RuffRob

Beggers can't be choosers my friends, and just having a 19 year old isn't accepatbe. Its a 28 day loan - so will reserve judgment until I see the performances and how the next month pans out.

To be honest - I think if we are to ever become great again, we all agree a new stadium is needed. Whether is be the re-building of Goodison (which I can't ever see happening), or a totally new complex. I think the later is the most likley - just because of the room needed for add on development if other are to become heavily involved. We are all nostalgic about Goodison and the history that goes with the place and like anything upheval is stressful and upsetting. But Goodison Park in it current state is a dinosour of a football stadium - and is severley restricting with regard to moving the club forward in the modern age of football. As Bernie mentioned the Peel Holdings deal looks attractive - as they will be stumping up front end costs for such development. With us club leasing the stadium. The football always has to come first in my opinion - if we where to get a new stadium and got to see decent competative football in it I am sure everyone would soon put the fact its not being player at Goodison Park behind them. Due to the scale, finances and number of stakeholders in any such development it is going to be a long and hard road before any concrete is poured. It doesn't matter what is decided as not all the people are going to be pleased This debat is the tip of the iceberg - but I think it is a positive that a new stadium is again becoming a topic for debat.

OK - it argubley the best (or one of the best). But one thing it isn't is a league that is desperate to have big name has beens to draw in the crowds. I just hate it when so called superstars say they would like to finish there career in the Premiership. As if they don't have to be at there best to make it in the Prem. It is usually with the sniff or one last pay day.

His best years are definately behind him. Don't like it when older former world superstar say they would like to come to the Premeriship to finish there careers, as if we are some second rate leauge. Its the best and fastest league in the world with no place for has beens who are already off the pace in slower leagues. Unless they are willing to come when they are in their prime, I don't want emm over here. - I will never pay good money just to come and see a name take to the pitch.

Depends on who is playing up front. Weir and Stubbs have the experience to deal with Shearer if he is fit (think he is a doubt for tonight). Just have to be careful with teams that have a pacey striker.

Emm, Arsenal must have read my post before the Real game - and it looks like it really motivated them last night. Credit were credit is due - they played well last night.

Agree, one of the better teams at this minute - But I think one player we won't see there next season is Henry, and possibley Ashley Cole (although, not seen much of him this season). Berkamp is now well past is best, along with Pires and Lungberg. Van Persie, Reyes or Hleb have not lived up to there transfer fees. I also think if Henry does leave, that will have an even bigger impact than Viera going this season. If I was an Arsenal fan - I would not be very happy now, as they are a long way from the 'dreamteam' they where 2 year ago - and things will get worse for them if they don't get CL football next season. As they say the higher you climb the further you fall. They are in a similar position to Man U, the players brought in are not of the same calibre as those going out. (although, I would still rather Everton be in Arsenals position) I think Arsenal will have to dig deep to make 4th place this season - and I really don't think the players there really have the heart to battle for what by there standards is a lowly 4th.

I think AJ is top draw - is fast as Fook, scores goals, draws penalties, works hard on the pitch, has integrety and character (stayed to help Palace - even though is likley to have cost him a place in this summers WC) - A top fella in my books. His pace and goal scoring ability is just what the squad needs - and his work ethic and character fit Moyes's player profile to a T. and he is not yet on this rip off £50,000+ week wages (think he is on £25,000 week contract with Palace) Almost the perfect player for Everton as we stand at the minute. If I had the money, he is one player I would buy for the team myself.

I think the wheels have well and truly come of the Arsenal band wagon - They will be out of the CL soon and after that there is usually a dip in league form. also I really think the heads of Wengers players are really down at the minute and they will only drop further. Not the team they were two years ago and my do well to hang on to 5th. Arsenal are a shadow of the team they were two years ago.

This season has been a bit yo-yo to say the least. So to an extent its difficult to know how the next 10 or so games pan out, and where we will finish come the end of the season. You could say we have been fortunate since Xmas - but look at our injury list, our suspensions, Yobo being away in the AC, not getting a second striker in the transfer window, goals disallowed, keepers sent off. I wouldn't say we have been particulaly fortunate since Xmas. No more fortunate than we where unlucky during the first 10 games. Now, when you say 'we are flattering to deceive again this season?' - I take it that is what you think we did last season when finishing at our highest ever Prem position in 4th? We have beat teams 1-0 on so many occasions over the last couple of years. So you have to say to a degree this is more than being 'fortunate' as over so many games as this would have caught up with us to a certain degree. Basically it working and a more consistent than a lot of teams. This 'teams have found us out' is a load of rubbish. Its never been a secret or magic formule to how we have been playing and winning games 1-0. Its based on hard work, good defensive cover and teamwork- If we had been 'found out' why are we winning most of our games at the moment - How we play makes it difficlut for teams to beat us - even when they know what we are doing - we out work them. The reason we were so poor at the beginning of the season was purley down to bringing in so many new players and the disapointment of the CL. FACT Now what I think a lot of us would like it to see us outplay teams as well as out work them - Trouble is to get player in our squad who can out play (and out work) other team means you have to by the worlds best player - and when you are talking £10M+ for each of these types - well it is never going to happen. What Moyes has done is choose player for his squad who have this hard work and teamwork ethic. Moyes may be critisised of dithering, but I would guess he puts as much importance on the players attitude and character as much as he does playing ability. After the last 10-15 years as an Everton fan - regulary and consistent winning (even only by 1-0) is far above the norm of what we have been used to. I would rather a consistent 1-0 victory, than sometimes you win 3-1, sometimes you draw 2-2 and sometimes you lose 2-0. Becasue over three game that is either 9 point or 4 points. We finished 4th last season - lets see were we finish this season - I think we will finish within 5-6 point from the total points we got last season. Considering the start we had that would be very season for EFC.

This is one topic Fozzie and I truly agree on. The mega money that came into the game with the formation of the Premiership and Sky will be the ruin of the game and a lot of the countries clubs. Money now rules our great game above anything else - transfer fees and players wages are now at crazy levels and basically unsustainable. We have what is called a parachute payment to stop clubs that a relegated going bankrupt. Don't forget relegated clubs are within the top 20 or so in the county - and relegation without a parachute payment would mean bankrupcy - that is crazy when you just sit back and think about it. In the main the only way a club can truly now become sustainabley competative is for some hugely wealth single person come in and buy the club as his play thing. Just look beyond Man U and Arsenal at clubs who have won a Premiership title - Blackburn and Chelsea. Who have come close - Newcastle and Leeds, two clubs who have spent massive amounts of cash on players and wages - with NOTHING to show for it. We talk of investment coming to the club to try and push us on- but the type of money needed to become truly competative is huge - we need to find a person who is willing to 'lose' lots of his hard earned on a football club. This type of investor is like rocking horse sh1t - just not much of it about. Being a well supported club with a great histroy is just not enough these days - A very sad reflection on things these days when the ambition of most clubs including ours is 4th place in the league, a place in Europe or a good cup run. When you have been brought up on better, its not good enough to satisfy our desire for the club. Truoble is due to the finances of the game, we could fill Goodison to the rafters for every single home game, but still not scratch the surface of the monies needed. As a set of fans there is nothing we can do to make the club bigger. We can harp on at BK all we like - but the bottom end is that investors are hard to come by - particulalry those who have the type of cash on the hip needed to make a Premiership club competative. Hands up those who have £200M to fritter away over the next three years. I dream of the days when a manager like DM/Bruce/Allerdice/Pearce could on a modest budget build a truly competative team. Those days have long gone - and football is all the worst for it

With Spurs and Wigan drawing this weekend - That 4th CL spot has really been opened up. (If we won our game in hand Everton would only be 7 points adrift a nervouse Spurs) I fancy steady Bolton for it myself.

Lets now hope it will be a Liverpool Chelsea final - that way the Premiership will be given another UEFA cup place.

Thanks for clarifying things, Rowlo. Becasue what you say makes a huge difference in the way this 'rich list' is viewed. Still makes you wonder how Man City and Man City come so high in it. And I reiterate what I say being in it has to be better than being outside it and it is fact that the club IS progressing.

Agree, the term 'TOP 20 RICH LIST' is more than a bit misleading. But is nice to know we made a few quid over a snapshot 12 month period rather than losing a few quid for a change. So has to be a positive in that respect.

One thing to say - Better to be in the top 20 - However, it was done, than not being in it. So in no way can being the top 20 be a negative thinking. Selling Rooney - whatever, we've seen all that money given to Moyes last January and the summer with it ALL gone on rebuilding of the squad. Beattie Davies Neville VDM Valente Arteta Ruddy Ferrari Kroldroup (although we have lost a few quid on him, but most of that money is back in the bank) All we had before was Rooney and a load of ordinary players in the main and a bag of beans for bringing in new player. Squad is now stronger than it has been since the good old days of the mid eighties.

Pennent as a player is very good, but not sure his attitude will fit in with the Everton squad. Moyes is big on team spirit - and Evertons is up their with the best of them - Prima donnas like Pennent and Bellamey just would fit in our squad.

I was waiting for that fozzie - Ashton was not a proven Premiership striker at that time - so I am afraid that argument hold no water - Now he's played less than 20 games in the Prem and scored a few goals over a very short period he is worth £7.5M. You are not comparing apples with apples Fozzie, when you talk of his £3M transfer, you have to go on his latest transfer fee to compare him to Beattie. All the players I listed and their fees where for stiker proven at the top level in their respective leagues (if from overseas). i.e the bracket Beattie is in. Its like now comparing Robbie Keane vs Nugent as targets. Proven Keane for £6m or unproven Nugent for £3M.

I am not a huge fan of the UEFA cup - But CL is only for the elite. the only way to get Euro experience is to play against euro teams - So as only two intertoto games needed to be played - then foolish not to go for it as we have a chance of being just outside the UEFA cup places. Moyes and our squad as a whole have limited experience so this is a way of getting a little more. The new format is a total different kettle of fish to the old format - so as I said a compleate U turn on this one for me. I noticed on sky sports that Middlesbrough have applied - Now there is optomisum for you.

If we didn't sign him when we did somebody else would have - No question. - and then you would be coming out with "Moyes dithering in the market again" £6M was his market value at the time - that what anyone else would have had to pay - he is an experienced Premiership forward, who is also a grafter. A list of some of the money paid over the last couple of years for 'established' strikers in the Beattie bracket. Cisse - £10M Yakubu - £7.5M Crouch - £7M Ashton - £7.25M Bellemy - £5M Morientez -£6.5M Defoe -£7M Heskey - £6.5M Drogba - £23M I really don't see what you mean by - they saw us coming from miles away. Do you HONESTLY believe after what he produced of the previouse two year with Southampton in the Prem - Beattie is not in the bracket of the strikers above. I know he wan't 100% fit when we bought him- but he was leaving Southampton in January 2005 whatever, and I for one am glad we didn't miss the boat on that transfer. Bar none of the list above I think pound for pound he is the best player to fit in to the way Moyes's team play.

Newcastle have a massive following - and a much bigger stadium capacity than us. And that is the biggest revenue earner. Don't really know how Spurs are so high as I wouldn't say White Hart Lane is that big. And the last couple of seasons they have not been on TV much more than the norm, won decent prize money or stepped foot in Europe. Answers on a post card as to why Spurs revenue is so high?

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/index.php?page_id=9189 A total back track from me - As I didn't realise it was only two intertoto games that need to be played. For the sake of a couple of games instead of pre-season it is worth the punt just to get some more euro experience. I thought it was strange for the club to suddenly decide the intertoto cup was worth entering. If Blackburn are the only other Prem team to put there name forward - I would say some of the other clubs have perhaps missed the point like I did.

Come on Fozzie, we all know that he had niggling injury problems for the first 9 months at the club and just never got match fit - I am sure you are old and wise enough to know these sorts of things can happen to any player at any level and at any club- 'shIt happens' as they say. So to harp on about his fitness/contribution/form/goal scoring record during those first 9 months is really a bit old hat now - and you should really move on, Beattie has. You say he paid £6.5M for a goal scorer, but you could say striker or even forward who gives more than goals to a team. Moyes has bought (on purpose in my opinion) a FORWARD who provides more than just goals to a team, his work rate up front has been excellent for the team - but not as measurable as goals scored. Earnshaw scores goals, but as a forward player he is pants. And what this about (suppossed) to be proffessional - Has he pi55ed you off personally somehow to be so down on him even after his consistency of performances since November. I would say this lad has a great attitude and I for one am glad he wears the blue shirt as he gives it his all in all the games he plays in. You seem to have a bit of a grude against the lad, as if he picked up those injuries on purpose during his first 9 months at the club.

That is unless both FA cup finalists are already in Europe (i.e Say a Chelsea vs Man U final). Then another place goes to the league i.e 6th or down to 7th place if Man U win the Carling. There is also a potential place in the UEFA cup from the fair play table (but that is also down to being picked out of a hat - which Spurs missed last season). But we aren't going to get in that way So in an ideal world, Man U will win the Carling Cup and it will be Chelsea, Liverpool or Man U in the FA Cup final. Then UEFA place for 5th 6th and 7th.

Bolton didn't qualify via Intertoto. If we qualify via league, then fair enough, play in the UEFA cup proper and enjoy it. All I am saying is we shouldn't put a huge amount of effort in to trying to get in to a UEFA cup at the beginning of next season, as it could come back to haunt us. CL is a differant matter becasue of the prestige and finacial reward that comes with it. Its worth the risk at the beginning of the season.