Loan move for Elanga on the cards

I'd rather take Sancho who looks out the picture and could do with a loan to a less high-profile club to regain his confidence. Could be a win/win – more of a goal threat than anything we've got.

It's hard to see what Elanga could bring that's additional to say Gordon or Gray. He looks a promising player for the future but hardly the answer to any of our problems for this season.

0 goals and 1 assist in 10… he'd fit right in with Frank's system.

Another waste of a deal.

Offers nothing in a good Man Utd team so he's not going to do anything at Everton.

What happened to the days of being able to find a Kevin Campbell type signing, a Jelavic, a Brian McBride?

We seem to just go after like for like that offer nothing.

Is getting a striker even on our 120-point action plan?

Totally agree with all above, I can't see the point in getting another winger – no matter how quick he is, and his goal record speaks volumes, who is he going to provide?

What we need is a less-high-profile striker, who is eager to prove he can cut it in the Premier League, and not 'another didn't even buy a ticket, set for life mercenary'.

Being at the game on Boxing Day and witnessing the ineptitude of most of them, defence excluded, I thought Tom Cannon showed signs that – had he been brought on before with at least half an hour to go – the eventual result (hypothetically) could and should have been different. There were no shortage of players he could have replaced: McNeil, Iwobi, Gordon, Onana!

I gave Maupay a pass there as he did at least try, but was bundled off the ball on too many occasions, by an overly physical Wolves side that were allowed to get away with far too much, before a yellow card was even produced, obviously too late.

Mind you, as soon as I saw Pawson was the referee, I knew things wouldn't go well.

The lad from Coventry scored a belter of a goal in his last game and looks the type of striker we need: strong, quick, bit unpredictable. We should make a move for him, and bring Simms back from Sunderland.

Elanga looked okay last season; when limited to loans, he's probably about as good as we could get. Gray isn't very good, McNeil has no pace, so we definitely need another option.

Sancho would be a great shout, but I just can't see it; his wages must be massive. A return to Germany would appear likely for him.

Brereton from Blackburn is another Championship option. Not sure if he's good enough for the Premier League (and his appeal has grown since adding Diaz to his name.) But we need someone, and asap.

Thelwell will be judged on this window. He's had 6 weeks of no football where he could talk to clubs, agents etc to identify and make preparations.

If we haven't signed anyone by 4 January, then Thelwell Out will be one of the next popular slogans.

Right, so the story is to essentially help Man Utd improve another of their youth players?

No thanks. I'd rather see them try harder, Tsyhankov from Kiev & Bamba from Lille for example.

Out of contract in the summer, wouldn't cost the earth to get them in January .... and we have done good business with both clubs recently.

Weren't we at the limit of the loanees we can take from the Premier League with Coady and Vinagre?

Or did I dream that one before the nightmares took over?

PJ @10,

Vinagre is from Sporting. I think we can have one more from the Premier League and A N Other from overseas.

Nope, forget that. Only two at any one time so we'd need to either send Vinagre packing and have no left-back cover, or sign Coady.

If going for a loan, why not an experienced goalscorer like Dzeko or similar?

We need someone who can stretch the onion bag now — not a "could be". There must be another Andy Gray somewhere…

Iain #12.

I was informed a couple of weeks ago that making Coady permanent was a done deal, for the ٢.5M we'd all read about.

Can this only be done during a transfer window, or, as I think, anytime during the season? If it's anytime during the season, then why hasn't a permanent transfer already been concluded?

Elanga is not what we need, neither is Brereton Diaz. Both do their work outside the box. Right now, we need someone who does nothing other than know where the goal is.

Ancelotti, during his time here to pick up a last pay day, apparently told Calvert-Lewin to concentrate on being inside the box and he was relatively successful. We need goals, forget the workhorses doing the donkey work.

Short-term, forget Maupay and put Cannon up front.

I see the Board have put the hold on Pickford's new contract. On the way out maybe??

Add Elanga to the first team squad that played Wolves and what does it change?

We are missing centre-forward hold-up play, a target for crosses, and pace to run in behind. Calvert-Lewin lacks polish but does all of this. We need it desperately from him or his replacement.

We are also missing the late runs into the box from the likes of Cahill and Fellaini – and longer range shooting of Sigurdsson.

Our existing mediocre wingers might suddenly look a lot better with these sorts of players.

Gyökeres from Coventry looks the best Championship bet in terms of out-and-out Number 9s. And he is like Harry Kane in that he missed his last penalty. But 10 goals and 1 assist from 21 games this season is a good return.

The pluses are he is 24, scores goals, and looks strong.
The negatives are Coventry are 2 points off a playoff place and unlikely to want to lose their main threat without a fight.

This means we may end up paying over the odds. But over the odds is a drop in the ocean versus the cost of relegation.

Whatever happens, we need a centre-forward smiling at the cameras in a blue shirt on Sunday morning. If not, what the hell have our recruiters been doing all Autumn?

I've been a long-term admirer of Edin Dzeko. At his peak, he would have graced any Everton team of any era. But he is 36.

Having said that, he has scored 6 (+3 assists) in 15 for Inter this year. He plays about 2/3 of their games and is out of contract in June.

Offering him a big pension may be a worthwhile gamble. An 18-month daft money deal. With a pay-per-play element to incentivise him to fitness.

It's holiday time, let me dream.

Our dealings with Man Utd over recent years have been fair to bad. Howard (good) but the rest, eg Gibson, Van de Beek, Neville, Saha (injury-prone) and a few more mediocre buggers whose names I can't remember.

This kid might be good but we don't need another winger — we need a goalscorer!!

Colin @20.

I think you're being a bit harsh. Neville and Saha were good signings.

Louis Saha was majestic, injury-prone… but he was fast, two-footed, and could head a ball – a million times the centre-forward that Dom is, no disrespect.

Neville was a leader of men, a vocal captain that – outside of Coady and Tarkowski – we don't possess.

I don't even want to think about the characters we had back then… it just makes me feel worse. We've gone from Saha, Cahill, Arteta, Pienaar, Yakubu, Baines, Osman, Lescott, and Jagielka to this pile of shite we have in 2022.

Saha was a good player when fit, which was rare. Neville was slightly better than useless. Couldn't pass to save his life. Most of his tackles were fouls. He was slower than even David Weir and those were his strong points.

He was a great finger-pointer and screamer. Scored some great oggies. And was the perfect spokesman for the plucky little Everton of Kenwright and Moyes with his, “We must do better next time. We need to improve – blah, blah, blah.”

All-in-all, he was a terrible player and an embarrassment to the club, being a red hot Manc fan and cricket lover, which he should've stuck to.

Seriously!!!...jeez.

The lad from Coventry, Yates at Blackpool, and Shankland up at Hearts and we stay in this league... simples. Play all three up top as they all score goals!

I'd also like to see both Cannon and Mills get more game time too and be more pro-active in games, be braver and bring back smiles at Goodison – or we'll be playing Championship footy at our shiny new stadium!

Matthew,

You might be onto something with Jerry Yates but Lee Shankland is a Sheffield Wednesday quality player. He'd be lucky to get games (let alone goals) at the upper end of the Championship – a league where Maupay got 37 goals in 85 games.

More broadly though, it's certainly true that we don't need glamour signings this January.

The first two comments are, frankly, ridiculous. Sancho, give me a break. Can you imagine him in a relegation fight?

He doesn't even want to play for Man Utd because he wasn't called to the World Cup and he would surely be poisonous to the dressing room.

As for comparisons to Gray and Gordon, give me a break. Gray provides nothing aside from dribbling into blind alleys and giving the ball away and Gordon has no end product at all.

Elanga's numbers aren't great but anyone with eyes can see that he'd be a huge upgrade over Gray and is certainly better than Gordon too.

There's no margin for compromise in the January window. If we're to bring someone in, it has to be a centre-forward and not yet another wide player who occasionally cuts in then loses the plot.

No more room-meat players just making up the numbers. We've already got enough of them.

Rob #14.

Options can only be taken up during transfer windows. The way I read it was that we can't take up the option to buy on Coady until after the season ends?

Personally, I doubt he'd want to commit himself until he knows we're staying in the Premier League, regardless of how much we seduce him.

This is one window we can not afford to make a mistake in the transfer market as per previous windows. There are 2 positions that have to become a priority: a goalscorer and a midfield general.

The amount of finances available is going to determine the quality we can afford, and hopefully with who we can sell and money that can come in from the new stadium projects, we can afford better quality than we have.

I don't want to see the flavour of the month player, who is only as good as the team he plays for. We need players with experience that have proved themselves at every level they have played at.

The manager says Gordon needs to score more, that's not going to happen as a goalscorer is an instinct player, especially in the goal area; Gordon is not.

The problem is going to be who we can afford as no club wants to lose a goalscorer; it may be better trying one of our youth players rather than trying a player from a lower league position who scores, as the Premier League defenders are stronger and more experienced.

Wolves have got a lad already lined up to start on 1 January, as have our neighbours.

We have known from the first day of the season we were requiring one or two strikers and yet it appears we are no further forward signing anyone.

Surely over the last 2-3 months, the club could have been speaking to clubs, agents etc and getting people lined up to join on Day 1???

Iwobi, McNeil, Gray, Gordon, Maupay. All average to useless.

If Thelwell was doing his job properly, he'd have clubs lined up for all of these, and replacements ready to sign on the dotted line.

With that lot as our "threat', we're going down, even if Calvert-Lewin manages to stay fit for every game, which he won't.

John, it's like being continually goaded. Are we in a movie?

Each time it appears we are not getting the player or players required, one or other of us suggests that perhaps the club is acting in the background and we are not yet aware.

It never pans out.

I hate to say it but we could be bottom of the heap pretty soon.

We have been an average team for years but now they are even worse and now scraping the barrel for players.

Rondon has gone but we still have Maupay, isn't that deperessing?

So many ''talented'' players left but playing so poorly as individuals and as a team.

Why is it a struggling team like the Barcodes can bring in a new manager and all of a sudden they are contenders?

It's been an awful year and so, after escaping the drop last season, why are we in an even worse position this season?

I think Lampard will get the axe after the Man City game but a new gaffer will not be able to change much given what he will inherit.

Dark days indeed!!

John #31,

Both these clubs have money available to make deals for these players.

It seems with the lack of effort and relying mostly on loan deals, unless we can sell, and raise money from the new stadium, we can't negotiate with players with payments we have not got.

Michael @32.

If them players are average to useless, why would other clubs be daft enough to sign them?

John @31,

Kenwright is considering using his Tesco Club Card points to make a down payment on a Northern Conference player who shall remain anonymous.

Colin it's not JP Kissock is it?

I'm not telling but Billy knows him well.

Paul # 36.

It's like when people say:

“We need to get rid of the deadwood!”

Who exactly is going to buy “deadwood”?

Rob, no one in the Premier League is going to buy our useless crap and a Championship team will want a loan. The dead wood also probably won't take a reduced salary.

I just don't know how a professional Premier League football team has been run so shoddily and unprofessionally for years. It's disgraceful. Such ridiculous wages when we aren't a Champions League club.

Reminds me of when Spiv Harry crippled Portsmouth financially. Yes, they did win a FA Cup, but at what cost?

Rob

There is a market over here in the US.

"One of the best marketing tools for dead wood, though, is a roadside tent with a good sign. Make sure you choose an area that's highly visible to heavy traffic, while also having an easy way for passersby to pull off and take a look at what you're offering. You could also check with local farmer's markets and fairs to see if they might offer you a booth, especially when firewood is in season."

So we can send Billy Boy out with one of those road builders' stripey tents and Tom, Keane, etc stacked up inside.

Rob, not even the rag and bone man would touch some of our “deadwood “.

Martin,@18,

Scratching the surface and in similar windows in the past, the Swede at Coventry looks a reasonable option in view of he will put a shift in in the box. It's more than we have at the moment.

Very large heaps of good fortune are always needed in the transfer market when cash is tight and I'd like to think stealth from Thelwall and his team will have been undertaken in advance of the window opening.

A point at Man City, defeat Brighton, upset the media, beat Man Utd in the Cup, against all the odds, and beat Southampton and West Ham. That would be something! 🙏🏼🍺🥃🥃⚽️

Big games, every one, and I think that – despite the sickening defeat v Wolves – there will be a positive reaction as the gravity of the season kicks in as 2022 is ending.

Belief, guts and earn the right to play on the park, and any football team has a chance.

As many times before over decades this scenario has approached and, in 1979-80, that was a very lacklustre season after some relative success the season before, coming 5th.

But a different era; the players, though not great, did try and a few slices of luck and Everton survived in the old 1st Division, above Bristol City.

If we had a striker who could finish the chances that Maupay, Gordon, Godfrey and Iwobi have had, the horizon would be a bit clearer and with a bit more hope too.

I still expect a reaction, starting with Man City and for the squad to believe in themselves and compete for the 96 minutes. No time for mopping around and feeling sorry, the next game counts.

Not sure who the official is vs Man City, but any game with Michael Oliver and the spivs at Stockley Park never bodes well.

UTFTs!

I'm suprised Man Utd have not tried offloading Fred on us yet.

I wouldn't be at all suprised if we end up with Ayoze Perez from Leicester.

Paul,

The referee for the Man City game is Andy Madley.

However, we could be screwed as far as the VAR is concerned because Lee Mason is the VAR.

Brian and Sean,

You are confusing my football depression with those hilarious options that cannot be ruled out.

Coventry apparently want 㿀M for the Swedish lad...

So I can't see that happening this window as we're once again looking to pay for deals over the next 150 years after paying 15p and a packet of Monster Munch upfront.

Pay the money for Kudus or Sarr or similar for a direct, goal scoring winger. Then get a target man to more directly replace Calvert-Lewin … Weghorst? Wood?

Ideally better if Thelwell can find the man – someone of that profile who can hold the ball up, maintain some advanced possession, feed it back to midfielders or bring wingers into play. Someone who is going to get his head on a cross or from a corner or free-kick.

The quality of these two players is what will determine our fate. Also, we need them in next week – not getting up to speed mid-February.

Frank (or whatever other manager you care to mention for the Everton job) needs them, they must be signed. Every week that we start with McNeill out wide and Maupay through the centre will be another nail hammered into the blue coffin.

Signing Elanga is pissing around the edges of the fire, a hopeful stab in the dark; we need more than that right now.

Thanks, Rob, for confirming.

As you say, it's another proven bad combination, let's see which Everton turns up, and hope the officials on the pitch and at Stockley Park break the mould and get it right.

Our hamfistedness in the past may for once stand us in good stead, as we'll be playing hardball right up to the close of the window.

Hopefully, this means the new guy spends what little we have.

Robert #26,

I meant Lawrence Shankland... at Heart of Midlothian. He loves scoring goals, is only 27... I mentioned him over a year ago too!

The lad at Coventry... 㿀 million!!! Sadly too rich for our blood right now, but a poster did pick a name that could do a job for us now... Pukki at Norwich!

But for me, it's Yates and Shankland though, with Maupay as back-up. But Frank has to take the shackles off our lads and go out to win games and not to just contain the opposition and hope we can pinch something late on... which sadly won't happen... yet!

Rob,

All very well saying get rid of the deadwood, which I totally agree with, by the way. What about the 'Deadwood in the Boardroom'?

That's where the real problem lies! The sooner we as fans (present company excluded, of course), the sooner we progress!

Thanks, Matthew, I meant Lawrence Shankland also.

For someone who scores goals for fun, he mustn't have enjoyed his one spell outside Scotland when he got 5 goals in 28 games for Beerschot in Belgium.

We'd need to be relegated twice before he'd be the answer.

Harper came down to Goodison after scoring for fun in Scotland; he was crap.

Blood Cannon and Simms – they couldn't be any worse than we've got now.

Len #56,

Joe Harper was indeed sub-standard. I seem to recall him missing a penalty on his home debut.

However, in his almost 2 seasons with us, he averaged a goal every three or four games – a return our current crop could only dream of.

Joe Harper scored a brace on his debut and missed a penalty.

Ha ha. Cenk Tosun might be available?

If we don't get it right in this window, it will be too late, we will be stuck with the current bunch of misfits and we know where we are going with this lot.

Robert #55,

At this moment, I'd chance it. We just need a pair of strikers to hit the ground running. Try anything and everything to turn our fortunes around as fast as possible, without breaking the bank and landing us in trouble with the Premier League's P&S rules.

John (16),

Brereton Diaz does most of his work outside the box?

In which case, he seems a hell of a goalscorer, having scored 32 goals from 65 matches since the start of last season at Blackburn.

Diego Costa and Cavani were both available for nothing a few months ago but our management were the only ones who thought that Calvert-Lewin would stay fit and presumably also thought that Rondon was a suitable backup.

I dread to think who we bring in.

The lad from Coventry is playing tonight – it will be interesting to see how he plays and if he gives the fans a goodbye wave...

Ellis Simms scored again for Sunderland tonight, away at Wigan.

It's clear Frank doesn't trust the kids.

Anthony #63,

I can't help feeling that, if the lad is playing tonight... a big money move away from Coventry isn't imminent.

Ellis Simms scores again.

His trajectory at all clubs he's played for seems to follow a similar path. Slow start while he adapts, then settles and starts scoring regularly.

I really think he's worth having in our squad and playing. Much more than Cannon, and would offer more of a focal point than Maupay.

Fran,@ 67,

It beggars belief, almost, the mentality at Everton.

Ellis as you say, time and time again, has proved he can score anywhere. He got Blackpool promoted though didn't play in the play-offs (injured).

Yet we are struggling with a small striker who does try and a man made of glass.

Another sub-standard player who Man Utd would like to get shut of if they can and we appear to be the mugs they have in line again for his exit. And the problem is, we always fall for their strategy and usually pay through the nose eventually for the honour.

Think of the number of times we have been suckered by them into buying their rubbish. Is someone high up receiving a brown envelope after these deals? No thanks.

Why do we need him?
Is he going to be a goalscorer?
Is he going to provide the creativity and assists?

Is he better or more consistent than Gray, Gordon, McNeil?

No, no, no.

DCL needs to prove himself or go. I think his head has been turned and isn't bothered. We need a striker. Period. Anything else is playing around the edges and burying our heads in the sand. We're essentially playing Moyes' 4-6-0 tactics week-in-week-out.