Zoo 2.0

Lille beat Porto 2-1 yesterday yet penalties took place. As there are only three teams playing two games each in the tournament, there is a good chance that there will be a tie when the competition is over. 
Therefore, awarding points for penalties gives a better chance of the cup having an overall winner.

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Luke Garbutt is such an enigma, I can still remember him getting minutes in the Europa League and looking like the next big thing. I honestly thought we'd have Baines warming the bench and him up and down the left-wing by now but it just hasn't happened for the lad.
At 25, he should be an established footballer. You've got the likes of Tom Davies having games before they turn 20 so unfortunately it's a race against time for Luke and with yet another loan spell under his belt it's only a matter of time before it's made permanent. 
I've always liked him and do wonder what has gone on behind the scenes to stop him from "making it". Another side of me wonders how he's ended up playing for Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan in the past four years yet none of them wanted him permanently - a bad egg perhaps? Who knows.
A shame in my opinion, I really had high hopes for Luke.
Agreed, Oxford do seem to like poaching from Everton and I wouldn't be surprised if we finally cut ties with Garbutt and he makes his loan switch permanent. At 25, he really needs to find a home.
A fellow Football Manager fan! Top stuff. 

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Michael Keane was the victim of a broken squad and two managers who dropped the ball, much like Jordan Pickford who on face value might have looked poor due to the number of goals conceded, we all know that isn'tt the case as he was arguably our best player. 
I'd like to see Keane lining up alongside either Mason Holgate or a new signing. If we're dreaming here I'd like us to sign Mathijs De Ligt from Ajax but that's just me picking a name that I'd personally go for - who knows what Silva and Brands have in mind.
Phil Jagielka is great don't get me wrong but if we want to go to the next level we can't rely on players who are getting nearer and nearer to 40, as a squad player he's brilliant but I don't know if he's capable of the full 38 games anymore. Let him warm the bench and play the last 15 minutes when legs are tired, or the cup ties to keep things ticking over.
Ashley Williams as others have stated can go back to Swansea for me. Just seeing him in a blue shirt is enough to give me an aneurysm and I'd be over the moon if we begin next season with him out of the door - he's without doubt one of the worst signing we ever made and it still annoys me that he was allowed to wear the armband.

Me and my wife; she'd scare off anyone believe me and I'd just sweep up the remains of anyone who crossed her while Jordan called for the ambulance.

Getafe were in talks with Joel Robles last summer and a deal was only pulled off the table as they couldn't agree on personal terms. Getafe's current goalkeeper, Vincente Guaita is set to become a free agent himself and is being linked to Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid as an understudy to Jan Oblak. As a result, I'd expect Joel to probably wind back up in his homeland with Getafe, with a deal coming to fruition now that he doesn't have a transfer fee tied to him (and because Guaita is off the wage bill). 
Jagielka I can see staying, but only for another year with a view to taking up a coaching role. When a defence contains the absolute calamity that is Ashley Williams keeping Phil is an absolute must however that does hang in the balance when you consider we have no idea who is going to be managing next season. Will they go for youth? Will they stick with the old guard? I'd like to think I haven't seen Phil in an Everton shirt for the last time but who knows. 
Conor Grant I don't know enough about but he's been around long enough to make a big impact and clearly hasn't. He must be 21/22/23 now and this is the age where special talents are already getting 15/20 first team games a season. I'd expect him to be on the released list and wind up at a League One/Two outfit.

Getafe were in talks with Joel Robles last summer and a deal was only pulled off the table as they couldn't agree on personal terms. Getafe's current goalkeeper, Vincente Guaita is set to become a free agent himself and is being linked to Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid as an understudy to Jan Oblak. As a result, I'd expect Joel to probably wind back up in his homeland with Getafe, with a deal coming to fruition now that he doesn't have a transfer fee tied to him (and because Guaita is off the wage bill). 
Jagielka I can see staying, but only for another year with a view to taking up a coaching role. When a defence contains the absolute calamity that is Ashley Williams keeping Phil is an absolute must however that does hang in the balance when you consider we have no idea who is going to be managing next season. Will they go for youth? Will they stick with the old guard? I'd like to think I haven't seen Phil in an Everton shirt for the last time but who knows. 
Conor Grant I don't know enough about but he's been around long enough to make a big impact and clearly hasn't. He must be 21/22/23 now and this is the age where special talents are already getting 15/20 first team games a season. I'd expect him to be on the released list and wind up at a League One/Two outfit.

An identity - Let's face it, we don't have one at the moment. Out of the players out on the pitch which ones scream ''Everton'' to you? I could probably count on one hand the players that I could convince myself would put everything on the line for the shirt. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush and saying that we have a team full of mercenaries but I don't think we have that identity and togetherness that we had in the Moyes era. At the moment we are just another modern football club, pissing money into the wind hoping our number comes up. I want us to spend money wisely, invest in the right people and have an identity again both off and on the pitch.  A new manager - I don't hate Sam as much as others do but I agree 110% that he isn'tt the man to take this club forward, isn'tt the man that should be managing us next season and shouldn't be given a penny to spend in the transfer market. He deserves a lot of credit for steering us away from the relegation battle we found ourselves heading towards (because under Koeman and Unsworth we looked worse than Swansea and West Brom's U21's at times) so I'd like us to start 2018/19 with a new manager. Someone who is going to get bums off seats, someone who is going to get the Gwladys Street singing and someone who is going to bring back a feel-good atmosphere at Goodison Park.  Half-time pints in a proper glass - A man can dream!

An identity - Let's face it, we don't have one at the moment. Out of the players out on the pitch which ones scream ''Everton'' to you? I could probably count on one hand the players that I could convince myself would put everything on the line for the shirt. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush and saying that we have a team full of mercenaries but I don't think we have that identity and togetherness that we had in the Moyes era. At the moment we are just another modern football club, pissing money into the wind hoping our number comes up. I want us to spend money wisely, invest in the right people and have an identity again both off and on the pitch.  A new manager - I don't hate Sam as much as others do but I agree 110% that he isn'tt the man to take this club forward, isn'tt the man that should be managing us next season and shouldn't be given a penny to spend in the transfer market. He deserves a lot of credit for steering us away from the relegation battle we found ourselves heading towards (because under Koeman and Unsworth we looked worse than Swansea and West Brom's U21's at times) so I'd like us to start 2018/19 with a new manager. Someone who is going to get bums off seats, someone who is going to get the Gwladys Street singing and someone who is going to bring back a feel-good atmosphere at Goodison Park.  Half-time pints in a proper glass - A man can dream!

An identity - Let's face it, we don't have one at the moment. Out of the players out on the pitch which ones scream ''Everton'' to you? I could probably count on one hand the players that I could convince myself would put everything on the line for the shirt. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush and saying that we have a team full of mercenaries but I don't think we have that identity and togetherness that we had in the Moyes era. At the moment we are just another modern football club, pissing money into the wind hoping our number comes up. I want us to spend money wisely, invest in the right people and have an identity again both off and on the pitch.  A new manager - I don't hate Sam as much as others do but I agree 110% that he isn'tt the man to take this club forward, isn'tt the man that should be managing us next season and shouldn't be given a penny to spend in the transfer market. He deserves a lot of credit for steering us away from the relegation battle we found ourselves heading towards (because under Koeman and Unsworth we looked worse than Swansea and West Brom's U21's at times) so I'd like us to start 2018/19 with a new manager. Someone who is going to get bums off seats, someone who is going to get the Gwladys Street singing and someone who is going to bring back a feel-good atmosphere at Goodison Park.  Half-time pints in a proper glass - A man can dream!

Getafe were in talks with Joel Robles last summer and a deal was only pulled off the table as they couldn't agree on personal terms. Getafe's current goalkeeper, Vincente Guaita is set to become a free agent himself and is being linked to Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid as an understudy to Jan Oblak. As a result, I'd expect Joel to probably wind back up in his homeland with Getafe, with a deal coming to fruition now that he doesn't have a transfer fee tied to him (and because Guaita is off the wage bill). 
Jagielka I can see staying, but only for another year with a view to taking up a coaching role. When a defence contains the absolute calamity that is Ashley Williams keeping Phil is an absolute must however that does hang in the balance when you consider we have no idea who is going to be managing next season. Will they go for youth? Will they stick with the old guard? I'd like to think I haven't seen Phil in an Everton shirt for the last time but who knows. 
Conor Grant I don't know enough about but he's been around long enough to make a big impact and clearly hasn't. He must be 21/22/23 now and this is the age where special talents are already getting 15/20 first team games a season. I'd expect him to be on the released list and wind up at a League One/Two outfit.

No, not unless it's between him and Sam.

People were abusing Allardyce and calling for his head from the Gwladys and I’m sure elsewhere too. Stupid really - yes it’s ugly but he’s come in and taken us from 18th to 9th (with a few points cushion) in a very short period of time. I dread to think where we may have been without the upturn in form on the back of Sam’s appointment. I don’t think any Evertonian sees Allardyce as a long term appointment - he came because Fonseca or Silva or whoever wasn’t available - I, like many, think Sam will be gone by May having met the brief of steadying a sinking ship.
I have not enjoyed the tactics of late but I’m a lot happier looking at the top half of the table and speculating about how/when we’ll catch/pass Burnley and Leicester rather than looking at how many points we are off bottom.
Basically, 2017 was a year of many missed opportunities and some very poor management at all levels at EFC - if anything it reaffirms how far behind the ‘top 6’ we are in all areas on and off the pitch.

Like the signing of Danny Drinkwater in the summer this is merely to bump up the numbers to fill Chelsea's ''home-grown'' quota. He's not going to break into their first-team and after 18 months of being bored and crying will link back up with David Moyes at West Ham (you heard it here first). 
I'm not really arsed in a way, I think he's always been given a free-ride because of the fact that he's come from the Academy. If he'd been signed from some Dutch club he would have been shipped out years ago. Despite having some potential and popping up some some magic every now and then he's 24 now and hasn't exactly set the world alight. If he thinks that he's going to join a Champions League club and stand shoulder to shoulder with Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata then he's more deluded than Garth Crooks after a crate of Absinthe. 
I normally wish our ex-players well but I hope Ross falls flat on his arse. I understand that he wants to move to try and further his career but backing out of a Chelsea transfer at the eleventh hour to then sit on our injury table for six months and then move to Chelsea anyway is just as sly as it comes. He's no better than Fabian Delph committing his future to Aston Villa and declaring his love for them as captain only to turn around and leave 48 hours later. 
You won't be missed Ross, the next Lampard my arse.
It's totally spineless. Hopefully this changes the illusion that Koeman fell out with him and proves that Ross was being an arse from the start. He's had this planned for months (even years) and had no intentions of ever playing for us again. 
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Like the signing of Danny Drinkwater in the summer this is merely to bump up the numbers to fill Chelsea's ''home-grown'' quota. He's not going to break into their first-team and after 18 months of being bored and crying will link back up with David Moyes at West Ham (you heard it here first). 
I'm not really arsed in a way, I think he's always been given a free-ride because of the fact that he's come from the Academy. If he'd been signed from some Dutch club he would have been shipped out years ago. Despite having some potential and popping up some some magic every now and then he's 24 now and hasn't exactly set the world alight. If he thinks that he's going to join a Champions League club and stand shoulder to shoulder with Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata then he's more deluded than Garth Crooks after a crate of Absinthe. 
I normally wish our ex-players well but I hope Ross falls flat on his arse. I understand that he wants to move to try and further his career but backing out of a Chelsea transfer at the eleventh hour to then sit on our injury table for six months and then move to Chelsea anyway is just as sly as it comes. He's no better than Fabian Delph committing his future to Aston Villa and declaring his love for them as captain only to turn around and leave 48 hours later. 
You won't be missed Ross, the next Lampard my arse.
It's totally spineless. Hopefully this changes the illusion that Koeman fell out with him and proves that Ross was being an arse from the start. He's had this planned for months (even years) and had no intentions of ever playing for us again. 
.