The BBC reports that Stubbs, Pistone, and Watson are all leaving Goodison after declining to sign 1-yr contracts: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/e/everton/4641391.stm I know we're bringing in some good new players, but still, it makes me a little uneasy to see so much of last season's defense leave. Will any of the newcomers play as well for us as Alan Stubbs has? Perhaps, but I wouldn't count on it. Yobo, for instance, came to us with impressive credentials, but has only had moderate success here. To me, this wholesale change of the defense is an unnecessarily risky move. I guess we just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope Moyes knows what he's doing.
I don't think there's much Moyes can do about it, other than pay them money that they aren't worth. Pistone is crap, despite his major improvement this season. Watson... well, I hold an unnecessary grudge against him so I don't care if he goes. I'll miss Stubbs, but what more can he really expect than another year? He's ancient and we shouldn't lock ourselves into paying him for a couple more years. The turnover in defense makes me nervous. If it ain't broke...
Change is good. However, let's see who we have in the back... Naysmith Weir Kroldup Hibbert We only have Yobo on the bench. OMG! We definitely need more defenders!! It would have been nice to keep Stubbsy or Watson on for coverage. But, there is some potential to get some money from these guys. (Fingers crossed!!) Trust in Moyes.
You'd have to assume our back-4 will look like this as it stands: (L-R) Naysmith-Kroldrup-Yobo-Hibbert It's only Naysmith there that really worries me.
Stubbs sucks i don't know why u sukers like him remember wen he practically 'gave' baros the ball to score? that was idiotic. if you ask me he deserved that 'career-ending' tackle baros gave him. it was to punish him for his mistakes. Kroldup and Yobo are good younger defenders who will help us in the ELP and CL.