s-mackie

By changing our mindset and playing more attack minded football. We've got the players for it but a manager who seemingly can only take us so far. Flair players like Barkley need to have a look in- he's barely seen the bench since a mistake against Blackburn at the start of the season.

I'd say we are a big club yes. Not as big as we once were but with the potential to be with sufficient investment. I think it's silly to just disregard history, that's what makes us the club we are today. Without that history we'd be nothing. Our history is big and we're a big club. That being said, you're right about the here and now- we won't progress to become true greats without change of the boardroom.

That's exactly it in a paragraph. People can talk about the finances all they want. Yes, we probably would be making more progress if we had more cash to spend, but if you look at the team Moyes put out yesterday, or a team that he could have put out, then the money argument holds no weight. Man for man we should have matched them, and then gone on to prove we are better than them. Realistically there are only 5 players that I would have from them in our starting XI. Reina in goal, Kelly at RB, POSSIBLY Skrtel/Agger for Distin, Gerrard in CM and Suarez in the hole (solely based on playing ability). I say possibly for the two CBs because Distin has been outstanding this season, althought Skrtel has been impressive for them this season and offers a better goal threat. With that in mind, in terms of the footballing ability of the two sides you'd say we are pretty equal to them, if not possibly better. It's not the ability that's in question though, it's delivering when it matters as the likes of Utd do. We're a big club with a small team mentality whilst Liverpool have got the mentality for the big occasion that matches the size of their club. We were overawed by the occasion and never played well. We should have gone for the jugular once we went a goal up but bottled it and sat back inviting them onto us despite the fact that they had barely threatened us before that. They played our CBs cleverly second half in fairness. Suarez was getting nothing out of Heitinga first half and was getting frustrated, so he moved on to Distin. Carroll moved on to Heitinga but it was Suarez moving on to Distin that made all the difference. Like at Anfield he made him feel uncomfortable with his dribbling. Distin was always back tracking whilst Heitinga in the first half was more aggressive and snide with Suarez which worked.

The Green Man was a great pub for the semis last time out, massive beer garden so hopefully the weather's good!

0-0 anybody?

He's been playing in the Dallas Cup so it doesn't look like Moyes has any immediate plans for him this season..

http://www.kickoff.com/news/27599/sa-goalkeeper-judd-berg-off-to-everton.php 22 years old so might stand a better chance than the other teen goalkeepers we've brought in in the past.

Absolutely. Wasn't in the area was it?

2-3 FT. Rooney penalty does little to paper over the cracks however.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/mar/07/marcelo-bielsa-athletic-bilbao-manchester-united Watching the United v Bilbao match and Bilbao have just gone 2-1 up at OT. Absolutely unreal performance. Best i've seen at OT in a long, long time. Complete and utter dominance and they are playing some of the most superb football i've seen all season. I hadn't really seen them play before but before the match a lot of journalists were saying that United should beware. After watching it's obvious why. They're playing the way that I could only dream we could do. Total desire & effort and the necessary flair to dictate the game. Having digged deeper I found this article and I think, especially for those watching, it is absolutely fascinating to see what Bielsa is building at Bilbao. Enjoy.

It does seem an odd situation for him at Chelsea. AVB continues to play an under-performing Torres (who he didn't even buy) rather than a player that he obviously thought highly of considering the fee they paid for him. Perhaps some pressure from Abramovich to keep on playing Torres? I'd like to see us take a punt on Lukaku on loan, however I can't see it coming off and if I had the choice between him on loan or Stracq as a permanent option I know which one i'd go for..

Sounds perfectly ok to me mate!

Didn't get to hear the interview, has anybody got a link to it at all? If not then how did he come across?

Stracqualursi for me, that's what i want to see from an Everton centre forward. Superb.

Fourth_Official Fourth Official "@JohnShippaHoy: @Fourth_Official heard rumour Jelavic had left Goodison without signing?? #efc” he's an Everton player, unveiled tonight Fourth Official seems pretty adamant he's signed..

efc_andylewis Andy Lewis Jelavic due back, he has gone back to his hotel to get changed!

Fourth Official says it's official on twitter..

Sorry lads misinterpreted something off another forum!

Apparently in the squad for the Fulham match..

http://www.grandoldteam.com/news/transfer-news/2012/jan/15/everton-set-to-trial-buddle

http://www.footylatest.com/cash-strapped-everton-willing-to-offer-5-million-for-swansea-hit-man/25717 Can't see them wanting to sell him for that much in January, although he's a player i'd very much like at the club and have done since seeing him in the Championship last season..

Like a salmon!

See i was worried all throughout the game, I thought City looked the more likely to score all game even though we did frustrate them up until they actually did go on to score. The amount of time the ball was around our penalty area and we had to rely on blocks etc was unreal and we offered absolutely nothing in an attacking sense in my opinion, they looked comfortable when we came forward because we were often outnumbered..

I agree that, as you said, we have played some great football recently, but we have also played some equally dire football. For example the first half of the 09-10 season, parts of last season etc.. Yes people should realise that our football has improved since the Walter Smith/early Moyes years, but i think that the truly fantastic football has been few and far between. It was a time when we played at a high tempo and harried the opposition whilst having the flair players like Pienaar and a then in-form Arteta. Recently, not only did Pienaar leave and did Arteta lose his form, but we played slow, predictable football..

To be fair, he said 'rightly or wrongly' which doesn't exactly suggest that he's saying Everton play bad football.