A transfer window wouldn’t be a transfer window without talkSPORT’s tiresome ‘finest’ finding a way to slate the summer recruitment of Everton.
*Sigh.*
The latest topic in their crosshairs?
Everton’s direct swap deal with Crystal Palace that saw Dwight McNeil head to Selhurst Park in exchange for Wales international Brennan Johnson.
Reacting to the move, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara and ex-Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor pulled few punches on air.
O’Hara summed up the deal with typical talk radio nuance: “Give us cr@p, we’ll give you cr@p back!”
Agbonlahor was equally dismissive of David Moyes’ newest recruit, adding: “I like Dwight McNeil, but Brennan Johnson has been a myth!”
To Evertonians, the immediate scepticism from ‘talkSPORT Towers’ will feel all too familiar.
From an Everton perspective, there seems to be an unspoken editorial directive in modern sports media that no matter who the Toffees bring through the doors at Goodison or the Hill Dickinson, it must automatically be met with eyebrow-raising, instant disapproval, and mockery.
Evertonians, by their own admission, are cynical enough, without any help from some ineloquent and ‘route one’ ex-pros/wannabee pundits.
While Johnson’s six-month stint at Selhurst Park didn’t set the world on fire, writing off a 25-year-old with proven Premier League pace and a European title under his belt feels harsh.
With David Moyes still looking to build a dynamic, direct front line for the new campaign, Evertonians will be hoping Johnson lets his football do the talking—and gives the talkSPORT desk plenty to chew on as the season progresses.
