ARSENAL STAR CESC FABREGAS REMINDS EVERTON F.C. WHAT THEIR FOUNDATIONS ARE.

By Greg O Keeffe on Aug 18, 09 10:42 AM

"WE ARE all together here, we want players who are committed to the club and committed to playing together, and you could see that in our performance.

"I think it was best for the players who left that they went, and best for us too. We are a team who are together, and we want that commitment in our squad."

If they'd slept through the summer and Saturday (if only) most Bluenoses would immediately assume the quotes above where made by an Everton player.

It's the sort of thing Tim Cahill, Phil Neville or Mikel Arteta have said regularly over our last two promising seasons.

But no, this time the quotes are from Cesc Fabregas. Spoken after his side's hammering of a terrifyingly bad Everton on the first day of the season.

Everyone who cheered David Moyes principles and stance on Friday afternoon was probably re-assessing their hubris on Sunday morning.

It does seem like we would now be better selling Lescott and accepting a cash plus players (Richard Dunne?) offer from City for the defender.

We could then go and buy Stephen Taylor or Brede Hangeland plus the right back and right sided midfielder we need.

But even speculating at transfers is feeling futile at present with Moyes again detailing our poverty in the Echo today.

Maybe we don't even have the £12m which was rumoured to be our modest kitty? I suppose if we had just that alone - it was never going to be enough to buy Delph and Naughton plus pay their wages. We're on a hiding to nothing financially and we all know that.

But new signings or not there is something seriously wrong when you play like we did on Saturday. Witness Fabregas running the length of the pitch untracked to score...

5ft 10 centre backs rising un challenged to head home on their debut. Does every player making his debut against us score? I'm sure they do. I'd love to see the stats.

I expect us to react with a win on Thursday night and I'm looking forward to the game.

But I'd also like to think our manager has the maturity and perspective not to cut off his nose to spite his face in the transfer market over Lescott.