ball in true anger under Koeman yet!

Those who mention selling certain players, I for one remember Everton having much better seasons after selling both Rooney and Lineker. I am not saying that they improved because of the sales, but it shows that you can replace one player with a better team dynamic and improve considerably!

Come on folks, let's see what transpires in the next couple of weeks before thinking the same old, same old!

Structurally, Koeman needs to sign 6-7 players to rebalance this squad. He also needs greater leadership and experience in a very callow team. Transfer prices are rocketing which means 𧴜 million might buy 3 or max 4 decent players; we need more than that. The additional 㿛.5 million lets him make the changes he needs, provided he can offload one or two.

Then there is the fact that Koeman like players who do their primary role well. He wants defenders who can defend, and Stones is not that good a defender at the moment. Poor positional play, lacks judgement, not great in the air, and loses concentration. Koeman is desperate to keep Lukaku but I never got that sense with Stones.

So I back the manager and the new owner. Good luck to Stones as his move is good for him and good for us.

Get over it and get real. Business has been underwhelming so far, but let's judge Koeman and Moshiri at the end of the transfer window, eh?

Moshri has put together the basis of an excellent management structure. I have faith that this management will make good decisions in building a competitive and attractive Everton team – emphasis on team, not a bunch of individuals wearing the same shirt.

The negativity has to end. It's time to place some trust and faith in the new ownership and management. "Based upon what?" you may ask... Only my intuition, but I feel that we are better equipped to handle these issues at this point in time than we have for many, many years.

Let's be clear – Stones was not an Evertonian (unlike Rooney) and, as far as I can tell, did not want to remain here (unlike Ball). And he had far less impact than Lineker. Perhaps his leaving can be compared more fairly to that of Franny Jeffers – someone who was young, seen to be talented, attracted a high fee for the time – but who ultimately fell short. The same comment could apply to Jack Rodwell.

I'm not comparing their attributes with Stones – just their relative situations.

If we are to keep or attract top players, we need to be competing for honours again – winning silverware, being CL candidates etc. With the current crop of players – including Stones – we were going backwards - mainly thanks to that snake oil salesman of a manager.

As a result of that, Koeman has a massive rebuilding job to do. This not only includes investment, it includes unlearning the bollocks that was coached into them previously.

If he invests wisely, I expect to see us steadily moving towards those higher goals over the next 2-3 seasons. Then we can expect to attract and retain the so-called elite.

Glass half-full, I see Stones's departure as a potential step in that direction.

Regarding criticism of Moshiri (also referenced above), I'm holding fire on that. He got rid of Martinez and has invested wisely (IMHO) in the management team – including DoF. That was 3 boxes ticked as far as I was concerned.

Moshiri may just be taking a solid, measured analysis of the situation with a more attainable, longer term view of success rather than a couple of headline-grabbing impulse purchases to 'keep-up-with-the Joneses'. The transfer window is still open for the next 2-3 weeks so let's see what materialises. We clearly do need a few more players in this month.

Price inflated by his homegrown status, which arguably is more valuable to City than us. Can't blame the lad for wanting to work under Pep (and probably a huge pay raise), but think he could have learned a lot from Koeman.

Williams is probably the better defender in the short term, but I hope that this doesn't signal Koeman's short term vision for the club (before he's on to the next thing in 2 years?).

True, John Stones appears to be a player of great potential, and, along with a few of you around here, I'd lay most of the responsibility for his inadequate displays over the last couple of seasons firmly at the feet of you-know-who, who is best not mentioned.

And this sort of deal gives all the wrong signs to the football world and its assortment of leeches and parasites, as well as to any potential reinforcements, especially established names.

On the other hand, I'm afraid I was more disappointed when Jack Rodwell or Francis Jeffers were let go, or when Dan Gosling walked out – to say nothing of Wayne Rooney, of course (the fact that Jeffers, Rodwell and Gosling all proved disappointing is irrelevant here). In those days, we didn't have the sort of money needed to invest properly, and those cases highlighted our plight. Not so now. Contrary to what I have seen here, I don't think for a minute that Moshiri is another Peter Johnson. Does anyone think Ronald Koeman would have come if that were the case?

Finally, John Stones has been wanting to leave for a year now. There's no point in hanging on to a player whose heart isn't in it. Even Man Utd had to let Cristiano Ronaldo go in the end. And Arsenal have had their fair share of disappointments in this area (think Nasri, Van Persie...).

Don't panic... it's Arouna they want.

He wanted to leave, so off he goes. In the meantime, we'll buy defenders who can actually defend first, pass or play the ball later. He didn't want to stay and we got a huge fee for him.

Let's look forward to seeing Williams, a natural leader, marshalling the back 4 at Goodison at the weekend.

City will not tolerate the mistakes he made for us last season and he will be under immense pressure to perform.

Great bit of business for potential!!!

Thank you David Moyes! What a signing and what an amazing ROI.

When will Everton be honest with the fans? We have never really been the People's Club and we never will.

We've finally ended the Stones saga that started a year ago – it's not worth keeping a player who doesn't want to be here, as we saw with his 'displays' last season and Lescott before him. How many lamented the loss of Rooney and predicted relegation? What happened was a team playing for each other, rather than relying on one ego.

Stones is a disaster waiting to happen playing with 'calamity Joe' in goal. The lad has gone and we have a good manager in charge, so let's all get behind him and let him build his own team, then judge him. We aren't kopites claiming one swallow makes a summer, so don't say the club is finished because one 23-year-old mistake-laden 'defender' has finally achieved his year-long dream... to sit on City's bench like Lescott and Rodwell before him.

"Fuck off. I'm hungry now."

-----------------

Under an attentive coach who can be arsed to address areas of weakness and work at strengthening them, rather than ignoring them and dismissing such fundamental stuff as a load of old wank, basic defensive skills can surely be drummed into almost any player not born with the name Bramble.

Williams and Kone may be better at the 'meat and two veg' stuff than Stones is right now, but they possess nothing that can't be taught and picked up over time (apart from, perhaps, pure physical strength). The non-ten-a-penny natural attributes Stones brings to the party, on the other hand, can't be pulled out of players not blessed enough to possess them to begin with, no matter how many times you bang their heads together, how diligently you instruct them, how hard you work them or how often you drill them.

If his heart was set on going, then an exit was probably best for all parties, but I don't really get those celebrating the fact and proclaiming his loss to be 'lovely stuff' (to be said in your best Alan Partridge).

It's like the guy out of Street Hawk saying "fuck you Street Hawk" to Street Hawk simply because Street Hawk skidded and he fell off a few times... and ditching his sexy 'hyperthrust' capable cycle (called Street Hawk) for a steady scooter and side car (called Safebut Shite).

Fast & direct. Yes. But completely and utterly crap in most games. I have a couple of Palace fans and friends and they are pissing themselves laughing at us for buying him.

Quote "Bolaise?!? 25million??!!? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Can't wait to get rid of him."

What an Idiotic buy.

Keep the faith.

Sign him up!

What a day...

I don't care if that sounds mealy mouthed, he is not an Everton player anymore so stuff him.

As for the club? We are fed another load of bullshit with regards investment, plans, future...

Fuck the stadium, we need a team first and foremost, there are plenty of big stadiums in the lower leagues.

They both want results quick and that means winning football matches. At this point in time John Stones isn't the answer to that, his stock is probably the highest its going to be in the short term, he wanted to go and we got £47.5m for him - replacing him with someone far more likely to win football matches for us over the next couple of years than he would.

We have to build a successful team first before we can expect the likes of Rooney and Stones to stay with us - it was the case 12 years ago and its the case now. We need pro's who can do the business for us now otherwise we'll forever be pissing in the wind.

The manner of his departure was a little comical, but personally I don't care once he had signed up with Citteh.

Stones departure is a direct consequence, and legacy of Martinez manure filled tenure.

Koeman is doing the right thing in my book by targetting proven premier league performers such as Williams.

The FM loving wankmeisters who would have us buy unknown unproven players from other leagues underestimate how important hitting the ground is. The club has experienced significant upheaval this summer and lost staff on and off the pitch.

Their replacements, at least this window, have to be those who know their way around the Premier League.

Another Match of the Day player. Does a few nice things each game that turn up on the highlights - the rest of the game strolls around disinterested. Much like our big Belgium centre forward.

Anything more than £10m is way too much!

Q) If Stones is 'one of the best defenders in the world' why was it that last year he couldn't even make the starting line-up?

Jags and Mori were ahead of him, does that mean they are the best centre backs in the world?

Stones looks better than he is. People see him stream out of defence and play a great pass and think 'wow, not many centre backs can do that' and it glosses over his defensive deficiencies.

He became billy big b*llocks, do people want that attitude at Everton? Decent money (though we should have tried to rinse more out of them...should have said 50 million or no player, they'd have paid it) and good riddance. Get over it folks, he's just a ball player, don't firget how many goals he cost us last year.

What has happened to this club ? people who have been hammering away at him ever since the half witted Merson told them he was no good (there wasnt a peep out of them before then) now saying his heart wasnt in it . .no fucking wonder !!! He was blamed for goals nobody could prevent. even goals when he wasnt playing. The park end panic merchants rejected class and composure because they want the fucker hoofed. This boy was not welcome by the philistines and they let him know it. Now he will be striding around Europe for a club who will appreciate him and the snipers now have the temerity to blame the lad for wanting out !

I really do wonder what has happened to this club, we sell a fantastic young talent and replace him with an arl man . . and they rejoice.

Williams is a fine player but he is thirty fucking two . .Do those who think this was a good days business not know what happens to thirty two year olds when they get an injury ? they take an eternity to recover and are never the same again . .one bad turn or tackle and Williams will be sitting in the seats that have been occupied by Pienaar, Hibbert and Ossie for the past three seasons.

A fine days business ??? It was for City and Swansea.

PS Whatever happened to Mike Trebilcock?

We're paying for the fact that the last manager let things slip. I think that turned his head as much as City did.

I would love to have seen Stones develop under Koeman and alongside a leader like Williams.

When they've spent a year saying they want to leave, they're ultimately going to leave, aren't they?

Stones may become a breathtaking CB, one with style, panache, vision,foresight and tremendous positional sense. A player worth double what we have just sold him for.
But, I'd begun to seriously question the talented lad we bought from Barnsley's performances. Dozy defending, farting around with the ball in his own 18 yd and even 6 yd box, some bizarre times to display his skill. Seeing us concede goals and squander points because of his overconfident yet naive play.

Then, our new "structure", Moshiri, Koeman & Koeman, Walsh. OK so I was gathering momentum, felt that we were being gradually persuaded that "forget the recent lot, things are different now. Different chart on the map-table, different hands on the tiller, different understanding of the weather, tides, currents and very different routes to entirely new destinations.

But, unless I'm much mistaken, this looks, feels, smells all so familiar with the last time I "was taken on board". Tastes like Chang.

Right now, I'm saying, OK so eighth in EPL, quarter final of the LC and FA Cup; that's this "Brand New Land" just over the horizon.

That's what I'm going to be served up, isn't it ?
In Goodison Park with some new cladding.
That's it ?
You see, that's precisely what the Widow Twankey did two decades ago ... and I hate it.

Mixed feelings ?
ERM, no.
I lied about that.
You see, I learned how to lie about Everton through being fed utter bullshit repeatedly.

So cut the crap.
Cos' right now, I see no joy, I see only sorrow, I see no proof of our Bright Blue Tomorrow !

Good luck to him, but at present due to the defensive negligence of our last manager we now need to build our team from the backline and stop conceding stupid goals and giving away points from winning positions before we look any further.(remember the frustrations last season) We don't have the luxury of a player like Stones making silly errors each week whilst he "learns how a £50 m centre back should defend". Let City sort that out with their other fine defenders such as Mangala and Otamendi.

To those comparing this day with the leaving of Lineker and Ball well when these two were sold they were respectively:-

Ball- world cup winner, established England international for 5 years and widely recognised as one of the finest midfielders in the world.
Lineker- top scorer in First Division and top scorer at that seasons World Cup.

Both were players performing on the world stage.

John Stones- cannot get into a poor England team, a member of the worst Everton defence in memory and eventually dropped , dodgy stomach ailment.

The time is right for him to go(could have been a Lescott situation this Saturday, remember when we were done for 6 by Arsenal), we need to stop complaining , replace him, improve our systemof play , get over it and move on.

COYB

But in between these two bookends there's a ‘defender' whose positional play is appalling and leadership and organisational skill non-existent. I've said this before on TW, but I would sit down with any Evertonian with a DVD of the last 2 seasons (where we shipped 100+ goals BTW) and just watch his positioning and his failure to track runs.

Watching Chiellini of Juve and Italy in the Euros makes you realise how far behind Stones is from world class CBs. OK Chiellini is 10 years older and vastly more experienced, but he's been at the top of his game for the last 10 years. Just admire the measured calm he brings to the centre of defence.

And finally I never heard Koeman praising Stones calling him a world class defender etc-and this from (or not in this case) a ball playing CB who WAS world class.

Don't agree, he was a liability at times and was victim of believing the hype because he was young, English and liked to carry the ball out ! what a load of bollocks

I cant stand players who don't want to play for our club so do one Stones, you were not good enough for England and yes i'm bitter, I don't wish any former player good luck, hope you fail big time son

Money and the likes of City are continuing to ruin football so I hope both he and they fail

Williams, Kone, Bolasie are all aggressive players. We need more but it's a start.

Lets move on and upwards.

Let Koeman do his job, ffs. Remember the last time Everton signed older players? Reidy and Andy Gray. Great signings, not only on the field but in the dressing room.

you have heard of Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez and Pogba right ? They all moved on to bigger clubs, for more money, Now here's the thing. None of them were slaughtered weekly by their own supporters, they were able to make their decisions purely from a football point of view. see the difference ? they did not have factions of their own supporters criticising them after every game.

Like most on here I'm a life long Evertonian, but we now have a section of our fanbase who wouldnt recognise risk taking entertainment if a guitar playing magician telling jokes landed on the fucking heads after sky diving 5,000 feet without a parachute . . .I wouldnt want to play for them either

Stones is a good player who has the potential to be great (or if you like inane parlance 'a top top player'), but that's just what it is potential. 㿛.5M for early 20s potential vs 㾸M for early 30s proven performer is a deal I'd take all day long right now when the concept of 'long term planning' for most teams is 'next season'.

To be fair we've not regretted too many 'potential' sales aside from Rooney who we knew was the real deal but just needed the money right now. The likes of Rodwell and Jeffers both proved great business and the loss of Gosling is hardly lamented for instance.

I am more outraged that we put up with Martinez for 3 years and Stones's inferior performance for 15 months.

Now we get a proper board and professional management team who have only been in the job for 5 minutes and posters are upset we haven't turned into CL standard already.

FFS boys give it some time and patience.

And BTW, as Lyndon pointed out in another thread, we couldn't go ahead and make major buys until we got some massive income in not because we are skint but because of the Financial Fair Play rules so let's please let the professionals get on with doing their job.

Shocking day.

Not just because he's gone. More the shoeing we are giving a classy footballer who's leaving because we want hoof ball. As has been said, this club, its ethos, its prestige, its lustre, its roots – all the things that made us great – being dispatched to the bin like a half-eaten kebab on a Sunday morning. Truly sad.

Fran (66) - There is a substantial difference between a club selling a player with potential who wanted to stay at the club and a club selling a player with potential who didn't want to stay at the club.

If the club starts to sell off Davies, Holgate, et al against their wishes then I would agree - it would be a disgrace and a real indicator that the club had no ambition.

Stones wanted to go however and said so publicly, over two transfer windows. That, in my view was far more damaging to the clubs reputation than the club actually finally selling him.

I think the successful pursuit of RK, Walsh and now Gueye, Williams and apparently Bolasie is indication enough that the club does have ambition and that this season will be one of rectification and consolidation, before finally moving on from the Moyes era.

However, only time will tell.

We can lament letting go of one of the brightest young prospects England has seen in a few years. It's natural.

But the boy wanted away, we got one hell of a sum for him, and RK seems to be putting his stamp on the team now.

This is all positive.

Sometimes I think we deserve everything we get – naive beyond naive. Kept the idiots afloat and on board. I would remind you that Elstone has been promoted to the board since Moshiri arrived.

There are others of this type still at the club and if you don't know who I mean, just ask yourself – do we really carry the threat that a team who are led by a genuine 㿷m striker should have?

History may go on to prove that he was so far ahead of his team mates, that he needed to move to City to have better players round him. If so, good luck to the lad. He never stirred it in the press, played when he was asked to, and didn't have big mouth agents or parents agitating.

In return, we have got at least one beast of a centre half, top blocks last season, bullied Lukaku twice, is aggressive, and is a leader of men. Personally I would give him the armband right now.

Kone may also be joining us, or Bruno Martins Indi. I would have both, and let jags go to Sunderland as part of the Kone deal.

From watching the friendlies, Mason Holgate is going to be a more accomplished defender than Stones. He just needs some physique work, and will be tutored by one of the finest ball playing centre halves in the world, Ronald Koeman.
Moshiri's millions will not bring in the Draxlers etc we yearn for, as the club, much as we believe we are the best in the world, needs to make strides over the next couple of years before we are that proposition.

Let's try the "Slowly slowly catchee monkey" method before consigning RK et al to the rubbish bin.

We certainly didn't play School of Science stuff under Moyes, and if you would rather watch that often turgid shit Roberto had us serve up, you really don't know what the School of Science was.

On another point, Stones said it was Joe Hart who helped him change his mind while with the England squad so, wtf was Ross and Rooney doing? They should've told Hart to do one.

You wax lyrical about lost virtues, but they were all gained by teams who had defenders who did just that, defend.

If fans just wanted hoof ball they would have had no issues with retaining Martinez. That said, the manner in which that transfer was announced was nothing short of shocking.

I have always advocated pragmatism for Everton so I can't complain. I did, though, for a while, feel that a new swashbuckling era might be upon us. I isn't, but I I still have high hopes.

I'm not saying they are shit managers – they just don't get everything right. Jose obviously didn't fancy Stones now!

㿛.5 mill for an as yet unproven talent, converted into a number of needed players at Everton represents good business to me mate.
And Hart himself will be out of Shiteeh shortly. What goes around comes around.

The recovery period has started and hopefully Koeman will think long and hard as to what kind of characters he wants to foster a great teamspirit. Something our predecessor seemingly didn't have the slightest fucking idea what that meant. Keeping a so called superstar, prima donna or whatever you wish to call them is not necessarily a good thing especially when they don't want to be here.

If Lukaku doesn't want to.commit then get rid also. We have had enough of players only playing when they feel like .it's part of what's got us in this mess in the first place .that and that fucking idiot Martinez.

Has anyone else noticed what we appear to be doing here?

The needs have been identified, it would seem, and our solution whilst at first glance seems underwhelming, when you look a little closer, is really quite ingenious!!!

We are totally rebuilding the spine of the team with, it would appear, Koeman's and Walsh's ideal players, all picked with proven EPL experience and all stand-out performers at their respective cubs.

Expect a keeper and playmaker next; then I would say that's more like it.

There's more to CB play than picking out a pass. I think it is good business by the club, given that he didn't want to be here. Stones may be promising but he is no Moore or Beckenbaur, and we have seen plenty young stars leave us and not fulfil their promise at other clubs.

Seriously though I think you may turn out to be correct about this being a good day for Everton and if it turns out that Stones is a world beater then I'll happily eat humble pie.

Remember they also have worked at clubs where a DoF and/or owner do most of the buying so they work with what they have. Fuck it mate, I'm just gutted we've lost a massive, IMO, talent. I honestly don't give a toss about Pep or Jose.

Maybe this 'shit' new Everton does things - relatively - on the quiet, gets all the building blocks in place then starts making noises. I hate it - it's so frustrating trawling for news and not knowing what's going on - but I love it. Real businessmen running a real club. Roll on the Docks!

"I'm with you Darren 100%. Kevin and what was the common denominator between Suarez, Bale and Ronaldo? All their respective teams tanked after they left and it's taken them years, and different managers, to recover."

The HUGE difference here is that the players you mention were HUGE players for their clubs, making an enormous contribution. Are you saying Stones was as influential as Suarez? Madness. Difference is we're losing someone who cost us goals; we'll probably be better.

Bolaise deal nearly done, but I 'm a bit sceptical. Why are we suddenly buying players on the same day we get 㿛.5m for Stones? >I'm probably paranoid, because that's how BK did our transfer business.

The 𧴜m Moshiri promised? Will it be used for another striker, midfielder and keeper, or will Lukaku be sold to fund more deals? I hope it's just my paranoia.

Can I also offer (slight) apologies to teachers. I was looking after my Grand-daughter's 5th Birthday day out on Saturday 10.30 until 4.30. All 27 of her class mates and my 2-year-old grandson was there. I was fucking demented when I got home.

Keith is right though, we all used to look to you for the first clue about what is really going on and you invariably had your finger on the pulse ...have you lost your magic balls?

The Scousers said 'he's not for sale',
But that just wasn't true,
Cos Sheik Mansour clicked his fingers
And now he is a Blue
We've got fucking loads of money
Money to buy John Stones..."

And my riposte is:-

They offered us Guardiola,
But we thought he is shite,
We went for Ronald Koeman
Just because we know he's right,
We mugged you for 50 million,
We sold you John Stones.

Sold you John Sto o ones,
Even though he can't defend,
Sold you John Sto o o nes,
He's a big Bell - end.

Ad finitum

We will come to regret the loss of Stones. History will show this to be the true legacy of Bill and Roberto.

Finally, I thought Stones showed real class over the whole thing, unlike some. Having met his parents it is genetic.

More to follow ..

The lateness of the deal has not been caused by Everton. More City's hope that they would get him cheap @ 㿔million. The champions league registration has forced their hand. They managed to save some face by not going the full 㿞 million on initial fee. And Everton will get that value on add-ons.

My view is Koeman knew right from the start that Stones would be going, and had an idea of what he wanted as replacements. I am happy for him to get on with it. Don't forget the players that are leaving are part of the group that have been awful for two seasons. Poorly marshalled by Martinez, granted. But he wasn't to blame for all of it.

Let's get behind the new players and look forward to the new season. IRIT, COYB and all that.

We'd have clung on to that kid John Stones
If he wasn't a bellend

We had your kecks with Rodwell n Lescott
When will you fuckin' learn ?

You just won't learn, no
You just won't learn, no
No, no, no, no !

By all means lament the sale of a young potential star but blaming the club? They can't keep a want-away player, we tried it last season and he was shite.

Speaking of shite, most of this team are. We need a lot of fresh blood, this sale finances it. We should be stronger for the sale in the coming days. This is a good move by the club even if Stones goes on to captain Barcelona, the team is always more important and it currently is pure shite.

Have none of you watched 'Moneyball'?

Unless she has a rifle, of course.

One player departs, probably three arrive, team is stronger.

All of the lamenting is moot when the player wants to leave as he proved last season he is a liability in such a mood.

But nobody can stop you lamenting away, it is your perogative.

Now for a top class goalkeeper.

Odd as it may seem, I do wish Stones luck and a long career. Hopefully, he will find both courage and heart to defend properly to go with his footballing brain. Cue the music, flying monkeys (wearing Liverpool kits), and munchkins waving and dancing about as scene pulls back on a skipping Stones on his way to Manchester along the yellow brick road, actually the A580. Then fade to black, music ends, and a cackling Pep Guardiola suddenly appears with a green face and in full witch costume, riding his Etihad broom across the screen, dropping 20-pound notes as he does.

I read your post twice and I cant make head nor tail of it "cost us a goal every two games"? Are you sure? He has been here three seasons and until his form dipped. (Pretty much in the same way EVERY defenders form will dip under the tuition of Martinez.) He was lauded by all. now it appears he was never any good and cost us a goal ever other game? ... What?

Ashley Williams is a great pro. A fantastic example of a limited player who kept believing when nobody else did, but I had never heard of him 3-4 seasons ago. I could be wrong but I don't think he even played in the Premier League until he was about six years older than Stones is now... He is not in the same league. He's a fantastic pro, but he miles away from Stones in terms of ability.

Ask yourself why nobody else stepped in when Swansea turned down £10m for him? He's 32, fffs, not even the "gobshites" Jose and Pep have that sort of money to blow. We're back to Square One, bringing in seasoned old pros like Gough, Weir and Stubbs. Not bad buys when taking into isolation... but how the fuck is that progress? We'll be very lucky to get 2-3 years out of him... What then? Another seasoned pro?

I simply don't get all this rejoicing about selling Stones to offset the cost of incoming players. I thought we had moved on from that. We are meant to be rich, why are people celebrating the continuation of our seemingly eternal sell-to-buy policy?

If I don't catch up with you soon, I hope Andy Crook's missus does...

How do we know another club did not enquire after Williams? Shock, horror, but maybe Ashley preferred a move to Goodison from the options on the table?

And getting back to the topic of the thread, it's simples - all the indicators are that John saw his future at another club, that seemed pretty clear from about this time last year when Chelsea came calling. His head was turned, he wanted to move on - good luck to the lad. From that point, it's then only prudent for the club to then get the best possible price for a player who did not want to be here. Would it have been better to have kept a player at Goodison when his heart certainly didn't seem to be in it?

John Stones was a great find, he brought a cultured brand of play to the team and looked outstanding when we were winning. When we were under pressure and trying to hold on to a lead late on, he was often left wanting.

It has been obvious for at least a year he did not want to play for Everton, so I can not understand why so many fans wanted him to stay.

We needed a large transfer fee to boost our turnover for the new Financial Fair Play rules regarding increasing your wage structure by 20%, so Stones's wages / fee will start the domino effect of signings.

Now just get rid of Lukaku for mega money, bring in Bony, Kone, Dann, Witsel and Mata and I will be one extremely happy Evertonian.

Mercenary footballer signs for mercenary club after stating he wanted to leave for the past 15 months (for the second mercenary club after interest from first mercenary club and original mercenary club manager apparently cooled after mistake ridden season). Shock horror!

Seen it all before, and I think we will be just fine. Shocked and confused after Ball left when I was a very small child, gutted after Lineker left, resigned when Rooney left (we were definitely a selling club for Rooney), but older and wiser. All three of those, including Rooney, delivered for both Everton and England, John Stones has done nothing except looked good coming forward in the odd game.

Stones may well go on to be all the things being talked of him here, given his fine skills on the ball which plainly suits Guardiola's style (which is basically to spend so much on players that are so good they always keep the ball so you don't really have to defend - genius! Genius?), and yes there are certainly things in his game that can be improved with good coaching, since, he, and every other player we have went backwards under the idiot in charge of football for the past three seasons.

But personally I doubt it.

The much missed Harold Matthews was not a fan and got quite a bit of criticism on here for pointing out basic flaws which have still not been addressed. These were primarily poor heading ability, turning away from the ball and lack of concentration. Even last Saturday in the friendly against Espanol he just passed straight to the opposition under no pressure at all.

I also used to think that these faults could be coached out of him, but after several seasons I'm not so sure because I think the lad lacks the one thing that can't be coached and is vital for a CB: Heart!! For me there are real questions over his temperament.

He wanted to go, he's gone, get over it. The Club will go on as it always has done. The future is finally bright for me after nearly three decades of underperformance and false dawns.

Onwards!! Upwards!!

Just to put this into context, the fame of Ball, Harvey and Kendall is not exaggerated. This midfield combination was, in my opinion, the best in the world at the time, even better than the fantastic Brazil midfield of the 1970 Mexico World Cup. I was always puzzled why they weren't chosen as England's midfield. Ball was an England regular, but Harvey played only a few times (and was in Mexico), whilst Kendall was never picked for England astonishingly. Harvey is my reference point for great ball players, and he's called the 'white Pele' for a reason.

Although Stones is in many ways a cracking player, he has significant shortcomings. In comparison, Ball (and Harvey and Kendall) had none that were notable, even at the age that Stones is now. So, as an old Evertonian, although I'm disappointed that Stones is gone, in the big scheme of Everton things, it's not such a big deal.

The job of Koeman at this moment in time is to produce results, to address the shortcomings of Everton that he's identifying, and produce a better team that hopefully will be a basis for success. Stones' transfer is just a cog in that wheel.