Formby

I'll be sad to see Bily go - a natural footballer who could have done very well here (and, in flashes, showed it). I place the blame squarely on Moyes (tactically and managerially). Interested to see who the next whipping boy will be when he goes. I think Bily's had a lot of undue flak round here. Moyes' reverse Midas touch has made the whole team look like crap.

Noble sentiments - see Henry V, pre-Agincourt - but I don't think I can agree with any of it. We don't have a divine right to success: tasting greatness just makes you more bitter, and great teams and clubs have fallen by the wayside. It's not confidence we lack - it's quality. We are more than 2-3 players off being a decent side - more like 5 or 6 (or 8 or 9). Agreed, it's all exacerbated by Moyes's bewildering tactics (please just go, David), but we are a pale shadow of our best teams, and things are only going to get bleaker and darker. Wish they weren't.

That's a poultry excuse.

'Bilyaletdinov sometimes doesn’t get enough credit'. Certainly on this board, he doesn't. I like him. Always have. Nice article. Nice lad. If only Moyes would play him in the right place, maybe he'd see more of what he wants.

Specifically, why is it odd?

A weird thing happened at the end of July. In the friendly against DC United, Moyes decided to play Bily and Barkley in their favoured attacking midfield positions and Everton passed the ball round quite beautifully. It was a pleasure to watch and, for a brief second, I thought this was the shape of things to come. Let’s get our ball players on the ball in attacking positions and let Rodwell (Fellaini was injured that day) do the mopping up. Seeing this crisp-passing outfit in front of him must have scared the hell out of Moyes because he’s sure as hell come nowhere near replicating it. Nor will he ever. Last season, I compared our collective relationship with Moyes to a broken-down marriage, with both parties too scared to get the divorce that’s long been coming. Well, for me it’s come now. He has to go. Please.

Despite the habitual naysayers on the board bemoaning Bily's presence in the team (or anywhere), I thought today demonstrably proved he can do a job in the centre of the park - and it's not as if he was up against some minnows, either. I thought he played well against Chelsea in midweek, too (wasn't the only one, judging by the reception as he was taken off). Moyes' decision to move him out wide proved yet again that Moyes has no clue (along with putting Barkley on the wing). Coleman is championship quality and always will be (although God loves a trier). Fellaini and Rodwell were good. Moyes is leading this team nowhere and wasting what little talent we have. Very disappointing (again).

An easy 2-0 win for Fulham. More head scratching from our master tactician and another totally listless performance. I haven't seen anything from anyone this year. Very disappointing.

Returning to McFadden is like dating someone you used to go out with. You knew they were a bit lousy, but you’re not exactly spoiled for choice at the moment, so you think why not? Only to find out very soon why you split in the first place and you’re wasting your money (again).

I'm not steering you to any particular conclusion, but you may want to go to http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php, amongst many other places, to answer all your questions about this case. It explains the politics of the Rolling Stone article, and the million pound PR job done by the Knox family, as well as directing you to the real evidence in the case, and why she was convicted in the first place. Sobering reading, and pretty damning.

Only, that should have been the right outcome. The acquittal flies in the face of true justice and demonstrates what effect money and American leverage has had on this case. As a great many residents of Perugia attested last night: 'Shame.'

Definitely. I thought it was just me that felt that about Pele. Cruyff, Maradona were much better. Ferguson actually thought Bobby Charlton was the best player ever and I have some sympathy with that. I don't think Rooney has ever really become 'great', or will ever be.

I think it was just the chorus - the verses will reflect the injustices felt by the working man, betrayed by an increasingly right leaning Labour party, and the harsh realities of the economic cuts, all cloaked in a satire of BK.

He'll fit in nicely with the rest of the team, then. Cahill offers nothing now (sadly). The sensible thing would be to give Bily a go there. But Moyes and sense rarely see eye to eye.

Been a big ice hockey fan for 15 years - this off season has been blighted with the deaths of some high-profile players: now this. It's shocking and should make anyone realise how fragile life is. Enjoy it while you have it.

What were you wearing a bikini for if you had a/c?

Not to excuse the abysmal performance of the players, but this was really on Moyes: poor team selection, poor subsitutions, poor tactics, poor attitude. Happened too many times now, especially at the start of the season. We really need to start again with someone else - this is a really stale marriage.

I said seems, not know. Evidence: every interview I’ve seen him give and personal anecdotes regarding West End shows, which I do know about. Not sure where you get insane from, but I think you're very naive to presume people don't present things the way they want, especially if they have such a large axe to grind.

Absolutely agree with this - the transcript doesn't scan write to me. I think it's been edited / amended. The patronising use of the word 'son' also seems dubious (inserted). It seems totally un-Kenwright-like.

Or take it up. Top right looks okay, mind.

Everton will outlast all my birthdays, marriages, births and bereavements. It will outlast all my friendships. It is one of the few constants I will take to my grave. I don’t say that in a ‘Everton till I die’ way, either. Why a football club arouses such devotion and loyalty (you’re far more likely to leave your partner than your team), is beyond me. Perhaps it’s the association with one’s childhood. Like a lot of things, I feel I should have grown out of it. But I haven't. Damned club.

God, I would love Moyes to try that as an attacking unit. Sadly, the chances of him ever 'going for it' are zero.

He looked good aginst DC - neat and tidy, with a creative touch. No point (thinking of) selling him. In a good pass and move midfield, you really saw what he could do. Whether Moyes chooses to play that way, that's the real question.

But to ‘conspire’ a birthday party would be using the word in its transitive sense (it needs an object) which as far as I can tell only has the negative connotation! The lesser known definition Mike brought up applies to intransitive verbs.

But is that really a conspiracy? Is that the word you would use? I accept (by way of the dictionary definition) that it is not always the case that a conspiracy has to have some criminal intent, but I have never seen it used that way: certainly not in legal circles. I don’t think I would say I was conspiring to arrange a secret birthday party, as it seems to imply an element of subterfuge and chicanery. It also throws into question whether any secrets are well-meaning. Watching the Commons Committees try to get to the bottom of the hacking scandal demonstrates how difficult it is to establish the nature of a conspiracy.