Everton looking to push Keane deal through

A very exciting signing and could become the rock of the team for the next 10 years.

Will be fantastic to put two fingers up to Stuart Pearce too. Bellend.

Pickford is also a vocal one. I like what Walsh and Koeman are doing and a big thank you to Moshiri for making transfer windows enjoyable. :)

Stuart Pearce pretty much saying we ain't good enough for Michael Keane and that a top six club should come in quickly and seal the deal. What a muppet.

But Pearce, the ex-England captain, cannot understand why the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United aren't battling to sign the 24-year-old.

Speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, he said: “I’ve got to say, if Everton get there before any of the top four, five or six, I’ll be astounded.

"I saw him at the back end of last season and he had grown so much as a player - and I think there is more to come from him.

“If I was one of the bigger sides, I would get in and get there before Everton.

“I think if Everton get there before them they have signed an extremely good central defender that is going to improve and maybe even move on for bigger money when he eventually goes."

This transfer is huge for Everton and, unlike Pearce, I honestly believe Keane would be better off here, starting every week, than over at Man City playing FA Cup games. Williams, Jagielka and Funes Mori had their ups and downs last year. It's an area we need real improvement. Fingers crossed.

We might even buy the Swansea player – what a brilliant summer.

All of that being said, Pearce is a spanner so I don't care what he says anyway. Good player if you rate rough houses who can score penalties – for club, if not country. But a complete plum as a coach and pundit.

Frauds like Pearce and his natural successor Boothroyd are the personification of the death of English football at international level.

I do not see Keane using us as a stepping stone. He seems to be more like a Dave Watson type signing. He could anchor our team for years, play for England and be completely satisfied with a career at Everton.

Pearce is wrong. But he reflects general opinion.

Onto Keane, this genuinely excites me as a signing. A continuation of what seems like a clear plan to strengthen the teams spine.

He has some way to go as a player but looks like that can happen at Everton.

I'd still like us to buy an established full international centre half. The market is tight so it will cost a lot of money but worth it IMO.

The Times reporting a done deal

Now let's get that lad from Fulham as the long term replacement for Baines. Use him in Cup and Euro games and back up in League.

Zouma from Chelsea is another we could make a move for. Or as I stated in another thread, Pepe from Madrid on a Free. A nutter, but a winner. And all teams need a hard nut centre half.

I don't think we could have hoped in our wildest dreams for such an injection of pure heart. These are men with balls that we are signing.

The lad from Fulham. Sessegnon you are thinking of? Just signed a new contract so won't be happening.

Zouma? He can't break in past okish center backs despite being on their books for years.

Pepe? Would no doubt demand huge wages and would most likely be sent off every few games ala Materazzi style.

Keane is much better than you're giving him credit for and should only improve and he continues his development but to prefer those center backs over him? That would be nuts.

As already stated, Pearce's managerial record – as with some many so-called "pundits" – speaks for itself.

Granted, Rom can do that to anybody, but my feeling is that pace isn't one of Keane's strengths.

The penny is starting to drop with a few players, if not pundits,m that Everton could actually be quite a good thing.

Big club going places, offering European football; guaranteed starts and future if you're good enough; new stadium on the way with a backer who's going to pay very good money and wants to build a team to compete at the top, give a few bloody noses; prove a point and you might just walk out with some silverware and become a hero.

That's a pretty attractive proposition to many players and there's only so many can be first team regulars for the 'Top 6'. I reckon those who are signing are catching the bus and getting a seat now before it fills up and an orderly queue starts to form.

Our stock is rising, Stuart Pearce.

As for Keane, outstanding! Does he need to be quick if his positioning and first movement is always the right decision?

As for Pepe; cheat, egotistical, red card, would be a few words that I would use to describe him. He has no moral integrity. I would question where the club was going if we signed him.

As for Zouma, fast, but has yet to play consistently. Do we recognise him as quick to make up for poor positional play.

I would like to see at least one very quick central defender (wouldn't everyone) so that we can push further forward from the back without the fear of being beaten by a ball over the top, eg, Kevin Ratcliffe, which would also allow the midfield to help upfront.

I could be wrong but late in the season it looked like Davies had been told to worry more about getting back than going forward – especially considering how improved Barkley looked when Davies first came into the side.

Pearce has the insight of a rocking horse that has been distracted.

I also enjoy having one super quick centre-back, Joseph Yobo (despite his occasional lapse) is still one of my fave Everton defenders!

Williams may well start the season, though I wonder if Holgate, Galloway or Browning could impress Koeman in pre-season.

Also factor in that he's nearing 34 and is on his way down rather than up, which is why he's available from Real Madrid on a free transfer.

I hope we sell Funes Mori as I really do not rate him and we get another in. Then, with Jags and the kids, we should be in good shape.

And remember, players only improve when joining Everton, not when they leave, only to find the grass is brown not green, blue is the future.

History repeating itself as farce... again!

Why don't you send it to Brazil Nut @ TalkShite Radio?

As for Keane, he will be a great signing, akin to us getting Jagielka back in the day. This summer keeps getting better.

No way! The Two Mikes is the only show worth listening to on TalkSport.

Anyone who thinks a child's stuffed toy can make your team play better needs their fecking head examining.

Now where's my "Lucky Lickle Fluffy Bunny"? I've got an exam this avvy.

This is turning into a very good transfer window for us – you have to go back a long while since we did our business this quickly. I see the Times are saying Deulofeu has rejected a chance to return to Barca, says he fancies Italy. I would like Koeman to convince him to stay. I know he frustrates at times but so does Mirallas and Bolasie, and I still think he is worth sticking with.

He's proven in the Premier League and at International level, albeit not for long. He is the right age, and qualifies as a homegrown player. We were being linked with many unproven foreign players for the same amount, or more.

All in all, another good piece of business for Everton, and another indicator, of how much we have progressed.

Long may it continue!

My favourite demonstration of mixed metaphors ever: "...he's not the sharpest bulb in the toilet" and one only Pearce himself could relate to. Almost like you were quoting Psycho (aptly named lately for different reasons than his on-pitch displays) himself... lol.

They need some youth with experience and Keane seems a decent choice at this stage as neither Holgate nor Pennington seem centre-back material to help Everton's cause.

Once we add two more quality signings to Pickford, Klaassen, Sandro & Keane, we will be flying high again.

I would like to see Lemos and Brozovic come in – two players of the highest quality.

I am always annoyed when supposed professionals talk and behave like amateurs. He is truly dense if he thinks Keane would be better off at Man Utd, Arsenal et al. Does anyone think Stones is a better player having joined Man City? Does anyone think Stones's profile is enhanced by being exposed as he has done?

I truly wish we had Stones and or Maguire (now at Leicester City) alongside Keane with Jagielka in the background alongside Williams on the bench. That's a good looking central defence.

Stuart Pearce: Ignorant clown IMO.

Who are you people and what have you done with the Everton I know??

Stuart Pearce was a fine defender but is a first class cretin. TalkShite is knee deep in idiots, with BraziI and proffessional scouser, Mick Quin topping the charts in the dumb-fuck category. Hawksby and Jacobs try to lift the tone but their show is dumbed-down to placate the massed ranks of Twitter-fed cockney reds.

I hope we get Keane but I would be happy if we were in the running for Zouma, who is good in the air and has pace.

For what it's worth, I continue to believe that Holgate will eventually be our other centre-back, and he's cat-quick.

He's not talking or thinking like a player anymore and it's probably the reason why he wasn't a very good manager?

But enough about Pearce, because why wouldn't a young centre-half want to come and play for a manager who was an absolute master when he used to play in this very position?

Combining the last three windows, we have removed much of the past it or not up to it brigade with the incomers making a remarkable shift in the in the squad age.

In fairness to Martinez, he was hamstrung, like Moyes was, but it is really exciting to see the teamwork that must be going on behind the scenes. Ronald has obviously got his Flemish connections, but Walsh's appointment was I think an absolute masterstroke by Moshiri.

Pickford, Gana, Sandro, Onyekuru, Keane, Schneiderlin, Lookman, Klaassen, Bolasie, Williams, equates to about 80% of a potential top 4 quality team, for a capital outlay of approx. £170M.

Consider the sell-off values recouped or likely to be so (Oviedo, Gibson, Stones, Lukaku, Barkley?, Mirallas? Jags? Niasse? Geri? etc.) and the emerging talent (Davies, Kenny, Holgate, Galloway, Walsh, Dowell, Calvert-Lewin, Browning, Pennington), plus the value of the established players likely to remain (Baines, Funes Mori, McCarthy, Besic, Coleman etc.), that is some squad.

Acknowledging we are probably still 2 -3 incoming players short but hopefully to be sorted in the next few weeks then that is some squad, with a young emphasis and hence good market value. All assembled in the process of moving back into European competition.

Somebody is doing a good job, and adding the new stadium into the mix, the debt transfer, the U23s success, and the ongoing commitment to EitC, the People's Club is literally being transformed in front of our eyes.

Thank you, Mr Moshiri, and your hand-picked management team. COYB

Jags still has the heart but not the legs. One more season – on the bench mostly. He's a blue.

Williams is good, but is he good enough? We could include him in any Gylfi deal and bring in another centre back on top of the Keane deal.

Funes Mori for me isn't up to it. Argentina must be struggling for central defenders if he is starting for them.

Holgate is a centre-back and not a right back, as was clear to see in the U21s. Kenny in at right back for me until Seamus returns.

If he was young enough, I would have loved Peter Reid as Everton or England's manager at one stage.

Koeman has massively improved us in those aspects.

Lee (#42), I recall him comparing something to spreading like "wild fly". 😐

Pickford
Kenny Keane Williams Baines
Schneiderlin Gueye
Davies Mirallas
Klaassen
Sandro

Subs: Robles, Holgate, Besic, McCarthy, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Barkley

I wouldn't mind Smalling for £15m as well, unless Browning or Galloway can step up. Williams is too slow, as is the Jag, a great servant.

Kenny can be a revelation at full back, but we need a left back, and Robertson wouldn't be over expensive.

I'm liking the look of our new younger team but still feel we need more goals to compensate for the loss of Lukaku. I've a feeling Gueye and Davies could be rotated with Klaassen playing as part of a 3 with 3 attacking players ahead of them.

Good shout with Robertson. Now that Hull have been relegated, I'm sure he would rather stay in the Premier League and, as in the case of Michael Keane, has proved he can hack it at this level.

Baines has been a great servant, but his age, and IMO his form since the Man Utd transfer speculation, has never been the same since.

Heady times at our club these days!

Hi
Alex Huber

This came out yesterday on NSNO – could be (BS) but could be interesting.

They did a fly-on-the-wall piece when he was at Sunderland. His team talk was generally lots of swearing and 'Get stuck into them'.

Maybe some people are beyond help or maybe Koeman wanted him to press that high. I don't think positioning is Williams's strong point, tbh.

Pearce wasn't the only one putting the knife in on talksport, Adrian Clark was saying that we are Keane's level at the minute and then he will move on to one of the big boys.

The only way we can change this perception is to start beating the supposed Sky Premier League big boys and win silverware.

Bit harsh on Reidy, who was a decent gaffer at Man City when he started out and received a VERY harsh sacking after 3 games one season, for the crime of 3 draws I think.

By any stretch of the imagination he pushed Sunderland forward very strongly, but then ran out of steam and a combination of a couple of bad buys and some injuries did him.

After that, he would just take bad job after bad job. Leeds when it was imploding, although I can understand him having a go at that. But subsequently, mental jobs. I couldn't believe it when he took the Coventry job when it was all going tits up. I saw him linked and I thought, "Don't take it. You've got no chance."

And I knew he'd take it, because he just loves being involved in football. One of his last jobs, maybe the last in England, was at Plymouth. The players hadn't been paid for months and he paid the electric out of his own pocket one day when they turned up to cut it off.

As for Pearce comments oh the irony as the question back should be why did you not sign for one of the so called big clubs Stuart?

I can't wait for the pundits comments when we really start to compete because with the young exciting team we are assembling it is coming.

All these exciting signings are still not fitting the final jig saw piece that will catapult us into genuine contenders. We still need a real play maker and do not say Ross as he has failed for season after season. We need a Hazard, Silva, Modrich, Coutinho type of player and Britain do not make these sort of players in the present era. Every top playmaker is foreign and will cost a lot of money.However, if Rom leaves we will want another top striker besides Sandro who is untested. I do not see anyone available wh can match Lukaku. It is a crying shame he wants away, but he has hung around while we have never signed a top support player for him. Both Barkley and Mirallas have failed to step up to the plate and we have sorely missed Bolasie as he did at least get in the box. Even young Lookman showed more goal intent than Barkley and Mirallas and he is a novice by comparison. Lukaku was shackled by opponents who just double and treble marked him.Surely a player like Barkley or Mirallas should be exploiting the extra space they were afforded, but they hung around midfield and never got on the end of anything.Neither would get a starting place in any of the top six sides.

Yes maybe your right, was just looking at what we have available now but yes he is not consistent enough and I am assuming Barkley is still with us. I like what you're saying about rotating as well.

Maybe we will get more surprises and more players in as even with the four we have (Keane, Sandro, Pickford and Klaassen). I'm still not sure we can cope with Europe, league and cups.

A standard joke in my house is, which defender was blowing his nose on the opposition's corner flag when we conceded?

Most, if not all our defenders are playing at "I'm the striker" during the match. The so called "defensive midfielders" are just as bad. I see no improved structure in the defence since Koeman's been here.

If you don't believe that, ask any of his ex-Forest teammates, did they ever go and visit him at home? I think you'll find the answer is "No".

Check him out at his best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLWWx2FEzuE

I had no confidence with Jags and Williams together who play the same type of game but both not really commanding in the air. Baines was also at fault, being very slack in closing down his man on so many occasions.

Of course you have to factor in the defensive side of midfield, which looked better when Schneiderlin was starting, but tackling back by a few others was lukewarm at best.

Hopefully next season will see a vast improvement in those areas.

Koeman takes credit but so, too, in his ugly and admittedly erratic way does Ashley Williams, I suspect. His stats on clearances were very good and I think we may be underrating his contribution quite significantly.

Anyway, if I were Keane, I wouldn't mind coming in to a defence like ours with a manager like Koeman – no speed merchant himself in his glory days.

We have a decent backline, and Keane is a classy centre-half. He isn't pacey, but top centre-halves don't need pace. Look at players like Chiellini, and before him Nesta, Cannavaro, Pannuci, Bergomi and Beresi.

I cite them as I have a love of the art of defending and none do it better than Italian centre halves – pace isn't important, but positional sense and reading of the game are, along with a streetwise ability, timing and calm under pressure.

Keane has those attributes in my opinion.

Mike Parry is possibly (next to Chris Evans and James pigs ear Cordon) one of the most irritable, annoying, obnoxious, prat-like, self-centered, egotistical, headache-inducing twats I've ever had the misfortune to accidentally listen to on the radio!

I'm not well, so don't contradict me! 😋😇

Get rid of Williams, maybe one more year for Jags but only as a back-up. Robertson is a good player and I think he would improve the team.

Unfortunately Football Manager 2018 Is only coming out November time.

I hope we are not wasting our money on all these £25 million players. Whatever happened to Pappi Cisse...

Hope you're feeling better soon mate. Why not try some cinnamon, I hear it works well if you take it by the tablespoon.

I'm not convinced either of them would make a top 4 team. I love Bainesy but he's certainly lost a yard of pace that makes him the effective forward marauder and he's never been totally solid defensively...

I like our transfer activity but not totally convinced buying potential, as we have, at £25 million plus a player.

Those two conceded all but the same number we did. The difference was that they each scored nearly 20 more than we did. If we'd have had their attacks instead of ours it's therefore reasonable to suggest our defensive performance would have improved no end.

But we, and our defence, have had our attack to contend with; unable to retain possession like those above us, unable to provide passing options to the extent the others do, and unable to press to recover the ball on the comparatively rarer occasions they lose it. Compared to the six defences above us our defenders have had to play right under the cosh pretty much every game.

Koeman all but said so when he spoke of the need to sign players more able to be "productive" and "press". Making our opponents worry more about their own defence will obviously ease the pressure on our defence.

Sandro (if he signs), Lookman and Bolasie (if he fully recovers) will rectify our lack of pace and passing options. Klaassen will hopefully be a player consistently able to play those passes we all want, and he with Schneiderlin, Idrissa, Davies and McCarthy should make every other team twitch when they're in possession.

Signing a very good young keeper and no-nonsense centre back is a bonus as far as I'm concerned. Still want a gifted play-maker though, and better replacements for Ross and Rom if they choose to go.

I was just looking at what we will probably have, come the end of the transfer window (assuming we aren't buying any more players).

He would be up top for me if he is still here but I think this will go right up to the last day of the transfer window and Chelsea will try and get him cheaper.

Yes, I think Keane and Manolas would get into the RS team and very possibly into the Arsenal or Man City defences. Possibly the Chelsea one too over Cahill. Spurs have two of the best centre-backs in the league and for Man Utd, we'll have to see about Lindelof.

I don't think Baines or Williams would get that close to any of them currently. But then presumably all that was clear from my previous post!

Any more and I'll start to get dizzy and worry we may start destabilizing the team with too many newcomers. Especially since I assume Pickford will still have a few weeks off before starting training and the new striker will probably not be bought until the end of July at the earliest (after Lukaku's sale)... but the Club are surprising me, so who knows?

Any good extra players must be welcome but it's midfield and up front that is our biggest weakness, especially if Lukaku and Barkley leave.

I'm sure the management know exactly that but can't act because of the uncertainty with the two players.

Get a grip. What planet are some blues on! We are talking about one of the best ever Premier League left backs here with the most assists of any defender ever. Baines has never had electric pace.

He is just as good now as he ever was; in fact, he has improved a lot defensively. He had Pienaar in front of him for years which enabled him to overlap. Since then he has played with utter deadbeats in front of him, Kone, McGeady, Mirallas. Any decent left-back would be tearing their hair out playing behind any of those.

Baines would still walk into most top 6 sides in the league. Baines v Monreal – Arsenal, give me a break. Liverpool don't even have a left back. Man City's fullbacks were so bad they just released them all.

Some of the posts on here are embarrassing. We had the 5th-best defence last season and we are strengthening in a way I have never seen in my lifetime.

I cannot contradict you in the slightest.

I do want just to add that horseracing gobshite – I won't filthy my fingers by typing his bloody name.

That's a cracking post, mate. Be proud of it, 'cos I genuinely would be, every single word.

A case well put. He won't go on forever and we need to be mindful of that so it's possibly time to get in someone like Chilwell from Leicester to lessen the burden of what could be a 50+ game season.

We do need cover there ultimately – either bring in a young one or go for someone with experience who is fairly cheap to assist Baines with the added games this season.

I agree Baines still has plenty to offer, but we should look at understudies to him ready for when he does eventually call it a day.

Chilwell would be a good addition but Leicester would probably charge a fortune, but we've got the money! Feels weird saying that!

Purely on the recent U21 games, I would have to disagree with you about Chilwell.

Bainesy has been outstanding for such a long time and has great fitness, so he will be a tough one to find a replacement for, but I think we have to be aiming much higher than Chilwell.

I love your sentiment and passion, but to say he's improved defensively, I think you're getting carried away.

I agree with you about the deadbeats in front of him, that's because Pienaar did such a great job covering back. Baines is great going forward, but his Number 1 job is to defend, but he stands off too much, and allows too many crosses into the box, which end up costing us.

Baines has been a great servant, like the Jag, but we need new blood, and Robertson would be a good addition, and not too costly.

When Baines time does come then we have a ready made replacement for left back. Also in this season of Europa League footy they could be rotated. The lad can also play right back/midfield as well so the manager would have four men for the price of one.

Get him and Keane in and Pickford might find life a bit easier than last year behind (arguably) the worst defence in the league.

I also believe Smalling would be a great addition with Keane. I think Man Utd are looking for £15m, for a 27-year-old international in today's market a steal, and far superior to Williams.

Pienaar never covered for him, he didn't need to, Bainsey could overlap and still get back into position without anyone covering for him.

I found it frustrating the way he constantly had to turn back to his centre half, 'a la 'Hibbert style (in his heyday!) when given the ball out wide, rather than bomb on, and it was not always due to the dross in front of him. It was legs, it was lack of confidence in himself.

I sit in the upper Glawdys Street, so watch the game head-on, and I am constantly in awe of the amount of running that Leighton Baines does. He's had no-one to really play with for years, and so a lot of his running seems to be half of the length of the pitch at speed, both to join the attack, or trying to get back and defend, simply because he never really gets anyone filling in for him, when he does go forward.

He's never been the best of defenders when it comes to stopping the cross (Jonjoe Kenny looks like he does this very well) but I have to agree that Baines, is a really top footballer, and one who I don't think I could get tired of watching when he has the ball at his feet?

I hope Keane isn't another nice guy Jags. We need winners. If Connolly is not the answer, we'll we need a Champions League left back, not Southampton level.

But I do think he is not quite what he was; his ability to close down crosses has declined in particular. I am sure he can, and will, provide good service for another season or two, but we need another left back to augment him.

I have loved Baines as an Everton player but that is simply not true.

i completely disagree with you about Coleman, he's a brilliant No 2.

He has reduced in effectiveness over the last 2 or 3 seasons. I don't think he was the same after the ankle knock, or the loss of Pienaar ahead of him – he's not had an effective left midfielder with him for years which isn't his fault.

He will remain a big part of Everton but, with 60 plus games next season, we need someone else. We might get away with Kenny on the right, but another kid at left back ain't going to work.

I expect we will go for Hull's Robertson. He's okay, but I think we need better – Luke Shaw for the Mersey millionaires?

I hope you are right.

Pity no-one else has any info/rumours!

I completely agree we do need another left-back, two for every position and all that. But, I don't think we will be able to buy someone at Baines's level. It's extremely hard to get any player to join as a second fiddle let alone a top 6 class one. For that reason I don't think we will properly replace Baines just yet.

Just look at the problems Spurs had keeping Walker/Trippier happy, two very similar level players doesn't always work out. My pick for Baines eventual replacement would be Sessegnon from Fulham but he's just signed his first pro contract so he won't be moving this summer.

Regarding the questioning of Baines's defending, I just don't go along with that. Since Pienaar left, Baines is usually constantly facing 2 vs 1 when the opposition are attacking down that side. I don't care who you are, in that situation there isn't much you can do.

Baines is one of the most consistent players I have ever seen; if he's ever the weak link in our team, we've finally got some side out there.

Many of the so called top clubs have missed out here, as they hold this idea that they need a foreign player, untested in the Premier League, at the heart of their defence.

I have a small soft spot for Burnley, they have a decent manager and operate (seemingly) within their means; they also do very well with youth it seems.

I would like us to use this purchase as a chance to maybe send a player on loan their way – Pennington will be well down the pecking order after this purchase, and already behind Williams, Jagielka, Funes Mori, Holgate, Browning & Galloway, so maybe we can send him to Burnley and get back a player ready to fully replace Jagielka or Williams – or we'll know he isn't up to it.

I haven't been this excited since we signed Dave Thomas and George wood on the same day. Yet, the old doubts stay with me and I won't believe they are signed until I see them in a blue shirt.

We are also buying better players than we have already which is a definite upturn! Keane looks the real deal and we look like competing on something like a level playing field at last.