Koeman reveals two-year horizon for his ideal Everton squad

We are moving forward at long last...but I do love this guy

...but as an Evertonian only!

If he can get Kone to score, the guys a genious, even Mirallas attitude and play is better.

If so, snap out of it and get real. We might have some cash to burn now but that doesn't mean spending foolishly to satisfy some Everton fans signings bloodlust!

A measured and sensible approach to this is surely better than just flashing the cash at any average player.

However, saying that, it would be nice to have at least one signing that collectively makes Evertonians sit back in disbelief with a big grin!

Let's be honest here, Bolasie isn't a £25m player, RK thought we needed him so we paid over the odds to get the signing done to improve the team. Same with the RS, they paid £35m for Mane, he's not worth anywhere near that but he's a starter under Klopp so that's it!

Its OK getting fitter and a bit better, but the fact is if we played 38 league games with last seasons squad, then we would finish 8th at best, simply because we aren't that great.

We need new players to kick us on, we already have a few, but a couple of others with ability to start in our team would take us further.

In this day and age, its put up or shut up in the prem, we get enough money for the Tv deals anyways.

Simply not good enough for me. Back to back seasons of garbage league finishes. If we had an owner who was actually willing to splash the cash required we could and would have offered wages to attract the quality of player needed. Instead we've gone bargain shopping with the money from selling a star. Words like that wouldn't be acceptable at City, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, even West Ham. But here at Everton apparently they get cheered. Just like a home draw to Spurs is some great accomplishment.

This is just the start for us.

FFS cheer fucking up and jump on the bandwagon of fun - it's going to be a good bit of fun getting there

I think we know who's in charge here. Elephant balls springs to mind...

Favorite line in the whole interview.

When others were splashing big money, how much did Kendall splash out to bring in Gray, Reid, Southall, Harper, Sheedy, Steven and the likes.

Koeman has said it's silly money for average players, I am with Koeman all the way not signing loads of overpriced players for the sake of it.

Koeman will bring the players required in, that I do have faith in.

Just as a matter of interest, name your starting eleven then see what players are left, you might be suprised just how strong a second eleven we have left.

Yes we need to add competition for each position, a lot we have cover for, a couple needs strengthening but to be worrying about Koeman not wanting to pay over the odds, I am with him all the way, no panic buying.

Now brahami please plus Kone. And a world class striker

Because Moshiri didn't toss in £100 million. Or did that happen without anyone seeing it? What we've done is exactly what we've done for the past 20 years, sold a player to a bigger club and bought budget players with the funds received with the hope that a couple of them come good.

Everton should be competing at the top because we should all be demanding nothing less from the new owner, to go out and use some of his vast wealth to buy the players needed to propel us back up the table. The rot that has been allowed to settle into the supporter base of this club is horrific. We should be demanding that this new owner spends the money necessary, and that the messaging coming from from the club, top to bottom, is that Everton is here to compete with the best. This two years crap, not acceptable. As you said, it's already been 20, and nearly another 10 before that since we won the league.

You do the sums:

Sold:- Stones £47.5 million.

In:- Stekelenberg £1 million;
Gueye £7.1 million;
Williams £12 million;
Bolasie £25 million.

Which puts the balance at £2,400,000 million in profit. Coupled with Hibbert, Osman, Pienaar & Howard leaving and a couple of Academy kids. Which brings me to the question:

Did we have a reported £100 million war chest as was well documented (before the Stones money), or the transfer business we have so far concluded, is that it? Where are Mosihri's millions???

As an Evertonian of almost 40 years I'm inpatient, sometimes borderline desperate for change, and want it all yesterday. I like RK he speaks sense and has obviously had a positive impact already, I'm usually cyclical when it comes to all things Everton, however, this season I have made a pact with myself and for the benefit of my mental health to give change a chance, and enjoy the journey for once.

3 points today boys, super Kev to score the winner.

David Barks, I'm sure we have a mixed fan-base, some say it's not our money so we shouldn't worry about the fees?

But Everton is my football club, so whatever we do needs to be sustainable, and being a scouser, the last thing I want to see is my club ripping itself off.

My expectations haven't been shattered though David, I still think Everton, are the greatest club in the land. The biggest signing I think the club, could ever make, is securing the land for a ground on the dock.

Let's just give Moshiri, a bit of time, because unless we have got money to burn, maybe it's better to do exactly that?

Thank our fucking stars you are not running Everton FC, because we would be probably be acquiring a squad full of over priced Oumar Niasse's.

Its clear David that you are under whelmed by RK's appointment, to the extent you think we are behaving as we were pre Moshiri.

Well that is ofcourse shite.

Pre Moshiri, under BK, we would probably not have

1. Hired a PL manager from a club that finished above us

2. Hired a DoF from the Champions

3. Bought the captain of club and country who had just had an outstanding Euros

4. Paid top whack for a winger from a fellow PL club who was arguably his team's best player.

What you see as excuses from RK I see as realism, maybe because I don't wank myself silly over FM style fantasies where money is thrown around and players bought at a click of a button.

The attack on his approach to transfers was accompanied by an inexplicable criticism of his statements around the team's fitness levels. Well, I don't know which Everton you were watching last season but the one I watched was usually puffing out of its backside around the 60 minute mark. We let in a significant portion of our goals late on in games.

If you think that issue should have been fixed by 6 weeks of pre season training well, fuck me, the Premier League has missed out on one of the world's foremost fitness gurus in you.

To me, if a player is worth £X then OK, given the market and the 'English tax' that pervades the continent now, I think we'll have to cough up £X +. But let's not be mugs. Mr Moshiri surely isn't.

Sadly, as others have stipulated, we are not the draw that some think we are.

We will have already missed out on players we have had no idea we've bid for - and we'll lose out on more to come. Walsh and Koeman will be doing their level best to bring in the quality despite a back drop of sleazy agents, greedy clubs and players ruining any chance of secrecy.

As we improve, so will our playing staff. It's Darwinism personified.

Two years. That's realistic. I think you'd be deluding yourself if you honestly think it could happen any quicker. We've stopped the rot ... now we rebuild from the foundations upwards.

And if we refuse to be blackmailed into paying tens of millions over the odds for players ... then we have that money to put into the new dock side stadium which is my real goal for the immediate future. Ron will take care of the rest ..

what was MOST important has been the management and style change. We believed we had a superb team if only they would play with purpose. Koeman says what we want to hear because he talks a style we have been begging for! With a few tweaks, a few new players that shore up our deficiencies and we can progress significantly.

I want a name player like everyone, but will accept for now seeing what RK can do with Barkley, Mirallas and Deulofeu. btw I think Gueye will become a marquee signing!

I expect the first of his objectives will be to try and push to get us back into Europe.

The transfer market is spiralling out of control for players and wages. The emergence of very little talent throughout the world in football is worrying. 5-10 years ago you would pay big money to bring in proven names, now you have to pay absurd money for a lot of poor to average players.

I'd rather Everton be prudent and patient in searching for an Arteta or Cahill than pouring money into garbage.

Where the hell did I say anything about the fitness levels? Please limit your attack to things I actually said. I'm speaking about the club, not the manager. As you said, we appointed a DOF, who is the one making the decision regarding transfers. So far, not much has happened.

There are players to be had, clubs around Europe are signing those players. The fact is we are still woefully short up front. We have Lukaku as a proven goal scoring striker and that is all. That, is completely unacceptable going into the third league match of the season. We do not have a real number 10 in the squad. We signed a keeper who Koeman didn't see as good enough to be first choice just last season!!

We don't operate in a vacuum. The prices for players are what they are, it's not going to change. It's only going to go up. I'm honestly shocked how accepting of mediocrity so many people are, willing to constantly accept "just a few more year", "stay patient". In the back of our heads, we should know that we're not winning the league this season. But we should all be demanding that a new owner be willing to do and spend whatever it takes to make us compete at the top.

Because I'll tell you one thing, those supporters down the road certainly do. Why in the hell should we demand less? No premier league clubs are going to go broke these days, the TV contracts are incredible. Any attempts to say we don't want to do a Leeds are simply failing to understand the current financial climate. The league is global now, back then it was limited to the shores of England. Every single match, every one, is broadcast on NBC in the US, live. The appetite for the Premier League is only going up. Meanwhile all that money from the TV deal has been pockets and not been invested in the playing squad. Our purchases have been based off of the money from the Stones sale.

And please, don't speak about Koeman as if we took him from some big club. I like him and the intensity he's brought to the players on the pitch, but we took him from Southampton. The only reason they finished above us is because we persisted with Martinez for so long, which by the way, many on here were in favor of saying he needed more time. Meanwhile people like me were saying that leaving him in charge while we drop down the table would cost us in both being able to retain our best players and being able to attract quality players to join the club. Spurs grabbed their manager from Southampton and they demanded immediate success when they did so. Why in the hell should we be settling for being competitive in another two years?

It has been reported that Everton met the buy out clauses on players, and have agreed terms with the player. But then the player has chosen to go to a club with Champions League. This player would have been already in a shirt at Finch Farm if Arsenal had got Lacazette. If he had come to us instead of going to a CL club, we would have people on here questioning his ambition (a la Witsel), and rightly so.

We paid £13.5 million in Jan to satisfy the clamour for a new player. And then had a go at the club for throwing money away that they can ill afford.
I would expect the club to pay the rated value for a player, plus wages they deserve, no more, no less. End of.

Personally, I think the big fuss about Euro football is ridiculous, as many "Big Clubs" rest their first choice players for important league games.

West Ham's creditable PL finish rewarded them with Europa footy and (some on here think that even that helps us to seem attractive) and then they bomb out, on their own new pitch!

If we put together a good start to the season, then come January, we may well seem a more attractive destination for the army of mercenaries hoping to join the party.

Well it has not stopped other teams from buying players has it? And why the fuck did we wait until the last week to try and buy this Perez guy? Say what you want we have spent nothing 5 days to go though for moshiri to show his worth. And before everyone has a pop at David ask yourself this. If this was Bill kenwright in charge would you be happy with the window? I bet there would be carnage.

Last week Koeman wanted 4 to 5 players in, this week its 1 maybe 2? So why is there this sudden change of heart! Everyone knows we lack quality in key areas. I'm afraid its the same old shite with a different guy spinning the same rubbish.

Transfer fees exist in a football world bubble dictated by one thing only and that's club income, with the latest TV deal increasing by about 50% the football world has effectively seen inflation of 50%. Which is why James McCarthy is being linked away from the club at £18 million, it's why Stones was better value for City at £47m than Chelsea's offer on him last year.

Luckily the top end is still capped by the Bale and Ronaldo ( and Pogba even) fees, so there's actually more value in very top players. The question is how we can attract them without CL football, outside a few softer elements they want to play with other great players and money. Of course we need a mix of hidden gems and marquee signings but if they are genuine top players we need to spend big, they're probably better value for money.

Bolasie at £25m is a good indication of the supply / demand dynamic right now - he would have been half of that - even last season.

Gana and Stek have to go down as bargains in this market.

Playing the longer game at this point is the smarter move.

I still want to see more players in though, get it sorted !

Every club in the league has the same £100 mn available from the Sky deal but we have had an (unexpected?) bonus of selling a player for big money. This has enabled us to (almost) break even on transfers but increased salaries and manager payouts and compo has to be accounted for in our spending also, so it's not as simple as saying we sold x and spent x.

So I expect that a lot of the supposed £100 mn will be available for future transfers, repayment of debt (which should really be paid off by the previous owners that incurred it) or put toward the stadium, e.g. £20 mn for a bit of land at the docks.

David Chait – the only "undeniable truth" is that the transfer window hasn't closed yet!

David Barks – okay, as regards "those supporters down the road", which of their signings do you wish we had signed instead of Williams, Bolassie or Gueye (so far)? Where's their mega signing? Ditto Tottenham, who DO have Champions League to offer; who do you covet from their summer dealing?

And David K Shaw – not sure what you mean by "normal" players but if you mean "meh" then I don't agree that Barkley, Lukaku, Mirallas, Baines, Coleman, Deulofeu and, on form, Barry (come on – indulge me) are "normal" players.

We have a good squad, already better than last season's "best squad since the '80s" but with the addition of a not "normal" manager.

It's a slow progress and I believe the signings that have been brought in will improve us massively and take us in the right direction to push on. With 2 more players in the door in the few days, I will be more than happy with the business Everton have done this window

I don't think he would have come to sell to buy as this guy wants to work up in his career and still talks now about the project. Is he lying? No he's done nothing but been truthful and very blunt all the way. I think we tried to keep stones but he wanted to go. If we had kept him I still think we would have made the same signings. So I think we can relax and assume the money is there the big problem is attracting the players.

We have had not only two bad seasons but most players now don't know or care about the great Everton of the eighties. We need to create buzz and that will take timpani that's why Koeman talks about two years forming the team he wants.

It has been frustrating because we have waited so long for investment that we all got carried away and excited with the calibre of players we are getting linked with. I'm no exception. The next few days could likely hold the same excitement and frustration.

A marquee signing would be a massive lift but I think we are going to struggle at this point unless something happens on deadline day as often can no matter the club as players who wouldn't have been available suddenly become so due to the domino effect.

We have improved our squad and we already have improved on the field and hopefully we can get a win today. Lets keep the faith and concentrate on all that has gone right this summer

Martinez gone
Koeman in
Walsh in
Gueye in
Williams in
Lukaku stays

4 points from 6 at the start of the season and hopefully 3 more today. COYB

In order to attract 'big' players, without any European football, we would have to throw ridiculous amount of wages that are irrefuseable at players.

This window we have brought in players who over the course of the season will improve us massively. A dominant CB, a good GK, a nuisance in midfield and a Winger who will make us stand up when on the ball.

If we can bring in two good players this week I will be more than happy with this TW. I feel like Everton is finally going place.

There's also convenient ignoring of the fact we have bid big money for multiple players who have chosen not to come or gone elsewhere. To argue we aren't prepared to splash cash when we spent £25m on Bolasie is self evidently absolute rubbish.

Also the idea of 'just pay what they are worth' is also ridiculous. I'd live to see these people as CFO of a company... they'd be bankrupt in days. I'm happy with what Moshiri and Koeman are doing so far and expect at least 2 more in before the window shuts.

To say that's the same as the old regimes sell to buy is utter twaddle though. We were clearly making approaches for top quality players, and buying about £10M worth, while we were still saying Stones was going nowhere.

Clearly money was there for transfers beforehand. It being worth noted some of our prime targets were also being pursued by Arsenal yet haven't moved. That would suggest that a lack of money isn't the reason our early window targets haven't signed with us wouldn't it?

You would have to be heading the wrong way down the evolutionary ladder to believe we had £100M transfer pot just because the meeja touted it. I've no doubt, from those early window targets, money was available for transfers.

The question now is if the Stones money is made available for extra players to come in or whether it's aimed at the stadium or whatever. Either way we are seeing reportedly solid offers for circa £20M defenders and attackers around the same price bracket and, it's also reported, we are offering cash upfront not the kind of 'structured' payments on the never never we used to. Clearly then there is still money available.

Bit of faith required alien as that is to some.

"Clubs do not have transfer budget, war chests and kitties

If anyone tries to tell you “big club x” has “y amount” to spend they are likely talking nonsense. Ask them to show their work on how they arrived at that number.

As we just discussed, there's a lot more that goes into player costs than transfer fees. Unless the number being offered up clearly includes wages (which is more than half of the equation), and ideally at least a nod towards agent fees and image rights payments, you can safely disregard it as not reflective of that club's available resources to bolster its squad."

You can read the full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-set-pieces-blog/2016/aug/24/transfer-window-market-myths

I want to see how Walsh works in the transfer market as anyone can identify talent in the top leagues. He did well with Gana he now needs to unearth a striker to push Rom. If RK had come out and said anything other than the 2 year plan people would slaughter him one way or other.

Transfer windows are always exciting times; let's just hope we strengthen and don't weaken.

We've been in this position in the past, like when John Moores started pumping in funds, and we got marque signings of the day like Alex Young, Alan Ball, Bob Latchford, et al. But all such signings were additions to an already strong team that was improving, and we weren't just buying success. We always bought wisely, targeting what we needed rather than just splashing cash, in parallel with bringing younger players up through the ranks.

Well, that seems to be the strategy now. What RK has said seems to fit this pattern. If he tried to buy instant success he'd be accused of not planning for the future, and if he had a 5 year plan for the future he'd probably get accused of making excuses for not getting instant success. Instead he's said what is entirely reasonable, and already we seem to be improving. So long as we continue improving, surely that's what we can reasonably expect at this stage, especially after the debacle that was very recent. So far, so good.

There is far too much competition in this league for an overnight fix. Look at the money Man Utd spent last year – look at how much RS have spent over the last few years and okay they nearly won it but they hadn't built a team.

Koeman is putting in foundations for his team, getting the defence right and fitness levels up. Pieces are in place in midfield with Gana and Bolasie and it is crystal clear that he has focuses big- time on making Ross a project to bring to fruition. Lukaku will last no more than one season as he hasn't the work rate for Koeman but he must stay until we can attract a top replacement which will likely come if we get European football to offer.

For anyone to criticise at this point is their absolute right but I think most of us see that this is indeed a two or three year project and whilst there will be some bumps and bruises it should be good to be on board.

So I'll add my juvenile statement.

Everton Football Club finished in the bottom half of the Premiership last season and Arsenal, since the Premier League came into being have won the "Double" twice, won the FA Cup How many times, and I don't think they have ever been out of the Top Four since it began. They are also a club in LONDON.
Whereas we have won nothing, flirted with relegation, got into the top 4 once and got tonked in Europe. We are the sort of unknown relations to the other lot.

We have gone for players and seen them go to other clubs. No one knows for certain, but I don't think it is because of the money on offer, it is because a player is almost certain to be playing in the Champions League if he goes to Arsenal, and will almost ceratinly play in Europe if he goes to any of the teams who regularly finish in the top six or seven.

I think it is worse now than when Man City were bought by Sheik Mansoor. They were then suddenly super rich but, for all their money, couldn't attract top players to their club; and were laughed at by the "Pundits" for even daring to try. Was it Ronaldinho who ended up as the first "big fish" who signed...and he thought he'd gone to Man Utd!

To those who think all EFC have to do, is pick the most wanted players from some sort of "Football Manager 21st Century", list,and they will then come legging it over to us "Cos we've got Money" I'd say stop dreaming and think a bit!

We will only attract players at the very top of their profession, (or even those of better quality than some we have now) when Everton Football Club start regularly winning matches so that we end up in the top six regularly or/and win Cups.

I don't see Leicester being able to just pick who they want, even though they did brilliantly last season, and nor will we.

Mr Moshiri is, in my view, as ambitious as Sir John Moores was when we were the Merseyside Millionaires. Trouble is, there's a lot more rich clubs about now than there was then. He will still get us a stadium and he will provide the funds when Ronnie and the Director of Football, identify a player who will improve our squad.

That doesn't mean, however, that the player will automatically want to sign for us.

We will take two years to get somewhere near being a squad that Ronnie thinks is able to get into the top six... not two weeks.

The only real benefit so far is that I've not had to listen to Elstone and Kenwright blabbering on. On the pitch, financially anyway, there is little difference to the last two decades.

So we have spent what we received for stones...well yeh we sold him so we had that money on top of whatever Moshiri will put in. Do you expect him to say – no no don't spend the £47m use the warchest account, the fans and the World need to see that I have put it in to the club?!?!

I'm being a little silly with my comments here but there is no other way of trying to understand both of you?

Quite frankly I'm gob smacked at how negative you are especially given how the transfer window is still open the last time I heard, the management and running of the club is still all very new so 2 years isn't an excuse its a plan and I'd bet it's a fucking great plan to move the club forward to be challenging at the top table!!!

For me they have appointed an excellent manager and followed that up with the appointment of Steve Walsh as director of football.

I think it would be worth looking back to the late 50s and early 60s, Everton were known as the Mersey millionaires because with the backing of Moores we could out bid any club for any player. Across the park they were in the second division and they appointed Shankly as manager. They had very little money to spend, but Shankly made them one if not the fittest team winning promotion to division 1. He went on to make them succesful without having the resources that Catterick had.

So don't get hung up on what we spend concentrate on are we fitter and better than the last 2 seasons. Time will tell but I believe we have unearthed our Shankly, he wants us to be fitter and he wants players to improve.

We are improving on the first two, but have hills to climb on the third and fourth. Given that we cannot simply 'choose' many top players, we have to identify the genuine possibilities who can add to our capabilities, whilst simultaneously bringing two or three into the first team squad from the academy.

Like others I value Koeman's realism. It will take two years at least. I will be happy as long as we are moving forward as a team and as a club, and for a change I am modestly optimistic of our chanes of doing so.

Patience, David, Everton will get better, much better, just give the people running the club some time. I bet, when you were a kid, you had your poor mother harassed in August asking her what you were getting for Christmas.

Those of you who are frustrated with our lack of signing a marquee player – who, from Spurs to the redshite do you envy?

Dave B – you say the supporters down the road wouldn't stand for this – who have they signed that you seriously wish we had?

And the only "undeniable fact" is that the transfer window hasn't closed yet – we'll get good additions in. We are already stronger than last seasons "best squad since the 80's" and on top of that we have a better manager and an exciting future.

Relax!

However, don't forget that the transfer window hasn't shut yet so the basis for those conclusions may yet prove to be just a transient point in time on the journey. It certainly feels to me like things have changed, already, but only time will tell & very little of that has passed under the new regime.

So far, so good I'd say – but continued progress, on & off field, is essential. I think we have the people in place now to make that happen.

No we don't.

I was somewhat fearful that RK sees Everton as a stepping stone to pastures new but when I hear this kind of talk it makes me feel more reassured that we have him for the long term. First things first I just want to see us compete on the pitch because I have had an absolute gutfull of hearing our manager talking complete shite after a woeful performance against the Bournemouths of this world.

I am already looking forward to the January window and our games against the RS because this season we will compete. That's the most important thing for me at this time. Effort, blood sweat and tears on the pitch. I want to see Everton start to rise like a big blue Phoenix casting a big fucking shadow over Stanley Park. I think RK is pure class

David Barks and others in support – print out Jim Lloyd's post (#66, stick it on your toilet door and relax.

Big names in weak teams mean nothing other than banter 'You might have bought x but we got y' multimillion top trumps. Leave it to the school kids.

In the '50s we had a 'PE Instructor'; then a 'football purist' in Buchan and Carey. We were bought by a hard-nosed business man who appointed a pragmatic mixture of both in1961... it took him 2 years to sort it out.

Fast Forward to the 21st Century and we've had another 'PE Instructor' and another 'football purist'. We were bought out by a hard-nosed business man who appointed a pragmatic mixture of both in 2016... It may take him 2 years to sort it out.

One game at a time, lads, but be warned, we're Everton ffs, we will lose some... some we will be total shite... we may even give somebody a right thrashing.

It's early yet, but no reason for mindless optimism, nor heads exploding in Veruca-esque 'I want a marquee signing and I want it now' tantrums.

Before and after, goals were shared around far more, there was no single point of strength in goalscoring, thus we weren't stoppable! Simples.

I have asked friends (yes I have some) and colleagues to name 10 marquee players that they would like to sign. After a struggle, every one of them came up with a list who have signed for Champions League clubs across the main European Leagues (including the EPL), or who are not for sale, like Messi or Ronaldo.

It's well documented that Man City's new money couldn't buy anything other than the players dislodged by the marquee transfers at that time. It took some good management by the unfairly derided Mancini to get them to a point where they were a club to be included on agents' lists as a 'des res' for their clients.

I believe it took more than the 2 years that Koeman has stated, and remember that Sir Alex nearly got sacked before his 4 year tenure brought a trophy. I am confident that we will make a 'second rate' deadline day signing or two. So please see your GPs to get something for your anxiety, wait for the new team to do their job, and enjoy the ride.

If he's saying two years, then it's two years. Who are we to argue? It's his head on the block. A new striker to compete with and not just back up Lukaku would help mind!

With regards to big name signings, Everton need to win something/anything! Not very tempting when our targets find out we've won nothing for over twenty years like...

He is then told ' they just smashed Liverpool to win the FA Cup mate'. Might be head turning. Hahaha. Love Sundays after a win.

I will be most surprised if we don't sign at least two more players before the window closes. The defence including the goalkeeper is pretty much there. The midfield probably needs one more and the attack one or two more. We will then be a very formidable outfit.

I totally get that they aren't players, but to acquire their services we still had to pay for them as they were contracted to other clubs, and at the end of the day will still be paid out of the club's finances. In my opinion, these people will prove to be our biggest signings of this summer and I applaud a measured approach that has focused on the foundations first as this fantastic club is rebuilt. This will hopefully give us sustained success. Not a Blackburn or Leeds.

In addition, it's great to be able to watch Match of the Day again!!

No excuses here, RK, this squad with some quality buys should at least finish top seven.