Now before I start this article, this is in no way shape or form a Everton 'diss' thread or thinking we are better than them or anything like that. I respect Everton a huge deal as I like the manager and like the way the club is run, it's a proper club. Anyway, whilst all the drama of SAFC unfolded today (atleast we can never be called boring) Henderson out, and three Manchester United players in (Hopefully!), it got me thinking. Look at Everton from the outside, a club that is quite similar to ours. However, they don't have a few things that we do, for example the size of our stadium, fanbase, money available from the board for transfers etc etc. But we do have a few things similar, a good academy that brings through young promising talent etc. What gets me puzzled is how to Everton hold on to players? Rodwell is a very promising player, and has played a lot more in the PL than Henderson yet with all the speculation he hasnt moved an inch. Yet the slightest interest in JH and thats it, we haggle the club and get the fee we want and thats it the player goes. Everton have a host of talent, Jagielka, Baines, Rodwell, Arteta, Cahil and many young ones coming through like Coleman etc... Nobody can tell me that big clubs haven't shown an interest in these players... So what is it? Loyalty? Money? Considering that Everton don't have tons and tons of money I doubt it is that. I believe it is the manager. What he says goes and it is simple as that. The only player that left that I can think of being an integral part of Everton when he left was Lescott and look at how good a deal they got for him. Moyes is a credit to football, his work ethic and the way he runs the club from top to bottom... Bruce on the other hand is different. Coming from clubs like Wigan and B'ham I believe that he hasn't got out off the philosophy that he doesnt have to sell players. When someone shows interest he thinks that he can't say no. Now I am going off the thread a little bit but I wanted to know what you guys thought honestly... Everton aren't a London club, so geography wise it isn't really that. What is it that Everton have that they can build quality players, get further in competitions, compete well in the PL and also hold on to players when there is a slight interest in any of there talent?? How can they do the things that we can't, when money wise and stadium wise we are better and possibly more of an attractive opposition???
I think it's partly because Everton has a better history and heritage, no matter how hard we argue against the skunks it will be a while before we are established as a top, top club.
i think it just boils down to they have been a top 6 club and in the PL for years, we are newcomers to all this, maybe the top 6 dont think their players are good enough, maybe they have had bad dealings in the past, maybe they cant afford to sell anyone as they are skint (they cant get anyone of equal calibre for less of a price), maybe moyes knows that if he sells he cant buy anyone and he will struggle big time next season.
Because Everton are a much bigger club, and they have often flirted with the top 6 places (gaining 4th place in 2005) over the years all whilst Sunderland has dipped in and out of the Championship. It's made them one of the EPL's more successful and better teams, and it's an incentive for players to stay put and perform at that level. The manager and club will help too, of course. If the players like their time there, they're more likely to stay.
Everton have a good heritage - tradition and history similar to ours. In their favour is the longetivity of service in the top flight, more recent (80's and early 90's) success. But the main thing is LOCATION. Players want to live in Cheshire and have vibrant towns like Liverpool and Manchester to play in. We in Sunderland are stuffed. Lets be honest, a good night out up here is in Newcastle. How many SAFC players would be brave enough to go- if they knew what would happen! Durham? Nice but yawn.... Leeds ok, but 100 miles there.... Our problem. We have Primark and nowt else.
Simple..... Perception. Everton are a very good, steady top half Premiership team. They never falter. We on the other hand are still perceived as a yo-yo club. Even this year we flirted briefly with relegation. Living in London I can tell you if we got relegated next year no one would be that surprised down here. It would be hugely different if Everton went down. Players do not want to be associated with relegation. Take your Red and White cap off and as a neutral, at this moment in time. Who would you choose?
agree with a lot of this, plus after short seeing pretty much **** all for his investment the last few years, he's probably told bruce he has to raise cash. moyes has earned the right to refuse any offer and be backed by his chairman because of what he's achieved and what he's spent. he wouldn't have sold lescott if he hadn't started to engineer a move, and even then he was able to play hardball to such an extent that they robbed citeh blind.
Everton sell players just like everyone else: Wayne Rooney being a prime example of a young talent, far greater than Henderson, being sold.
I'd add to that a manager with balls and as the OP says it sounds like he is given free reign in the transfer market, although I have heard Man Utd were after Rodwell along with City.
Yes Everton sold Rooney and built on it from there. Similar to us selling Jordan. Sometimes you have to take one step backwards to take two steps forward.
Everton have had some ropey moments in the last 10 year though and have flirted with last day relegation on more than one occasion. They have had to sell players but when they do, its for mega bucks Rooney and Lescott netted more than £55m between them. They don't get shafted. An earlier thread hit the nail on the head for me. Everton have an experienced top flight manger who doesn't give an inch and a harder nosed boardroom that don't get intimidated. Quinny is a lovely bloke and a legend at SAFC but is he really hard nosed enough to cut it at the sharp edge of EPL football? He's a figure head but no wheeler and dealer and as for Bruce, the same poster again hit the nail on the head. Having come, in management, from a lower league/small club background, his mentality is just that. Small time. He thinks £16m for Henderson is terrific? Moyes would have got well over £20m if he was selling him and he wouldn't have been saddled with a Liverpool flop as part of the deal. Remember Man City wanted to offload numerous players as part of the Lescott deal but Moyes simply told them to **** off and stump up hard cash. They did. Selling players is not the problem. Getting the best deal for them is. We sold Bent for £18m and a week or so later the mags sold Carroll for £36m. We have sold Henderson seemingly for £16m cash now and N'Gog bought as a balance for £3m. If Liverpool paid £36m for Carroll we could have demanded more for Henderson but the small time mentality made us grab the first offer on the table that looked big enough. We are amateurish to say the least. Everton have less money and smaller crowds than us but have a hard professional edge to them in the boardroom and the management and that's why they are bigger, better and more likely to succeed than us.
not meaning to start anything, but does 'billofengland' hate everything about safc ?? havent seen him not complain yet
Actually I think you'll find he loves SAFC with a passion as do most on here. Anyone who looks like causing it harm, re Mr Bruce LOOK OUT.
Great post, Zenden's, and a good question. Why would Everton or any club sell a good 1st team, valued player? 1 - The price is right. £20m for Hendo, £25m for Rooney 7 years ago (say £40m at today's valuations), £35m Carroll, £50m Torres 2 - The player's head is turned by prospects of medals and he simply wants to leave - Young - there is a very long list of these 3 - The player's head is turned by prospects of much more dosh that the selling club cannot match - him who cannot be named 3 - Club needs to cash in for whatever reason - development, relegation, debt . . . Rooney/Lescott aside, I am hard pressed to recall a Top 4 club moving in strongly for any Everton player TBH. Everton caved in on both occasions - well they had no choice, had they? Some might say otherwise but circumastances were such that Moyes and Kenwright could not have done anything about it. SAFC have only lost 2 players in the past 5 years under similar circumstances. Bent and Hendo for a reported £44m is not bad business or being raped, in anybody's terms surely.
Moyes sold Lescott for £23 million and bought Distin for £5 million and this probably strengthened the team as Distin is a rock, however even today he has struggled to replace Rooney, If Everton had a striker like Rooney, Tevez etc the would be a top 4 team
simples they dont moan and get on players backs.. 50% were getting on hendos back and is now with one of the top clubs in the world
