Seamus Coleman and Idrissa Gana Gueye offered new contracts

While offering Gana a 2 year deal is a no-brainer, I am on the wall in Seamus’ case. Keeping aside sentimentality, what exactly are we expecting to get out of him as a player? His body is just not up to the rigours of top level football anymore. I would be perfectly fine if Moyes were to add him to his coaching staff, but keeping him as player is denying a younger and most likely, a better player a place in the squad.

This isn't a news story, is it? We all knew that.

Aj We have Patterson and Dixon at the club and both don't look prem ready for different reasons.

Coleman's dressing room influence is still valued and to me I don't see anything wrong with trying to keep him same with Keane and DCL.

We can't afford to go into he new season with a ridiculously small squad.

I think DCL is as good as gone. Someone will offer him wages comparable to what he's receiving now. I could see him going to a club like Leeds United or Wolves. I'm ok with Keane on a short term deal at slightly lower wages as a backup but I think he'll be offered a deal somewhere else where he'll get to play much more than with us. Can't blame him for wanting to play.

Bill (4) I agree.

It looks like Seamus would almost be a non-playing captain, managing the dressing room and making occasional substitute appearances. Moyes did something very similar with Mark Noble towards the end his playing career at West Ham.

I believe that if the Club wanted DCL gone they would have announced that he had gone. What I see, is that they are negotiating to try to keep both him and Keane. Everton's form at the end was very good and was improving and would form the basis for significant improvement next season with very little tinkering. I believe though that DCL is playing hard to get because if he was staying he would have said so. Have they offered him reduced terms? That is possible

I love Seamus but I'm not sure how good it is to keep somebody as just a talisman without a clear plan of where his final position will be. Everton have perhaps put too much value on ex-players in the past? Maybe I'm talking absolute borrox on that. My only evidence is that it has been club practice and it has patently never worked. Is it fair to say that having Dunc as HC was an unbelievably poor decision. Again it's a question rather than a statement that it was.

I don’t see Coleman contributing much on the field at all. What I don’t understand is why Patterson seems to be so poorly regarded. I’m not claiming he’s a world beater, but both Dyche and Moyes have opted for an unfit and injury-prone Coleman and 39-year-old Young ahead of him.

When Patterson played he looked fine, and should have been given a run of games to help him be Premier League ready.

We should sign a first choice right-back, ideally for free (there are a number of decent options this summer) but trust Patterson much more than we seem willing to. Dixon needs a season out on loan.

We've had many relegation-threatened and low table finishing seasons to see these ageing players' limitations. So why retain them when the opportunity has come to bring in new, younger players who have better sell-on potential.

It's the manager's job to influence the dressing room so thanks for the service, Seamus, but the time has come to exit — along with Keane and Calvert-Lewin.

Perhaps Gana could be kept for one more season as back-up, although I wouldn't be too displeased if his wages were spent on a younger player with longer-term potential.

I would be dead against offering Keane a new contract and the same to Calvert-Lewin. Neither of them have any room for improvement and therefore the best that they can offer we have already seen throughout a period of our history almost entirely fighting relegation.

Put it this way: if either were leaving another Premier League club and were available on free transfers, would you want us to sign them? I wouldn't.

As for Seamus – how about, instead of looking backwards, look forward. Leave his influence and leadership in the past.

Create a new influence. Go and sign some new characters and let them shape the ethos of the football club.

When the going gets tough, the leaders need to be out there on the pitch leading by example. Dragging their team mates to victory.

Seamus won't be on the pitch. He'll be on the sidelines watching.

Gana and Tarkowski can lead by example. Just add a couple more to that by signing effective players with character and influence.

Agreed Tommy 11. Coleman's value was when he was at his best on the pitch - "bombing down the sidelines" as a younger, faster player than he is now. He gained everyone's respect from that contribution.

Time to offer the opportunity for that sort of contribution to some other younger player. I get that some experience is needed on the pitch to guide the younger players, but that must come from players who still have the skill and speed to justify being in the starting eleven. Coleman no longer does nor does Keane.

The Coleman contract is ridiculous; his contract for last season was a bad idea where he was basically a very well paid cheerleader. I can’t believe the new ownership has gone down this route again.

I have a feeling we may see Kyle Walker’s name appearing linked to Everton very soon, watch this space.

Mike #8, when four different Everton managers, plus three interim, have looked at Patterson and adjudged him unworthy of a run of games, it's hard not to accept their unanimity.

It's not just the two elder statesmen who were preferred to him this season, but also an untried out-of-position rookie center back. And in the past even Ben Godfrey and the walking catastrophe himself Mason Holgate were picked over him.

Maybe he can step up this summer and show the possibility of living up to his physical talent, but at the moment Moyes doesn't appear to trust him any more than his predecessors did. There must be a reason for it.

Friedkin's wealth is not comparable with many (highly dubious at best admittedly) owners of "top" clubs, and then some.

His wealth is somewhere in the lower half of the Premier League (just as Moshiri's was from his outset), but not at all helped by the ruinous recent Moshiri/Kenwright history that saw our club deemed by the (inept/corrupt) Premier League as serial PSR offenders.

Seamus being re-signed as a player tells me we're fucked for seasons yet to come regarding being trophy-winning competitive in signings, as a direct result of Friedkin's predecessors' incompetence/recklessness/greed.

Hopefully I'll still be alive in 2027/8 to bear witness to my post above being rightly by then, courtesy of much craved playing performance, derided as bogusly fixated, like more than a few of us, yes, "US" - still I hope - have always derided me.

But God, love him, Seamus as a player now. what trophy-aspirant club would sign him?

Bill, Craig and Tommy, I'd guess the club is looking at Seamus differently than you for another reason.

This club could take the pitch next season with as many as five new starters and up to ten new players overall -- with a new stadium and new ownership -- and without one recognized leader, assuming Tarks might not be back until fall.

Who better to educate all these newcomers in the Everton Way and the Everton ethos? Somebody has to be able to share what it means to be a Blue, to speak out in training and in the rooms, to be available to provide support, counsel and a big kick up the arse when necessary.

And nobody in this club carries the gravitas or earns the respect that Seamus does. Nobody.

I think that's why he's coming back. And I think that's why Friedkin thinks he's worth every dime even if he never gets another good cross in.

Don #16, you are factually in error. Friedkin's wealth puts him into the top half of the PL owners list, roughly on a par with Khan, the Yorks, Boehly (sans partners) and ahead of Lewis/Levy and the Palace group.

Mike at 17. "Who better to educate all these newcomers in the Everton Way and the Everton ethos?" - That would and should be the manager who in our case has had experience of this club's ethos for much longer than most clubs' current managers.

If Seamus is seen as providing a valuable contribution to the new players, then hire him as a backroom cheerleader/mentor but it doesn't make sense for him to occupy a place on the playing roster and deny that to a more capable new player when we're going to need as many fit and competent squad members as we can.

I hear you Tommy @10 but I think it makes business sense to try and tie DCL and Keane down to new contracts. Same with Seamus (maybe like £5k a week say) and Gana. Would I like us to be signing better quality yes but the money this would save us would help us strengthen other areas and allow us to upgrade next season, it’s an unexciting but strategic plan and if TFG do it I wouldn’t blame them at all. If they did then expect us to pay for a quality RM, RB and CM, maybe even a new left back as well.

Craig, that’s not the manager‘s job. Any young player will tell you that it’s the senior members of the squad who teach the younger players how to be professionals, and who teach them about the tradition of Everton. It’s the manager’s job to win games. It’s the captains job to lead.

And if the manager thought signing Seamus would deny a place to a more deserving player, he wouldn’t be doing it. Davey obviously believes Coleman still has value enough to contribute to a premier league team as a player. And more importantly as a leader. Or maybe you think he’s denying the armband to a more deserving captain?

I think we’ll have to respectfully agree to disagree here Mike.

We as fans respect Seamus because of what he previously did in the team but new players haven’t experienced that and will only respect and follow a leader who demonstrably justifies his playing position on the pitch.

We all know Seamus is no longer the player he was, so are new players going to respect a captain who they may see as a washed up has-been whose on field weaknesses may expose the team when he does play?

I love what Seamus has contributed to the club over the years, but I love the club more than any individual player and I think Moyes would be making a mistake if he re-contracts him as a player when it may be more expedient and cheaper just to have him in the back room.

In agreement with Steve Shave. Not just because he has a great name but because Seamus on the bench (and occasionally starting) makes great sense.

His experience and nouse is exceptional and coming off the bench as required will introduce a player whose contribution will always be effective and worthwhile.

I do agree, though, that a first-choice quality right-back is a crucial signing yet to be made.

How do we know what has been going on in the dressing room?

The team spirit was lacking in the first half of the season under Dyche and much better in the second half under Moyes. It looks to me that the manager has had a lot more influence on team spirit than the captain.

Craig, nothing but respect. You're certainly in the majority of supporters in believing Seamus is past it and can't play much anymore. But it's pretty obvious the manager thinks otherwise, at least as a backup.

And it's also very, very obvious that finding a new starter there is our number one priority.

The way we collect injuries you need cover, that applies to any team.

That is what Seamus and Michael will be if they are signed, they obviously won't be first choices.

Moyes knows what he will get off them and seems satisfied that they can still do a job if required.

Mike (14)

A strange post from you there, Mike, because it was only a couple of months ago that you said you think there is a player there in Patterson or words to that effect.

I also think some of the examples of players being picked ‘ahead' of Patterson that Mike G gives are actually when he was injured.

I'm also just trusting my own eyes, he certainly doesn't look as bad he seems to be treated. Failing to play him in the last few games of the season was poor management. There was nothing to lose and there were several things to gain.

I wanted Patterson to succeed. But that may be blinkered by me wanting every Everton player to succeed when they are on the pitch.

He's struggled with injuries, which isn't his fault. That's football.

Not for the position or character, but in terms of physique, he reminds me a bit of Duncan Ferguson, who also picked up frequent injuries. Tall, slim and gangly. Maybe that's got something to do with the injuries. But obviously, when fit, he doesn't have the impact on games Duncan did (also when not suspended!!).

He's only 23 and could still improve. For me, he's better going forward than defending, but the important ingredient missing for me is aggression, especially as a defender. He's very passive.

I can see 3 options for the lad:

1. Stays at Everton, but is backup when fit.
2. Returns to Scotland.
3. Drops to the Championship, although on my point on aggression, that league can be unforgiving.

There's probably a fourth. One of the promoted teams bid for him.

Coleman is presumably being kept on in something along the lines of (possibly unofficial) player coach.

He's a good influence on the squad but unlikely to play more than a few games.

There's a good chance we'll buy two new RBs this summer.

Patterson doesn't play for the reasons Mike G gives – basically he's not very good and needs to leave to get his career back on track in Scotland etc. No Premier League club will be remotely interested in a player who has failed to nail down a right-back spot in a team crying out for a new right-back.

Apparently, according to sources I don't even know, Foucal is available on a free and Moyse is interested in him as a RB replacement to the likes of Seamus, Patterson and Young.

Any views please?

Sorry Coufal not Foucal!

From a playing point of view I agree with Craig. But the influence on the dressing room isn't just the manager. It is senior players.

Many times down the years the manager has left senior players to sort out issues. It will be different in how it is dealt with, but there will still be that role to play.

Id expect Gana, Tarkowski, Coleman and Pickford to play a big role in the dressing room as senior players. New players settling in, new experiences at away grounds, n game changes, someone to stand up to a manager (they arent always right) etc etc.