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...

He's always been over-rated - as the Evertonians are finding to their cost

The four Burnley players beats the three we had in the team two years ago. On that occasion all of Kieran Trippier, Jason Shackell and Danny Ings were named.

The 2015/16 PFA Championship team is: Tom Heaton (Burnley), Bruno Saltor (Brighton), Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) or Michael Dawson (Hull), Michael Keane (Burnley), George Friend (Middlesbrough), Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough), Alan Judge (Brentford), Joey Barton (Burnley), Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday), Ross McCormack (Fulham), Andre Gray (Burnley).

The Big weekend game details http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36051277

Well I will not be betting on Burnley. :-))

Stupid boy D/C.. your will reget it

I have for the last two bets on them. lol

Looked good until Burnley on the accumulator


Top 6 Bets pays 10.62/1


1. Man City @ 1/3

2. Liverpool @ 6/10

3. Atletico Madrid @ 1/3

4. Real Madrid @ 3/10

5. Southampton @ 4/7

6. Burnley @ EVS

Ah yes but you must consult me 1st before placing any bets on the super Clarets, otherwise I cannot be responsible for your loses... trust me I know about these things

The Big weekend game details http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36060715 but Stan, enjoy your few hours at the top....maybe! :-)

Dyche: Shoulders Back!

Sean Dyche insists his players are relishing the pressure as the promotion race enters the home straight.

The Clarets travel to Preston tonight knowing that wins in their final three games of the season would see them promoted back to the Premier League for the third time.

The FA Cup, family, and us

by Peter Mills | 21/04/2016 11 Comments [Jump to last]

It's been a day of contemplation for us all. A tough day, having been humiliated at Anfield. Heartbreaking to find ourselves in such a shambles on the eve of an FA Cup semi-final.

Then, at just after 1:00pm, I was listening to Radio 2 and heard Jeremy Vine talk with Dame Vera Lyn, the woman whose songs kept alive the spirit of millions of people during World War 2. Songs that were cherished by my father, who spent 5 years away from home flying in bombers, scared out of his wits, winning that war for our freedom. The other things that kept him going were family, and Everton.

That man survived, and took me to the FA Cup Final in 1966 and 1968. We took him in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1995. He stayed at home in 2009. He took them in his stride, revelled in the victories, was philosophical in the defeats. He understood that no matter what happened, there was a bigger picture. BUT it mattered. The match mattered. Whatever was going on, Everton mattered.

So, whatever my feelings towards the inept manager and the wastrel, millionaire footballers, I'm going to go down there and support Everton FC. Thousands and thousands will do the same. Many will have similar family histories. We are born, not manufactured. It's what we do, it's who we are.

Embrace the day. As the old fella would say, "The darkest hour comes just before the dawn".

Reader Comments

As you know, Peter, I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments. Watching the shambles on Wednesday took me back to January of 2014. Watching the awful loss at Anfield Road, another 4-0. I thought that my day could not get any worse. But it did. I got a call from my brother, Mike, telling my that my Dad had died in hospital. The result did not matter any more.
But knowing our Dads, such good friends, they would want us to be at Wembley on Saturday regardless of the current circumstances. The club itself is much more important than the present chairman, board of directors, manager, players, coaching staff. And the club always deserves our support. I will be watching on TV but I know you will give the Boys in Blue a cheer for me. COYB.


Like most ToffeeWebbers I have been venting spleen for weeks now at the appalling management on show. However Peter, thanks for your article. Spot on. Frankly made me reflect on the nonsense of it all and the future somehow looks brighter when put into proper perspective. I appreciate that. NSNO, COYB.


Are you reading this Roberto, and understanding what the Club is really about?


Should be read aloud to the players before they leave the dressing room on saturday.......by Duncan Ferguson!

Everton vs Manchester United

by Lyndon Lloyd | 22/04/2016 130 Comments [Jump to last]

FA Cup Semi-Final Preview


With the pressure on, Roberto Martinez has some selection headaches for the biggest games of the season

It should be the peak of the season so far — thousands of Blues descending on Wembley, a place where the Twin Towers were once like a second home in the 1980s but more recently the new arch has cast a shadow on Everton on two of their previous three visits. Real hope of an FA Cup Final and a chance to erase the misery of 2009 and 2012 by ending a 21-year trophy drought should be lifting those Blue hearts as they journey down; instead they will do so with very mixed emotions.

Evertonians will travel in hope, but it will be almost forlorn hope that, first and foremost, whatever team Roberto Martinez can patch together can unite, dig deep and produce a performance worthy of the badge. Wednesday's disgrace at Anfield may never be forgiven nor forgotten but with no activity from the board with regard to the manager's position in the ensuing 36 hours, the recriminations and angst will have to be set aside, for 90 minutes at least, in an effort to will the Blues over the line.

For Martinez, the outcome will likely dictate whether it's his last match in charge or whether he is able to cling to his job for the foreseeable future. This semi-final has been central to his rhetoric while his team's awful form since the quarter-final win over Chelsea in the Premier League has dragged on and it's now do or die for the Catalan.

Unfortunately, his preparations for what is the biggest game of his career since he steered Wigan to FA Cup glory three years ago could not have been worse. Beginning the week with his captain and first choice right back rated as highly doubtful to figure tomorrow with hamstring injuries, he lost his most influential midfield player in Gareth Barry to injury in midweek, saw one centre half pick up a suspension and the other come off because of illness, all against the backdrop of the worst ever performance by an Everton team in the Merseyside derby.

It means that Everton could be down to the bare bones at the back. Stones should recover from his bout of gastro-intestinal distress in time to play. Jagielka meanwhile has, apparently, been doing light training in the last day or so but it remains to be seen if he will be pitched in half fit in desperation at the lack of options. Assuming he doesn't make it, Muhamed Besic could drop into the role emergency central-defensive role Barry would surely have filled had he not picked up a groin injury. Or, if reports of his recall are correct, Matthew Pennington could get the nod.

That still leaves a hole at right back where you would assume Bryan Oviedo will never be required to play again after his personal nightmare against Liverpool. Pennington or Callum Connolly could step into that role, as could Aaron Lennon or James McCarthy.

In central midfield, it's a case of perming two or three from Besic, Tom Cleverley, Darron Gibson and Leon Osman and the choice of wingers surely depends on how much Martinez wants to balance containment with offensive threat in the first half. Lennon for his graft and Kevin Mirallas for his early forays at Anfield could be selected for the sake of continuity, with Gerard Deulofeu left in reserve to see how things are later in the game.

Much improved United, who since exiting the Europa League so meekly to Liverpool, have won five of their last six in all competitions, could not be approaching this tie more differently. Louis van Gaal remains unpopular among many Red Devils fans who still don't see him as the man to lead them back to the title but his side have found the kind of consistency and rhythm in recent weeks to eke out results that Everton would kill for.

The meeting between the two sides at the beginning of the month, settled by Anthony Martial's second-half strike, was a case in point. Everton were toothless and lifeless and United just needed the one goal to take the points. Whether it's that tight on this occasion remains to be seen but in Martial, Marcus Rashford and the fit-again Wayne Rooney, Van Gaal certainly has attacking weapons at his disposal to exploit Martinez's weakened back line.

All eyes will be looking to see what kind of response Martinez can elicit from his charges after Wednesday's travesty but Blues fans will hope that on this occasion the players will be playing for themselves and the fans; that they can be the ones to end this quest for silverware and salvage something from the season.

Evertonians shouldn't have to balance their hopes of getting through the semi-final to earn a crack at ending a desperate longing for a trophy with the fear that the club will be stuck with a manager whose tenure has become a demonstrable failure, but plenty will wrestle with that paradox when the whistle blows.

Anything can happen in football, though, and while that shot at a trophy exists, Blues fans will have to separate the two issues and let the chips fall regarding Martinez's future where they may. One thing at a time. Pride please, Everton.

Kick-off: 5.15pm
Referee: Anthony Taylor

Comments

It's pretty much a win-win situation for us after Wednesday's capitulation. Victory means a cup final. Defeat makes Martinez's position untenable.


Possibly or very the final act for Roberto Martinez.
The flaws and weaknesses smarter the floor like landmines now and we have seen the real Martinez laid bare this season after the striptease started last season.

This is now where we are at.

One game left to save our season, one game left to save his arse.

The defining week from hell began with the predictable opening of the gates on Wednesday night...

Tomorrow is our date with the real Red Devils and could be the final time this team and manager is thrown into the fire and never seen again.

Unless....



RM has confirmed that Coleman is definitely out of the semi final he thinks Stones will be OK and Barry will be assessed on the day of the game. He made a strange comment when asked if Jagielka would be fit he said "I don't accept that Phil will be fit, but we are treating his feelings rather than his injury".
He said that the group has an incredible togetherness, and he has been working for the last 10 months to win silverware.
He was asked to comment on the speculation over his position and he said it would be unprofessional to discuss that and he was focused on Wembley.


I fear another serious twatting


The paradox has been solved, you know it, I know it and the vast majority of posters on here know it. Everton Football Club are simply bigger than Bill Kenright's ego and Roberto Martinez's so called philosophy. The sooner both of them leave the club the better.
As for Saturday, Evertonians whether there or in person will be cheering the team on, just like we always do. But nobody is under the illusion anymore, that the status quo, as it is can go on.

How a club with our stature can tolerate Wednesday' nights debacle, without even a cursory inquest, will go down as one of the blackest days in our history. It's the supporters alone who have been left red faced and humiliated. And for that, Kenwright and Martinez should never should never be forgiven.


Listening to his press conference, he said ' We put in strong work for 10 months '. Total bullshit. I'm still seething that he's still here to pick a team for tomorrow. I blame Kenwright (what a manager), another bullshitter, who should be gone with him.
Regarding team selection, he has to play Connelly right back, and Pennington centre back, if Jagielka and Galloway don't make it. He cannot pick Oviedo, but then again it is Martinez , if he does Martial will destroy him.


I'm going into this with the enthusiasm of someone who Is about to play Russian Roulette with 5 of the 6 chambers loaded.


Never mind 90 minutes away from the Cup Final, we're 90 light years away from it. Really, United only have to turn up and play to a minimum competent level to beat us. We're so bad, LVG should rest his entire first team squad for the final, and just let the under 12 girls team put us out of our misery.


Two positives:

(1) Roberto is so confused about our tactics, team and his plans that neither the opposition nor our team have any idea what he's doing. Therefore the opposition cannot plan against it. This total confusion and lack of rationality could just work in our favour.

(2) The Manure are expected to win easily. Since neither they nor their manager will get any credit for the victory, complacency or nervousness could descend.



I will wake up tomorrow and head down to Wembley with my young lad who is desperate to go for his first visit. I'll be right up for it tomorrow but I will have to prepare him for a disaster ahead of the game.
However, as for today....

I think it is a huge, huge mistake going with this manager for the game tomorrow (though I hope I am 100% wrong). It is clear the players don't want to play for him and that will detract. People will say that professional players should motivate themselves and yeah, they should. But they should be able to do that for a derby, and they didn't.

Martinez will bring an air of defeat whereas I think just the presence of Unsworth, and Royle for a last hurrah, would have generated a feeling of fight in the dressing room.

Anyway, COYB, and anyone posting on the eve of a SF that they want us to lose to get rid of Martinez should be immediately banned, as per military discipline getting rid of people bad for morale on the eve of a battle!!

I have fallen off my seat Burnley are winning, yes winning 1-0. :-))

Nothing wrong with Burnley. :-))

Preston 0 Burnley 1... Only one should have been 4 or 5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36051277

However 3 more promotion pts.

D/C, Have you considered getting some betting coaching.. my rates are not cheap but fairly pre-eminent -):

Lol, Burnley is the first winner on my accumulator.

Who were the others?

Did not win Stan. Lol

Got a nice one today if Leicester and Arsenal win.


Barcelona @ 1/25Match BettingWon

Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

Paris Saint-Germain @ 4/11Match BettingWon

Paris Saint-Germain v Lille

Leicester @ 3/4Match BettingOpen

Leicester v Swansea

Inter Milan @ 1/2Match BettingWon

Inter Milan v Udinese

Arsenal @ 4/5Match BettingOpen

Sunderland v Arsenal

Sporting Lisbon @ 1/12Match BettingWon

Sporting Lisbon v Uniao Madeira

And another if Leicester win -


Sixfold(s) To Win



Atletico Madrid @ 3/10Match BettingWon

Atletico Madrid v Malaga

Barcelona @ 1/25Match BettingWon

Barcelona v Sporting Gijon

Man Utd @ 5/6Match BettingWon

Everton v Man Utd

Paris Saint-Germain @ 4/11Match BettingWon

Paris Saint-Germain v Lille

Leicester @ 3/4Match BettingOpen

Leicester v Swansea

Inter Milan @ 1/2Match BettingWon

Inter Milan v Udinese