Why David Moyes won’t leave Everton for Aston Villa

[...] The Goodison manager is unlikely to turn his back on the Blues, even if Villa Park has its attractions. Why? Because, even after a poor start to the new campaign, Everton are on the verge of big things.

It has taken the best part of a decade for Moyes to build a side that is capable of sustaining a challenge for the top four, and competing with the elite in the Premier League.

[...] He feels he owes it to this fine squad of players he has built up, to see the job through, and give it a shot at seeing where they can end up.He also feels that Villa are not a bigger club than Everton, and don’t have a better squad either. If he leaves Merseyside, then it would only be for a side with a massive financial advantage over his current club.

Villa don’t have that. Lerner would love Moyes, but precisely because he can operate on a limited budget. If the Scots boss is to move on, then it would only be for a massively increased transfer budget.

In the mean time, he will try to take Everton to the places he is convinced they can go. And if he can do that in the next couple of seasons, then he would he a real contender to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, if and when he chooses to step down from the Old Trafford hot seat.

It’s hardly groundbreaking stuff - most football fans would acknowledge that the only thing that could tempt Moyes from Everton would be an obviously bigger club - essentially one already involved in the Champions League - or an obviously bigger transfer budget. It is common sense, and as a rare commodity at the Mirror’s sports desk, we’re grateful for it.

We’re also disappointed. Disappointed that is, that Maddock either wasn’t around or wasn’t forthcoming when Alan Dixon decided to splash this ‘Exclusive’ across their front page the previous day:

Moyes linked with Villa job - Exclusive

Everton have no money to give Moyes for the striker he wants and even selling players would not guarantee he would be given the funds to improve them the way he wants.

There were a flood of bets on Moyes to get the job yesterday, but the key to the move will be whether there is real money at Villa for him to spend.

So an exclusive based on betting odds shortening and people at Villa wanting him? No surprise there given his track record at Everton. But how good is the scoop really? Does them being interested really have any relevance, something suggested by vague “reports that he is growing tired of working on a shoestring at Goodison Park”?

As Dixon later suggests, there are caveats as to whether the exclusive will actually come to reflect reality:

So, is there real money at Villa for him to spend? David Maddock is pretty adamant that Moyes would only leave “for a side with a massive financial advantage over his current club” and that “Villa don’t have that”, an argument based on evidence that has been there for all to see over the last few years rather than a revelation from the day between Dixon’s exclusive and Maddock’s column.

Dixon even concedes this point himself based on evidence, such as O’Neill’s resignation:

Owner Randy Lerner eventually parted with O’Neill over cutbacks in spending and Moyes is unlikely to jump from the frying pan to the fire by going there if funds are low.

Good point. Probably shouldn’t make a big song and dance over an exclusive linking Moyes to Villa when all the logic flies against it, so much so that your colleague is busy beavering away over a whole column dedicated to why it won’t happen.

Still, at least that wasn’t their only big exclusive on transfer deadline day. Darren Lewis, take a bow:

Spurs plotting shock Adebayor swoop - Exclusive

Mirror Sport understands talks have taken place at the highest level with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy prepared to sanction a loan deal and payment of nearly half the 26-year-old’s £170,000-a-week salary.

[...]

Redknapp has been linked with moves for Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano, Villareal forward Giuseppi Rossi and AC Milan hitman Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Spurs boss Redknapp has already shown, with his signing of defender William Gallas, that he has no problem bringing in players across the north London divide.

But he is a massive fan of Adebayor and Spurs have been pushing City hard for a deal.”

Another column could have been dedicated to reasons why that deal wouldn’t come off, not least the frequently cited claim that City wouldn’t let Bellamy to go Spurs as they were rivals for the Champions League places.  Maybe that nagging concern prompted them to stab similarly in the dark at Luis Fabiano, Giuseppi Rossi and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. Still, Rafael Van der Vaart - kind of the same.

Lastly, today we got proof that the Mirror believe in the age-old maxim of “if at first you don’t succeed…” with this cracking exclusive:

Curbs moves to front of Villa job queue - Exclusive

Alan Curbishley’s hopes of landing the Aston Villa job have been boosted after talks with the club.

Villa owner Randy Lerner returns to Birmingham today to weigh up his options on who should replace Martin O’Neill.

But just in case…

Curbishley’s fellow out-of-work bosses Gianfranco Zola, Gerard Houllier, Sven Goran Eriksson and Gareth Southgate are also very keen.

Guys without jobs interested in good job? Who knew?

Jonathan Agnew column, Evening Standard, Tuesday 31st August:

It would be a crying shame if Mohammad Amir were kicked out for life

The case of Mohammad Amir is so sad but maybe it is the case we needed. We have all delighted in what he has done on the cricket field this summer, and his skills with the ball are amazing — the best I have ever seen from an 18-year-old.

If Amir were to be found guilty, I would hate it if he were banned for life, as some are calling for him to be.

Of course, should the allegations of spot-fixing be proven, there would have to be a fair punishment, but you could argue that a naive teenager should not be punished in the same way as someone who has been around the block a few times.

There are those, though, who would say that you could not have different punishments for the same alleged offence. We are left with a very difficult situation. It is important to remember that the allegations against Amir, and his team-mates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, remain unproven. But it would be a crying shame if Amir were lost to cricket for some moment of madness or some intolerable pressure placed upon him.

It would be a crying shame: he’s an incdreibly talented bowler with the potantial to follow in the footsteps of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as a true great. If the accusations are proven, many people have voiced their opinion on what the punishment should be. Agnew is entitled to his opinion - that he would hate it if he were banned for life - something he points out many people are calling for.

Here’s an example of somebody calling for the punishment he would hate:

Jonathan Agnew column, BBC Sport, Sunday 29th August:

The investigation, for the good of cricket, has to be thorough and absolute. The game cannot afford for this to be swept under the carpet and if that means Pakistan, when this tour comes to an end, must serve a temporary exile from international cricket then so be it.

In the case of Amir, who is 18, it is terrible that a supremely talented youngster could be exposed to this. He is a delightful bowler with terrific skills. How sad it would be if it turns out his career is wrecked, but if anyone is involved in corruption he must be banned for life.

So in summary, Evening Standard Agnew would hate it if Amir was banned for life, as some people, including BBC Sport Agnew, are calling for. Basically because he’s pretty damn good, and he’s young and naive and didn’t know better like the older Asif and Butt: it’s not all black and white. Unless it’s Sunday and you’re writing for the BBC and “if anyone is involved in corruption he must be banned for life.”

Got it?

Top rumour-mongering from the Mirror as the possible transfers of Mark Schwarzer and Shay Given continue to not really move along very much at all, and need a fresh injection of angle:

Schwarzer sale to spark keeper merry-go-round

Arsene Wenger wants to tie up a £2.5m deal for Mark Schwarzer in time for the visit of Blackpool on Saturday.

And that is likely to pave the way for Fulham to make a move for Manchester City’s Shay Given to be Schwarzer’s replacement.

Two issues here.

First of all, that’s not a merry-go-round. The very term, flawed as it is, at least implies a certain circularity. That’s the ‘go round’ aspect of the merry-go-round.

What John Cross (bless) has done is identify two transfers.

One player leaves, and instead of doing nothing about it, the selling club will buy a replacement.

Second of all, the merry-go-round-ness of this story has lost its merry lustre since it was published all the way back in the long-forgotten days of, well, last week:

August 11 - Villa move for Manuel Almunia as keeper merry-go-round cranks up

Aston Villa are preparing a shock move to bring Manuel Almunia to Villa Park as the goalkeeping merry go-round takes another twist.

A triangle of moves is set start with Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer joining Arsenal and Villa’s Brad Friedel moving down to Craven Cottage to replace him.

That would leave managerless Villa without a keeper, but they are keen to sign Almunia, even though he struggled last season and made a number of crucial blunders.

So Villa are no longer in the market for a keeper and Brad Friedel is not heading to west London - and Shay Given is a new entry at number 1. Well, at least the Mirror isn’t rigidly trying to stick to a story that absolutely doesn’t work.

Incidentally, Bushbird, who points out that Villa have no intention of releasing Friedel, asks in the comments section of this rumour:

Can I bill your editor for the time it has taken me to correct your shoddy workmanship?

Tried that, Bushbird – apparently, no, you can’t.

WE reported on Saturday that Wayne Rooney was spending £10,000 on under floor heating for luxury dog kennels at his Cheshire home.

In fact, there are no dog kennels at his home and thus no under floor heating has been installed. We apologise for the mistake.

Mesut Ozil could be going to Manchester United. The Daily Mail have evidence. Not evidence like quotes or press releases or even a hush-hush tip-off from someone loosely connected with Old Trafford, but this:

Manchester United to confirm Mesut Ozil? Club website adds German star to their squad

Mesut Ozil apparently looks all set to join Manchester United - after the club’s website placed a template of his profile among their first team.

The club have not confirmed the signing, but the profile on the site has only fuelled rumors that the Werder Bremen play-maker is on his way to Old Trafford.

Good…

Yet United have moved quickly to pour cold water on the imminent arrival of one of the world’s hottest talents, dismissing the e-error as little more than a technical glitch.

Don’t let that stop you publishing this in a newspaper though.

It is still not known if the profile has appeared as a result of the site being hacked but the profile can still be accessed by clicking here.

And indeed it can, but rather than speculating as to whether United’s website had been hacked, how about a little journalism to find out? How about even a modicum of common sense?

That responsibility is left to the readers, who astutely point out how this profile has come about.

The URL has a five digit number at the end. Change it and every player under the sun comes up with a profile on there. Jermaine Beckford is 94203, Jack Rodwell is 94330, Miguel Veloso is 94329, Mario Balotelli is 94388, etc.

It means absolutely nothing and it is automatically generated whenever any opposition player plays against United or if they are featured in the “what the papers say” articles.

Tim, Manchester

Thanks, Tim in Manchester. The irony that this profile page only exists because of another rumour is delicious, by the way.

]]> http://www.sportwithoutspin.com/2010/08/12/poor-foundations-for-a-rumour-the-club-websites-profile-pages/feed/ http://www.sportwithoutspin.com/2010/08/11/a-not-especially-disconcerting-or-evidence-based-addiction/ http://www.sportwithoutspin.com/2010/08/11/a-not-especially-disconcerting-or-evidence-based-addiction/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:43:28 +0000 Sport without Spin http://www.sportwithoutspin.com/?p=4132 Horror story about footballers to shake  you to the core this morning in the Daily Star:

FOOTBALL stars are so addicted to video games they are wrecking their performances, it was claimed.

… and probably not checked.

They stay up into the early hours playing the night before important matches.

And sports psychotherapist Steve Pope says Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal stars have all had problems.

So it’s his claim, then? If you’re getting the story direct from him, we’d advise pressing for details and maybe even some evidence. If you’re not, then question whether it’s just a PR release rehashed and churned. Don’t print it.

Joe Cole, 28, David James, 40, and Cesc Fabregas, 23, have admitted in the past to spending hours glued to their consoles.

With these words we’re not really passing judgement on the previous sentence. We’re just delaying you briefly until you get to the punchline of the Star’s article.

But there is no indication they are among those receiving help or that their game has suffered.

Amazing. Wow, imagine if Fabregas’ game had been suffering all the while? He’d be about four times the player Maradona was, or something. Still, if there is ‘no indication they are among those receiving help or that their game has suffered’, our advice would be not to reference them, then. At all. It would be the equivalent of suggesting that footballers are addicted to smoking, and then plastering that one picture of Wayne Rooney having one cigarette over every page until it loses all meaning. Hey, wait…

Mr Pope said: “I have worked with players in the top four clubs of the Premier League, two Championship clubs and my local side, Fleetwood Town.

Whilst we’re sure that Steve Pope is a lovely bloke, this really does bring to mind “New York, Paris, Peckham”. Steve’s website has plenty of stories about his work with Fleetwood and Northwich Victoria, considerably less about his Premier League work. Why not promote it a bit more? Still, why worry about that when you have a chance to hear an anecdote about an anonymous player who may have been a player from the Premier League, the Championship or Fleetwood Town?

“We were travelling with one player who had played a video game for seven hours on the coach. He hadn’t taken any fluids on board and hadn’t eaten.

“He’d then gone to his room and missed the Friday evening talk and meal. They all seem to love Modern Warfare 2.”

Our advice to said manager would be that’s a discipline issue as much as an addiction issue. Seriously, make the boy stop and have  a drink.

And herein endeth the article. We’ve learned that some footballers like to play video games. We’ve learned that some are addicted, though not the only players who are mentioned. Hmmm.

Yet again you personally put in a terrific performance in front of a watching Fabio Capello – any point in him ringing you again?

Things Paul Scholes didn’t say in reply:

Yes, Geoff. Definitely. I mean, when he asked me to come out of retirement for the World Cup at the age of 35 and I said no, I was in a completely different place. I’d played one fewer professional match. Besides, it was May, for heaven’s sake. Not August like it is now. No, the lure of South Africa and possible glory (hey, it seemed that way before we actually started) was not enough, but the prospect of a pre-season friendly against Hungary… well, count me in. I’d considered retiring at the end of last season, this season will probably be my last, but instead I’ll play for another two years and come out of international retirement to go to Euro 2012. Assuming that the media don’t bark like rabid dogs until Capello is removed from the position and England are destabilised to the point that they don’t qualify.

Things Paul Scholes did say:

No, I don’t think so.

The executive editor of Sky Sports News, Andy Cairns, is not one of Britain’s most high-profile journalists. Yet he oversees a national newsroom of 140 staff tasked with breaking stories around the clock. Don’t turn on SSN and expect to see the sort of famous ex-players who host Match of the Day or analyse Test matches. “We go for journalists,” says Cairns. “We are a news channel.”

In fact, he’s such a stickler for reporting standards that he’s in talks with the National Council for the Training of Journalists to refine courses for those who aspire to careers in sports news. It’s not greater expertise in technical gadgetry that he’s demanding. “Accuracy. You can’t beat accuracy,” he says, complaining of the decline in training opportunities on regional newspapers. “With all the difficult names in the Sri Lankan cricket team, and the Slovakians now playing in the [football] Championship, you have got to get them right.”

[...] With so much space to fill, the channel is vulnerable to those who might try to exploit it to further an agenda. Cairns admits that football agents will attempt to feed the channel stories of transfer rumours that can add to the value of their clients. The rumours are bound to increase later this month with the approach of football’s transfer “Deadline Day”, one of the highlights of SSN’s year. “You should do the proper journalism and put the checks in,” Cairns says, adding that what the channel does not broadcast is as important as what it does. Presumably he does not wish to attract the nickname that BBC journalists like to attach to the fast-moving Sky News: “Never wrong for long.”

We hope that journalistic accuracy amounts to more than spelling Sri Lankan cricketers’ names correctly, but we assume that is what Cairns means.

Not sure it quite fits with the story related in the serialisation of Robbie Savage’s autobiography. Savage, to set the scene, is agitating for a move from Birmingham to Blackburn, and he’s being beyond obnoxious about it:

I got a piece of paper and wrote “Dear Steve, this is a written transfer request, Sav”. I had it in my hand when I knocked on his door. As soon as Brucie saw me, he knew. I handed over the request, and he got up, opened the door and didn’t say anything.

Later he told me to go home for a couple of days. I phoned a mate at Sky and told him: “Listen, I’m going to go into the training ground on the lads’ day off. I’ll be there on my own, training on my own. Film it and it will look like I’ve been banned from the first team.”

The Sky crew turned up, filmed me doing a very good impression of a lonely professional and there it was on breaking news – Robbie Savage has been made to train on his own.

It was out there in the public domain. The truth was I only trained with the kids once or twice and it wasn’t a punishment.

The world can be a strange, troubling place when you’re 19. At least the sweet sweet feeling of being  a top level footballer can make up for that (assuming you’re Mario Balotelli). And money. Yeah, money. Lots of it.

But exactly how much is lots? You see, for people who don’t seem to have any idea at all, the press have devoted quite a bit of time and column inches to spurious guesses as they debate terms of a possible move to Manchester City. Let’s take a quick look:

Mirror, July 21st - City’s Balotelli bid stalls over wage demands

Mario Balotelli has put the brakes on a switch to Manchester City from Inter Milan because the club won’t meet his £80,000-a-week wage demands.

Balotelli’s agent Mino Raiola met City officials yesterday and was disappointed that the two sides could not reach agreement.

So Balotelli has demanded £80,000 per week, and City won’t pay it. That seems… clear.

Mirror, July 26th - Balotelli snubs Utd to join City

He may be loathed in Milan, but Mario Balotelli will be loved in the blue half of Manchester after snubbing Sir Alex Ferguson to join City.

And not only did he shun Fergie, sources close to the striker claim he said no to a bigger pay packet at Old Trafford.

Ferguson was quietly working behind the scenes on a move for Balotelli and was prepared to offer him more than the £65,000-a-week he has agreed with Manchester City.

If he’s the money-driven type, it seems strange that Balotelli would have in the space of a week dropped his wage demands for City while spurning a better cash offer to play for the club that can offer him Champions League football. Then again, perhaps United are only shoehorned into the story to provide a local rivalry angle.

Whatever is behind this article, the one thing we can surely agree on is that Balotelli has quite clearly joined Manchester City.

On July 26th.

Except that, of course, here we are on August 5th, and City are still Balotelli-less.

So what’s happened in the meantime? Let’s consult those sages at the Daily Mail (who in turn have consulted the gurus at ESPN Soccernet):

Daily Mail, August 5th - Mario Balotelli’s £180k-a-week demands put Manchester City move from Inter Milan in doubt

Manchester City’s frustrating pursuit of Mario Balotelli has stalled because of outlandish wage demands, it has been claimed.

The ambitious Barclays Premier League club thought they were closing in on deal with Inter Milan worth an initial £24million last week, with a five-year deal on the table believed to be worth £65,000 a week.

However, the delay has been put down the 19-year-old’s representatives asking for a deal that would make Balotelli among the very best-paid players at Eastlands.

The Italy Under 21 international wants £180,000 a week, plus extra for image rights, according to ESPN Soccernet.

So then, from demanding £80,000 per week to accepting £65,000 per week to demanding £180,000 per week? No wonder we’re all confused.

Some decidely average reporting of the fairly simple story that former Barcelona player Gai Assulin has been on trial at Manchester City and may sign for them. The Mirror doesn’t think that’s interesting enough in its own right, though:

Manchester City set to land Barcelona midfielder

Big-spending Manchester City are ready to snap up £34million-rated Barcelona kid Gai Assulin – for nothing.

Now, let’s be very clear from the off: “£34million-rated” is one of the more sensationalist adjectival phrases the Mirror could have used here. If we were actually talking that sum, then that would make him more expensive than Yaya Toure, who coincidentally is a midfield player that Manchester City have signed from Barcelona this season - a midfielder who has actually played a league game for Barcelona. Is he a £34m-rated player? Well, why not judge that by the headline? Yes, they refer to Assulin as “Barcelona midfielder” rather than by his name. He’s that anonymous. That’s alright, of course - he’s only 19, and he’s not broken into the first team. Just don’t call him a £34m player.

The 19-year-old Israeli attacking midfielder has arrived for talks about a surprise move to City after cancelling his contract with Barca where he had the sky-high valuation in his deal.

And certainly don’t explain why the previous sentence was nonsense the very next line! All players in Spain have a buy-out clause in their contract - by and large they are designed to be prohibitively high - a ludicrous valuation meaning that should it ever be matched the selling club would be running around doing Henman fist pumps and celebrating with their bank managers. It’s why, for instance, Cristiano Ronaldo could be bought at any time whether Madrid like it or not - but (if you believe Marca) only for €1bn.

And when the Mirror says that Assulin arrives at City “after cancelling his contract with Barca”, well, suffice to say that’s not necessarily a fair reflection of how things were. Here’s an alternative version from Haaretz, an Israeli paper, which even has quotes from Assulin himself and everything:

The young midfielder began fantasizing about doubles passes with Lio Messi and Andres Iniesta. This summer, however, that dream was shelved, “but not shattered,” Assulin emphasizes. Barcelona wanted to sign him to a three-year extension, but “it wasn’t a real professional contract,” he says.

In a meeting with Assulin’s father, Eli Assulin, Barcelona officials proposed a deal that did not include a guarantee that his son would be added to the senior team’s roster. Rather, the Catalan club hoped to ensure its proprietorship of the player. The club sought to sign Assulin and then loan him to another club in Spain for one season, after which the midfielder would return to the B team, where he has played the last two seasons. It was an offer that fell short of Assulin’s expectations, which include furthering his career rather than running in place.

“I didn’t even get into a discussion about money and the numbers,” Assulin says. “I refused the offer. I feel I’m ripe to begin my professional career and play for the senior team. I dreamed of getting into Barcelona’s senior team, but I believe that everything happens for a reason.”

“It may very well be that if I had got into the senior team I would have done myself a disservice and perhaps harmed my career,” he says. “I’m leaving Barcelona with a heavy heart. I was lucky enough to experience things that very few people get to experience, and I’ll miss every moment I spent in this magical place. It’s difficult for me to accept the fact that I won’t be there anymore.”

Incidentally, the title of this story is From Penthouse to Outhouse - don’t tell City fans if that’s where Assulin ends up. But the important point is this. Barcelona did offer him a new deal, but it didn’t meet Assulin’s expectations. His current contract ran down, and he did not sign a new one. No cancelling involved. And to return to the Mirror’s ridiculous transfer value angle, if Barcelona felt that a reasonable contract to offer included a year’s loan and then no promise of first team involvement, they probably don’t ‘rate’ him as being worth £34m.

Anyway, now we’ve addressed those little pieces of spin, the Mirror continues:

Assulin could be signed up and sent out on loan as the mega-bucks club try to bring through the next generation of players and avoid spending millions in future.

Ha! Don’t tell him about the loan, though! Otherwise he might have better off staying at Barcelona and being loaned out from there. That would mean ‘from Penthouse to Outhouse to Championship Loan Deal’.