What The Papers Say - 26 January

A round up of the day's Everton-related paper talk.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, who is on the verge of leaving Everton, has criticised the club's style of play and lack of creativity as he prepares to complete a move to Spartak Moscow.

Bilyaletdinov, who has had mixed success in the Premier League since signing for around £9 million on a five-year contract in August 2009, also said that foreign players were treated differently to English players in this country.

The 26 year-old is expected to complete a medical in Moscow on Thursday before putting pen to paper on a transfer worth an estimated £4 million, but before leaving he aimed a parting shot at his current employers, who are lying 14th in the Premier League.

Bilyaletdinov contrasted what he saw as the "attacking, entertaining football" played by Spartak as one of the main reasons behind his move.

"Naturally, it attracts me," he said. "This is exactly what Everton have been missing lately. The team has problems with creating scoring chances, and converting them."

The winger encountered similar problems. He notched up just nine goals and nine assists during his 2½ years at Goodison Park. He has started just seven of Everton's 22 league games this season, and has sought a move so he can play European football and boost his hopes of playing for Russia at Euro 2012.

Everton face a battle with at least three other Premier League clubs if they want to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Adrien Silva.

Blackburn, Sunderland and Swansea are all interested in signing the player, with the Portuguese club set to place a £5million valuation on him.

Everton boss David Moyes has been to Portugal to watch Silva, who is currenly on loan at Academica, and ideally he would like to take him on loan for the rest of the season.

Blackburn, Sunderland and Swansea could all do with something extra in midfield as they head into the final crucial months of the season. Blackburn could use Chris Samba to finance any deal.
Silva, 22, is a highly rated playmaker, and was a regular in the Portugal U21 team last season.

 

TIM HOWARD wants Everton to enjoy the Friday feeling and take a step nearer a return to "magical" Wembley.

David Moyes's side entertain Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Cup looking to improve on a recent run of just three wins in their last 11 games.

Excluding the festive or Easter period, it is Everton's first game on a Friday night since the 2-0 FA Cup third round win at Leeds United back in January 1985.

And Howard believes the unusual date can engender a good atmosphere inside Goodison.
"I think it'll be cool, something a bit different coming at the end of a working week for all our supporters," said the goalkeeper.

"It's unique, a Cup game, and I think it'll all add to the sense of occasion and make it exciting.

"I can imagine they'll be right up for it, and if we can get a result it just adds to their weekend."
Everton have already tasted Wembley under Moyes, appearing under the arch twice on their run to the final and eventual defeat to Chelsea in 2009.

And of a repeat, Howard adds: "That'd be great, but it'll be hard. Just like the year we got to the final you could never have predicted it.

"The draws always come out so differently and you just need to hang in there, and stay in round by round. What happens at the end is the icing and what we all want, so sure we visualise it, but the biggest thing is getting past Fulham.

"It's so hard to predict. Get through this round, then we can see what happens.

"It was magical at Wembley. Beating Man United in the semi-final, then Louis scoring so early on in the final - it's a magical time."

Meanwhile, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov admits he never truly adapted to playing in England as he prepares to leave Everton.

Bilyaletdinov is on the verge of returning to Russia with the finishing touches being applied to a £5million move to Spartak Moscow.

And the winger, who arrived at Goodison for £9m from Lokomotiv Moscow in August 2009, said he prefers Spartak's "attacking, entertaining football" and said: "That's exactly what Everton have lacked recently. The team also have problems creating chances and converting them.

"A whole load of circumstances were against me. It's not that easy to be a foreign player in England, you have to meet certain requirements. Local players are forgiven certain things, but foreigners aren't."

Tickets are still available for tomorrow's FA Cup tie with Fulham, which kicks off at 8pm. Prices start from £25 for adults while all junior tickets are only £5.

Everton are urging supporters to purchase their tickets early to avoid long queues at the box office and turnstiles tomorrow.

DAVID MOYES has warned his Everton FC players not to expect extra time-off if they play in the London Olympics this summer.

Several Everton FC players, along with counterparts from most Premier League clubs, have received letters from team GB inquiring whether they want to play for Stuart Pearce's team.

While the Everton FC boss is willing to make allowances for players called to take part in the European Championships, he says he will be less flexible with those, like Jack Rodwell, who have also expressed a prior interest in the Olympics.

He said: "Quite a lot of our players have had letters of invitation. Am I worried? I am because there's a lot of them got all sorts of things going on over the summer so I am a bit worried about the whole thing.

"It's a real difficult one. It would be hard to say to players not to, but in the same breath this (Everton) is their bread and butter and this is where they get paid.

"They do need holidays and they can't then be asking for spare time off that doesn't fit in. If they say ‘I'm playing in the Olympics then I might need a week off to recover', there can never be anything like that.

"We accept international tournaments. What we're willing to do to those boys is give them a bit of extra time off because the players definitely need a holiday.

"But I think the players going to the Olympics will have to consider their own holiday time and it couldn't be eaten into the club's time."

A more immediate concern for Moyes is signing a new striker this month, and he will decide soon on whether to hand a deal to US trialist Edson Buddle.

Buddle, 30, is currently back in Germany, where his club FC Ingolstadt 04 are on a winter break, and is awaiting an answer from the Blues before deciding whether to embark on another trial spell in Belgium.

Meanwhile, the ECHO understands that Everton will receive an overall fee of £5.5m for outgoing winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.

The Russian international will fly to Moscow today to undergo a medical at Spartak Moscow, who agreed a fee with the Toffees yesterday.

Everton are likely to be paid in installments, with an initial £2.5m up-front and the remaining cash in separate payments.