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He was a teenager that played in the reserves at that point, don't think he kickeda ball in thePremiership. He was also in Bayern Munich's youth system before that. Good player.

I don't think Nugent is just about goals though. Whatever club bought him would ideally have him playing off a pacey striker or a penalty box player. Billy Sharp looks like he's going to Norwich btw so if he carries on his League One form then a Prem team will come in and we'll get to see just how good he really is.

Winner Some second division American club no one has ever heard of doesn't count

Not surprised but I thought Arsenal would have really pushed for some sort of deal with Eto'o going their way I think Henry had peaked and this is good business personally. Well, as long as they spend the £16m on a proper striker instead of a 15 year old from the Ivory Coast for £500k

Yeh and IF the ref called a foul on Stalteri in the build up to the Arsenal equaliser we would have been playing Champions league football. Decisions go against every team and cant really be used as an excuse. Tbh i think were the best of the rest but not by much I know decisions generally even out but the point I was making is that if the shoe was on the other foot and we finished 5th, which was very plausible, the reaction to it would have been completely different.

Yeah, Yobo who signed a new contract instead of going to Arsenal would jump at a move to Newcastle. And he'd cost the same as Matt Upson.

I'm pedantic.

It makes me laugh when people talk about Spurs like they're so much better than anyone else outside the top 4. If it wasn't for two terrible decisions at both ends vs Chelsea on the final day we would have beaten them 2-0 instead of drawing 1-1 and finished above Spurs in 5th. We were above them for the majority of the season. If that was the case, the media and the same people on message boards wanking over Spurs wouldn't be saying "Everton for the top 4!!!11"

I think Nugent is better. Derbyshire's all round play is gash. Though he's had a poor Euro U21 tournament Nugent is quite intelligent and a good link up player.

Alan Smith is one of the most overrated players ever. No pace, no skills, rubbish goal scoring record and a poor disciplinary record. Apart from "giving 110%" he has no redeeming features whatsoever. It's absolute madness that he got to play for a team like United.

That's what an England goal does for you Crazy price. 6 months ago everyone on the Everton boards was debating whether he was worth £3/4m or not!

King is far better than Taylor ever will be. I really don't see anything in Taylor that makes me think he'll ever be more than a poor mans Terry or Carragher. Decent player and lots of heart but nothing special.

It's not us. Preston are asking for too much money. I think I said the other week on here that I doubt we will sign him now, it did look nailed on for a while but his price seemingly rose month after month even though he only has 12 months on his contract and wants out. I guessed in that striker merry-go-round prediction thread that he'd go to your mates over the way.

I'd be very suprised if Taylor played for England any time soon Terry, Ferdinand, King, Lescott, Woodgate, Carragher and posssibly Dawson are all better than him

On paper Luque would fit into Allardyce's Bolton formation very well. Doesn't surprise me he's going to try and get some use out of him.

The Umbro template isn't much good anyway but it looks a lot worse in stripes

The difference between the two is that Abramovich keeps Putin sweet and is in no danger but Shinawatra was on the wrong end of a military coop, is a wanted man back in his homeland and has had sizeable assets frozen. I would be wary of him.

£45m for a 50,000 seater stadium? That's a tiny budget. Will be on a par with the Riverside, Ricoh Arena, Pride Park, St. Mary's etc etc

I said Lescott because he turns in a top class performance every week. Arteta isn't as consistent. Lescott got Players' Player of the Season btw.

So did I. They must be signing someone.

Perhaps not so much last term (even with the fairly sizeable/powerful bunch of Howard, Anichebe, Yobo, Lescott and Beattie - plus the bite of Carsley in there when you played us - compared to Newcastle having Given, Taylor, Ramage, Sibierski and Huntington as our "big lads" and Emre as our "bite") but howay man - for seasons Everton have kicked the s**** out of us and beaten us with direct football down at Goodison. Your lot are hardly Dancing on Ice, are they? I might have got the completely wrong impression of you's like, but I've always associated Everton with being a big, powerful team since we've been in the Premiership - especially when compared to the teams we've took down to your place recently. Never said it was a bad thing and it's worked for you against us for the past 5 seasons or something, since Acuna's finest moment at least, so I don't see the problem. Aren't Everton "physical" these days? I know you play some good stuff down there now and that the front six could hardly be classed as monsters for the vast majority of the time when everyone's fit (would be something like Johnson, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Carsley and Fernandes last term, aye?), but even with that being said you still make our lot look like pussy cats. And Leon Osman is bigger/as big as about four or five of our eight midfielders anyway... seriously. We don't play particularly good football, no, that's one of my gripes with Moyes. We usually play quite defensively. However, that doesn't necessarily mean we're a dirty team or a big and powerful side. Liverpool play the same shitty defensive football as us and have two tall strikers (which we lack) and a player like Sissoko in midfield but you wouldn't talk about them in the same way because of their media image. You're being taken in by media bollocks if you think we are a big and powerful side or a particularly dirty one. The entire squad is full of short players apart from the centre backs and keeper. The only athletic players we have are Yobo, Lescott and Anichebe. The only players I'd say have a physical presence are Carsley, Vaughan and Anichebe. Carsley can be quite cynical but that's his job as a DM, he's no worse than Nicky Butt for example. Leon Osman isn't bigger than anyone btw. He's about 4ft and couldn't punch his way out of a wet paper bag.

And Jewell only played him once all season after bringing him to the club. Sounds crap to me.

Arsenal - Fabregas Aston Villa - Barry Birmingham - McSheffrey Blackburn - McCarthy Bolton - Anelka Chelsea - Drogba Derby - Barnes Everton - Lescott Fulham - McBride Liverpool - Gerrard Man City - Richards Man Utd - Ronaldo Middlesbrough - Woodgate Newcastle - Owen Portsmouth - Distin Reading - Shorey Sunderland - Edwards Tottenham - Berbatov West Ham - Tevez Wigan - Baines

pmsl at Everton being a physical team. Must be all those monsters in the midfield like Leon Osman.

Where the fuck is Ebbsfleet?