nyblue23

To be fair, I can't sleep, it's after 3 AM and I just read back a couple years in this forum and I saw quite a bit of this. Haf is right. Few were more excited than I was when Rom signed on a permanent deal. I'm a barman in New York and Frank Lampard came into my bar just before the permanent signing, through a short conversation with him (the man is class btw), I became convinced that Rom was the answer to all our problems. But Rom is far from coming close to living up to his price tag. After spending literally the last hour + reading through this thread, I don't think Haf has once denied Rom's physicality, his sheer talent or his ability to change a game. The man is a freak of nature and every Evertonian has seen that displayed dozens of times. But it's the things that Rom doesn't do... the breakdowns in play... the lack of pressure put on a pass back to the keeper, laziness on passes between CBs, a lack of well timed runs, a lack of desire to win balls at his feet, a lack of desire to make tackles and a short fuse in terms of blaming his teammates (this is just observed from broadcasts but seems real), that make him such a disappointment. I actually believe that Rom still has the opportunity to be world class as he's so young and so physically able and talented, but he needs a massive shift in mentality. I can't chalk it up to strategy, because whether or not RM's tactics dictate up the field pressure on clearances or possession in the back of the field for opponents, I've never seen a striker so disinterested in disposessing a defense in their own half. I've never seen a striker so lazy and overconfident in his first touch. Contrast that with Naisy, who I would have sold for a quarter of his asking price and who has 1/5 the talent of Lukaku, but who works tirelessly for every single pass, who tackles in the backfield even when it's clear he will not win the tackle and who runs at defenders just enough to make them question themselves even when he knows he's not quick enough to get there. Rom DOES stand around too much. He DOES hang out offsides too much. He DOES NOT take credit for his shortcomings. And that's what makes him so god damn frustrating. It's not that he's not scoring enough goals for a forward. It's that he's not scoring enough goals for Romelu Lukaku, Everton's record signing and a man with the physicality to be one of the greatest young strikers the premier league has ever seen.

Swear I didn't see that first.

Swansea 1 - 2 Everton Kone

made up

fuck Andre marriner!!!!!!!

Kinda disagree that Begovic isn't much of a downgrade. Courtois is world class and should be in the top 3 keepers in the world each year throughout his career. Begovic is arguably a barely above average premier league starter.

I saw that about Mori. Crossing my fingers that it seems that bit is more speculative as Martinez didn't out and out say anything about him getting game time against Chelsea. Still though, Galloway dealing with Chelsea's attack doesn't inspire me much more.

Lennon's definitely playing in some capacity: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3228024/Everton-star-Aaron-Lennon-straining-leash-game-time-against-Chelsea.html

No chance for us then.

Right place right time goal. No marking at all though.

Everton 0 - 1 Chelsea None

Did he end up getting time with the U-21's? I know it was talked about but maybe never came to fruition. Either way, you're right and I still expect to see him in some capacity against Chelsea.

Not what I want to see but here's betting it's: Howard Coleman Stones Jags Oviedo McCarthy Barry Lennon Barkley Kone Lukaku

I think anything less than 6th in the league will be a massive disappointment given our lack of spending but I expect a disappointment. Should reach a cup final and lose and I see a 9th place finish behind the usual suspects + Swansea and Palace.

Never seen someone with that combination of pace, power, touch and awareness at that age. Get him in.

I'm pretty sure I caught a glimpse of him wearing an Everton jacket just behind the Everton bench today on the NBC broadcast here in the states. Seems like they're treating it as a done deal; maybe just processing formalities at this point?

I could give a fuck whether he put in a request at all or not. The important thing is that in response to a reporter's question, "That sounds like a definitive he's not going?" Martinez responded, "Absolutely." That's all that matters. Stones is not leaving this window and nothing else should matter. P.S. Can't find a way to link but the audio is on the official app for anyone to hear.

Very happy about all this. Vindicated, both as a team and an individual.

"Every bit as good if not better for me." Cool, bro.

You missed a word. I said "ANY want away player." He's a special kind of a want away player in that him putting in a request has shocked us all what with his performance and silence up to this point as well as his youth and general demeanor. There's no way of knowing how he'll act but there's nothing to indicate that he'll cause any ruckus. None of us know him, but more than likely this was agitated by his agent and if RM and Kenwright who, for are their faults, seem to be personnel masters (like how the fuck did they really convince Mirallas to stay and then sit him most of the first three games?), sit down with Stones personally and let him know where the club is and that they'll likely move him next summer, it seems Stones is likely to accept it and play on, at least until the January window. It's just too goddamn late with a defense as short-handed as ours.

Unused sub today.

Stones isn't any want away player. He'll still play and he'll still play well. We say no. He's 21, he's never pouted and he's under contract for 4 more years. He has to understand that it is not in our best interest to sell him, and he will still go out there every week until at least January and defend well for us.

This. Celtic looks to be out now. We're probably going to sign him and be disappointed.

Those three will cost more than 40 million and we'd only get between 30-35 anyway if the deal is 40 mil. Could maybe get two of those (probably not Yarmolenko), but still wouldn't be worth losing Stones.

Our defense is just sad right now. I still can't see Stones being sold unless we bring in two CBs first. With both Galloway (now injured) and Browning needed as LB cover, especially since Oviedo hasn't played a full match in god knows how long, RM literally cannot afford to lose yet another defender. If nothing changes before Saturday, we'll start the match with Oviedo, Stones, Jags, Coleman, Browning and Barry as our only first team defenders.