Delph unlikely to be offered new terms at Everton

Earned a great living by not contibuting much and next season will be the same. We cant afford paying huge wages to players that don't play more than 8 games a season. Thanks for your efforts in keeping us up but time to move on.

Quite right too. We know he's a decent player but hardly ever fit, well into his 30s and lacks pace. Not to mention maintaining the proud Everton tradition of being a non-goalscoring midfielder!!

Use his wages wisely and invest in a younger, faster and hopefully fitter player.

If we could have kept him on a very basic wage topped up with big appearance fees, then I would have retained him. On any contract similar to the one he's been on, then he has to go.

Just ask yourself: Would he get a game at any team between 7th and 12th in the league?

Answer is probably No, so we shouldn't keep him because 7th -12th is where we're realistically hoping/looking for next season unless Lampard can manage some transfer miracles!

How he was offered terms in the first instance is beyond me. A Championship player at best.

He made a huge difference in the '3' games he played in our relegation battle, and got injured again, but the wages he was on for the amount of games he played in three years was definitely a costly and massive mistake, bye bye.

When fit he's got a bit of quality, he's a decent midfielder.

However, he can't put a run of games together even when he gets fit and at his age that is very unlikely improve. It's thanks and goodbye time.

When fit, a good player, but injury-prone. Did a good job in the few he played.

Contributed to our survival. Thanks and good luck with your next club.

Is he older now than Gareth Barry was when he first arrived?

Guesses.

Delph, the unmentionable one, Tosun, Kenny, Allan, Rondon, El Ghazi, DVDB, Mina, all off the books hopefully. And Dele if anyone wants him and if he will give up his £100k a week contract ! Plenty of scope for a rebuild of our dysfunctional squad. Seamus could hang up his boots too, it's time for his sake.

Then there's our better players who might be poached. DCL, Richy, Pickford. It's going to be a busy close season and a new look squad.

I'm sure Delph will miss the camaraderie in the treatment room with new faces every other week…

Sad to see really talented players miss so many games through constant injuries. Everton have had more than their fair share of those players over the last few seasons.

Of course there comes a time when the club has to make common sense decisions especially when these guys get to or around the 30 mark.

I recall a very talented Ipswich player named Kevin Beattie who got injured far too often and was a shoe in for England at left back when fit but his injuries were the reason Emlyn Hughes got so many caps in that position.

Having a strong squad in depth is no good if the depth is always unavailable through injuries.

Time to be ruthless and Everton, must become professional in every aspect of the daily running of the club on and off the park.

Every player counts but those whom merit new contracts should get one.

The scale of the rebuild is huge but time to atone and this preseason start this plan.

For me it's been another Everton classic, and getting mugged off every season by Delph.

For me his legs had gone before he arrived, so why he was bought is beyond reason.

Good Luck, Fabian.

He'll probably end up being plastered on his leaving do.

"Championship player at best".

Sorry, that's just fucking nonsense. He was probably the difference, in the last eight games, when fit, between us getting relegated and not.

He shouldn't get a new contract.

But assess him realistically, instead of being bitter and spiteful. It was the club that chose to pay him so handsomely. It's not his fault he's injury-prone.

You can't deny he came in at exactly the right time to help steady our sinking ship.

His experience and ability to retain possession were vital during our toughest run of fixtures towards the end of the season.

Man Utd - 83 Mins - W
Leicester (h) - 90 Mins - D
Chelsea - 70 Mins - W
Leicester (a) - 90 Mins - W

I would argue that his contribution at that time helped to pay back a vast chunk of his wages and treatment costs.

I think he can now walk out of Goodison knowing his Everton career wasn't a complete waste.

Time to move on for both of us though.

He averaged 14 games/season for Man City and 12 games/season for us. We should have known what we were getting.

What we got, when it absolutely counted, at the end of the season, was a central midfielder with positional discipline and some leadership - two things which none of our other central midfielders have.

He's gone now.

We could do worse than replace him with someone similar.

I have to say we were fortunate that he found some physical capacity right as we needed the player that he is. Picture Gomes (or others) in his stead recently, and then wonder which league we'd be playing in next season.

Good luck to him.

Thank you and goodbye... Brands... or somebody, took a gamble. In Moneyball terms, "He (hardly ever) made 1st base"

His finest hour was breaking into a trot vs Burnley after 10 minutes, getting injured and forcing Ancelotti to go to what turned out to be a very effective 'Wall of Four'

We got a spoon full of sugar at the end. Puts him above Schneiderlin, Tosun and Klaassen, imho, and no need for any malice. Even on pay-as-you-play, he'd be a drain on FFP that we dare not breach ever again.

Good luck, Delph, thanks for a minor contribution.

Not going to read the posts above as I want to convey my own opinion.

Largely a waste of time and money. I can be quoted on these pages saying I would be happy if I never saw him in an Everton shirt about 18 months ago (I think).

But he turned it on these past few weeks to help us through a dark period. I can't deny that.

A player very comfortable on the football who could buy himself time through remaining calm under pressure at his best. A shame he just wasn't available often enough to do it, which has led to the reputation he has and why many are understandably sceptics.

Delph complemented well with Doucoure. He retained possession and controlled tempo well at times. I could understand the logic of bringing him in (like Barry before). But he is not Barry and got injuries so often.

His appearances in the most dire moments did change games. He's one of the many reason that we got some results in crucial games. For keep us up, the financial benefit and keeping us the longest standing club in top flight status would have covered his wages and the initial purchase fee.

If he accepts a one year contract on a much lower wage and appearance bonus, then it might work. Otherwise move on.

Anyone notice him in any of the post-match videos from last Thursday?

I for one will not damn him with feint praise. Delph, when fit was always a versatile and solid player. Sadly, he was injury prone.

I believed when we signed him that it was a risk, given his injury record, but if, and only if, we could get him in the side he offered us something the rest of our midfield didn't. Namely, control, organisation and a footballing brain.

I predict that if he wants it he will make a good career in management. It is usually the intelligent players that excel in later years.

Delph is a top class player who can retain the ball and find a blue shirt. His contribution in his final spell probably saved us from relegation.

We knew what we were getting when we signed him and this was reflected in the low transfer fee.

However, we need to move on from players like him and Mina who rarely string more than a couple of games together.

Nice to see these last few comments praising Delph. It was frustrating not to see more of him but, when we really, really needed it, he came through. I probably am closest to Jamie and Rob on this one. An honourable exit.

I rode the same bandwagon as many of us until a few weeks ago. Almost despised Delph in an Everton strip – his lack of contribution due to injury and just playing shite when he was fit (remember also his "This is fuckin' shit" (or something similar) rant a couple of years ago – although he did show some leadership qualities.

Cue his purple patch this April and I actually rejoiced at his inclusion. He definitely helped us stay in the Premier League and along with Alli has made useful contributions at the back end of the season. Delph can move on with my blessings now and as someone mooted above, could be looking forward to a half-decent career in management in a few years.

Dele Alli – although this thread is not about him – also has something to offer I think. I'd like to see him stay and come out of his shell with Lampard's tutelage.

A player who has played at the elite level. He showed that he had qualities lacking in our other defenders, intelligence, spacial awareness and a range of accurate passing.

I too, think he helped keep us up. Obviously he is falling apart. He has a lot of miles on the clock. His wages can be better spent.

Thanks though, as he did make a difference.

Overall, a disappointing spell with Everton.

I go along with Jamie Sweet's assessment (@17) that his appearances in those few games at the end of the season contributed a great deal in Everton getting those vital points that kept us up. You can't put a price on how much we value staying in the Premier League.

A good solid player with plenty of football nous when he was fit but, unfortunately, he was never fit nearly enough.

We should never have signed him in the first place. Like Big Yerry, he's a very good player when fit; but we need players we can rely on.

This fellow had a 3-year holiday but, when we were up a creek in a sinking canoe, he put in a series of match-winning performances that kept us up. Not just match-winning performances… match-winning performances in a frightened relegation-bound team.

His calmness on the ball and know-how for those five or six games when we looked finished cannot be overvalued. And let's face it, he didn't need to do that.

He was I think aware that he wasn't flavour of the month around here. It must have been a pride in his work and regard for his teammates that coaxed it out of him. So he has to leave with the heartfelt begrudging thanks of all and sundry.

I'd personally agree to carry him to any club in England on my aged and knackered old back if it meant he would fuck off. Was past his best when he first arrived. Never wanted him. Way past his best. Bye 👋

Disappointing and expensive 3 years but over now so let's move on.

He won't and obviously shouldn't be offered a new deal as we'd get barely a dozen appearances out of him. His large wages can be put to better use on younger players with sell-on value.

We need to build for the future and not offer massive wages to anyone in their 30s in the near term.

Can't go along with the sentiment he was ‘very good when fit' as he had some terrible performances with no apparent fitness problems. Sadly not anything like another Gareth Barry. We got a few decent performances out of him when the set-up gave him plenty of time on the ball, but his best form was rapidly dwindling by the time he came to us.
I doubt he will be playing for anyone in the Prem next season unless their other 9 outfield players are mobile enough to give him a basically static role.

I agree with Kevin @33.

We have had many "if" players and Delph, Gbamin and Mina are prime examples.

Good players, potentially very good to top-class IF they could stay fit and string a run of 10 games together whilst performing to a high standard.

They can't. Injuries happen to all players but all three are injury-prone and cannot be relied upon for 10 games a season, never mind 10 in a row.

Therefore, unless they are willing to accept a minimum plus pay as you play deal eg £20k plus £50k per game, there really is no benefit for Everton.

All 3 were worth a risk because on paper they were better than what we had. But we needed them on the pitch, not in the treatment room.

Contracts need to be smarter, based on games and achievements. I understand that we may miss out on players with this approach but I think we could entice the right type of player.

Alli is another only his injury may very well be more mental than physical. I don't know much about his contract but I'm guessing it's top pay whether he plays or not.

He needs help and so do our finances and negotiators.