JohnDTraynor

Should have never let Gardner go - Hull's gain is Everton's loss.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...pur/7537039.stm

He's not going to Spurs

This saga is almost as daft as the Barry nonsense

That's excellent business by Blackburn. He's worth about £5m.

This is brilliant news. It really shows that the club are going forward. All the talk is about new signings, but a long-term contract for Neville is like a new signing; in fact, it's like several new signings at once because of Phil's versatility. He can play as adequately in one position as he can in another. It's better than buying four new players. I'm delighted. When Carsley left I feared a little for the team's success next season, but I'm over that now.

In other news, Kerry Katona is to reform Atomic Kitten, on her own. This should balance out the bad news that Carol Voderman has left Countdown.

From Everton website report of game against FC Sion: "On 27 minutes, Andy van der Meyde squared the ball to.... " apparently.

He lasted 27 minutes!

Amazing.

Every top player is supposed to be moving from one "big" club to another "big" club, or to Liverpool, and yet no-one has actually moved at all.

Didn't transfers used to happen much more quickly?

Everton need numbers in midfield as well as top quality. Fletcher is a good, experienced player and will fit in nicely.

Surely the might of Everton's bank balance can outbid a little team from northern Spain

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/e...sia/7470415.stm

?

id have bent for the right price

Bent once, twice shy.

Gravesen will come on, foul Owen, second pemalty for Owen - he scores....and then Everton finally get a penalty, taken by Gravesen

and now its 1-1

So Villa go through on away goals?

West Ham have scored against Villa

Looking at that League imagine Fulham got in!

Ipswich qualified by this route and got relegated. They qualified for the fair play league by making the fewest tackles, and got relegated for the same reason. It's a joke.

Hopefully, the Man. City players will want to show lots of committment to impress whoever will be their new manager, and so loads of tackles flying in and maybe a few yellow cards.

See! If Villa had beaten Wigan, Everton would now be in big trouble. Still need a point against Newcastle.

In the BBC's preamble to the match at Arsenal tomorrow on their website, I noticed a quote from the manager where he admits that, as well as quality, quantity is needed also.

I'm glad he's admitted this. Most have thought Everton have been about three midfielders short since the start of the season, a situation that wasn't rectified in January.

Everton normally play five midfield players and so ten are needed on the staff. They don't all have to be as good as Arteta at his best, just a few of them, but all must be at least as good as Osman.

"A point that favours Everton" says the commentator. What!!!

It's a point that favours Villa.

Now, Everton have to get a point at Arsenal AND beat Newcastle

If Portsmouth win the FA Cup then the extra UEFA Cup place goes to the league, not the losing finalist - it only goes to the losing finalist if the FA Cup winner has achieved a Champions League place via the league

So, Portsmouth's position is irrelevent

It's Villa to worry about

Everton MUST beat them

so says Football365: http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8...3421445,00.html

"You can have as many players as you like but you always need your best players in the team and we are missing too many of them at the moment," said Moyes.

"If we had known, we probably wouldn't have let James McFadden go in January. He is a good player. He was a good player at Everton. He will do well for Birmingham.

"It's four points from the last two games but I think it's obvious we are not firing on all cylinders and are missing players who are important to us.

"We're struggling a bit for our form but we've just got to keep moving on and picking up points. It's the injuries, not the long campaign, which are taking their toll.

"It's more to do with the three to four people we are missing.

"We're very limited in what we have available in forward areas and in midfield we are nearly drained of resources."

"If we had known" Hasn't it been known all season that Everton are short of numbers in midfield?

I tried to talk about it and was dismissed.

Portsmouth are not the problem - they have a UEFA Cup place from the FA Cup, regardless of whether they win it or not.

Aston VIlla are the problem: They will beat Birmingham and Wigan...Everton might get nothing from Arsenal and Chelsea. That puts the teams level on points and, after the results, Villa will have a better goal difference than Everton. So Everton v. Villa is an absolutely VITAL game.

You're assuming we lose all three and they win all three. Bit of a stretch?

I'm not assuming that, because if that happened, even a win against Villa wouldn't be enough.

I am assuming Villa beat Birmingham and Wigan, that results against West Ham and Newscastle repsectively are similar, and that Everton lose to Chelsea and Arsenal.

Six point gap; Everton play Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle; Villa play Birmingham Wigan and West Ham, and they will make up the goal difference

A draw against Villa won't be enough

Discussing names is fun but not productive. It's what Everton need rather than who.

Firstly, quantity. The first team squad is too small. Two games a week, all of which are important if the team is competing for trophies, means a first team squad of at least 30. Everton are short in midfield and defence. With the current squad, players get fatigued and then don't play well, or play when not fully fit - see Arteta.

Quantity doesn't mean any player to make up the numbers. It means players at least as good as those who are here already.

Therefore, four midfield players, a right-back and a central defender are required to increase squad numbers.

For extra quality, a right-sided midfield player who can cross the ball, a right-back who can cross the ball, and at least one attacking midfield player of the highest class.

1-0 .. Osman.

Now, Gravesen can come on to help keep the lead