evertonfan

I very much doubt Smith would go to Everton. Once Man U get round to offering a fair amount then he should be Old Trafford bound.

←

I agree, but don't ignore the David Moyes factor. The man is so ambitious, and so able to communicate that, that he could convince nearly anyone that Everton was the place to be. Everything Moyes has said recently has been an indication of his ambition.

But the cynic in me says this is just another attempt by the Everton board to win the fans over with token gestures.

He should go. He could experience relegation for the second time in two seasons.

Harsh. But unless something happens, true.

Everton have said they haven't made a bid yet, but intend to.

Everton want Smith-Official Site Report

Thursday 20th May 2004

Everton are reportedly set to join the race to sign Leeds United's in-demand England international striker Alan Smith by making a £7 million offer.

The Whites rejected two bids from Manchester United earlier this week although Old Trafford is still reportedly the hit-man's favoured destination, according to agent Alex Black.

Liverpool have also been mentioned as possible suitors for Smith, following Emile Heskey's exit to Birmingham City on Tuesday, to join the likes of Michael Owen and summer import Djibril Cisse.

Everton have suffered a massively disappointing campaign at Goodison Park, although manager David Moyes is keen to turn things around by targeting one of the country's best strikers.

Moyes has the likes of Wayne Rooney, Kevin Campbell, Duncan Ferguson and Tomasz Radzinski at his disposal, although the Canadian has just 12 months on his existing deal.

The Scot has consistently denied the club would cash in on Rooney to fund summer's rebuilding plans and it now appears he wants an all England strike force.

Leeds have moved swiftly to deny a bid from the Merseyside club had indeed been received, with a club spokesman saying: "We have not yet received any offer from Everton."

Although Smith has been praised for an excellent season with Leeds, he missed out on England's Euro 2004 squad and has been forced to leave his beloved club following relegation.

That's from Sky Sports.

Although were Everton got £7 milliom from, I don't know. I can't see him coming to Everton, but I'm suprised Newcastle haven't come in for him. He'd be a good replacement for Shearer.

I went for Pippo because every time I see him, he just looks lazy and uninterested. And, has any striker been caught offside needlessly more often? It might just be because he's alongside Sheva, and most strikers would look poor compared to him, but I've just never been impressed. Also, it might be his transfer fee from Juve to Milan (£25 million wasn't it?), because for that, I'd want a bit more than a diving pretty boy who gets caught offside 9 times out of 10.

Raul is the most underrated player in the world. If he never wins the World Footballer Of The Year award, it will be a travesty. He isn't a flashy as Zidane or Figo, but is just as good, if not better. I wouldn't go for anyone on your list, so I'm going to say other, with Pippo Inzaghi as my choice.

Czech Republic Squad:

Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner named striker Miroslav Matusovic in his provisional 24-man squad for Euro 2004.

Bruckner has opted to take an extra player to his one-week training camp in Seedfeld, Austria.

"Matusovic is not the 24th player," Said Bruckner. "His performance recently speaks strongly for a place."

Bruckner was also able to name all his key players, including Vladimir Smicer and Tomas Rosicky, who have recovered from injury problems.

Liverpool forward Smicer had been doubtful with an Achilles injury that saw him sidelined for two months, while Rosicky had a broken arm.

Also included in the squad are Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved and Liverpool striker Milan Baros.

The Czechs finished top of their group in qualifying for the finals.

But Bruckner's team suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Japan in April, their first defeat in two years.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Rennes), Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), Antonin Kinsky (Ramenskoye).

Defenders: Rene Bolf (Banik Ostrava), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax Amsterdam), Tomas Hubschmann (Sparta Prague), Marek Jankulovski (Udine), Martin Jiranek (Reggina), Pavel Mares (St. Petersburg), David Rozehnal (Brugge), Tomas Ujfalusi (Hamburger SV).

Midfielders: Tomas Galasek (Ajax Amsterdam), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Karel Poborsky (Sparta Prague), Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund), Jaroslav Plasil (AS Monaco), Vladimir Smicer (Liverpool), Roman Tyce (Munich 1860), Stepan Vachousek (Marseille).

Forwards: Milan Baros (Liverpool), Marek Heinz (Banik Ostrava), Jan Koller (Borussia Dormund), Vratislav Lokvenc (Kaiserslautern), Miroslav Matusovic (Banik Ostrava)

Just a quick point:

Baros-missed 5 months with a broken leg.

Owen-Various niggles through the season.

Pongolle-is 18, and only special 18 year olds like Rooney are regulars.

We obviously have different views as to what kind of player Beattie is. Whenever I've seen him, he's held the ball up, won things in the air, and made intelligent runs. Kind of like an all rounder, not excellent at one thing, but good at a few.

And, if England don't have a big striker, than surely it would be up to the players and coaches to adapt to that, and play along the ground, through the midfield, instead of hoofing it 5o yards like normal?

New York will get it thanks to 9/11, i take bets

←

Actually, many people belive that New York and London won't get it because of the whole Iraq situation.

I see your point, but I dont agree. By scoring more goals, Beattie has done his job better. If one of the reasons he played more games is because he was picked more, then that just backs up my point. He was playing well, so was picked, while Heskey wasn't playing well, or at least not as well as his teammates, and so wasn't picked.

If it was due to injuries, than surely it would be better to take a player who has a better injury record?

Look! Everton fan!

Me too, me too!

←

Well whaddya know...Everton fans seem to be more rare than a White Tiger nowadays.

Ignore title, as there is English confirmation.

But I still don't speak Dutch.

It appears he will become technical director, so Pleat will be leaving it seems.

PSV Eindhoven general manager Frank Arnesen has confirmed he has agreed a deal to join Tottenham Hotspur to become their new technical director.

The Danish coach will take over from David Pleat at White Hart Lane as the club look to reshape their coaching staff after a disappointing season.

Arnesen has signed a three-year deal to take up his role at White Hart Lane which will see him responsible for scouting players, negotiating in transfers, developing the youth set-up as well as working closely with the new coach when he is appointed.

The former PSV and Anderlecht star admitted he was delighted to be joining Spurs.

"I am very happy to continue my work as technical director at one of the most traditional teams in England. Tottenham is a club with much history and plays even maybe in the biggest league of the world," Arnesen told PSV's official website.

Arnesen has been looking for a new club after opting to move on from PSV following a disagreement with coach Guus Hiddink and president Harry van Raaij over the future direction of the Dutch club.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is keen to carry out major changes at Spurs and the appointment of Arnesen is the first part of his masterplan.

EDIT: Skysports have it now.

Sky Sports Story

And, even if Beattie had created less goals for others, he's a striker, not a midfielder, it's not his job to create goals, it's his job to score them, which he has done more often than Heskey.

Tell that to Thierry Henry. Last season he had more assists in the Premiership than most strikers had goals.

←

He had the goals as well, the assists are a bonus to go along with the goals, which are his main objective.

Form is temporary, class is permanent. Being in better form over the last 6 games isn't that important when the tournament is 3 weeks away.

The fact is that no matter who might be in better form, Beattie has scored more goals over the whole of the season. Whats the point in playing well and helping win 6 games at the end of the season but playing badly and helping lose 32 in the previous 7 months?

Heskey can hold up the ball better than Beattie, who is not a god at all - he's average at best.  Heskey creates goals as well, so the whole 'so and so has scored more' argument is redundent.

←

According to ESPN "Soccer" site, both Beattie and Heskey have been credited with 6 assists this season, making the idea that Heskey creates more goals than Beatie redundant. And, even if Beattie had created less goals for others, he's a striker, not a midfielder, it's not his job to create goals, it's his job to score them, which he has done more often than Heskey.

That Beattie has scored more either says more about him, or it says a lot about Liverpool.

Ok, form was a poor word to choose.

Gotta go with the player who has done his job the best this season.

Happy?

But by your reasoning, selling him now would be an acceptance of relegation next year. Whilst it looks likely, it's not a certainty (although after hearing Moyes will get £1.5 million to spend, it looks more likely). Everton can stay up next year, but new players are needed, and some of the old ones (Ferguson) need to realise that Moyes is the manager, and if he wants to cancel a golf trip after they lose to Wolves he will.

Scholes is a good player, but doesn't score enough goals. Lampard is just as good, if not better, and scores more goals. He should start.

Anyone who says Rooney should be sold so we can spend the money we get for him doesn't know Everton very well. As soon as Rooney goes, Moyes will go, and even if Moyes did stay, he wouldn't get the (for example) £35 million, it would go to clearing the debt, or lining the boards pockets. With the news today that Moyes will get £1.5 million to spend including wages in the summer, expect him to go to Celtic as soon as O'Neil leaves, and Everton to be down by Christmas.

It's the whole "Heskey can be great when he wants to be" arguement that I just don't understand. England will need every player to be at their peak going into the France game, and Heskey, as everyone who supports him has said, can be great, but isn't always. Not that Beattie is a footballing god, but I'd much rather have him than Heskey.

The stats speak for themselves:

Beattie-17 goals

Heskey-12 goals

Gotta go with the players in form.

Not that i want to bring back old topics but i just noticed this.

Everton are changing the goalie kit, to a Lev Yashin style all black number. Looks good, but is pretty hard to see when the keeper is at the other end of the ground from me. Here's hopin Martyn stays fit, because Wright struggles to make himself noticed when wearing the bright blue kit of last season.

Balance.  All of Englands strikers (bar Heskey) aren't really that strong in the air.  Heskey is a strong player, and can hold the ball up well.  Defoe, Owen and Vassell very rarely do that, and I think Heskey is probably better at it than Smith.

Still, this makes room for Cisse 

←

Beattie isn't exactly a short arse, and he's as good, if not better on the ground than Heskey, and falls over less.

Birmingham sign Heskey

Birmingham have signed Liverpool striker Emile Heskey for an initial fee of £3.5m, which could rise to £6.25m.

The striker, who is in England's squad for Euro 2004, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at St Andrews.

Heskey was Liverpool's record signing when he joined from Leicester in 2000 for £11m, and he scored 60 goals in 277 appearances for the Reds.

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce said: "This is an absolutely fantastic signing for the club - I am really excited."

Birmingham already have Mikael Forssell on another year's loan from Chelsea, and he should form a strike partnership with Heskey next season.

Leicester's Muzzy Izzet is being lined up on a Bosman free transfer - which would reunite the midfielder with ex-Foxes team-mates Heskey and Robbie Savage.

Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer is also a target - with Bruce promising to get most of his transfer market work done before his squad returns to pre-season training.

  I think at the start it will be Heskey and Mikael

Clinton Morrison is resigned to losing his place 

Speaking to the club's website, Bruce added: "Emile is still only 26 years old, has 40 England caps to his name and will be representing his country at Euro 2004.

"To pull off a signing like this is quite remarkable and I am really excited to add Emile to the squad for next season.

"Hopefully, he will be the first of several high-profile signings that we will be making this summer."

Republic of Ireland frontman Clinton Morrison - who partnered Forssell up front this season - expects to lose his place to Heskey.

"I think at the start it will be Heskey and Mikael because Mikael's had a great season and the club have paid a lot of money for Heskey," he said.

"But you've got to fight for your position and there will be a lot of competition for places here next season.

"Emile is a big man, he can lead the line, that's the job he does well and that's why he plays for England. He's a tremendous talent and he will do very well for Birmingham."

BBC Story

What do you think? Even if Bruce gets the best out of Emile, he'll still be crap, how he got into the England squad above Smith and Beattie is beyond me.

5 fucking 1. 17th fucking place. Get your money on Everton to go down next year. Unless Moyes is given some money to spend, we will be down by Christmas. And before anyone mentions it, selling Rooney is not the answer. Thats 1 step forward, and 2 steps back.

The problem is the dangerous tackles are still a part of his game. He has managed to get away with half a dozen or so this season - without cards. I remember watching them on The Premiership and The Premiership on Monday and hearing the pundits say that sooner or later he WILL end someone's career.

He's just too reckless for my liking.

He nearly ended Gary Naysmith's chances of having kids, which is no bad thing. One Naysmith is too many.