comeonblueboys

Anyone know about how to qualify for Europe this season? I've just read on Wikipedia that there's no Intertoto any more, and that the UEFA cup is becoming the Europa League from next season and that teams that would have qualified for the Intertoto will go straight to the qualifying for the Europa League. So that sounds like 6th will be enough for Europe this season – anyone heard that?

For me he's not a good enough footballer to justify a place in a four-man midfield. It's his goals that make him a good player, although I do sometimes wonder whether with a better footballer on the pitch creating more chances for the strikers we'd have scored the goals we're so grateful for him for anyway (it's a big IF, I know that). I don't think he's creative enough to have a place off the striker either. It's too late in his career now but he's strong and aggressive and with discipline maybe he could have become a good holding player who can also get goals. Let's face it, he's not Paul Scholes - he doesn't have that ability and creativity, even though sometimes people compare them because of his late runs into the box and his goals. David Platt used to generally play a disciplined more or less holding role and also used to make those runs and get goals. But like I said I think it's too late for Cahill to develop into a playing a role like that.

What, are we supposed to keep EVERY single player on ours books just in case? Owen got 23 goals as an 18 year old in his first season for Liverpool. Who said he wasn't going to be a superstar? I was already sick of name after he got his first goal the season before.

Couldn't agree more. Look at Paolo Maldini. An absolute legend and represented club and country at both positions.

We're doing OK but it's scary how exposed we are every time Middlesbrough break ... generally the only players defending in those situations are three of the back four. I thought Cahill was looking a lot better at the start but he needs to try and keep it simple a bit more. And his aggression sometimes doesn't help as he gives away a lot of free kicks.

Wouldn't it be better not to have someone with a good all round game? We don't need a box to box player - what we need is someone strong and reliable who will just sit there in front of the defence and be disciplined and play simple balls to other players.

Yak's got 18 in 35 for us in the league. We haven't got another player who could get near that in my opinion (and not many in the prem could, full stop) - Saha could maybe come close if he stayed fit the whole season, but we'd be mad to rely on that given his injury record, Vaughan maybe maybe in years to come might start getting near there, but injuries again are a problem, Anichebe hahaha. There'd be no point selling Yak and replacing him with Vagner Love since we'd have no idea how he would perform in the Prem. I agree much more with Bill's idea about Cahill (if a bid came in for some reason) - OK Yak doesn't do much when he's not scoring, but the same applies to Cahill and I think that's much more of a problem for a midfielder than a striker. I know Cahill comes up with crucial goals, but sometimes watching the games where he gets that crucial goal you wonder whether had there been a better player on the pitch instead of him we might have already scored three.

We were shite but to be honest there's been many many times under Moyes that we've played shite and won games. I think if anyone's waiting for us to start putting out really good footballing performances on a regular basis they'll be waiting a long time.

Is anyone else sick of seeing his smiling mug on the club website every time they visit? Do the club not realise he's probably not the best choice of player to advertise evertontv?

Did anyone else notice just how poor we were keeping possession at the end of the game? I think it was only Saha that actually had the intelligence to try and get the ball to the corners, to the by-line etc., where you can just shield it and hopefully win a free kick or throw in. The rest of the players seemed happy just to kick it as far as possible up the pitch. That uses up about five seconds of time while the ball is in the air, and then the opposition can just send it straight back, whereas actually playing a bit of keep-ball and getting the ball to the by-line can kill whole minutes. Surely they must work on this in training just occasionally?

This link to a youtube video was on the Guardian website today: "4) A tribute to one of the forgotten sides of British football: Everton's majestic title-winners of 1984-85.

Couple more quotes from the Guardian that aren't on the BBC story: "Zabeel Investments has informed Charlton that the decision not to proceed was taken on the basis that its focus moving forward will be on domestic opportunities in Dubai that complement the current Zabeel Investments portfolio." "In addition, Zabeel Investments has confirmed it has no current intention to acquire any English football club for the foreseeable future."

If Arteta is fed up with playing in a team that plays the long team then he must have been from the beginning. We've always resorted to that under Moyes when things aren't going well. It's one of the things that frustrates me with Moyes - even with better players and the progression he's made, our football is still terrible at times.

I actually think Joe Kinnear can do a good job for them, at least for a season or two. Look at what happened to Wimbledon as soon as he left. But the Newcastle fans are so stupid I don't think he'll get the time.

I agree with what he says about Wiley apologising - he should. I just don't agree with Moyes' argument that basically Wiley's mistake is responsible for him being sent to the stands. It wasn't. His own reaction was to blame. I just think the respect towards referees thing is a really good idea, and I don't agree with the idea that if a referee makes a mistake then it's a lack of respect or something. If a referee makes a mistake it should be for the FA to deal with - i.e. suspend the ref, drop him down a division etc. I don't think any managers (and I don't think Moyes is the worst) should be shouting at them and getting sent to the stands - they should be setting the example to the players and just getting on with it. When I was a kid we were always told to respect the referee and we never argued with them or anything. Now if you go and watch kids play football for their Sunday teams half of them are mouthing off to the referee all the time. I know where the learn that from - from the players and managers they idolise.

I agree the decision was wrong, but I think Moyes was wrong with his reaction. In his interview he basically said the ref's wrong decision was to blame for him getting sent to the stand, so he should have an apology, but that's not true - it was his own reaction and he has to take responsibility for that. The ref's decision was nothing about lack of respect, it was just a very poor mistake, whereas I think managers have got to set the example about not abusing referees - if Moyes hadn't reacted and been sent off he would easily be able to take the high ground now and demand an apology, but as it is he should also be apologising himself.

Lescott is much better as a CB than a LB. It's his natural position. He just needs to be playing there regularly.

Because the G14 was totally out of their control and they felt threatened by it. The same wouldn't be true of a European league that they themselves created.

If I was more of a cynic I would suggest that the disparity is all to do with UEFA wanting to create a separate tier of teams, far wealthier and stronger than any of the other teams in the domestic league, to eventually justify the creation of a European league.

Am I missing something? I thought he got done for fighting outside MacDonald's? What's that got to do with the FA?

Get well soon Gareth. I remember that season how many long range shots he had on goal that had ended up in row ZZ, but I had a view of that one from directly behind from the Gwladys Street and you knew as soon as he hit it that it was going in. Really weird thing - I just looked up the goal on youtube and it was exactly 10 years ago to the day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...ted/7384247.stm Firstly Keegan complains about the 'power' of the big four, saying that he hasn't got enough money to compete and that there's a danger of the Premier League becoming boring. Sorry, but didn't Newcastle do exactly the same thing as all the top four are doing now (i.e. spending way more money than anyone else) when Keegan was manager the first time and they did have the money? Didn't see it as a danger then, did he? He actually talks about 'soldiering on' with what he's got! Are we expected to feel sorry for him? And then the chairman says it's 'frustrating' as players like Woodgate are willing to sign for Spurs rather than Newcastle even though Newcastle offered higher wages, just because Spurs are in Europe. Frustrating??!! It's how it should be - why should a club be able to get the players they want just because they can afford to pay them higher wages? I'm really glad to hear that that's what Woodgate did - he actually goes up in my opinion a lot as a result.

But who are Sunderland going to get to sign for them with their £80m? All that will happen is that they'll have to pay over the odds for average players because other clubs know they've got money to spend. Just like any economy, if there's much cash swishing around then prices just go up (think of £5m+ for Koumas and Richardson last year). It's fine if you're Chelsea and are already near the top of the table, have won things in recent years, and have a world-famous manager like Mourinho was - then you'll get people to sign. More realistic comparisons for Sunderland are Newcastle and Middlesbrough. They've had so much cash for years (maybe not Middlesbrough now, but certainly when Robson was manager), but the only real top, top players at the top of their game that I can remember them ever actually being able to sign are Juninho, Shearer and Owen. We definitely need to sign players this summer, but I'm not remotely worried about a team like Sunderland, no matter how much cash they have.

Does this change things or did we already know this? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...ity/7350681.stm

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