Nikica Jelavic - Now official: he's signed

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So has anyone got any thoughts why we might announce that we've only agreed a fee - not signed him - just 14 hours before a crucial home league game? Instead of waiting until tomorrow's 3pm presser or - God forbid - when he signs, lets just highlight availability to other clubs and unsettle our strikers for tomorrow.

Another very, very odd decision.

The press yesterday announced we were giving Long a medical and Bruce said people were on the phone half the morning clearing things up. Maybe it's a "we'll announce stuff when it happens, so if we haven't said it just ignore the media because they're making **** up" tactic.

I do hope if doesn't unsettle our strikers though, I'd hate for it to adversely affect the fine goalscoring form they're all in now.
 
NBC said it was because it was basically a sure thing. They asked the same question and then answered themselves. Said there was no way we and Everton would have put this out like we have unless it was all a formality.

What, like Charlie Austin you mean? He's had a right injury plagued season...
 
"The 28-year-old Croatian international has scored 21 goals in 69 appearances for Everton since joining them from Rangers in January 2012."

On 25 August 2012, Jelavić scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season in a 3–1 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Jelavić scored his first two home goals for the campaign against Southampton in a 3–1 win, these goals were also his first at the famous Gwladys St End at Goodison Park. Jelavić continued his scoring form in the next game against Wigan Athletic with a headed goal to make the score 1–1. Jelavić scored his next goal, the winner in a 2–1 win against Sunderland. His next goal came in stoppage time of a game against Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–1 victory at Goodison Park. Although Jelavić scored against Cheltenham Town in the third round of the FA Cup, he had to wait until March to find the net again in the league when he came off the bench to score a last minute goal in a 2–0 win over Manchester City. His poor form led to Victor Anichebe being used as Everton's main striker for the second half of the season. Manager David Moyes suggested the club's lack of a player who could score 15 to 20 goals a season was a major factor in Everton failing to qualify for European competitions.

As I said; a bit of a Danny Graham-like plummet after a decent start.

Don't shoot the messenger.
 
I appreciate that I'm a bit late to the party here, and I must also apologise for pricking the party balloons a bit somewhat.... but isn't Jelavic ****ing ****e? Hasn't he been Everton's Danny Graham for the last season-and-a-half?

My pal who probably hasn't missed an Everton game since he was about 10 certainly seems to think so. As posted previously he describes him as "dog ****". That's the best I have to go off and I trust he's seen more of the Croat than anyone on here.
 
My pal who probably hasn't missed an Everton game since he was about 10 certainly seems to think so. As posted previously he describes him as "dog ****". That's the best I have to go off and I trust he's seen more of the Croat than anyone on here.

He is your 'pal' so that sort of discredits his opinion. A lot of posters on the Everton board were saying that he hadn't had a fair crack this year due to injuries and Lukaku coming in and understand why he has to leave for first team football.
 
So you're telling me he has 20 goals in 39 before his slump? If that was true, I think he would have moved on to a better team than Everton.

He was class when he first signed for Everton, but for the past year he's not been first choice. Bound to affect his confidence and goalscoring record.
 
Additionally it could be a safeish deal we're using as a smokescreen about a more sensitive target. "Look we're telling you everything there's nothing to dig for so don't bother looking"

Or we could using it to pressure McLean and Prossy into moving. We've only offloaded Stewart and Cairney so far, and I don't think either of them were in our 25 man squad. If we sign 2 players then 2 players will have to be left out, so those 2 players might as well **** off because they won't be able to fight for a place.
 
I liked a lot of what I saw of Jelavic in his early days at Everton. If he can rediscover his earlier form there he will be a quality signing.
 
Erm, that's a PR's job. Ive spent half the past 15 years doing precisely that. You think they haven't spent the last hour fielding constant calls?

It doesn't matter who's job it is, it's a job that shouldn't need doing so if we set the precedent of announcing things officially when it happens clubs are less likely to think we're trying to use the media to unsettle their players when they bullshit about things.