TWar

I don't think a young coach is a good idea. Young players by all means, but personally l prefer a safe proven manager for a rebuild as if you spend money on a rebuild and get it wrong that is a pretty dire situation as a second rebuild is often beyond a teams grasp. Don't at all rate Martinez at all, agreed. Potter would be a dream signing for them but he would be a nutter to go to them when he has a much better set up at Brighton and wouldn't even be able to have a budget at Everton.

This has been my opinion since the summer yeah, they have some of the worst transfers I've ever seen, blowing the money they did on Iwobi, Klassen, Mina, Siggurdson, Schneiderlin, Delph and many many others in the last 5 years is criminal. I still think given the means Rafa did a pretty good job of improving some bang average players in Gray and Townsend to look serviceable, but with fans against him from day 1 and losing the dressing room pretty early there isn't much he could do. I think Everton need a complete remodel from the ground up.

Fabinho is only 28 (I assume you mean as Firmino is a striker), Henderson does need replacing but he isn't a DM, he is much more of a box to box midfielder so I don't think Phillips would be appropriate to replace him.

That's fair, all opinions init. Leeds won't sell him I don't think and I don't think many top teams need a DM. Liverpool have Fabinho who is class, City Rodri, Chelsea Jorginho and Kovacic, Arsenal Partey. Only united are really looking and they are heavily linked with Rice. Spurs too I guess but Hojbjerg (whilst not great) is quite far from their biggest squad issue right now.

I think JWP is well ahead for passing, chance creation, dictating play, linking things. In my opinion Phillips is a decent DM and is mildly better in the tackle than JWP (although covers less ground so probably not as efficient). One of my main issues with England is that we have two very defensive mids in Phillips and Rice and neither play the ball well and it slows us right down. Ideal England midfield for me is Rice (world class DM, one of England's best players and best DM we've had in years), Mount (absolutely class 8, fantastic at joining the front 3) and JWP (links play, dictates the game, is absolutely everywhere offering a tonne of cover, and his set pieces could easily win us atleast one game which is massive in a knock out tourney). With TAA, Stones, Maguire, Shaw behind them and Sterling Kane Foden in front that is one of the strongest teams in the world. Also, I do think eventually Bellingham will displace JWP as he is absolutely class and so young, will be immense in the future. The age of our superstars makes me think we will be an absolute force over the next decade. I do agree though, good chance JWP doesn't make the squad let alone the starting 11 but that is because Southgate makes some god awful decisions. White and Tomori will probably miss out at the expense of Coady and Mings which, if we weren't so stacked so none of them will start much anyway, would boil my piss. Oh well.

Depends if Broja keeps going. He is in the form of his life right now, if he dips a bit in the second half of the season then our thirst for him might decrease and value might drop.

We'd sell for £100m, even the most avid Ward-Prowse fan (probably me) would take that in a heartbeat. Every player has their price and his is not that. Phillips imo is a £40-50m player and definitely worse than JWP. £100m would be madness for him. Rice is probably gettable for £80m and he is a level above Prowsey imo and well well clear of Phillips

A lot of the people on this forum are anti-saints. Either because they are trolls, they have wildly unrealistic expectations, or because it helps vent frustration. They will go against the manager and the captain as they get the most bites. Also new signings. Most were pro Broja as he was a loan but will be interesting to see how quick they turn on him if he becomes a permanent signing.

Sounds promising. I don't think fighting for a chance at Chelsea would be good for him when he'd be like 5th in the pecking order behind Lukaku, havertz, werner, and pulisic who has also played up top at times.

Bout time he got more respect and suitors. Not worried though, just signed a new contract so would be stupid money in order to get him.

Tell me chaps, what were the tactics last time we played them and were one of the only teams this season to take points off them?

Problem is if Chelsea promise him a loan to a europa league club on the continent he might feel it a better place to prove himself further while also raising his value which helps Chelsea.

Their last two managers were champions league winners with massive CV's, that's probably why they think they'll get another manager like that. You'd have to be an idiot to take that job now though. Would not be surprised to see DCL and/or Richarlison gone in the summer and replaced by someone dramatically inferior. Don't have a pot to piss in (due to FFP, I'm sure they are still wealthy).

Maybe they shouldn't have spent so much money on shite players then over the last 5 years

Newcastle after Robin Gosens, would be an incredible signing if they pull it off.

I think we'll get him on a permanent. Maybe wishful thinking maybe but a lot of the reports from our journos seem like the sort of things one wouldn't release unless you were fairly confident you had a chance. Chelsea don't need him imo with Lukaku, Havertz, and Werner and if they were to decide one of those wasnt up to it they'd probably look a bit higher than Broja to replace them. Also I think a lot of those who think we won't are overrating him a bit. He is a firm £20-25m signing and I think with our current owners that might be doable. He isn't a £40m player, a CL player, or on the level of Werner, Havertz or Lukaku so I think we could probably get him. At the very least I think extending the loan is very feasible.

Way above our pay grade unfortunately. Linked with Liverpool as a possible successor to Mane who has dropped off of late.

Nixon occasionally has a good scoop. He announced Jeremi rodrigues when the club didn't even bother to and no one else knew! Was a bit off the money with Armstrong this summer though, was convinced he was off to Palace.

Haven't heard of him but 9 goals and 2 assists in 16 games in the French league is pretty good. Only 23, 6ft 2 but hasn't scored many many headers, looks to be quite right footed based on his position he scored goals from.

They didn't have players out anywhere the quality of DCL or Richarlison, or players nearly as important to them as those two.

Too much nuance, if the team does bad its always the manager 100% of the time. That's why these fools come on after any loss and blame Ralph immediately, SKDman even tried to blame Ralph for Valery getting sent off in a game we won the other day.

What do you mean the "injury card", if your best players are injured then you will do worse. Everton have 3 good players (two now Digne is gone) and they have all been out for big spells.

Burnley spent nothing, Bournemouth spent a fortune. Dyche has kept his team up despite being consistently in the bottom 3 for spend for years. Howe went down having been in the top half for spend.

Stevie G is below us in the table, thanks for checking... It was a good appointment, Rafa is a internationally renowned CL winning manager. Not his fault his only two good forwards were out most of the season and he didn't have any investment as Everton are financially crippled by ffp.

Spent 9th most in the league, average 13th, gets relegated. Super impressive...