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...

#NSNO
By Steve Carr 02/05/2016 8 Comments [Jump to last]
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1978. Nine Years old. My first visit to Goodison Park.

Having taken the first six years of my life to realise that I'd been 'chosen' to support the blue half of Merseyside as opposed to the dark side like many of my peers, by '78 I was very well educated in the School of Science. We're a long way from that now. In the words of one of our own, I salute you Mr Leighton Baines when you said that we lack chemistry. You can't have science without it!

On that cold winter's day, I watched in awe my heroes George Wood (I was enjoying a spell between the sticks at the time) and Bob Latchford, (legend). Even a 1-0 loss to Ipswich Town couldn't dampen my love for the club.

Fast forward to 2016 and I'm still visiting Goodison Park and still getting the same sensations as I did all those years ago. The excitement, the adrenalin and the disappointment. Maybe it's me, maybe it's the intervening 38 years or maybe it's just part of being a Blue that's made me cynical, but heroes in this current crop? No. My son on the other hand, does. Unfortunately for him, he'll learn soon enough.

Back in 1978, I'd have given an arm or a leg to play for the Toffees. Now, at an age even a veteran professional would view as old, I realise that my chances of being spotted are diminishing by the day. They say with age comes experience. This I believe is true. Today, the idea of donating a limb to fulfil my dreams is something I'd not willingly do. Partial dismemberment is not something to take lightly.

However, two kids down the line and the closest thing to a scout watching me play, is one that wears a woggle, there is another body part that I would give to be involved with the club I love, and that's a bollock.

And let's be fair, I won't be the first or the last to make this offer, as I've been watching a load of old bollocks for months.

This season has been my son's first with a season ticket, albeit a half season ticket, but a season ticket nonetheless. Having sat through the last ten league games (won 2, drawn 2, lost 6), you can see where his pessimism comes from. I made sure he was 'born not manufactured' as a blue and that 'we go the game', but none of that counts for anything if it's not enjoyable. This season has been harsh.

Roberto's first season was excellent, nobody can deny him that. Three great loan deals made the difference. Two years on and those same three players now on permanent deals which would suggest progression. As would the addition of three more players on permanent deals, especially when you list them as two ex-England internationals and an up-and-coming Argentinian international. Yet none of them have set the Premier League alight.

Don't get me wrong, Funes Mori and Lennon have done themselves proud (not taking the Anfield derby into account), and even Cleverley has impressed me at times. I was one that visited change.org a couple of years back voting for him not to be included in the England squad. In my defence he was playing for the Mancs at the time. What I didn't like in his play, was the constant sideways passing, which explains why he has slotted in so well to our current line-up. And before anyone says that I've forgotten Niasse, I haven't but don't get me started on him!

In all the years I've been watching Everton, we've had our ups and downs from the unforgettable Kendall inspired glory days to the forgettable uninspired days of Mike Walker, but this season has to be one of the lowest I can remember that didn't involve a relegation battle.

Everton Football Club is no minnow.

No player is bigger than the club (are you reading this Romelu? Champions League my arse!), no manager is bigger than the club (ditto Martinez), and no shareholder is bigger than the club. If you really are a 'true blue' (and you Kenwright), with only the club's best interests at heart, then do what is best for the club, no-one else. #MartinezOut.

My point, if you haven't guessed, is that although I was #BornNotManufactured and that my son and I, #WeGoTheGame, there's only one tagline that Messrs Kenwright and Moshiri need to take heed of, and that's the one on our shirts and closest to our hearts, #NSNO

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Reader Comments (8)
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Tony Draper
1 Posted 02/05/2016 at 08:28:20 I've read and re-read your outpourings 3x now Steve.
Flawless, just bloody flawless. Thanks.

Darren Hind
2 Posted 02/05/2016 at 08:41:38 Steve you must be pretty crap if you watched Niasse on Saturday and STILL believe your chance has gone.
Good article. I feel for your boy. What a pathetic run of results he has had to suffer

Pete Bridson
3 Posted 02/05/2016 at 09:30:57 Excellent post Steve. Being of a similar vintage to yerself, I too have given up hope of being 'discovered' and given a chance to play.
I also really feel for the youngsters who have had to wait for so long for that experience of winning. I don't remember 1970 to well so being at Wembley in '84 to see the Rat lift the cup happened a fair bit sooner than the 20 plus years we've had to wait for a sniff that's for sure.

HT. Brighton 0 Derby 0.

FT. Brighton 1 Derby 1.

"Some" pressure off Burnley and Boro now, but still all to play for.

Grrrrrrr, Derby a tad unlucky, was a good game.

Well done Burnley (Always knew they would do it .Ha! Ha!)

Congratulations Stan top tier footie for you next season.
2517

Well done Leicester. Fabulous!!

Toss a coin Stan, stick a tenner on Burnley to go straight back down

And/Or

Mega odds to win Prem LOL!!

2000/1 to win it at the moment, make it 5000 and I might think about it -):

If it were 500,000/1 and you put a penny on them Stan you would lose a penny :-)

Well done Burnley well deserved but you couldn't beat Cardiff but most of the bottoms teams did !

See you again season after next.

I thinks it's worth recording that in your two cup finals your lot can rightly feel they were your results of the season and will duely be featured well in your seasonal highlights DVD..if you still have any money to issue one that is -):

Well done Burnley and the Boro to follow on Saturday......pray, hope and fingers crossed!

Reports that bookies have slashed Burnley from 5000/1 to 1000/1 after over a thousand people so far have already backed them to win the league.. one person even betting £60 at 2500/1.

.. Worlds gone mad.

Stan , we chucked a two goal lead away at home to you and did the same the following week against Sheff Weds .... we were crap all season and still finish 7th.

We also stuffed Brighton and beat Boro so can't see any of this seasons promoted teams doing well next year but good luck.

And I really hope we don't take that donkey Vokes to the Euro's he's bloody awful.

Vokes never the same since his injury and layoff unfortunately.

Odds on Burnley to win Premier League plummet after flurry of bets.

Having seen Leicester win the Premier League on the same day at odds of 5,000/1, punters have been quick to back Sean Dyche’s Burnley to achieve the unlikely feat.

Sky Bet have cut their odds from 5,000/1 to 1,000/1 after receiving a number of bets backing Burnley for glory.

Sky Bet’s Dale Tempest said: “As the Football League sponsor, we were expecting interest from fans when we added Burnley into the title betting, but what followed has been quite remarkable and unprecedented.

“Just 128 backed Leicester at the start of this season and we have already got well over a 1000 bets on Burnley, making for some pretty frightening reading in our outright book.”

Meanwhile, bet365 have slashed their odds for claret and blue ribbons to be on the Premier League trophy next May from 2,000/1 into 1,000/1 after receiving 800 bets.

The bookmaker has even taken more bets on Burnley (2,000/1 into 1,000/1) to winning the 2016/17 Premier League title than clear favourites Manchester City, where Spanish legend Pep Guardiola will be taking over as manager next season.

bet365’s Steve Freeth, for bet365, said: “With Leicester City’s incredible victory still fresh in people’s minds, we’ve already taken over 800 bets on Burnley carrying on where the Foxes left off.

“Punters clearly think that Sean Dyche, the ‘Ginger Mourinho’, is better than Pep Guardiola.”

Leicester City have rocked the footballing and betting world by winning the Premier League title this week, becoming the smallest club since Blackburn Rovers in 1994/95 to do so.

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Will you lot stop sabotaging my chances of getting a 5000/1 bet on -):

Middlesbrough vs Brighton: Strap yourself in for the biggest match ever at the Riverside

RIGHT: strap yourself in and prepare for the chest crushing G-force. Boro are about to hit Championship escape velocity.

The pressure will be incredible. There will be moments when you can’t catch your breath. It may be one hell of a scary ride at a rammed Riverside as the tension crackles and the drama unfolds.

But the knotted stomachs, gnawed nails and waves of nausea will all be worth it to be on board when the club blasts into the stratosphere.

Make no mistake, Boro’s promotion shoot-out with Brighton is the biggest ever at the Riverside.

Yes, there have been some fantastic memory making matches, pulsating semi-finals that propelled us to domestic and European glory and we must cherish them and take pride from them.

But the size of the prize make this showdown with the Seagulls massive beyond compare.

It is an epoch defining moment.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/middlesbrough-vs-brighton-strap-yourself-11296872

Aye, good luck Boro!

The Championship is clinched.

Yep, been a great weekend for both teams with the icing on the cake yet to come..........waving to the geordies as we pass from one division t'other! :-)

So is your "here today gone tomorrow manager" going to stay or not?