One game does not a season make and I'm certainly not going to get carried away with my Arsenal predication. I know one very prominent Arsenal supporter who thinks United will win the league so you never know. I was curious however to see the reaction of the Everton fans. Dear me. Everton manager David Moyes is considered by many observers including yours truly to be one of the better managers in the Premier League, but you wouldn't know it reading the Everton boards.
In general the complaints broke down into two groups. The first was that Moyes plays not to lose rather than win and there is a very vocal group that object to this. The second complaint was the lack of player movement by the Everton brass especially on the right side of the team where the Everton faithful consider Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert and Phil Nevile to be very poor.
I reference this because there was a report in the last 24 hours that Everton are lining up a bid for the Spurs duo of Right Full Back Alan Hutton and Right Midfielder/Winger David Bentley. Both players are not in Tottenham's starting eleven these days. Now I'm always wary of someone putting two and two together and ending up with thirty seven, but in this case there is a lot of sense to these rumours.
Say for example Everton sell Lescott to City for a couple million north of twenty million. For that money David Moyes could bring in not only Hutton and Bentley but also either Michael Turner from Hull or Steven Taylor from Newcastle as a replacement for Lescott. This is over and above the reports of an interest in either Middlesbrough's Robert Huth or Arsenal's Philippe Senderos. Throw in the possible loan of Ever Banega (described as both a winger and a midfielder), although I anticipate his work permit will be denied and Moyes would essentially rebuild a third of his team while losing one player.
Meanwhile Harry Redknapp could turn around and use the money for a Centre Back and possibly David James from Portsmouth. Personally I'd rather see City sign Taylor rather than Lescott...
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Posted by Martin Nazimek on 08/19/2009
Wallace,
Everton could do a lot with the money from Lescott. I agree with the players they could sign and that could make them very dangerous. I like city to buy Lescott though. Though what would happen to the captaincy? Would Dunne still be captain and sit the bench or maybe Ireland, Kompany (when he gets fit), Barry? Interesting times for city. CTID
Wallace Reply From the day Gareth Barry signed I have anticipated that he would be the new captain.
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Posted by Steve on 08/19/2009
I am ready for City to grab Lescott. Watching the past match vs Blackburn; Dunne made a few stops but his mistakes were horrible. He barely escaped a hand ball foul.
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Posted by Jon on 08/19/2009
A reply to yours Wallace; what is the custom in England about captaincy. I'm an American, and I know we're years behind in football, but it's been custom from my playing days, is that in general you don't give the captaincy to a new player to your team. My old club had a couple of incidents where we needed to change the armband, but I had no chance since it was my first year at the club. What is the custom in England? Is it acceptable to give the captaincy to someone who's only played a single competitive game?
Also, Martin Petrov's expressed a desire to leave if he doesn't play. I feel this is unacceptable, as he is a class talent. Thoughts on this? I bring this up because we lead 1-0 in the 92nd minute at the Nou Camp on his goal...
Wallace Reply Captaincy at a club really depends on a number of factors. If you are trying to change the culture of a club then you can bring in an outsider and shake it up that way. Similarly if you bring in a player of superior quality who is already an acknowledged leader. John Terry would have been made Captain the moment he walked in the door for example.
Re Petrov it depends on the formations. 4-4-3 and Robinho plays. 4-2-3-1 and I personally would prefer Robinho as the AMC and Petrov on the left.
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Posted by Phil Grey on 08/20/2009
I totally agree that it would be wise for Everton to sell Lescott for a fortune and buy two or three good replacements because they have such a small squad. They could probably get Hangeland and Bramble for the money City seem prepared to pay, or Dunne plus any of the ones you mention. Don't right off Everton. They only won one home game before Christmas last season and still finished 5th again. Lescott is this season's Berbatov though, so that needs to get sorted fast.
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Posted by AlexC83 on 08/20/2009
I thought exactly the same when Barry signed BUT I've now got a sneaking feeling that things might've changed and, in the greatest statement of our faith in the academy, that our player of the season might just get the armband...
IF dunnie leaves that is.
What you've outlined there with everton's signings (Banega's a centre midfielder by trade btw) highlights the fact we shouldn't sign Lescott at ANY cost even though the money doesn't matter THAT much to us. I wouldn't go above £20m and if Moyes is willing to turn that down then so be it. We can't fund their rebuilding too much when Lescott's certainly no better than Onuoha.
Hughes is mainly hoping to buy him for the versatiliy he brings im sure. Lescott does make sense in that we'd have to have almighty defensive injuries to not have a solid back four all season...
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Posted by chris on 08/21/2009
I agree that this deal needs to get sorted out fast... has gone on way too long... City MUST NOT spend more than 20-22 million pounds on Lescott - I feel as time goes on he is actually worth less and less. We could have had Distin/Sol Campbell/Upson or any number of other defenders two weeks ago. All I can say is that if this goes through he had better be worth it. Maybe Hughes is waiting for the deadline to prevent Moyes from splashing out...
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Posted by JP on 08/22/2009
At this stage in the game, I think Lescott will either go for £17M to city or 13M to another club. We are seeing Moyes's tragic flaw right now, in his ego, stubbornness, and inability to move on. I think this episode will cost Everton 10 points this season and ultimately be helpful in ensuring that City finish above them. I will be ecstatic if City finish 5th. Everybody seems to be predicting 6th.
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Posted by lex on 08/22/2009
Just watched the Wolves game.
I know it's too early to predict anything, but I think Benitez made a big mistake by not snagging Barry.
He simply knows how to play Premier League football. Good distribution, and always ready to make strong challenges. Really shores up the midfield.
I'm going to enjoy watching City take on the Big Four.
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Posted by Don-X on 08/23/2009
It seems it is confirmed that Lescott will be with Man City in a few days time ! Interresting indeed !
Regarding the Man City new line up !
After watching the last 2 games ... I would definitely bench Dunne ! and start Lescott without hesitating ! I understand a lot of people have lots of faith in him .. but with his performance over the last two games, much was left to be desired.
As for Man City firepower upfront ... Ade is doing a very good job so far. But I am very impressed yet.... I am under the impression that Robinho is not really stepping up his game so far ... too many missed shots .. too many missed opportunities to score ! Man City can do a lot better ... they need to score lots of goals and not concede any. They have much MORE work to do in that sens. THE SQUAD needs to want it badly!!! they need to want it with passion
Shay is superb as well as Kolo, Ireland and SWP are up there in the scale - good and efficient players... as usual !
GO CITY .. GO CITY !!! no BS !
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Wallace Poulter is an award winning video game producer, designer, industry consultant and writer. He has been a football fanatic since the day he moved in next door to Brian Clough. "Cloughie" being the acknowledged genius that he was promptly moved out and went to manage Derby. A serviceable senior school left-back in his youth, Poulter played one season of Sunday league football as a striker proving conclusively that he was a serviceable senior school left-back! Today Poulter remains involved with football as a licensed referee and most recently as a consultant on a Football MMO.