java2001e

good job he can play soccer!

he can cross a ball. much improvement in that area last season. now he's picked up a bug on holiday. well that'll take a while to sort out, but he'll be back in a month or six weeks.

to play 4-3-3 youve gotta have a reliable midfield and strong defence. we are now looking good in those areas. is 4-3-3 a possibility, at least against weaker sides? <_<

dont know, but i assume that Everton, and maybe the fa, have some kind of insurance on their players. ronaldo was out for a year while his knees were rebuilt and he came back, but its tougher for a kid with no experience to see it thru to the end. it will take a lot of character for him to get back to were he was. i'm sure the backroom boys at Goodison are looking after him tho.

he's been told to lay off the viagra.

i dont think that media comment about Everton has been any different than it is for other mid table sides. we havent done anything to deserve any great criticism or praise since finishing fourth, and the media were usually positive about that.

and the season hasnt even started! god forbid what he'd say if we actually lose a game!

While Arteta is in the side we can compete with most teams. But who is going to take over 'the creative midfielder' role when he's out. Cahill is a scrapper and gets goals but can't pass and will get suspended a lot. Davies is infuriating, he's got pace and can look dangerous but he disappears for whole games at times. Neville is a strong tackler but not even his biggest fans would say he is any good going forward, same for Carsley. arteta is our best midfield player, by a long way. he would be hard to replace if injured, but thats life. unless your owned by the russian mafia! davies is a very talented player who hasnt settled and hasnt been consistent. if he can turn that around he he will make a huge contribution. neville is a defensive midfielder, rather than an attacker. thats a role he plays well. and its an essential one. you need to have someone in front of the defense that can disrupt attacking forwards. the same applies to carsley. cahill is an attacking midfielder and he can get forward and scrap. he's good at goalmouth scrambles and gets a few goals that way. i think he's good but usually over-rated.

yes i agree. i think its the right thing to do. victor will get the chance to prove himself and work his way into the starting lineup, but not just on the basis of a couple of friendlies. weve also got mccfadden, and soon hopefully vaughn, on the bench. mac had a good finish to last season and seemed to playing with more confidence. if he can keep that form he'll be a contender as well.

the strikeforce was our weakest position, its now looking like our strongest.

gerrard, carragher, and lampard. remember those names. they may well have cost us the world cup.

celebrities whove had trials with professional clubs. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Tottenham) Boris Becker (Bayern Munich) Craig Charles (Tranmere) Mike Yarwood (Oldham) Martin Kemp (Arsenal) Daley Thompson (Mansfield) Jimmy Tarbuck (Brighton) Stan Boardman (Liverpool) Leonard Rossiter (Everton) Johnny Marr (Manchester City) Simon Webbe (Stoke) Charlie Williams (Doncaster) Eddie Large (Manchester City) Nicky Byrne (Leeds) Anthony LaPaglia (Adelaide City) Gavin Rossdale (Chelsea) And then there are those who opted out of the footballing dream. Take Sean Connery: he turned down trials, first with East Fife, and then with Manchester United, to become James Bond. "I really wanted to accept [united] because I'd always loved the game," he said. "But I stopped to assess it and asked myself: what's the length of a footballer's career? It turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves." Sir Clive Woodward, meanwhile, apparently had his chance to try out for Everton snatched away when his dad made him move to a rugby school. "One in the eye for the 'he doesn't have a footballing background' brigade," chortles James Andrews.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledg...1839741,00.html The earliest recorded case of match-fixing "It's a whopping 106 years ago and involves Burnley goalkeeper 'Happy' Jack Hillman. With his team needing to beat Nottingham Forest to avoid relegation, Hillman was alleged to have offered the opposition £2 a head to "take it easy" [around £144 in today's money, according to the retail price index]. He upped his offer to £5 [£360] at half-time, by which point Burnley were trailing 2-0. The Clarets eventually lost 4-0 and went down to the second division before being hauled before the Football League. Hillman admitted speaking to Forest players, but denied trying to bribe them. Which didn't wash with the authorities, who chose to set an example by banning him from the game for one year." what a lad!!

it would be nice to see aj get off the mark before the season starts. it would make it easier for him i think. ive got no doubts about his ability, but getting started at a new club, especially when so much is expected from you, can put a player off his stride. meanwhile weve got anichibe scoring and setting up goals. it think that moysey has got to fit him in the lineup somehow. he's made his mark and deserves a chance. i expect him to be a sub at least.

Injured Everton starlet James Vaughan is set to return to training next week after a year out of action. The 18-year-old striker hit the headlines last year when he stole Wayne Rooney's thunder and became The Toffees' youngest ever goal-scorer. But a knee injury picked up on international duty with England's Under-19 squad has plagued the player's progress. http://msnsport.skysports.com/list.aspx?hl...+set+for+return

it looks like carsley turned down the wages at wolves. its a pity because he has reached a point in his carreer were he isnt going to get a lot of first team games. of course that is if vdm can stay sober long enough to actually kick a ball.

Everton in for City ace http://msnsport.skysports.com/transferarti...spx?hlid=408491 Skysports.com can reveal Everton are lining up a move for Manchester City ace Antoine Sibierski. Sibierski is available on a free transfer after dropping down the pecking order at City, following the arrival of several new faces at Eastlands this summer. The news has alerted several clubs with the 32-year-old's free transfer status and his versatility making him an attractive proposition for any interested parties. Everton are leading the chase for the skilful Frenchman and are hoping to lure him to Goodison

i dont think they had to do much work on this story. his tart called in that his drink had been spiked, the press didnt make it up. we should get him fit, see how he goes and get rid of him in the january transfer window.

"Thomas Gravesen's agent has expressed his client's interest in a potential move to Newcastle. Magpies manager Glenn Roeder confirmed this week that the club were monitoring the unsettled Real Madrid midfielder's status. The former West Ham boss qualified that interest by suggesting that any one of a number of Premiership clubs would be keen to acquire the enforcer." looks like a done deal.

he's not worth 20 mill but who cares. if you can screw the russian mafia why no?

"Meanwhile, it seems Thomas Gravesen could return to Goodison Park. Moyes has admitted he would be interested in signing the Dane if he leaves Real Madrid this summer and that prospect has moved a step closer as Gravesen was left out of Real's squad for a tour of the United States. " who knows? we could be closer to getting a good holding midfielder than you think.

"A spokesman for Everton FC said: "I can confirm that Andy van der Meyde spent the night in Arrowe Park hospital after being admitted on Monday morning suffering from illness. "His progress is currently being monitored by hospital staff. "The club will be making no further comment on the incident until after Merseyside Police has concluded its ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Andy's admission into hospital." Van der Meyde, who has been plagued by injuries since joining Everton, was forced to deny rumours he was an alcoholic earlier this year." lets give him the benefit of the doubt until the police have investigated at least.

didnt know west brom had ever given anyone stiff competiton.

your right he is 23. he got seven goals last season and some of them, like the header against chelsea, were spectacular.

he's scored a few crackers in his time. too few, we know. but can he get it together this season? i thought he played with a bit more confidence towards the end of last season. and i think that confidence is part of his scoring problem.