Pundit bemused by deal to see Conor Coady join Everton from Wolves
Everton sealed the arrival of England international Conor Coady on Monday (8 August) after a long stay at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Liverpool-born defender joined on a loan deal for the 2022-23 season which is likely to become permanent next summer and will help the Toffees spread their costs over a longer period of time.
Former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards cannot get his head around why the Black Country club have allowed him to leave without an immediate transfer fee though given their need for new signings now.
“Conor Coady’s move to Everton seems has happened quickly,” he said to the Express and Star. “My advice to him is to just take your time, make sure it’s right and don’t be rushed into anything.
“I’m sure Coads has the right people around him to do that. From Wolves’ point of view, I don’t understand a loan-to-permanent move. They need funds in to buy players, so why they wouldn’t want an upfront fee done and dusted I don’t know.”
Pants pulled down
Coady was left out of the Wolves side that were beaten 2-1 away at Leeds United on Saturday with Bruno Lage switching to a back four that doesn’t suit the Liverpudlian as well as the back three does.
Frank Lampard is now deploying that exact system at Goodison Park so it is only natural that he made the move back to his home city but there will have to be a tweak to how the back three is used to fit Coady in.
Rather than a flat line, the former Wolves captain played behind the other two centre-halves at Molineux as more of a sweeper which is rarely seen nowadays in modern football.
That will be the position Lampard has earmarked for Coady but that would also mean James Tarkowski has to move to a wider role where he needs much more speed to keep up with some nippy wingers and attacking midfielders.