A player's price tag ain't nothing but a number

Fans of all clubs are often keen to remind Liverpool supporters of Andy Carroll's price tag: £35m, 7/10ths of a Fernando Torres, 4.3 Javier Hernándezs, 12.7 Robin van Persies … The criticism is that Liverpool hugely overpaid for a striker with only half a season of Premier League football behind him and who, despite being a sweet striker of the ball, can inadvertently encourage his team-mates to aim, again and again, for his head rather than keep the ball on the ground.

But if this transfer window has confirmed anything, it is that innate ability is only one of the factors that comprise a player's price tag. Youth comes at a hefty premium, but so does Premier League experience, which is why clubs have been sounding out Peter Crouch and Scott Parker even though both players are in their 30s. A player's desire to move affects their club's position – Barcelona held the cards knowing Cesc Fábregas was pleading to return home, while Phil Jagielka has gone on record as saying he will not push for a move from Merseyside, which strengthens Everton's hand when dealing with potential suitors. The apparent desperation of the buying club inevitably lifts the price tag – concluding deals on deadline day doesn't help keep heads calm – while the none-too-well-hidden keenness to sell deflates a player's price. And then there's the Manchester City premium: if Roberto Mancini comes knocking on the door, whack another £10m on the asking price.

Liverpool's best signing this summer could well prove to be the cheapest: José Enrique (£6m), not because he's the best footballer out of Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing, but because Liverpool have had a glaring weakness at left-back ever since John Arne Riise decided to give Chelsea a helping header in the Champions League in 2008 and Rafael Benítez got shot of him four months later. If a club is willing to pay silly money, that's not entirely a player's fault, and if your club has a cheap gem such as Swansea City's Stephen Dobbie on the books, relish him. PW

Dzeko looks like the real deal

In the big-spending, high-stakes world Manchester City occupy, an ability and willingness to improve is not necessarily the most valued commodity. For much of last season, following his £27m move from Wolfsburg in January, Edin Dzeko looked lost in the Premier League. There was little or no sign of the qualities that made the 25-year-old such a prolific goalscorer in the Bundesliga and at international level with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over the course of the close-season something has changed. Perhaps it is simply that Dzeko has adjusted to life in the Premier League, or maybe the City coaching staff have worked on improving his game – as is most likely, it is some combination of both. Whatever it is, it is working.

Two goals in two league games (three in three if you count the Community Shield) tell one story, but it's Dzeko's all-round play which offers the most promising signs from City's point of view. Against Bolton on Sunday his touch was good, his link-up play neat and efficient, his movement clever and he made his goal – which turned out to be the winner – look simpler than it was. Along with David Silva – who was as outstanding as he was for much of last season - Dzeko was City's best player as they maintained their 100% record.

At some point over the summer Roberto Mancini must have locked himself in a windowless room, lit some candles, and summoned the spirit of Kevin Keegan and Ossie Ardiles because City are now the most free-scoring, skit-scatting show in town, scoring seven goals in their two league games. It helps that they now have an out-and-out centre forward who looks at home with the rest of their expensively-assembled side. EF

Everton need Cahill's goals again

"Some things never change" sang Roger Hodgson, a song that could have been written with Everton's traditional start to the season in mind. They have now failed to win on the opening day since they beat Wigan in 2007-08. "We've had a traumatic 48 hours," said Neil Warnock after the match, but it could have been the Everton manager, David Moyes, speaking. With no money to spend, an overdraft capped at £25m, no chance of any players coming in – "I don't think I can do anything in the transfer window," said the manager after the match – and transfer speculation surrounding their best players, things have been better. To make matters worse, the once reliable Tim Cahill seems to have lost his touch.

The Australian international has scored 54 goals in 184 league appearances for Everton, many with his head, but he has failed to score for them since a 2-1 win at Manchester City last December. On Saturday, with his side already a goal down, Cahill had a free header two yards out after Jermaine Beckford's cross – the striker's one positive contribution to the match. You could see the corner flag cowering in fear. He knew it was time for his once-regular trashing from Cahill. But, somehow, the midfielder missed, sending the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.

The corner flag sighed with relief, but no one else wearing blue did. "I'm definitely short of forwards," admitted Moyes, but he is also short of Cahill's goals. If those goals were to return, Everton may have a chance of finishing in the top half of the table. Without them, however, it is going to be a long, arduous season for Moyes and his team. IMC

Long is a safe buy for West Bromwich

Goals were not a problem for West Brom last season – only six teams scored more than them. Goals conceded, however, were – the Baggies only kept two clean sheets, the lowest ever amount in a single season. Nevertheless, the West Brom manager, Roy Hodgson, ploughed the majority of his available funds into his forward line with the purchase of Shane Long from Reading. With 44 goals in 95 league games, the Republic of Ireland striker had an outstanding record for his previous club. Yet as QPR and Swansea learned last week, the step-up from the Championship is not an easy one and in that sense, the move for both Hodgson and Long was something of a gamble. Two goals in two games, however, means that gamble is increasingly looking like a good one.

His goal against Chelsea – who along with Manchester City had the meanest defence in the league last season – demonstrated all the qualities a striker needs to survive in the Premier League. He cleverly anticipated Ramires's poor pass, out-muscled Alex, accelerated towards goal and finished smartly passed Henrique Hilário. Keen observers will have noticed the echoes of the attributes that once defined Fernando Torres but which seem to have evaded the striker of late. Long may have mislaid his centre to Somen Tchoyi but it showed he is willing to create chances for others too. A forward pairing of Long and Peter Odemwingie will have West Brom fans salivating.

With the recruitment of Ben Foster – Birmingham's best player last season – Hodgson should be able to shore up the Baggies' defence. Add this to Long's prowess in front of goal and you have a team that should be able to better last season's 11th place finish. IMC

Booooooooooooooooooooooo!

At the end of Arsenal's defeat to Liverpool on Saturday a familiar sound rang out at the Emirates Stadium: booing. It was familiar not because Arsenal fans are any more fickle than any other 'supporters' in the Premier League, but because impersonating a pregnant cow after a defeat at home is the default reaction for fans in the top flight these days. It's depressing, inevitable, but not in the least bit surprising. There are loads of genuine reasons to boo modern-day football: tickets cost more than flights, players trouser millions and still moan about money, owners are unscrupulous and the list goes on … but is it too much to ask for a sense of perspective so early in the season?

Arsenal's weakened team showed spirit and moments of quality against an expensively overhauled and much-improved Liverpool and looked good for a draw until Emmanuel Frimpong (another player of rich promise brought through by Arsène Wenger) was sent off. A draw would have been a decent result in the circumstances. And while the dissatisfaction may have more to do with Wenger and the general downward direction in which the club appear to be heading, taking things into context, the players deserved applauding off the pitch for their effort. But the team lost so booooooooooooo! That'll show 'em.

At Goodison Park, Evertonians booed their team off after their 1-0 loss to QPR. It was their first match of the season and yes, despite the club staring into a financial black hole, the squad should still be good enough to beat a team who were thumped 4-0 at home by Bolton on the opening weekend. But given the huge issues at Everton would it not have been more helpful to show a little solidarity with their manager and a bunch of players who they're stuck with, whether they like it or not? Unfortunately, the nature of the boo doesn't allow for selective displeasure at the board/manager/players. It's a one-dimensional beast, which is why, at this stage in the season, it's so crass. GR