Sheffield United 'in talks' over Holgate loan deal

For any Blades fans tuning in to see the reaction here — You will be getting a fantastic player, you should snap him up as soon as you can before someone else comes in and beats you to it. I'll be gutted to see him leave… honest!

He's a weired case is our Mason.

I had high hopes when he came on the scene, looked a bit of a player. Now it's dread when he's on the teamsheet. Tbh, Godfrey is making me feel like that now.

Surely there must be somebody out there willing to buy a centre-back coming into their prime instead of loaning him out?

Championship club? League One club? Scottish club? Are our players really that unsellable?

Squad player or sell, no loans unless in least year of contract.

Can't sell him as no-one will buy him. Even if we offered him out for cheap then no one would pay his 㿲k-per-week salary.

A loan with maybe 50% of his wages paid and a small loan fee is about the best we'll manage.

A similar situation to Tom Davies. I've never been a fan of Holgate, he makes too many mistakes and causes havoc in our penalty area.

A sale would be great for both parties. A loan with a view to buy is a possibility.

Erratic, made mistakes, but had potential.

Another young player who "grew up" in a dysfunctional club. Often played out of position, although I did often wonder what his position was. I'm still not sure.

Can't say I blame the player to be honest. Not the best, but not the worst.

Good riddance. Never liked him after that incident with Firmino in the Cup a few years ago. Causes absolute chaos, especially when played alongside Keane.

Fuckin' comedy show at times!

Holgate is fine. Not great, not terrible. He's had some patches when he's looked like a really good prospect and some patches when he's looked like a Championship player.

As with many players at Everton, he was offered wages that exceed his ability, so has proved hard to shift as a result.

A well run club would probably have sold him for ٦-10M at some point in the last few years but we will be letting another asset go with no fee.

Why is there never a decent negotiation here?

Holgate - 2 years left on 㿲,000 a week = ٥M.
What is he worth? 㿊k. Wages cost in next 2 years = ١M

So we sell him for ٣M, pay him ٢M of it.

We have effectively sold him for ٟM which looks to be more than we will get with a loan and he is no worse off.

Hit-and-miss player – like most, you never knew which player you would get… a bit like the whole team at one point.

With all these players going, anyone coming in 🤷🤡 club!

As for us, many leaving before 30 June with no-one coming in. This looks well organized for getting maximum from what funds we get. I doubt we would be doing this level of business on just one side without something in place.

For Holgate, I always thought he would get a run of three or four comfortable games and begin to clear his head. Never happened. He does have talent and could reinvent himself. I hope he does well for the Blades.

Surely it should be sale only, we can't having him run-down a contract like with Davies. They got money for coming up, 㾶 million at least.

The amazing Bill Kenwright should be asking "What would Brighton, Fulham, Wolves and Brentford do?"

Hey, all you Blades supporters, re-read Brian's post at #1 and pressure your club to make this move.

You'll be in the Champions League in 2 years. I promise.

Work it Mike.

Fingers crossed they lodge a bid for Mason…

Phil (Kelsall) Roberts

Jonjoe Kenny was another able to walk on a free. Granted he wasn't a superstar but he played for one Bundesliga club on loan, then was signed by another.

So he couldn't be that bad. And he was on a very minimal wage. So we can't use the old "No one would buy him a year or 6 months before due to his wages."

Brian @1

Hopefully the Blades scouts won't realize Gbamin is available for a bargain 㿀 million. Losing him and Holgate could be the end for this club.

#Legends.

Kieran #18 - what The Blades really need is a sitting Chairman with Premier League experience to guide them forward.

Mention of Jonjoe Kenny reminds me to ask if Nathan Patterson is proving to be that much better? Injury prone, no goals, no assists and signed for a significant fee.

Patterson has time on his side but he has much to do in the coming season to prove he is a better option than Seamus or indeed James Garner.

Another from the Tom Davies stable of "debatable" players of which there are far too many at this club.

Perhaps Dyche has twigged to the reality and refuses to sink like his predecessors by merely tinkering around the edges. Here's hoping.

The burning question though, is what sort of squad can he produce for relative buttons?

According to the Mail Online, Everton are interested in the Leeds attacking duo, Gnonto and Summerville, as well as USA international Tyler Adams. However, the pursuit of the former RB Leipzig midfielder isn't as straightforward after courting interest from some of the Blues' rivals - including Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

Everton are the current favourites to sign Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay.

TalkSport Bet have priced the Toffees at 6/4 to sign the central midfielder this summer, with Newcastle and West Ham also deemed to be interested.

Dale #12,

The key date – as last season with the Richarlison sale – is this coming Friday 30 June. Paul the Esk is expecting a big sale by then – though I guess 3-4 smaller ones may have the same effect.

Difficult to see how loans actually help unless there is decent loan fee involved - and it can be used to help the accounts.

As for incomings, clearly there won't be any until July. But, given the continued chaos at the club, you wonder how many players would choose us if other more stable environments were available?

John @20.

I watched the Under-21s match against Israel yesterday and Garner was the excellent first half, center-mid, never stopped moving.

Second half, he was played right-back. Although Israel are no greats, Garner never looked out of place.

I'd agree with that John @20.

Patterson has potential and time to realise it.

But so did Jonjoe.

I suppose you can never tell. Patterson is showing glimpses, but the injury situation is concerning.

Just checked, didn't realise that Jonjoe Kenny's club, Hertha Berlin, were relegated and he managed 1 assist in 29 games and they finished bottom, one place below Schalke 04 - the place where he was on loan from Everton.

Glad he left, he seems to be attracted to clubs at the bottom of the table. Wouldn't want him dragging us down.

Patterson's injury record is what worries me most. I do see a Seamus Coleman Mk II as someone who is good going forward and needs to learn the defending bit.

The proposed sale of Richarlison to Spurs was featuring heavily in the tabloids from about the middle of June and there were a few posters on this site who predicted, quite rightly as it turned out, that it would happen before 30 June for financial reasons.

There hasn't been the same speculation around any of our players this year and we're very close to the end of the month. I don't think we'll see any significant departures announced this week.

Patterson is class – started the season brilliantly and made Lampard's team look half-decent. More recently, he was excellent against Mitoma in the win at Brighton.

In between, made some mistakes and had too many injuries. But his attitude is all good, he should be a starter for me.

Paul K,

Garner showed that he is quietly and consistently efficient once he made it into Dyche's side.

Begs the question why Lampard didn't make more of him when he was available and we were pure shite.

Mason Holgate's problem was he got ahead of himself and thought and most probably still does, that he's better than he actually is. A poor man's Nathan Ake if you will - a very poor one. However, playing alongside Keane doesn't help.

I still haven't had an answer to a question I annually ask: Who was it who offered Holgate and Keane a contract extension of 5 years in March and August, respectively, in 2020 and why? It wouldn't be our "haven't a clue but glued in place" Chairman, would it? No doubt they got a really nice pay rise too.

If we could somehow get rid of Holgate, Gbamin, Gomes and Dele for a combined 㾶-15 million and signed one decent goal scoring threat, I'd be happy. We can hope for left-back cover and help out wide and in central midfield, but I won't be holding my breath.

I agree with those who feel good about Patterson, certainly more so than Jonjoe Kenny ever made me feel. And Garner will be a lock starting for us this season and will make a huge difference. Both of those guys will — if healthy, of course.

Peter 29.

Check out the Under-21s game against Germany on Wednesday 5:00 pm.

Branthwaite is in the squad, Garner may play at right-back again.

Aye Paul, I'll probably have to catch it up but I've noticed he's been in the team so we'll hopefully see another good performance on Wednesday.

Julian 19,

LMAO yes

Danny #25, I'll debate that with you.

To my eye, Patterson has exponentially more talent and potential than Jonjoe Kenny who, in my view, had already topped out at mediocrity.

This past season, Jonjoe was a regular for Herta Berlin as they finished bottom and got relegated. He contributed one assist.

Mike - oh look a helicopter 🤭

I'd be gutted if he left. He's easily the best defender we have had for 25 years and when you look at his commitment to the cause and coupled with fact he is a great tackler, great header of the ball, who can leap like a salmon, why would we consider selling him or letting him go on loan?

He's a leader, a warrior, who leaves everyone in his wake. Sheffield, you're getting a diamond. Good luck Mason, I'm going to really miss your endeavour and skill.

Mike 23 I could have phrased it better, English is my second language. I was just complimenting Thelwell overall.

Brian #1 and Mike #14, you know what happens next. Based on your glowing recommendations, Sheffield buy Holgate instead of setting up a loan for him.

Everton see your posts, are impressed with your assessments and are then stupid enough to take this "super player" Holgate back on loan for more per week than we currently pay him.

I need somebody like Mark @ 37, to compile my CV as I'm a feckless, lazy, beer swilling, couch surfing, good for nothing - with Mark's help I'm sure I could get a job at Goodison, might even make it to CEO.

Brent 39

I could totally see it lol

I lived in Sheffield for 4 years and know the area around Bramall Lane. I'd be quite happy to drive Mason there myself if that helps.

I believe Holgate should be given a chance as defensive midfielder.Link

At last a good day with the news Holgate is leaving. A crap player full of mistakes, always looks half asleep.

He just sets out to hurt players, good riddance.

Seeing that Holgate isn't even a defensive defender, I fail to see how he would shine as a defensive midfielder, I think we should get shut as soon a chance presents itself, and I've thought that for the last couple of years.

Happy to see him move on. In his interest as much as ours. But a loan to relegation rival? Nope. Buy him, swap him, sure. If it's just a loan, surely France, Belgium, Turkey etc.

With Holgate and Davies, along with Mina leaving, I am hoping this opens a window of opportunity, for the likes of Branthwaite, Warrington, Cannon and Mills to push on in the first team squad.

Funds are tight, so giving the above guys a run out, in the pre season friendlies, has got to be worth a look at, before we jump in feet first on duffs again.

Jonathan @31, any money saved on Holgate, Gbamin, Gomes, Dele Alli and Keane would be money well saved.

Keane, IMHO, is the only one that Thelwell is likely to fetch a permanent transfer fee (albeit not an 8-digit one for which a lot of us would hope) from the open market.

Although Dyche might not agree with his sale due to his "familiarity" with Keane. (Dyche should have seen enough by now that this is a washed-up Keane and not the younger one he coached at Turf Moor.)

As for the others, I'll buy Thelwell a dinner if he can get rid of their outstanding salaries completely, though 3 subsidised loans and a buy-out of Dele's remaining 12-month contract seem to be more likely.

Afterwards, we just need to offer Branthwaite first-team football and a contract extension!

Dupont 48 I agree with everything you said, but I can dream, no?

It seems like the best-case scenario is what you said, simply getting rid of their salaries. Only place we might disagree is that I think we need to keep Keane, with all of his limitations.

If we got rid of Keane and Holgate, and gave Branthwaite the starting spot next to Tarkowski, we're left with only Godfrey as cover. That's a pretty scary proposition if someone gets injured.

I think you need Keane there as cover, even if you could get ٦-10 million for him.

Jonathon, are you forgetting Lewis Gibson at centre-back, I think both Branthwaite and Gibson are decent centre-backs, both coming back from loan spells.

I think either or, will do a better job as centre-back than Holgate and Keane.

Warrington could prove to be a decent squad replacement for the departing Davies.

In attack, I would certainly give Cannon a run out before Maupay, the question is, will Dyche put his faith in those 4 youngsters, to boost our first-team squad?

The one I am still waiting for to get an extended run in the first team is Stanley Mills, he has impressed me every time I have seen him in the Under-23s. I was hoping last season would be his breakthrough season.

I have a feeling Dyche will send him out on loan but, for me, he is one of the most promising youngsters I have seen in a long long time.

Brian, the England set up does not seem to rate Mills or Warrington. I don't think they've had a call up at any level. It doesn't mean they wont make it but it does suggest they are some way behind the likes of Davies and Dowell in terms of quality at the same age. Ledson too possibly.

With my own eyes, I also see a couple of promising players, but the standard of U21s football is very low indeed so can be deceiving. History tells us it's very rare indeed for more than one player to make it from the same age group - and those that do are usually exceptional (like Barkley, Rodwell, Ball and Jeffers).

The expectation on mills and Warrington is insane. They haven't even started a game in the championship and some in here think we can sell everyone and start these kids against Salah and Saka etc?

They could turn into great players if managed properly through the loan system like an osman or even a beckham.

If we keep them and play them when they're not ready or just put them on the bench when they should be getting experience they become a Davies or a holgate.

Thats why, in some cases it makes sense to keep ‘squad' players with premier league experience.

That said I think we can afford to let holgate go with branthwaite coming back and garner who can now play RB (two great examples of players who have been successfully loaned out) but we do need to see incomings.

Si and Robert are right, there's very little chance that Mills and Warrington become significant parts of the first team next season. The jump up is enormous and both would be better served by loans in the championship.

Branthwaite and potentially Cannon are a stage ahead and the former in particular did well for PSV in Europe and was motm against Arsenal, he looks ready for a prolonged first team opportunity.

Of course this could all be part of the plan to get Ndiah moving in the opposite direction !!??

Good to see some movement in getting rid unwanted players, but at this moment in time the squad is getting weaker and weaker with no one incomming.
Let's hope we are at least negotiating with a few teams or out of contract players.

How the duck is Mason Holgate on 㿲k a week??? WTF!

I know we're a joke of a club but paying Holgate ١.6m a year? No wonder he walks around like he's billy bollocks. I would too!

No way will we persuade anyone to buy him off us. Also, unless he put in a transfer request (never going to happen on that salary) we'd have to pay him off if we sold him in any case. We'd need a transfer fee of ٥m Just to pay him off and break even.

This club never ceases to amaze me.

If it is for cost saving purposes, I would sell Keane before Godfrey or Holgate, because these 2 can fill in the full back positions in an emergency. Holgate - along with Tom Davies and possibly, Maupay - has become the favourite whipping boy. He is where he is as a result of the managerial mayhem at Everton over the past 7 years. Under a stable and good coach, he can rediscover his skills. So, apart from Tarlowski and Keane, we have a raw Branthwaite, an untried Lewis Gibson (assuming he takes up the contract offer), and an error prone Godfrey as our Centre Back options for the season, having seen the exits of Mina, Coady and probably, Holgate. Everton are entering dangerous territory here, and hopefully Dyche and Thelwell have a good recruitment plan in place.

I think Mills got a bad injury near the end of last season which will delay his playing for awhile I imagine, Warrington has had two loans to Tranmere and Fleetwood which have helped his maturity over the last eighteen months.

While neither of them will really get consistent games with the first team both could become good squad members in the future and occasional games next season as part of the squad, with Warrington my bet to grab his chance if he stays at Everton without going on loan.

Does make me laugh to see some of the names we're linked with / suggestions from some quarters. It sounds like we're going to be operating on the most shoestring of budgets. There's no chance of signing Kudus, I'd imagine the same is true of Gyökeres.

And even if we can stump up the transfer fee(s), I'm not sure we're that attractive an option at this point.

Well, to be fair, I know we're not - but I love the club so I'm trying not to be too negative.

Seems that loaning players out has become our strategy in helping reduce the wage bill. I understand the need to reduce our wage bill, but wouldn't selling these players be a far better option, rather than using the loan system. Also in most loan deals it turns out we are paying a huge chunk of the players wages, at present we have Gomes,Gbmin, Delle, Cannon and Branthwaite all potentially coming back into the squad. But more than likely some will be again lent out until their contracts with Everton finish and they are allowed to walk away for nothing, that policy is insane.

Mina has just been allowed to run down his contract, and rumours are Fulham are interested, and most fans think he was the best CB at the club, and he has been allowed to leave for nothing. I know he has had injury problems but letting your best CB walk out the club for nothing shows a distinct lack of business acumen. It seems obvious that Sean Dyche doesnt fancy Holgate, so sell him not loan him out. Same with the other loanees if we don't want them then sell them.

Brian (60), nobody would buy Mina from us because he had a horrendous injury record, and it would have been foolhardy for Everton to give him a contract extension given his appearance record. If Fulham are interested in signing Mina, it is because he is 'free' and they will be able to negotiate a much better wage than the 100+K/week he was enjoying at Everton. Denis (56), I understand your outrage at Holgate being paid 70K/week, but Mina was paid much more than that and he was injured most of the time. Also, I do hope you remember that the fightback against Crystal Palace started from a Mykolenko free kick, which Holgate headed to Keane that he scored from. During the last few games of that season, Mina was out injured and it was Keane and Holgate who were our CBs at that time, and they saw us over the line. So, while not the greatest CBs in the Premier League, they both don't go hiding, and that is more precious to Everton than some fancy names who are always unavailable.

Ajay 61

I agree with everything you say about Mina and his injury record, but he has been fit for months but Lampard chose not to play him and Dyche only played him in the last few games. But my point with Mina and every player, don't let them go into a final season of their contract either agree an extension or sell. Not sure how many have just 1 year left on their contacts, I know Iwobi does so either offer him an extension or sell him in this window, otherwise that's yet another player walking away without the club getting a penny for him.

If you are looking for the most sensible and realistic post on this thread then go and read what Sam@9 said.

People are arguing over wether Davies, Holgate or Kenny, are good enough, completely miss the point, imo, because they should have all been sold for some money, instead of being allowed to run their contracts down and leave for nothing.

Williams at Forest, Liverpool got 㾽 million for him, and there's no way he was any better than Jonjoe Kenny.

Davies is shite? I bet you he will have the pick of a few very good clubs right now, and if Holgate was such a poor player, then no other premier league clubs would be coming in for him, imo.

It's easy saying players are shite, but they have been trying to learn their trade at the most dysfunctional club in the country. Seven managers in seven seasons, how is any player going to genuinely prosper in this environment?

It's impossible imo, and until the club becomes stable and starts trying to get back to becoming a genuine professional outfit, then the only thing that's going to change is the division we are going to end up playing in.

I'm not against any player leaving, but the squad is getting smaller and not many players go through a season without picking up at least a couple of injuries anymore.

Brian@60, that was my point, albeit on the other foot, about Everton signing Maupay. Surely we could have loaned a half decent forward, instead of just taking the only forward, it seems we could afford?

I don't know people just love to come down on players, I don't get it myself.
Dont worry, the same talking about Branthwaite coming in and replacing Holgate or Keane will be calling him shite in no time.

If we had any kind of recruitment strategy, we'd be finding players for £5-10m, instead of waiting till we have to pay £20m plus after someone else took the less risky gamble. We'd also make sure we get fees, however small, for players whose contracts are running down. The spanner in the works here, of course, is the high wages we offer players who subsequently have to be sold.

We're getting rid of players because, as Dyche said when he joined, the squad is bloated in places and threadbare in others. In our financial position, this process has to start by letting players go.

I'm not expecting any news about ownership/investment till the beginning of July, when I suspect things will start to take shape. Only then will we get some ideas of what we can do regarding buying players.

I'm expecting us to bring in younger, cheaper, less spectacular signings that will suit Dyche better and, in my view, will be better for us in the long run.

As I say every summer, I'm saving my judgement for who we actually buy, rather than players who guessing 'journalists' pretend we're interested in.

Gordon, Davies and Kenny have departed, and Holgate looks like he is moving on. That creates a vacuum.

It would be good for posters with a good insight of the U21s to identify the next generation of young players we should start slagging off!

Tony #63 I posted a similar comment on another thread that letting Tom leave for nothing was shocking.

Whilst the ever changing manager has not helped, the fact that he joins a long list of players who have left the club for nothing,or next to nothing is scandalous.

The world's best Evertonian got his wish and found a mug who bought his shares, made him wealthy, and left him charge of the train set. Poison Bill then decided to wreck the train set.

Wow, are we really paying Holgate 㿲k per week? Which idiot negotiated that?

(Oops, just ruined the cunning 'praise' plan to get him transferred for a big fee...)

It will be interesting to see who comes in for Davies. I think he'll have to drop a league (surprisingly, given Holgate's wages, his reported salary would be affordable for a Championship club with aspirations) or go abroad.

Please sell him. He hasn't progressed at all since his last loan and quite honestly is a liability in defense and I have my doubts about Keane these days although he is a Dyche fave.

I hope this loan includes a buy option - otherwise this is just reducing the wages for a year - pay him 24/25 and he leaves on a free.

Ha.. ha.. Steve (66) - my pick for 'Post of the Thread'. Indeed, I don't understand the need to pick on the local, home grown boys - I have seen it from Osman and Hibbert, then Anichebe, Vaughan, Barkley, now Gordon, Davies, Holgate. They have all left - bring on the new kids!

Because we have such a healthy relationship with Spurs we perhaps should make a cheeky season long loan bid for Richarlison. He went there partly I assume to play Champions League. He might as well play for us whilst he waits for Spurs to qualify next year.

Brian (60), It's very true Brian, sell them not loan these unwanted players but you know as well as me the ridiculous wages they are on is a big barrier to them being sold or even part exchanged.

I think Holgate and Keane are rubbish, but expecting Lewis Gibson to do a better job is not realistic in my view.

Gibson needs to go on loan to a championship side, before he's going to get near a Premier league team.

I also think Branthwaite expectations are a little too high. Yes, he's done comparatively well at PSV and looks promising when he was with us. But he also got sent off, so it's going to take a hell of lot of bravery to start him, Garner, Onona, and Patterson in the side. I think you'll struggle to see more than two in a side that's been struggling to stay up at best.

Managers just aren't going to risk two or three bad results that'll cost them the sack.

You Alan Hansen in disguise, Ian?

Branthwaite has to be given a start now, he's played a full season with PSV and in Europe. Regarding his sending off, he was unlucky to say the least, and also Toney played for it with his experience, can't hold that against him. I believe he'll be a huge addition this season.

Does anyone know when the new (interim board officially join)? The club needs 21st Century Premier League professionalism asap. It can't carry on like this.

Can't believe Holgate is already 26 years old... where did the last 8 years go???

AJ 61, I don't doubt Holgate has had a few decent games over the years, also remember him playing CDM a couple of times and doing a great job. Its not his fault obviously he's on that much money but he's really no where near a top player.

Most of us will never know the inner workings of football never-mind Everton but basic common sense just seems to be missing all over the place at Goodison. I cannot remember any serious rumours of Holgate being tempted away in the past so why offer such a massive contract for 5 years back then? Also with Mina, he wasn't on £120k a week when we bought him for £23m. Did we really need to go that high to attract him? Mina alone cost Everton over £50m all in - nuts.

We have/had so many relatively average players on massive contracts it just beggars belief. The people running the club are not stupid (albeit they act like it) so there must me something else going on behind the scenes.

Either way, my understanding is that if a players doesn't hand in a transfer request and he's sold, the selling club need to pay out his contract unless they can negotiate something (difficult most of the time). If that's the case with Holgate there's no point in selling unless the price covers most (if not all) of the rest of his wages. Doesn't seem anyone is keen to buy so I'd say keep him as a squad player unless someone at least covers most of his wages on a loan.

Our wages are ridiculously high given the squad we have. According to what I can find we have the 10th highest wage bill - double that of Brighton. At least with a load going on frees that will now come down but we're still left with the likes of Dele, Gbamin and Gomes. More millions poured down the drain. Any other business people at the top would have been fired many many years ago.

Dyche however is a sensible sort so you'd think he's not going to take any nonsense on the player front. I expect to see fresh legs in July. Lampard was a wet lettuce.

“The people running the club are not stupid (albeit they act like it) so there must me something else going on behind the scenes.”

They are. As has been shown on multiple occasions over many years.

Hence, we are where we are. Years of mismanagement.

Nick 83,

I'm not aware of many billionaires being stupid and Kenwright, whatever you think of him, cannot be stupid to have set up a theatre empire and gotten to control Everton for over a quarter of a century.

Many things Everton, especially to outsiders like us, don't make much sense but we don't have the full picture and likely never will. Football is also a very dodgy and grubby business behind the scenes so who knows what really goes on?

However, calling Kenwright 'stupid' doesn't hold water for me. As for Moshiri, it makes more sense he's simply acting on instructions from Usmanov, who's likely had more pressing things than Everton on his mind since February last year…

Great, Denis, that's your opinion. Mine is based on the fact that we're the worst-run club in the Premier League and are in a complete mess again.

This is down to bad management, and the buck stops with Kenwright – whom many on here thought just did nothing bar turn up and take the applause as Chairman of the board, and the one constant over the last 20 years in our decline.

A man who, despite building empires as you say, has to rely on all those around him to work everything out. Like the marvellous school teacher Barrett-Baxendale or the financial wiz Phil Green. Kenwright as a business owner didn't even know what Other Operating Costs were in the Profit & Loss Statement.

He's an idiot with a big ego who has got lucky greasing all the right poles, of that I have absolutely no doubt. And then he let this clown in because he was the only one that feed his ego with the money to furnish his trainset.

As I keep saying – one of the main reasons we're in such a predicament is the ignorance of a fanbase (obviously not everyone!) that just accepted what it was being told, by an idiot and a chancer whose only desire was to remain firmly front and centre, in the limelight, rubbing shoulders with the great and good to generate good PR for himself.

Until this football club is rid of this pervasive culture, we won't move forward. And that includes the absent clown who is now the majority shareholder, who has also fallen under the spell.

So if West Ham are holding out for 𧴡 Million for Declan Rise, what the hell are Everton doing loaning players to other Premier League teams and talking of under 㿞 million for the first-choice England International goalkeeper?

Joe @80,

Apparently, all the directors bar the financial bloke are officially listed on the Companies House website.

Barry,

The new Finance Director needs to be slick, professional, 21st-Century and tighter than a ducks arse.

Joe #86,

That will be our world-renowned negotiator, Bargain Billy Kenwright!

Branthwaite needs to know he can play his way into the first-11 if he earns it.

Not simply be "given starts".

What we have to hope for is that all 3 of Keane/Holgate/Godfrey aren't content to just sit and collect their paychecks the next 2 seasons.

Am I misreading some posts as wasn't Holgate signed at around the same time as Stones or Galloway (how has he done since we let him go and others for that matter?) from Barnsley or MK Dons rather than rising through the Academy?

Like the Gray to Saudi rumour, has this too become a matter of which accounting year it falls under?

Alan,

Holgate (age 19) was signed from Barnsley in 2015, 2 years after we signed Stones from Barnsley.

Brendan Galloway (age 18) was signed by Martinez from MK Dons on a 5-year contract in 2014. Described at the time as "another promising young talent plucked from the lower divisions, this time from League One", he didn't really work out, but of course stayed the full 5 years on his lucrative contract. He's since had 2 seasons at Luton, then 2 at Plymouth, so very much "Championship at Best".

The Echo are claiming that two more of our youngsters, Reece Welch and Sean McAllister, want to go out on loan.

“Welch came close to joining MK Dons back in January, but the move collapsed at the 11th hour.

“However, both the defender and team-mate McAllister are keen to depart on loan this summer in a bid to gain first-team experience.”

And it's amazing – considering it's Sunday – that we don't have a single fresh and juicy new transfer rumour to get all agitated about.

Silence is Golden, as they say Michael.

It is concerning. Lots of outgoings, not much talk of in-comings.

Assuming Mason is on his way out, we are 3 centre-backs lighter. Okay, 2 if we assume Branthwaite is coming back. But he is 21 and inexperienced. So, without stating the obvious, we need at least one centre back.

And fix the striker issue. I don't tend to get involved with rumours, but apparently we are linked to Rodrigo.

Depending on what goes on with Gray, we will need a wide player too.

Say it isn't so.

Among the many fantastic memories I have of him, the most recent will live longest in my memory; during one of the most, horrendous, stressful, god - awful games I've had the pleasure of sitting (standing) through recently, we managed to get our noses in front after Doucoure's pile driver had broken the deadlock.

As the game progressed and time seemed to stand still, our Mason still managed to be his usual charming self. Whilst all around him were losing their heads, he was as cool as a cucumber, even managing to turn to the family enclosure to tell someone in the crowd to “Fuck Off”!

Altogether now … he's one of our own, he's one of our owwwwnnnn …