It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

Burnley are 12th at this moment in time.. Man U are bottom -):

16/08/2014 Comments (10) jump




Roberto Martinez fears he could be without Ross Barkley for up to five months.
The England midfielder damaged the medial ligament in his right knee in training one day before their opening Premier League match against Leicester, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Everton will have to wait to find out the full extent of the damage but Martinez knows he could be without one of his key players for a large chunk of the season.

The Toffees boss said: "He had a scan but it was a bit difficult to determine the extent. With the swelling we don't really know how bad the injury is.

"We know it's a partial tear but that could be anything between seven weeks and I've seen injuries like that that take four or five months.

"Ross Barkley is a phenomenal footballer and we're going to miss him, there's no doubt about it. He was so sharp in pre-season, I thought he came back with a different approach.

"He was very unfortunate to (sustain the injury) through an innocuous challenge in training and now he's going to be out for a long, long time.

"The squad should be big enough to be able to cope with losing a player and be able to perform well, but it's a disappointing moment when Ross Barkley was going to have a really big start to the season.

"Now it's coping with the frustration and allowing him to come back when he's fully fit and ready for whatever's left in the season."

The injury is also a blow to England, with Barkley looking certain to miss the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Switzerland, San Marino and Estonia at the very least.

Barkley is no stranger to serious injury having broken his leg in three places on England Under-19 duty in 2010.

Martinez backed the 20-year-old to cope with his latest setback, saying: "He's a very mature boy.

"He was very disappointed because he was looking forward to the start of the season and he put a lot of extra work in because he came back from the World Cup with a real desire to start the season well.

"He's been through periods of bad adversity before and he knows how to cope with that.

"As a football club we're going to be with him and make sure that he's not suffering too much while he's away. I think the ones that are going to suffer is us."

Quotes sourced from ITV


Reader Comments

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Joseph Terrence
1 Posted 16/08/2014 at 18:36:21

Utter shite considering the comments from bobby suggest Billy boy won't open up that pocket book. .
.

Dean Adams
2 Posted 16/08/2014 at 18:36:37

Is there ever any good news when it comes to EFC and injuries to our better players. Five months, I hope RM is joking. .
.

Kevin Rowlands
3 Posted 16/08/2014 at 18:36:40

This is now starting to sound like it could be a season ending injury with surgery and a long rehab ahead, à la Gibson/Kone.
Desperately disappointing, surely were going to have go into the transfer market again to find a replacement.
..

Blues squander a fine lead at the death

By Michael Kenrick 16/08/2014 Comments (48) jump


Record signing Romelu Lukaku leads the line at Leicester


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Everton kicked off Roberto Martinez's second season iat Leicester with Ross Barkley ruled out but Romelu Lukaku named to lead the line, with Mirallas, Besic, Atsu, Coleman and Osman on the bench. Everton fan David Nugent starting for Leicester.

Pienaar was bright as Everton retained possession from the kick-off and with a free-kick that came to nothing. The good possession continued until the forward third where passes didn't hold up so well but it was all Everton, although with no penetration in the first 5 mins.

Leicester saw more of the ball in the next 5 mins, Everton's passing less accurate than might be desired, Naismith bursting into the Leicester area, but his cutback not reaching Lukaku. Everton were starting to build more effectively, using the flanks well, ad Pienaar seemed to have a chance for a shot that he spurned.

Leicester got a free-kick down by the corner flag and won a corner as Howard tipped the ball behind, Knockaert firing well wide from the corner. Some better play from Everton won their first corner, Delap challenged Pienaar. The ball pinged around, out to Baines, who fired in back to Distin off Schmiechel, and McGeady composed himself, then clipped a fantastic shot over everyone and in off the far post. less than a foot below the angle, for a brilliant opening goal.

But less than a minute later, Leicester were level, scoring from a corner, Ulloa lashing home as Distin failed to make any ground, his clearance hitting a player in the 6-yard box.

Everton were having to work hard after the goal struggled to create much until after the half-hour, when a couple of corners resulted from better play, McGeady's shot blocked away by Morgan in the crowded Leicester area.

Better build-up play from Everton saw McGeady have another pop from a more central position but this one flew over the bar. Naismith was the next to fire one in but it was just a few inches wide. Some lovely movement, starting with Lukaku coming back to collect the ball on the half-way line, and getting the ball out to Pienaar who then found Baines, a nice cross to the penalty spot was swept home off the underside of the bar by Steven Naismith.

Leicester came out the stronger after the break but it was fairly competitive stuff as Everton looked to hold on to and, if possible, build on their lead. They were starting to stroke the ball around with confidence, with Leicester refusing to lie down.

McCarthy went don heavily on a challenge and seemed to have seriously damaged his knee ligaments. McCarthy slowly hobbled off after a lengthy spell of treatment, but hobbled back on as Leicester sub Schlupp beat Jones hands down but smacked his shoot wildly high, miles over the Everton bar with Howard to beat.

Lukaku's first touch was still poor at times, as Everton lacked the fluidity that they threatened to impose on the home side at times in the first half. Lukaku looked to take the ball past Moore, who handled it, but it was too far form goal for a red card.

McCarthy had to foul Mahrez, whose free-kick was deflected wide, the corner well overhit. Going the other way, Lukaku looked pretty rusty at times, as he made poor use of good balls played in to him, the Blues looking tired while Martinez delayed any changes into the last 15 mins, as McGeady made a horrible giveaway to a player 3 yards in front of him and Barry had to cynically block Mahrez.

Pienaar replaced by Mirallas. Then Jagileka went down after being caught by a high boot and Coleman then replaced McGeady. But some really soft defending gifted an equalizer to Leicester after Stones and Jagielka could not clear the ball which fell nicely to Wood, Everton playing a massive price for increasing laxity as they failed to carry through their first-half superiority.

Everton got a corner but Mirallas put his attempt in the side netting. Then Mirallas tried to play in Naismith as Everton finally woke up, pressing much better. More spirited attacking that had been absent for much of the half say Baines cross well but Lukaku seemed unable to lift his body, the ball hitting his head an bouncing off high over the bar.

A poor result because Everton squandered two points here against a limited Leicester City side, and very disappointing loss of two vital points.

Leicester City: Schmeichel; De Laet, Moore (Y:69'), Morgan, Konchesky; Mahrez, King, Drinkwater (39' Hammond); Knockaert (64' Schlupp), Nugent, Ulloa (78' Wood).
Subs: Hamer, Hopper, Taylor-Fletcher, Wasilewski.

Everton: Howard; Stones, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Barry, McCarthy; McGeady (85' Coleman), Naismith, Pienaar (81' Mirallas); Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Besic, Atsu, Osman, Alcaraz.

Scorers: Ulloa (22'), Wood (87'); McGeady (20'), Naismith (45').
Referee: Mike Jones

Hey Exec and gf even David Moyes won the first game of the season against Swansea!

Did Van Gaal? No he EDAM well didn't! LOL LOL!!!!!!

It is worrying.

Another worrying thing, is that van Gaal did not look at all comfortable throughout the game. Indeed, I thought he looked tense and nervous.

When Rooney scored his magnificent goal, VG didn't even rise off his seat to applaud.

Hmmm?

Blackburn looked solid last week Stan and I would expect them to be up there in the mix end of season.

Don't know what's happened to Kenwynne Jones during the close season but he's come back a different player. Bloody awful last season and now he can't stop scoring , wins every ball in the air and looks the real deal. Hats off to him cos at least 90% of fans would have welcomed him going on a free transfer just to get his wages off the books (35k a week). The 90% of us now look foolish so well done Kenwynne.

Nice to be back where we belong :)

M , can't say the Cardiff fans cheered the Man U score but most of us did laugh :)

Thats good to hear that about Blackburn then Dil as I ended up doing them with Burnley on my handicap ant-post bet. They were 8/1 and Burnley 50/1.

Yeah always thought that Jones had something when I've seen him play, so maybe he's buckled down and grown up in the summer.

Cardiff now 2nd in table to Notts Forest with same points and goal difference but having scored one less goal.

Good news for you Stan is the appointment of Malky as Palarse manager. Only two relegation spots left to be decided now.

And just when it's going so well for us on the pitch Cardiff get involved in more off field drama.

Palace have withdrawn their job offer to Malky Mackay and Ian Moody has resigned from Palace after Cardiff submit a dossier to the FA detailing apparent wrong doings while at Cardiff.

Daily Mail report

Daily Mail have got everything regarding Cardiff City right over the last couple of season so the report is probably more accurate than the one in the mirror.

They got a mole in the club.

3 relegation places up for grabs again now and a lucky escape by Palace imo , sorry Stan.

Daft or shrewd? Hmmm?

Liverpool’s increasing desperation for a proven international forward has led them to explore the possibility of a surprise move for Mario Balotelli.

Barely a fortnight after Brendan Rodgers insisted that he was not interested in signing the controversial Italian, the Liverpool manager is now considering a loan deal to bring the 24-year-old back to the Premier League.

Balotelli’s club, AC Milan, are understood to have been made aware of Liverpool’s interest via a third party and the striker is now emerging as an alternative target after the Merseyside club grew frustrated in their ambitious pursuit of Radamel Falcao.

More on this, including loads of interesting comments, at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/11047322/Liverpool-may-take-plunge-with-shock-move-to-bring-Mario-Balotelli-back-to-Premier-League.html

Never a dull moment as a Cardiff supporter these days then Dil eh?..

Stan , tweet from Paddypower :)

After a Daily Mail investigation where Malkay Mackay was exposed as a racist and sexist , he has now been offered a job as their editor.

On the Cardiff forum there are still a lot of huge Malkay fans who are always very vocal and which has been almost as divisive as the red/blue argument.

A lot of these guys are well connected to the club and also to Malkay and Moody.

Their silence since this news broke speaks volumes.

You couldn't make it up could you.

This is just the start , this going to run and run.

Moody has now offically resigned from Palace and the Malkay supporters on the forum (who also run it) have now admitted to knowing why he really got sacked months ago but decided to keep it quiet , probably to save face but are now being savaged by all and sundry.

Maybe our owner Vincent Tan isn't the villain we have all been led to believe.

You cannot be serious Dil? If some gobshite bought EFC and decided they would wear RED there would be blood on the streets. Trust me :O)

The Park End Stand - 20 years old this week
by Karl Masters | 21/08/2014 Comments (11) jump
It's 20 years yesterday since the Park End stand opened for its first League game, a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on August 20, 1994.

Although a big improvement on the old 1906 built structure, it looks now to have been a massive missed opportunity. The original plans, unveiled in April 1991, were for a 10,000 seater double decker stand to line up and join the Bullens Road stand.

However, symptomatic of the depressing 'Dr David Marsh' era, the Board, including a certain Bill Kenwright, deemed it unlikely we would need a capacity of more than 40,000. So, instead a single tier 6,000 seat structure was built, costing a mere £2.3m, of which £1.8m was a grant from the Football Trust.

Even at the time, it seemed short sighted and we ended up with something not big enough, noticeably further back from the playing area than the Gwladys Street end, and out of keeping with all the other multi-tiered stands.

So, 20 years on, do you regard it as a missed opportunity of 4,000 extra fans at many games from a penny-pinching Board or a prudent move to get the stand replaced at the lowest possible cost?

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Peter Laing
1 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:11:56 Spent one season in the Park End 2 years ago with my two boys (on their first junior season tickets) and didnt enjoy the experience and renewed last year in the Upper Glady. Terrible to trying to exit the stand from the back on the final whistle, generally a bit moody in terms of atmosphere and freezing cold with the sun shining towards the Glady when it makes a very rare appearance !
Steve Carse
2 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:39:59 An awful stand, not befitting of our status and certainly out of sync with the rest of the ground. Far too small and bland. And amazingly, as I discovered with going to the preseason friendly there, smaller than the home goal stand at Tranmere!
As I recall it wasn't a matter of it being believed there was no need for it to be any bigger, rather the decision was, as usual, to do with affordability.

I notice that Cardiff have just added a tier to one of their stands at a cost of just a few million. Despite all the money coming into the club via new TV deals (£20m pa) there seems to be no inclination to address the capacity or the corporate facilities issues. Depressing.

Paul Hewitt
3 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:46:41 Cant believe its been twenty years. Had a season ticket for 10 season in the Park End. I thought there was plans to make it bigger?
Phil Guyers
4 Posted 21/08/2014 at 17:45:00 That whole time of the early nineties was a massive missed opportunity from which we are only slowly RECOVERING even now. We helped to create the Premier League and then had absolutely no idea how to exploit the new situation to our advantage.
From being Champions in 1987, we really should have been relegated in 1994 and it has always baffled me how we managed to deteriorate so quickly. It seems to me that, once we had a couple of mediocre seasons, the board completely lost its nerve and budgeted for failure. The Park End stand was just one aspect of this totally unambitious policy - Brett Angell being another!

Mike Allison
5 Posted 21/08/2014 at 18:14:54 Steve that's because the plan is to move to a new stadium. You wouldn't undertake major building work on something you were planning to move out of.
What's depressing is that apparent lack of any progress whatsoever on a new stadium. We risk just going over old ground here, but despite the footprint difficulties I'm still convinced Goodison could be redeveloped into an excellent stadium of around 50,000. A bigger Park End would be a start.

Dave Williams
6 Posted 21/08/2014 at 20:19:11 Phil - we spent crazy money on mediocre players – eg.Cottee £2.3m, Nevin £900k, McDonald £500k, Newell £1.1m, Beagrie £750k – so when HK returned for his second stint there was nothing left in the pot. He sold our two remaining good players in McCall and Keown and proceeded to waste £1m of it on Mo Johnston.
A catalogue of poor management from Everton legends and zero support from the most inept board in our history.

That is why Moyes deserves a medal for how he pulled us around on a shoestring rather than the rubbish which some have written about him.

Paul Hewitt
7 Posted 21/08/2014 at 20:43:10 Phil, the reason things went down hill was the RS got us banned from Europe. I’m convinced Kendall would have stayed if we had been in Europe and things would have been different.
Danny Broderick
8 Posted 21/08/2014 at 21:03:44 4,000 extra seats paying £40 each 20 games a season = £3.2 million. If it costs £10 million to do, it's paid for itself within 3 years.
Fag paper maths, but however you work it out, it pays for itself within a few years as long as you sell the tickets. And seeing as we have sold 75% of tickets for this season already, it's not a massive leap of faith to say we would sell an extra few thousand every week. We might have cup runs, European nights, sponsorship around the sign, catering etc which would bring in money too.

If only the board had a bit of foresight...

Nick Entwistle
9 Posted 21/08/2014 at 21:14:08 It would look mundane even in Stadium TESCO. Never liked it.
Karl Masters
10 Posted 21/08/2014 at 22:11:27 Well, whether we stay at Goidison or not, every year that goes by I get more and more annoyed by the antics of our Board.
Yes, a complete lack of ambition back in the early 90's with the patronising Club Secretary, Jim Greenwood always good for pouring a bucket of cold water over any ideas to take the Club forward. As conservative a bunch of pepe as you could ever get. Complacent doesn't even begin to describe it in my opinion.

But today, there is talk of a new stadium, but with what capacity? 50,000 is not enough, 60,000 might be.

I get so tired of hearing people say we can't fill the stadium now, so where are all these fans coming from? Firstly, we already have more than enough fans to fill it, we just don't all go every week due to many factors, but not being able to buy tickets in groups of more than one or two puts you off taking the kids for a start, despite the generous children's proving structure. Obstructed views are another. I certainly don't want a 500 mile round trip to have a pillar blocking my view of the goal or the peering through a letterbox view of the Lower Bullens.

Sunderland's crowds more than doubled after the move to the Stadium Of Light, same for Southampton, Leicester, Derby, while Arsenal saw an instant gain of more than 20,000 fans a match. Man City's crowds went up 12,000 a match after leaving Maine Road and their team was crap. I do hope that we don't look back in another 20 years and regret having an inept Board......

Patrick Murphy
11 Posted 21/08/2014 at 22:31:29 Karl of course we could find 60,000 people to fill the ground if we had a good winning team and the prices were reasonable, although I happen to believe that 50-55k would be acceptable less than that and it probably wouldn't be worth the hassle. Remember the 1985 average gate was circa 32,000 but we could have pulled in excess of 50,000 on certain occasions if the ground had been permitted to hold so many.
I think we have a good hard-core of supporters and many more who would visit Goodison if they were guaranteed a good view of the game. Problems with the average age of the current fan-base may prove problematic in 10 to 20 years.

Chris , red aside Tan saved us from admin and has subsequently pumped millions in enabling Cardiff to reach Premier League for first time in 50 years. If some clown hadn't then blown a massive transfer budget on crap and players he never picked to play then we would probably still be there.

When Tan turns us back to blue and I believe he will at some point he will then be hailed a hero for what he has done for us.

Til then the fight goes on.