Formby

I think this just about sums it up.

The whole Moyes thing strikes me as the last throes of a marriage. Fear of what life would be like without him bothers people more than whether being together is doing us any good. The passion has gone, the players growing up and about to move on, excitement is at a premium (rather play it safe than try, er, new positions), you’re living off memories and dreading the future. I have liked Moyes a lot – he has done really well for Everton – given us a bit of pride and a bit of excitement – but he is not a great tactician (see our European campaigns) and never will be, nor has his recent intransigence over team selections made me think he really knows what he’s doing now. Maybe he’s bored with us? It happens. I would like to give him till the end of the season to see if he can recapture the magic but by then the old lady may be on her knees.

I was at that game. Xmas'77. I think Utd came up the year before (75-76 season) because (memory serves) we were stuffed by them then, too. The memory of that drubbing was only erased by Sheedy at al hammering them 5-0 in 85 (and, of course, the cup final in 95).

Not far off.

Heaven forbid Moyes try something different, but he damn well ought to.

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.

Pro Bily here. We simply don’t have enough players with that kind of guile / class. Moyes saw enough in him to bring him here; his job to get it out. You have got to get Bily in striking range of goal (his left foot is as sweet as Sheedy’s was) – therefore no point on left hand side. We’re not exactly scoring loads, so I agree with those saying push him forward. Give him a few games in a floating, forward role, see what he can do; let him take set-pieces. I’m with Romey and Marco on this. The clips of him don’t lie; he has ability. Moyes has to be brave (but we’ve all been saying that a la formation / Coleman / playing two forwards ad infinitum).

Not sure I understand all the objection (in the media et al) for Arteta’s inclusion. Club football is dominated by foreign imports and, with the odd exceptions, have proved they’re as committed as the home-grown ‘talent’. If Arteta wants to play and there is a provision that allows him to play, then it seems daft to overlook him. If there aren’t any English players that do the job as well, that’s not Arteta’s fault. If it was Messi or Ronaldo we were talking about, would people really say, er, no, we don’t want you. When I hear journalists and ‘pundits’ complaining that he’s not English and questioning his loyalty to the country, I kind of wonder how far the world has moved on. Will England really rid itself of the suspicion of Johnny Foreigner? Do we really want to be the Athletic Bilbao of the international game? In simple terms, if there is a chance he can play and he wants to play, then surely the only argument against his inclusion is , is he good enough? Would England benefit from that kind of midfielder? Unquestionably, I think, yes. On a side note, do these ‘pundits’ realise the number of foreigners who laid down their life for England in WWII, people who were born in far flung corners of the Empire (Canadians, Czechs, Poles, Indians). Is it really such a stretch to imagine a Spanish born player who has settled here wouldn’t give 110% on a football field? Shameful thinking (imho).

Yup, that just about sums it up. Wolves, for God's sake. Ugh. Frighteningly slow, frighteningly predictable.

I think the Charitable Uses Act of 1601 classifies schools of learning as a fitting charitable institution, so I think a ‘school of science’ satisfies that. Equally, giving money to philanthropic medical and social charities doesn’t guarantee all your money will go to front line services. Administration take a cut of every pie. If my wife and kids can blow three quarters of my income away on things I or they don’t need, I don’t say why I can’t join in. So 150 million, why not?

That explains the problem, then. Does anyone get Ulysses???? Sadly, the snapshot of the stadium you portray could be a snapshot of any town / city centre in our benighted realm. Welcome to England.

Ah, you have the reverse problem I have. I'm stuck watching Flyers games at midnight till three in the morning!

Pace isn't everything. The best LM Everton have had in my memory (Kevin Sheedy) was all left foot, but what a left foot. Billy is a very cultured player and it's hard to find those. If he can swing them across like Sheedy and work with Baines overlapping, I don't see why he couldn't fulfill a similar role. Width is very important, as is good balance, in a team. I think he'll come good.

Even if offered a chance? If I were Fabio, I'd test his resolve. I think he'd a be a fabulous addition - a bit of creativity in centre midfield.

Anybody heard anything about the possibility of him playing for England recently? Is he eligible now?