Quote from: top flight 107I know if it looks like bull, smells like bull then in all likelihood it is bull :wag:

No need to be slagging off Fellaini in this thread.

Quote from: CallumF73That makes me laugh and cry tears of happiness, that does. Jags is made of hard stuff, but he's got a big squishy blue heart.
And see how happy Vaughan was? When he's fit I'd like him to get some games again, instead of being loaned for a measley amount. He doesn't score much, but he's still young and he plays with passion and energy.

I miss them both, Jags most, of course. But I love seeing Vaughn come on late in a match and just run at defenders and fearlessly pursue every ball, even when he's just coming back from an injury. Fear I'll never see it again.

Quote from: AidyEFC9Hey, montanatoffeeman, im just making an example, im not saying Donovan will be as good as Pienaar im just saying lets not right Donovan off just because he did shit in Germany, some players seem to suit/ find there own in some leagues rather than others and i was using Pienaar as an example of that.

Ok, Pienaar might of done ok at Dortmund, but him not getting many games would suggest otherwise in my eyes, all im saying is give the man a chance, to many of us are quick to write players off before theyve even kicked a ball for our club, just because they did shit elsewhere doesnt mean they will at us!.

You never know, he could turn out to have an effect as good as Brian McBride?!.

Well, we wouldn't have much to post on this site if we cut off all speculation and conjecture. LOL.

I hope you're right about Donovan, mate. But my conjecture about his chances in the Prem is based on watching him for the last eight years+ in the U.S., WC and what little you got to see of him in Germany. He was clearly past it by the last World Cup, IMO. And I'm not sure he could have made it in England before he was past it.

All IMO, of course. But I've seen plenty of him. And. I think he's made the right decision to stay in the U.S. where he can be a star.

Quote from: blueblood1988I can see with the right wing theory we need bodies there. good point on rodwell agree he needs to chill out a bit and spend some time on the bench learn his trade slowly, plus gosling is not good enough yet living off that liverpool goal in the same way rafa is with the 3-3 milan game! in that case maybe moyes will be looking to play a technical player in the middle of the park and have donavan for wide options. Still think someone will be off in january, just have this feeling but i dont think it will be a lescott style saga more of a mutual parting beneficial for both parties.

That scenario has Pienaar written all over it. If we swap Pienaar for Landon Donovan, I will weep blood.

Quote from: Gary Iceman

Quote from: montanatoffeefanI think Chris and Rhys are the best sources for this kind of information and analysis.

Where has Rhys been, anyway? He is missed,

isnt he a daddy now.? he is probably too busy changing sh1tty nappies to come on here as much.

Sounds like good training to be an NSNO moderator.

Congrats to Rhys, if true!

Quote from: AidyEFC9People moan wether he can cut it in prem cos he did shit in Germany but Pienaar before he came to us couldnt get a game at Borussia Dortmund and struggled when he did play but look how he's been for us!.

Lets not judge him until he's actually here and got a few games under his belt.

So we should take on every player who's struggled to get a game in the Bundesliga because he could turn into Steven Pienaar?

Pienaar looked fine the couple of times I saw him for BD -- very involved, always looking for the pass and to set up his teammates, always hustling. He just wasn't scoring, which led a lot of BDers to write him off. He's hardly scored for us, but he's been fantastic.

Donovan...man, just don't see it. He was a pacy little winger eight years ago. Now, he's just a little winger. Who wants to be a second striker, as if we need another. He's lost a step and gained an ego that makes him think and act like he's one of the word's top players. That feud he instigated with Beckham this season was pathetic and despicable.

Just not the kind of lad we want lurking around our lockerroom or mucking up the pitch.

It's hard for Europeans to appreciate just how marginal "soccer" is in the U.S. Yeah, Landon Donovan is the country's best-known player. But I imagine it's about like being the best-known baseball shortstop in England.

As such, his impact on Everton's popularity stateside will be minimal. And, as I've said before, he's not up to doing much on the pitch in the Prem IMO.

VDM could use a drinking buddy.

Well, we can dream...even after all these years teaching us to know better than to.

If I see Gago in an Everton shirt come February, it will take three or four games to convince me I'm not dreaming.

I think Chris and Rhys are the best sources for this kind of information and analysis.

Where has Rhys been, anyway? He is missed,

Didn't think he had it in him to make it in the Prem in his prime. Now that he's lost a step, I suspect he'd be eaten alive in England.

He went to the Bundesliga on loan last season and was rarely heard from again. Just don' rate him anywhere outside the MLS. And he's been quite the vain, conniving little cunt in his spat with Beckham this year. Didn't think another player could get me taking sides with Becks, but Donovan did.

How about a young winger with some promise and a potential future in the EPL instead? Or at least a player with a past proving he can play in the EPL.

Quote from: Siwhen the USA qualified for the World Cup this year their match wasn't even on the TV

in the press the next day it was on like page 8 of the sports pull-outs as well

Sad, but true. I actually usually root against my national team to qualify because I know it would mean so much more to one of the countries that gets beat out. The World Cup was hardly important here -- even when the U.S. team went deep into it in 2002 and hosted it eight years before.

There probably isn't a backup point guard in the NBA or punt returner in American football's NFL who isn't more "famous" over here than Tim Howard.

Quote from: RiskyHe was brilliant today, however let's not get too carried away.

He will have ups and downs as will any young player coming through like that (see Rodwell).  He has shown that he is up to the task but to have him in as a permanent starter after 1 performance is not how it should work.  He should get his opportunities but let's not put too much pressure on him because it will only make it worse when he has a bad game, which he will.

This. It would be difficult to overestimate how immense he was vs. Spurs.

But it's easy to overestimate what it means for his future. We've all seen average players put in extraordinary games. Yes, his showing was very encouraging for his future, not to mention crucial to us rescuing a point in the present  But let's not expect too much and put too much pressure on him.

But, by all means, let's see more of him.

Quote from: ally2He's one of my favourite players and I don't want to see him go but isn't his contract up at the end of the season?  

Should we try to raise some money in January when we'd get nothing in the summer or gamble and hope he can help lift us to another season in Europe?

We get:
1. Cash from Pienaar;
2. One decent player we buy with some of the cash from Pienaar on last day of window;
3. Another year of Bill Kenwright, who uses the profit to make debt service payments and keep the needle in his arm
4. Decline in team morale and overall quality as another hard-working, accomplished core player we were building around gets sold.

Yeah, great deal.

Have we learned nothing? Well, most of us have.

Same thoughts as always: he's a good lad and fine footballer with a sophisticated game that we, sadly, are incapable of playing most of the time. So he goes missing and people slate him. Same thing happens with Yak, Pienaar and Arteta. Put Jo out there with those three, plus Baines and Cahill and Billy and we'll be singing the lads praises and screaming for his purchase.  I'd really like to see us get a long look at him surrounded by quality footballers in the second half of the season. Think he could do great things here.