It feels like you are subtly moving the goal posts. I can see that the difference between 8 months and 18 months on a contract is significant, that isnt what we are talking about, we are talking about player ages. And the 28-30-32 age watersheds you have cited are IMO utterly arbitrary. There are big differences between the situations of Baines and Rooney that revolve around their marketability, their ability, their "loyalty". A ten month age difference is not a deciding factor IMO. Anyway, cheers for responding to my question, I was interested to hear your take on the differences between the two situations.
Leighton Baines
- Thread starter ::sonny::
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Of course there are other factors, but 10 months is a big one.
Glad he's staying there now. It's not my money but the potential figures needed to get him just didn't make sense in my head for a player who will most likely fade into the mist in 3-4 years as is the case with most full-backs.
Lets just hope we can get one of our alternatives i.e Luke Shaw (fingers crossed)
We do need a left-back, and Baines is one of the best in the league but this wasn't the right deal for us IMO. I'm sure Evertonians are delighted he's committed his future to them.
fantastic news. after agreeing the Mata deal that the best bit of business we have done so far
Should his loyalty be applauded or is he a little bit small-time? I'm veering to the latter. Everton may be doing well right now, but the grim reality is that their lack of resources will hurt them going forward. The rest have so much more to spend. I'm surprised he didn't push for this.
Well it wouldnt be the first time he shied away from big things. Remember he didnt want to go the World Cup and play for his country because he said he will be 'homesick'. Thats the dumbest thing I have heard a footballer say.
Ha ha, did he actually say that? I didnt hear about that. Bloody hell. You have to question the temperament of someone who says that.
Very interesting question though @Kag on the question of loyalty. One man's loyalty is another man's lack of ambition. I dont think there is any right answer to it, it is entirely in the eye of the beholder.
Didn't he turn down Bayern one time too?
It's so rare to see these days that I'd prefer to admire it. Similar things were said about Le Tissier as well.
DI Canio is another that springs to mind, and to a lesser extent zola, just for their level of talent/club they were at.
I think it was last chance saloon to push for a move in the summer. Baines has been a late developer and had a small window to try himself at a top club. Loyalty should always be applauded
Me too. I certainly dont hold it against him. Its not like he is wasting his talents at some no-marks lower division club, he is playing in the premiership for a team with realistic ambitions of getting into the CL. If he is happy there then good for him.
Some good points made. On Le Tissier, did anybody ever bid for him, considering how good he was meant to have been?
You could also make the argument that Everton were closer to challenging for the title till this point than we have been, so even if he pushed for a move to a big club it may have been a sideways move.
Hard to say. I remember us getting linked with him but that was presumably just tabloid back page nonsense. Someone must have tried to get him though.
4 years too old unfortunately. best LB in the league for a few years now, but no need for us to splash out money for a 30 year old fullback.
Splitting hairs but he's not 30. He only turned 29 last month.
this is temporary though. Im sure next season will be different.
I'm pretty sure Chelsea did at one point, but he didn't see any particular reason to leave Saints.
83 pages .... thank goodness this thread can pretty much be closed now. I like Baines but, at 29 for a defender, I've always thought it was the wrong move for us. Hopefully now we'll go gung ho on Shaw - can't comment on hoping on the Athletico guy since not really watched him play.
P.S. Hoping Moyes told - him "oh yeah we don't want you any more, we've got bigger plans".
P.S. Hoping Moyes told - him "oh yeah we don't want you any more, we've got bigger plans".
To be fair he asked Everton to let him leave in the summer. Having seen the respective fortunes of the 2 teams since it's no surprise he's changed his mind.
Lucky escape here, he's wank.
He wasn't even bad in the first half.
His offensive contribution has been far better this half. I don't even think his positional play has been that bad, but he's physically overpowered too easily.
He never impressed at top flight level. He's Everton level just as his former manager Moyes and his former team mate Fellaini.
He has been woeful, Shaw should have played, or a left sided centreback, whoever! Shame we didn't have Cole.
Ashley Cole should have played in this world cup. England's only world class player over the past decade and they drop him unceremoniously without him having a poor game for England.
Just goes to show how wasteful the Shaw inclusion is, there would of been a big push for Cole to play in this game....and he would of been considered, which Shaw wasn't at all. Taking players for experience is only useful if you haven't got others you are going to consider on backup.
Problem, I genuinely believe Shaw would be a natural on this occasion, same for the CL. More so than say Barkley too, who's obviously fearless, but due to the nature of his position, mistakes will happen more often due to that. Hope Shaw starts against Costa Rica, Baines has been very below par, probably homesick too. Johnson surprised though, great stuff in the setup of Rooney, and had other decent moments.
Problem, I genuinely believe Shaw would be a natural on this occasion, same for the CL. More so than say Barkley too, who's obviously fearless, but due to the nature of his position, mistakes will happen more often due to that. Hope Shaw starts against Costa Rica, Baines has been very below par, probably homesick too. Johnson surprised though, great stuff in the setup of Rooney, and had other decent moments.
He's been pretty poor positionally in both games. Glad we didn't spunk a load of cash on him...
Get Shaw in the team for the final game. Baines will be the same age Ashley Cole is now when the next World cup comes around.
We dodged a bullet, he isn't good enough at the highest level.
Thank feck we never got him 
shaw should start the next game, plan for the future right away. baines is out of his depth at this stage.
Baines really looked out of place completely in these two matches. A mistake from Hodgson not to bring in Cole. In hindsight, but i mean that's his job to pick players that can cope, Baines just could not. In both matches he offered very little in attack and was not solid in defence.
Out of his depth at the elite level. Slow, uncoordinated and struggles without the football being catered for his talents. We did, indeed, dodge a bullet.