I've never been a fan of transfer windows. They create an unnatural supply-and-demand market, especially in January. The clubs with money will spend big to try and win the race for Champions League places, those comfortably placed may see selling a player in January as good business, and those trying to avoid relegation will pay over the odds in the hope to secure a game-changing player at an inflated price. Fans know that this is a 31-day marathon with nearly all the excitement in the last 24 hours. This is because there is a game of cat and mouse as the pressure on buyers and sellers to do something oils the transfer wheels.

Players will have a part to play on where they are prepared to go and whether the move is likely to benefit them in terms of playing time,  financially, or both. Financial fair play has a part to play as to whether it is a permanent transfer or a loan. Balancing the books is now a lot more than just financial reporting. Risks will be taken and gambles may come off or prove to be costly mistakes.

Fans will dream of big signings to improve the team as excitement builds on rumour and speculation. A combination of interested parties throw a wide spectrum of potential targets throughout the media. Some will be agent led to put their clients in the shop window and sponsor greater competition and values. Others will be media led as 30 days of little activity requires them to keep readers and viewers interested by feeding a totally fictional picture of the transfer market. Truth and fiction are never truly identified unless the actual transfer takes place.

The final day of the transfer window for Everton fans has been bewildering, frustrating, and ultimately disappointing. No arrivals and the departure of Anthony Gordon with £40 million banked and our fellow relegation threatened clubs spending big leaves Everton weakened and in a perilous position. Our new manager may well feel promises to strengthen the squad have been broken or he may well have taken the job on the understanding that there was no money to spend and any incoming would be on loan. I am guessing we will never know because our club is not built on transparency or truthful communication. 

Last January we saw the arrival of Alli, Van de Beek, El Ghazi, Patterson, and Mykolenko, with Digne leaving. On balance I think we have done better this January. Patterson did not play much last season though has proven to be a decent purchase this season. Mykolenko was half the price of the departing Digne and has proven so far to be an inferior replacement. The others don't merit a comment.

I will be honest and say I am from a generation who gave up on FIFA video games when my kids stopped asking me to play as they always thrashed me. In part I think it was my emotional decision to always play as Everton that made me so poor. My point is 95% of the players we were linked with this January I had never heard of. I also hope that the way the day played out is as fictional as my earlier comment on the transfer market or we truly are laughable. If the club did have the money to spend and still turned up with nobody then heads should roll. To lose out to other struggling clubs to me is worrying. It looks like we may have finally lost credibility through the dysfunctional running of the club and widely reported toxicity.

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Whilst it's tough I do like to end on a positive. We did not buy any wasters. There is no disruption to the squad with new faces. Dyche has a decent enough squad to work his magic on. There is some money to balance the books at the end of the season. I am neither confident we will go down or confident we will stay up. "What will be will be. The future's not ours to see," as Doris Day and an ancient Gwladys Street End used to belt out. How right they were!

 

 

 

 

 

  

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Lenny Fisher
1 Posted 01/02/2023 at 14:37:20
I feel the players we have need to pay close attention to what the new manager tells them.

They have the chance for a reset of their career.

If they don't take on board what the boss tells them…then we and themselves are all doomed.

A new manager gives them a final chance to redeem themselves.

They got nothing to lose.

They should grab this last chance with both hands.

Anybody not giving 100% must be told to start looking for employment elsewhere,and Dyche can start blooding some of our younger players,Dobbin,Simms etc.

It's got to be do or die trying…nowhere to hide for the cowards.

Jim Lloyd
2 Posted 01/02/2023 at 20:07:31
I think it depends Michael.
I'm with you on video games...well a bit before you I think. I reckon I'm a generation that wouldn't know how to turn them on!

Back to this window,
If we had plenty of money and a team/squad that we were comfortable with and had subs good enought to come in and do a good job in shooting up the table away from danger, then I'd be a happy manager and wouldn't enter the transfer market.

If we were in a very questionable position both financially, and next to bottom, I'd hope our club would look at the best available player/s within the price limit we could afford and go in early to get them.

But the last two transfer windows/maybe three, have been examples of some definitely poor choice, some of decent choice and some who are that young, we'll have to wait and see,

This window seems to be so disjointed that I don't know whether they kept their money safe, or couldn't get anyone because whether they wanted to pay on the never never, or players didn't want to come, and wht the trading on the last day or two? In fact, why everything, including hiring the manager, took place in the last day or two.

We are evidently scouring round the free agent market?? Have to wait and see on that one.

So my view on this last window, isn't that the club has kept their money in the bank, so therefore did better. I don't think they had the money to bid up front. It seems to me that the evidence leans towards us having no money, as we desperately need a forward and a midfield supplier/scorer if we could get one. And we got nothing.

We are in a dire situation. It was the most important time to bring in reinforcements. We couldn't even afgford the wasters! maybe good fortune rather than good planning but we'll see.
I like you're Street End rendition " Tell Me Ma, Me Ma, I don't want no tea, no tea, I'm goin to wemberley, Tell Me ma Me Ma! Those were the days michael, cup winning and league champs more than fending off relegation.

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