Daily Mirror - 17.08.2019

(^62) DAILY MIRROR SATURDAY 17.08.2019
DM1ST
aware of Everton’s late bid to
snatch Welbeck (above). And
based on the evidence set before
him on the training ground, he
is happy to have thwarted Silva.
He said: “From the first
moment, you can see his quality.
I listened to something about
another club trying to sign him,
but I didn’t pay any attention.
“What happened between the
clubs in the past won’t be a
distraction, not for me and not
for my players. We’re focused
only on what happens on the
pitch. Sometimes you might
listen to what happens off the
field, but it’s not the most
important thing.
“I know many things went on
in the past, like Richarlison
signing for them, but that’s all
part of football.”
their task at Goodison Park
today by historic squabbles.
Doucoure turned in an
indifferent display in the 3-0
home opening-day defeat by
Brighton, but Gracia said: “I felt
he was really focused on the
game and this week in training
he’s trying to play at his best.
“If there is anything different
in his mind, he always works
hard and there was nothing
different from other games.
“It’s difficult for me to
understand many things
because I’m working sometimes
in a different culture, but it
happens in other countries that
clubs make late bids.
“Also in Spain now, they are
waiting until the last moment.
Often it is the market which
decides the timing.” Gracia was
away line at a fans’ forum, joking
that his team-mates would “kick
s***” out of Everton on the pitch.
But just as peace appeared to
be breaking out, Silva – who
signed £44m Brazilian forward
Richarlison from his old club 12
months ago – tried to lure
midfield linchpin Doucoure.
Watford were unimpressed
with an opening bid of £30m and
rejected an improved offer of
around £37m out of hand.
Then Everton tried to gazump
Watford’s deal for ex-England
striker Welbeck but were too
late to prevent his free transfer
going through.
Head coach Javi Gracia
(above, left) , anxious to stem the
tide of 16 goals leaked in the last
four games, insisted Watford
would not be sidetracked from
WATFORD’S latest
needle match with
Everton will be prickly
again – over two late
bids to sign Abdoulaye
Doucoure and a failed
attempt to hijack Danny
Welbeck’s move to Vicarage
Road.
The Hornets extracted
£4.5million in compensation
from the Toffees six months ago
over their alleged tapping-up of
manager Marco Silva (above,
right) in the autumn of 2017.
And there was confected rage
on Merseyside before the clubs’
last meeting after Watford
captain Troy Deeney’s throw-
DOU YOU WANT
TO START
SOMETHING?
awayline atafffffffanananananannns’ss’forumjoking their taskat GoodisonPa
After Silva row, Watford get the
needle over Everton attempt to nab
Doucoure.. and hijack Welbeck move
EVERTON v WATFORD
PREMIER LEAGUE
GOODISON, KO 3PM
EXCLUSIVE
BY MIKE WALTERS
@MikeWaltersMGM
Silva gives
Big Sam a
bashing..
BY DAVID MADDOCK
MARCO SILVA took a
sideswipe at his
predecessor Sam
Allardyce – insisting
his expensive new
signings are under
no pressure from their fees.
The Everton boss hinted he
won’t throw in £29million
capture Moise Kean (above) or
£35m Alex Iwobi for their full
debuts against Watford, despite
the expectation generated by
their big-money status.
And Silva pointedly said,
when quizzed about Kean: “His
price? Cenk Tosun was really
expensive also, eh?”
Big Sam was in charge when
Blues paid £27m for
Tosun, a relatively
unknown striker
from Besiktas. He
has failed to live
up to that
price tag.
Kean has
pedigree
with
Juventus
and Italy, and some suggest his
fee could prove to be a bargain.
But fans may have to be
patient, as Silva explained: “It
doesn’t mean they will start,
not just Moise and J-P Gbamin,
but Alex Iwobi and Djibril Sidibe
too. They need more training
sessions, need to know more.”
DM1ST
Watford boss Gracia
was determined not to
lose key midfielder
Doucoure (above)
to Everton
HANDS OFF,
HE’S MINE