nogs

anyone found any links?

I have absolutely no expectations of anything other than defeat in this one, but saying that we always seem to do the exact opposite of what i expect (hence painfully deflated optimism post derby). if we had Felli and Pienaar I'd see us having a chance, but without our best two players (bar Heitinga) over the last two months, i can't see us adapting the way we play in time. Arteta is not fit enough to play the creative role pienaar has been doing for us (and Osman just isn't as good), and quite frankly we haven't got anyone else who can do what felli has been doing. i think we simply have to stick Neville in midfield, it pains me to say it but if we play a Bily-Arteta-Osman-Donovan foursome as someone suggested, we'll simply get mauled, Chelsea are a brutishly strong and athletic side, as well as being damn fine footballers. Might as well give Coleman his chance, he could get torn apart by Cole, or he could just show enough spirit and guile to put Mr tweedy on the back foot for once. Distin simply has to be dropped, I'm afraid the man has proven himself to be an utter donkey once too many times, Yobo has had a poor season but at least he's got pace. And I'd start the Yak, I just think louis has hit a brick wall in terms of goal scoring and it has hit his confidence a bit, the yak has got to start putting them away some time and tomorrow would be a very nice time to do so.

Problem is if you don't play your best in these kind of games you're never gonna win anything - it's ok playing average and beating Wigan, there's no excuse not turning it on in a derby

That was garbage. There were times in the second half where all I could think about was the Benitez 'small club' jibe because that's what we played like - no composure, no skill, no ability, just launching it around like a bunch of headless chickens like a team who doesn't believe they can compete with the opposition playing football. This is my one big criticism of Moyes - when we come up against the so-called 'big' teams, we never seem interested in trying to win the game by imposing our game on them, its all about stopping them. Ok I know there have been exceptions (e.g. Arsenal at the Emirates a couple of weeks back), but Moyes' record in big games - derbies, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, big cup matches - is dreadful. We're not the fucking Dogs of War anymore, so why go out against a mediocre Liverpool side - and one down to ten men for nearly an hour - and look more interested in kicking them than trying to beat them by playing football, the way we did comprehensively against Man City, for example? Not one of our lot can hold their heads up after that, it was a completely immature, hot-headed, directionless display that confirms we've got a long way to go if we fancy ourselves as a 'big' team again. That's Europe gone, and I can't see us getting anything against Chelsea or Manure coz we'll just play the same way again.

I've just taken over us on Soccer Manager online, you get all currently registered players on a permanent basis, which means I've got Donovan and Senderos full time. looking at it like that, I'm finding it hard to see where i can strengthen - perhaps sell Distin and yobo and buy another world class CB to compete with Jags and Heitinga. I've got absolutely no doubts this squad is the best I've ever seen at Everton, i reckon the first team would give the Kendall side a run for its money too.

YES!!! Cahill, how does he manage it time and time again?

If buying the housing is a problem why don't we just move the whole stadium to Edge Hill? there's enough empty housing round there for about four stadiums

Why was he always going to out grow us? Has Gerrard outgrown the shite? Did Shearer outgrow the toon? We're anything but a small club, if he loved us as much as he claimed he'd have at least stuck around for another two or three seasons, by which time he'd have found himself as the centrepeice of an established top-five Premiership side with one of the most respected managers in the country competing in Europe every year. He could have fulfilled all his ambitions with us, but he chose instant success and fortune at Manure over being the catalyst to taking us to top of the pile again, and if he'd done so, the most revered player in our history. i know which i'd have chosen if i were him. What no one's mentioned is Stretford's role in his departure - Stretford is a despicable little weasel of a man, but he's clever and manipulative with it. He got to Rooney, and turned his head so he could line his own pockets - easy cash for a man like him when dealing with a star-struck 18 year old boy from an ordinary family from Croxteth. And i don't believe the Rooney cash 'saved' us as a club - remember, quite a significant chunk of it got spent on the likes of Beattie, Johnson and Kroldrup, hardly the main players in getting us to where we are now.

This is what we've deserved for the last six weeks or so - we're teaching shitty a lesson in how real teams play football at the moment, Fellaini and Pienaar are out of this world.

Don't understand this one, we're not exactly blessed with depth in the squad and the beauty of someone like Neill is he will do a job in three or four different positions. Can only assume it was the wages the turks offered him. Means Duffy or Coleman will get their chance, with Distin, Hibbo, Yobo and Jags not available. Guess the question is, would we prefer to see Coleman at RB with Neville out of position at CB, or Duffy given a go in the Premiership?

Football is a cruel, cruel game - we've pretty much outplayed every side we've come up against in the league since the Hull debacle and yet it's one win in how may games? I don't want to detract from the boys because that was a phenomenal performance yesterday, but it's going to be nervous run-in unless we start turning these draws into wins. I just feel sorry for them to be honest, the team is pushing itself more and more every week in search of the three points, we go to the best passing side in the league and justflat outplay them and bang, two lucky deflections and we only get a point. It's SOOOOOOO frustrating, the way we're playing atm we should be ramming all the Spurs-Man City bullshit down everyone's throats and challenging for fourth again, but looking at the table I'm afraid Europe is just a pipe dream this season. Anyway, loving watching us at the moment despite the lack of victories, and would love to watch us stuff Mancini's prima donnas at weekend. Fellaini is easy best midfielder in the country on current form, just thinking about all the shit he took from fans last season makes me smile because he's looking an absolute superstar, up there with Viera the way he used to dominate games at his best. The fight and organisation Phil Neville brings to the side is unbelievable, I think him being out has woken us up to just how much we need him on the pitch, he makes such a difference. Heitinga is looking a wonder signing for £6m (I couldn't believe we got a player of his calibre for that at the time, looks even more of a bargain now). Osman proved once again he's an excellent attacking centre mid player and on that display I'd say he merits a place in the side more than Cahill once Atreta is back. And how good is it seeing James Vaughan back hounding hell out of the oppoition looking hungry and fit - he'll probably beat himself up over that miss but all strikers miss those occasionally, if he can stay fit i've got high hopes for him again because his all round play was great when he came on. We're back to the true Everton, what a shame the first half of the season has left us so far of the pace.

Felli starting to look like a £15m player huh? Amazing what happens when you play someone in their right position...

We're in deep, deep shit, playing teams off the park and not winning.

I wouldn't risk ossie from the start, don't reckon he's fit enough yet. and I'd rather play heitinga in CM so start Hibbo or Duffy at CB - i think the young lad has deserved a crack at the premier league, and he is our only recognised CB fit. Then again, we really need to win this one, so i'd go: Howard Coleman Hibbert Neill Baines Heitinga Fellaini Bily Cahill Pienaar Saha

You're a miserable bar steward - what were you expecting, they're kids?! And to say they just hoofed it all night is bang out of order, they got the ball down and played some good stuff at times. Remember they were playing against league champions who are used to beating all senior sides put in front of them, its not easy for teenagers to compete either physically or mentally I'd hate to see you coaching a kids junior footy team... competitive dad or what!

Really enjoyed seeing some of the young lads get a chance, think they did themselves proud. Duffy really impressed me again, his head dropped a bit after the goal and he started making a couple of rash challenges, but on the whole I think he looks a magnificent prospect, so big and strong for a young lad, and seems to read the game really well. The way Distin and Yobo have played this season, how about throwing Duffy in alongside Jags when he's back fit? Think he'd come on loads playing with Jags. Coleman proved again he's worthy to be fighting for a place in the first team every game on current form. Thought Bidwell had a good game as well - hard little bastard for a 16 year old, some of his tackles were ruthless! So looks promising in defence. Not sure the midfield lads showed enough composure on the ball, although they did play some nice football in patches - I dunno if Baxter's gonna be as good as people were expecting a year ago, looks very like an Ossie clone, skillfull but a bit lightweight. Thought Forshaw was a bit quiet, Akpan looked very composed and assured. Agard has bundles of energy - maybe Yak should be put on a sprinting regime with him in training - but not sure if he's got the end product, not on that performance anyway. All in all a great glimpse of what we might have to come - bit surprised Garbutt didnt get a run out with all thats been said about him, but nevermind. A lot gets made of the arsenal and manure kids but i think we've got a few stars-in-the-making in the current crop, lets just hope they keep developing.

I think it shows a) what an utter farce the whole World Cup bid is turning into and how crap Elstone et al are at negotiating. Again I return to the Elland Road point - I live in Leeds, there are absolutely no concrete plans whatsoever to redevelop/rebuild, in fact Ken Bates' latest plan is to try to talk the city council into buying the stadium. So one of two things has happened with the Leeds bid (I'll try and find out which) - either the club have said 'we will have a new/redeveloped stadium, honest' and the bid team have accepted that, in which case it seems pretty unfair not to take Everton at their word that we will have a new ground, OR Leeds have included the current Elland Road in the proposal, and the bid team have accepted that if it came down to it, it would do for World Cup football (it's 30+ thousand capacity after all). In which case, it makes Everton look ridiculous for not putting Goodison in the proposal as a back up - I mean I know everyone keeps saying its old, but its not THAT bad, I'm sure it will match up to some of the venues you'll get in Brazil and in Ukraine/Poland when the Euros are held there. Good to see Elstone building bridges with Liverpool City Council as well - seeing as we're now gonna have to come to some kind of arrangement with them to find land for a new/redeveloped stadium, it might be a good idea to stop all the petty sniping. It's all very well the club whinging on that Liverpool are given preferential treatment and we're treated as a secondary club etc etc, but they don't help themselves - perhaps if they had a bit more nous in the way they went about things we wouldn't keep being overlooked.

I'm a little confused as to how Home Park and Elland Road (and utter tip) can be suitable for World Cup football but Goodison isn't - why on earth wouldnt Everton have put Goodison forward as a back-up but promised investment in a new stadium, which Plymouth and Leeds (and others) must have done? Makes you wonder if the club have any serious intention of coming up with an alternative to Kirkby at all.

I agree with most of that, but the lowest moment by far and away was 15 September 2005, the 5-1 mauling in Bucharest. I was sat in an irish bar in prague on holiday with my then girlfriend and I have never, ever felt so depressed, so heartbroken and so downright humiliated watching a football match. By far the worst i have ever seen any Everton side ever play. I could handle us going out of the CL qualifiers after a valiant effort against a very good Villareal side, but to throw all the hard work and elation of the previous campaign away in the manner we did that night was just unforgivable. On a more positive note, Carsley's freekick to beat the RS has to be up there - I enjoyed that more than the 3-0 win a couple of seasons ago coz i was in a pub with a load of red mates, i was the only blue and went absolutely mental when carsley scored, true to form the RS lot gave me evils the rest of the game and muttered about it being a lucky shot, it was brilliant!

Martyn Neville Jagielka Weir Lescott Arteta Gravesen Carsley Pienaar Cahill Yakubu Surprisingly easy that - did wonder about Howard instead of Martyn, Stubbsy had a good shout but Weir was more consistent over the years, and I had to stick Lescott in ahead of Baines based on the season he scored 10 from left back and actually looked worth £24m. Only other doubt I had was up front, couldn't bring myself to put Rooney in, he only came into his own at Euro 04 anyway and then fucked off, Saha is probably a better player than Yak (esp on current form - Yak looks like he can't be arsed) but you can't leave out the only player to hit 20 in a season for us in two decades. Rest are shoe ins. I'd have loved to have seen Mad Dog Tommy at his best with players the quality of Arteta and Pienaar around him, what a midfield that would have been

Heroic performance that, once again everything was against us, three injuries and some of the worst brandishing of the yellow card you'll ever see from a referee, but fuck it we've held on! Dunno what team we'll be able to put out against Spurs like, but I wouldn't be too bothered about Duffy, Baxter or Coleman playing a part, I thought they were all immense in the circumstances, Coleman looks ready for the first team on that performance, Duffy made some fabulous interceptions on debut, and Baxter put in a very mature, responsible performance at right mid for a 17 year old. The experience will do all of them the world of good. But hats off to Hibbo, Cahill, Peanuts, Bily and Jo before he got injured, they did the business for us tonight.

On the plus side, Arsenal and Man Utd always get praised for being able to play the kids and win, if we hold on we'll be right up there with them!

Distin gone... two player in 15 minutes, this is getting ridiculous. How about calling it off and handing us the tie based on Athens not having a playable pitch?

Oh, well there is the injury crisis - at least it's only Gosling...

GET THE FUCK IN BILY LAD!!! Crisis, what crisis?!!