Retaining stars was key to hopes

Jul 11 2007 Blue Watch by Mark O'Brien, Liverpool Daily Post

Tim Cahill, in action for Everton FC _158

WHILE Everton seem so far determined not to enter into any crazy bidding wars for players, presumably disappointing the likes of Jason Koumas and David Nugent, who seem Wigan and Portsmouth bound, there are still some positive signs regarding next season’s squad.

Obviously there’s the signing of Phil Jagielka, whose price would presumably have been inflated like that of the other players mentioned if it wasn’t for the get-out clause in his contract at Bramall Lane.

It doesn’t seem clear where he will play yet if everyone is fit, but his now famous versatility will provide cover right across the defence and in the defensive midfield positions for the Blues.

There’s also the news that Tim Cahill is finally back playing and doing what he does best, scoring goals, as he saved Australia’s blushes with his late equaliser for his country against Oman earlier in the week. Finishing sixth represented a fairly respectable season last time out, and it’s worth wondering if Everton might have ended up even higher up the standings had it not been for the amount of time that Cahill missed with injuries.

What price would he command in the present market as well, with his energy, aggression and almost limitless supply of goals from midfield? Especially when Nigel Reo-Coker is considered to be worth in the region of £8million.

Even without Everton making another signing - and they probably will - the thought of Mikel Arteta, Andy Johnson, James Vaughan and Cahill all running at opposition defences is one to look forward to.

Even Andy van der Meyde, apparently unwanted by anyone in Europe, is promising to make an impact next season. Unfortunately though, most people remain somewhat sceptical about the Dutchman. In fact, if new beginnings were goals then the ex-Inter man would win the golden boot, so we will just have to wait and see whether with a decent pre-season he can actually begin to earn his keep and at least show some glimpses of the ability that made him a Holland international.

IT’S often asked why footballers need so many agents and advisers, however, when you hear Jamie Carragher’s outburst directed at Talksport’s Adrian Durham live on air it’s hard not to consider that the player might have been wise to seek some advice from someone with a bit of media savvy before picking up the phone.

The Liverpool defender is well within his rights to retire from international football if he thinks it’s the right thing for his career, and Durham, who knows little about Carragher or what it takes to be a very successful professional athlete, is typical of the pontificating talking heads masquerading as experts on the airwaves these days.

It mustn’t be pleasant to be branded a ‘bottler’ either, especially by some tiresome shock-jock, but by essentially offering him a straightener at Melwood he did play into Durham’s hands somewhat, surrendering the moral high ground and giving the network plenty of free publicity.

You wonder who advises William Gallas as well, when you read some of the comments he comes out with.

It wasn’t so long ago that the Frenchman was threatening to score an own-goal if he wasn’t granted a move away from Chelsea, the biggest spending club around. Which makes his comments about now being unhappy at Arsenal, because of their lack of activity in the transfer market, all the more bizarre.

He made the remarks on his own website as well, so the age old excuse that foreign players always use, of being misinterpreted in L’Equipe, France Football or Ekstra Bladet - Thomas Gravesen’s favourite whinge-rag - won’t wash this time for the overrated French stopper.