Manny For Everton
As the rumours start to build and the names become ever more unrealistic (although the Owen rumour may have legs, preferably ones without dodgy hamstrings) there is one player who has impressed me more and more over the last few weeks. The young midfielder causes a massive divide in opinion amongst the fans, so I can only imagine the indecision is magnified ten fold in the mind of our outstanding manager.
Manuel Fernandes is the type of player Everton need, even at around £8 million.
What seems like a ridiculous statement given his relative inconsistency is one which I will back to the hilt and one which I hope Mr Moyes agrees with.
Admittedly he struggled for form and ability to keep hold of the ball when he returned from Spain, yet one argument you could never level at him is that he shunned his responsibilities. The knack to find a yard of space and demand posession is a quality all top midfielders have, and is something we see in Manny at a higher level than anyone since Dacourt delighted the Street End.
A player whom is both good on and off the ball is a major asset in any midfield, particularly one which is lacking in height and pace as ours is. With the Moyes' additions of Cahill, Pienaar, Arteta and Fernandes the Everton midfield is full of players who both want the ball and can deal with it once it is received.
Our excellent display on Sunday against the smallest club in Newcastle whetted the apetite for what this team can achieve, and that was without two of our best midfielders. Fernandes was excellent throughout and demonstrated perfectly what he can bring to this squad, at 22 years old there should be even more to come.
Which remindes me. Please Mikel I beg you, let Manny have his fair share of corners and free kicks. We all saw on Sunday the difference a quality dead ball player can make and if Fernandes is allowed to compete with Arteta for the kicks and I am sure we will see a marked improvement overall.
A lack of height and therefore alternative transfer targets, together with a possible lack of resources may mean my Manny wishes will never come true. I argue how can we afford a 22 year old full international with proven Premier League quality slip through our fingers and back into the abyss of the Spanish league?
This young player delighted on his first fleeting visit, let us make his second visit a permanent return to the big time for both club and player.
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Agreed on many points Tay. He does have a bit of Ollie Dac about him.
But didn't all this swash-buckling come a bit late in the day (or rather in time for the Best of..clips his agent will now be whoring around Europe?)
I certainly won't be gutted if he is still here next season.
Ability is unquestioned but attitude is another matter....
Looked dis-interested at times.
I agree Tay
We've got enough hard working grafters in the side to cover for any slackness from Fernandes. Yes he had a slow start on his return, not helped by injuries and not playing competative football for 6 months, but he has the qualities our midfield sorely lack at times, especially with Arteta & Cahill missing.
He does lose the ball now and then, which is frustrating, but I'd argue Pienaar loses it just as much, and he's been one of our outstanding performers this season (2 million, unbelievable!)
Against Newcastle, Fernandes ran the show, setting up two of the three goals, and was unlucky not to score himself with some spectacular set pieces and strikes. He also set up Osmans goal against Derby, and was involved in the majority of our chances in the past 7 or so games of our abysmal spell.
If he was playing in the team who beat Sunderland 7-1 he'd look a lot better, surrounded by Arteta & Cahill, but the whole team struggled for form towards the end of the season with two of our most crucial players missing.
His attitude can certainly be questioned, but the same could have been said of Yakubu when he first signed, and look how he has turned out. Moyes is renowned for getting the best out of players who aren't showing their full ability..Arteta & Pienaar being other examples, who were deemed flops at their previous clubs and have shined at Everton.
The technical ability Fernandes posseses can't be tought, hard work and graft can, and there's no better man to teach it than David Moyes.
Manny is only 22, people seem to forget that. Given time he can develop into an oustanding player...it's taken Osman until the age of 26 to realise his full potential.
12 million would be a lot to ask, but if Moyes pulls off a coup of getting him on loan for a further 12 months, or buys at a cheaper price, it's a risk worth taking I reckon.