Gwlad Tidings

LUCK OF THE DRAW

2008-08-29T14:06:06Z

MURPHY'S LAW From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Murphy's law is an adage in Western culture that broadly states "if anything can go wrong, it will." It is also cited as: "If there's more than one possible outcome of a job or task, and one of those outcomes will result in disaster or an undesirable consequence, then somebody will do it that way"; "Anything that can go wrong, will," the similar "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong"; or, "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way". The saying is sometimes referred to as Sod's law or Finagle's law.]]> Blue one: "Look at that. Watch us get Standard Liege or Napoli." Blue two: "Be boss to get those Finns or Bellinoza though wouldn't it. Who are they?" Smug Scottish host, after joking that it would be Everton/Liege: "Everton......versus....Standard Liege." Both blues: Erupt into swearing. We do seem semi-cursed at times don't we? Villareal, Fiorentina, the list goes on...If there is a tough side to draw in a cup competition - we will draw them. It's clearly exacerbated this time by how good the Belgian champions were against Liverpool, and how Man City and Villa - who both slipped into the Uefa after finishing below us - drew bums. Once again I'm forced to remind myself that the point of this blog was about positivity - an attempt to build a new way of thinking about Everton; a positive, winning perception in which we cast ourselves as a top side insteado of harping on about hard luck. So, to that end, here are some reasons to be positive about the tie; 1 - At least we won't underestimate them. 2 - They weren't amazing against Liverpool. Standard were as good as Liverpool were poor. 3 - We MAY have a better squad by then and Cahill should be back. 4 - Goodison will be more intimidating than 'feeeerry across de mersey/you'll never walk alone, cuddly scouse Anfield'. We'll give them 90 mins of bile and fury.' Oh and 5 - Saha will stay fit and bang them in, and we'll have signed Moutinho and M'Bia by then too. I'm off next week so there won't be any blogs. When I get back there's talk of Gwlad Tidings having video clips of all our goals from the weekend and even music videos. You'll still have to read my b*llocks though. COYB.

SIGNINGS

2008-08-28T08:57:04Z

THREE in...three to go. Everton's transfer activity has finally started producing deals, although it's clear the manager's sights have been duly lowered.]]> It's unclear whether his earlier trial at Blackburn went nowhere because the Ecuadorian failed to agree terms or because he was rubbish. Still, if Castillo was something special you'd think even T'Rovers could stretch to the 26-year-old's wage demands. Complaining is just counter-productive at this stage though. Everyone knows our position in the market after a long and frustrating summer. David Moyes has to get some players in, and we can only hope that there will be at least one big move to spark some inspiration before next Monday's deadline. Whether that will be Shaun Wright-Phillips remains to be seen though. I reckon any move to Goodison hinges on Manchester City's UEFA cup qualifier tonight. Should Mark Hughes' side go out of Europe, the pacy winger could well be tempted to Merseyside. If they win, the fact that City have offered a proper fee to Chelsea and will likely offer better wages seems a no-brainer. Not to mention the fact that he knows City already and will link up with a few old pals at a club which, although embroiled in controversy, could have access to big money. These Everton 'initial one-year loan moves' continue to frustrate and perplex many Evertonians. As someone in the office said, I'm a bit skint at the moment so I may go into the club shop and ask if I can borrow a new home top until the end of the season. I'll wash it like....... Anyway, have a look at Obinna. Persevere with the quality, it improves.

THREE POINTS

2008-08-26T09:28:32Z

AT SOME point between becoming Finch Farm's own version of nay-sayer Nostradamus, and tw*tting the phone down on foreign agents so hard that it smashes, David Moyes found time to put out a winning side this weekend.]]> It is someone. It means that 11-year-old at the academy who's tall for his age and may be a bit of a prospect doesn't have to sit on the bench this Saturday. All we can do now is ignore any further transfer gossip until we see pictures on the club website of the player in a blue shirt, and focus on who is going to start against Harry Redknapp's South coast boys. Given the energy and focus he provided against the Baggies, I'd hope that James Vaughan could grab a starting place. Elsewhere, it looks like Espanyol winger Albert Riera fancies Liverpool over us. Yawn. Does anyone really care anymore? There will be another random, vaguely underwhelming name linked to us in 10 minutes. I'm not losing any sleep on missing out on a 26-year-old who I can't recall doing anything during a not insignificant six-month spell at Manchester City.

HARSH TIMES

2008-08-20T08:35:02Z

DID you ever see that film? Christian Bale - what an actor... I'd have a lot more positive things to say about Bale's back catalogue than I could ever find about Everton today.]]> he's got a knee injury. *Vagner Love move was a goer - we got conned by an agent. *Tiago move could be a goer - player is mentally scarred by time at Chelsea (read as 'really wants to go to La Liga'). *We looked set for a barely deserved, crack-covering point on Saturday - experienced internationals we normally rely on let us down. Nope. It still aint much fun being a blue. I know I'm not the only one who found Saturday a very unusual start to the season. Even during the build-up when I'm normally as excited as a nine-year-old with a Happy Meal , I was subdued. I still thought we'd actually beat Blackburn (stupid inherent optimism) but our starting line-up was ever bit as sobering as predictd. Save for a spell in the second half, we were very poor and Lee Carsley was missed immensely. For a perfect example of how much we relied on the Brummie, look how easy it was for Blackburn to pour through our midfield for their opening goal before David Dunn was allowed to look like a player by curling home a beauty. I'm surprised Moyes played Jagielka in the holding role when he favoured Neville there against the likes of Chelsea last season. We all know neither is ideal, but Jagielka will never have the swiftness of mind or feet required to operate there and it showed. So what can we do? Hope M'Bia's knee injury isn't serious for a start. And hope that this delegation we've sent out to Portugal come back with the golden fleece, i.e. Moutinho. Mark O'Brien at WSAG makes an excellent point though - it's funny how Moutinho has got better and better in the minds of blues every day this saga has stretched out. Woe betide him if he takes a few months to adapt to the Premier League. Anyway, Harsh Times indeed. (You should see that film).

MISERY STILL LOVES COMPANY

2008-08-14T10:45:28Z

THE MESSAGE boards are throbbing with discontent, Moyes is keeping his mouth shut as he scours the market, and our chairman's protestations seem hollower by the day. It remains worrying and gloomy times for blues at the moment. ]]> And while the doom and gloom merchants attract criticism from the cup-half-full types - they have a point. We've all tried to pick a team and bench for Saturday, and whatever combo you come up with - it ain't good. Everton remains only a serious injury to a first team player away from a full-blown crisis. But, I suppose we can moan about it ad infinitum - or try and stay focussed on smaller obstacles - i.e. Blackburn. Rovers are beatable - even by the side which will trot out on Saturday. So, three points come 5pm on Saturday will be the best tonic we can hope for. It will also buy us crucial time for the club to strengthen until August 31 looms. If we haven't recruited in quaility and quantity by then, the September 3 EGM will be potentially explosive (and it's going to be a heated one anyway).

LOVE WILL TEAR YOU APART

2008-08-12T08:05:28Z

MY mate Phil had parents with a slightly peculiar sense of humour. Never prolific with the Christmas presents, he would usually get the latest Everton top to unwrap under the tree each year.]]> Brazilian porn actress Pamela Butt says she feels 'defiled' after a video of her and CSKA Moscow striker Vagner Love was leaked online. 'It's appalling,' Butt told the Folha de São Paulo. 'I'm very well paid to have sex on camera, but I earned nothing for this. I am two people: Pamela the actress and Pamela the private lady, and today the private lady is defiled.' 'Hey, I'm known for being amorous,' says Love. 'Let's be honest: this reputation isn't one that unsettles me.' Pamela Butt (left)

MISERY LOVES COMPANY

2008-08-06T10:08:03Z

NOBODY does world-weary, 18-carat, feet-dragging misery quite like Evertonians. Let's face it, we're more than partial to frequent bouts of self-flagellation, doubt and pessimism.]]> And let's face it, supporting Everton has made us that way in most cases. I'm generally a positive person but trying to apply positive values to the blues can be harder than simultaneous equations. It makes me laugh when Red mates cry it in about their summer, mumbling about the Gareth Barry deal not being sorted or Rafa's dodgy full-back selection. They want to try walking in our size nines. In fact, so do the other 19 clubs in the premier league who have signed a player(s) and been provided with a single grain of optimism. Anyway, Bill said on Sky yesterday that Moutinho is still in our sights....it's not like we'll now miss out at the last minute as Arsenal do what they did over Aaron Ramsey again is it? 'Course not. You can just see Wenger loping into a hotel suite in Lisbon now explaining the Arsenal-way to some fat, balding agent holding the Portuguese's leash. Even ruling out an Arsenal swoop, Spurs definitely need more expensive midfielders. Who knows? As for Alan Smith, yawn, once again we're split on the teetotal Yorkshireman. On instinct I'd say a player who last sparkled when Leeds United were good isn't worth any kind of punt, even for £1m. Save it for someone else's wages. Others at Old Hall Street reckon he has been miscast by United and Newcastle and could prosper again as a grafting partner to The Yak. I know he's not what I envisaged to help us move on to the next level. It seems a shame that we're not looking forward to this season more after securing back-to-back European qualification. It seems a shame that football fans put so much emphasis on the cost of players we buy. But ultimately we've played the patience game - and seen how our squad struggled to flop over the line for fifth last year. As the stadium issue gurgles away like a repugnant gargoyle in a cage, we (like our manager) just want to see signs of progression on the pitch.

WYNESS OUT

2008-07-30T11:59:42Z

IT'S FRUSTRATING trying to figure out the inner machinations of something you care about, especially when it's something as complex and dense as Everton F.C. There is clearly an awful lot happening behind the scenes currently, but those of us on the outside; fans, journalists, people in both camps, are left guessing in the dark. ]]> Keith Wyness' departure is another example of the predicament. Yesterday, the club denied he had left, despite the decision apparently being made late on Sunday. They finally put a brief statement on the official website late last night. Meanwhile, swirling about in a fog of intrigue is the Andrew Johnson transfer. Wyness was clearly not involved in the deal - yet was allowed to make himself look stupid by pouring cold water over newspaper reports. How did that happen? What state are internal communications at the club? Did nobody who WAS involved in the negotiations with Fulham (Bill?) think to have a word in Wyness' ear before the official website carried a denial? Or is it a case of two vital members of Everton's board working in far from splendid isolation, with communication sparse. Meanwhile, despite assurances it will be any day now, Moyes' contract remains unsigned. Again on the official website the Scot's carefully phrased words from a press conference across the Atlantic... "Hopefully in the next week or so I will get it (the new contract) tied down and get it done. "I want the best for Everton and I do not want to let the players down. "I have told them that there will be more players coming to help them along the way. I want to make sure that is done before anything else. "That is more important to me just now. But it is very close." Heartening words certainly. But what Moyes is really saying, not for the first time, is show me the money. He will commit his future when he has proof that the club can back his ambition with signings. Hopefully this will be academic when a big move for Moutinho is wrapped up, along with Topal to play in the hole and a striker to replace AJ. Underpinning all this uncertainty is the imminent (although it's been imminent for a fortnight) decision from the Government on Kirkby. Obvious questions stand out. Why would Wyness, the man credited with being Project Kirkby's driving force, quit at such a crucial stage? Is it, as some believe, tied in with David Moyes' demand for transfer fees? Many believe Moyes' wants transfer funds to build ambitiously regardless of saving a bit (£78m) for Kirkby. But Wyness is cast as the one who tried to tie the purse-strings...balancing cash for the stadium with cash for the first team. Did that clash build to a head and result in Kenwright making a choice? Back his ambitious, proven-winner manager or back his chief executive's vision for a new home? Do today's developments prove that Bill made his choice? If so I applaud him. But then I could be clapping beside the docks as the Titanic sails off on its maiden voyage, because further rumours suggest Wyness' deputy Robert Elstone could jump ship next. Surely the club's main financial man quitting would have echoes of Trevor Birch's exit stage left after hastily scrutinising our, ahem, complex books.... The fog could disappear if we got a bit of transparency from Everton F.C. but I'm not holding my breath. The club may well have its reasons, public bickering at boardroom level is surely for our American-owned friends across the park, but it would be nice to have a few questions answered.

AJ - DOES HE, DOESN'T HE?

2008-07-24T08:07:46Z

ANOTHER surreal day in a typically Everton summer of transfer verbosity. First the ECHO report that a deal is on the verge of being struck with Fulham and that AJ wants out. Then the club deny any such offer has even been made by the Londoners, let alone a £10.5m deal struck. So far, so confusing...]]> The ECHO's story was perfectly in line with the rest of the national media, so either 12 reporters have all made the same mistake or there's something fishy going on. I suspect it's the later. All I've ever heard from someone who know Andy Johnson well is that he wants to stay at Everton. He is settled in the North-West with his wife and his kids are happy at school here. Soon after the season finished he became aware the he may well be sacrificed in the summer to fund moves for other players. So much so that when he returned from holiday, he was asking friends if the press had been reporting transfer gossip about him leaving. Eventually it was communicated to him that Everton would listen to offers. Now on Tuesday. The nationals report that AJ left Deepdale saying he wasn't "in the right frame of mind to play". Cue forums and message boards awash with people questioning his attitude and condemning the player. Look at it this way though. How would you feel if you'd already been told privately by your boss that he would let you leave and then you see reports in the press about a £10.5m move being on the brink, while you are totally in the dark? Andrew Johnson left Deepdale in a taxi on Tuesday as confused as everyone else about this transfer. It may well be that we need to sell him in order to strengthen elsewhere and David Moyes cannot be criticised for that. I believe that £10.5m is good business for a player who, although effective and with some very good qualities, often lets himself down in front of goal. However his attitude and commitment have never been in doubt. Johnson was benched for large parts of last season but always gave his best when returned to the side. He even bounced back psychologically from the horror-show of scoring one - then missing two penalties in front of the Street end against Metalist. So if the inevitable deal goes through - be it Fulham, Wigan or anyone else - it's unfair if the brickbats come out. Johnson will have been sold for the sake of expediency, and there's not much he could have done about it. We should wish him well and hope the money is spent wisely on midfield and striking replacements. P.S. Oliver Kay at The Times seems to believe we would suddenly have big bucks should AJ go. I wish I knew his source or had his optimism... Everton have yet to make a significant foray into the transfer market this summer, Moyes scrutinising his targets as carefully as ever, but the sale of Johnson would leave them with between £25million and £30million to invest. A new centre forward - such as Darren Bent, of Tottenham Hotspur, or Diego Milito, of Real Zaragoza - is a priority, but Moyes has also been alerted to the availability of João Moutinho, the outstanding Portugal midfield player. Sporting Lisbon would demand up to £18million for Moutinho, 21, but Everton would consider such a deal only if it could be structured in a way that spread the payments over 12 months or more.

THE KID

2008-07-23T08:30:32Z

THERE'S only one name on the lips of every blue today after our win over Preston at Deepdale. Jose Baxter formally announced himself to uninitiated fans with a live-wire display of invention and maturity. The 17-year-old from Litherland has been the academy's worst kept secret for some time now and his potentIal is undoubtedly vast.]]>

NAH

2008-07-22T10:11:33Z

RUMOURS of Everton's interest in Portuguese Joao Moutinho don't quite ring true with me. His valuation, for a start, has got to be a sticking point. I'd say Sporting would be very unlikely to sell for less than £10m, and why should they? He's their 21-year-old highly rated captain who plays for the national side.]]> I'm almost sick of talking about it until we know the Government's decision.

SPREADING IT THIN

2008-07-10T10:16:27Z

CREDIT where it's due. It seems Everton's board have, somehow, managed to secure another major loan to provide David Moyes with proper transfer funds. Aware that something had to be done, especially with that unsigned contract looming large, Kenwright, Earl and Woods are reported to have persuaded another bank to brave the Credit Crunch and give us some readies. ]]> How they've done it, and how thin that spreads our future income streams is up for discussion. But you can't complain about them not backing the boss and then moan when they do it on borrowed money. There is no other type of money in the Goodison coffers which can be splashed on top players. So just like last summer when the Yak dough appeared out of nowhere (well, strictly speaking out of Barclays) fingers crossed Moyes will be able to recruit with ambition. Congratulations to whoever brokered the deal. I think. (Below is the piece from the Guardian.) Matt Scott The Guardian, Thursday July 10, 2008 While David Moyes demands assurances that his club have the means to match his ambition, Everton have added two more mortgages to their balance sheet. The loans, both struck with the boutique Edinburgh bank Adam & Company, are in addition to money borrowed from Barclays last year against future television income. The first Adam & Co loan was drawn last October and the second last month, meaning that Everton now have a total of 12 outstanding loans against their property and assets. Most significant among them is a £30m loan from the Prudential which will cost £68m to repay over a 25-year term and "will be repaid in a securitisation agreement serviced by future season-ticket sales and match-day ticket sales". Having broken the club's transfer record in each of the past two summers with the purchases of Andy Johnson and Yakubu Ayegbeni, it is unclear how often Everton will be able to repeat that feat having mortgaged future revenues. Meanwhile, the club are shrugging off the latest move by a group campaigning against the proposed move to out-of-town Kirkby. The Keep Everton in our City campaign believes it will soon be in a position to force the board to hold an EGM over its concerns about the additional £78m in borrowings that the club must find for the relocation. But Everton say that the group will not secure the support of the required 20% of shareholders to call the EGM.

FLETCH

2008-07-08T08:45:33Z

OF ALL the people we’ve been linked with yet this summer, Darren Fletcher is one deal I can genuinely see happening.]]> That’s not through any insider Old Hall Street tip. It’s just the sort of signing which experience tells us is more realistic. Sir Alex Ferguson has a history of doing smooth business with his Goodison counterparts, and we’ve had the benefit of some good players from the other side of the Lancs; Kanchelskis, Howard and Neville (at right back). Yet, sound most Blues out about the 24-year-old Scot and you’ll get a similar reaction; a pause, a sigh, then a silent moment to mentally fish for positives. But are we being too negative? Admittedly he is no-one’s idea of a showcase signing and I’d hope there would something vaguely resembling one of them. And we’ve got to be wary not to trot out the same old Phil Neville argument, i.e. he won everything with United so he must be good (yes, at RIGHT BACK). I genuinely think Fletcher would do a job for us in the Carsley position. From what I’ve seen he is tall, commanding, can tackle and can pass economically. All qualities Super Lee had in abundance. Equally Manc colleagues praise his ball retention, ability in the air and attitude. So far, so good. Being realistic (no it’s not much fun but hey...) Fletcher would be a decent signing for us. We simply haven’t got the money to be going for £10m central midfielders, and still strengthen elsewhere. The old cliche about him only needing games could well apply here. He featured in United’s successful run-in to the season and never looked ill at ease. At his age, and this stage in his development I feel he could flourish with regular football and let’s not forget the necessity of height in our ranks. What do you think?

EGM

2008-07-07T09:45:48Z

EVEN though the Government have asked for further time to consider the Kirkby project, their verdict will still arrive sooner rather than later. I’ve said already that what happens next could be the most divisive issue ever to effect the club. I sincerely hope that whatever happens doesn’t lead to various schisms of Evertonians, but I’m not burying my head in the sand.]]> ‘AS lifelong Evertonians we feel that it is necessary to request an Extraordinary General Meeting of Everton Football Club to discuss the wisdom of relocating the club to Kirkby. ‘We believe that these proposals are not beneficial to the long term welfare of Everton Football Club and that the main beneficiaries of this proposed relocation will be the board of directors, namely Bill Kenwright, Jon Woods and Robert Earl, whose personal shareholding will benefit from the enabling finance offered by Tesco and Knowsley Council to subsidise the stadium construction costs. ‘This subsidy will add up to £52m onto the value of the club of which the above three directors own approximately 70%. We are concerned that the directors of Everton Football Club are pursuing their own short term financial gain rather than the long term welfare of the club. We estimate that the value their combined 70% shareholding will be enhanced by a minimum of £37m should they relocate Everton FC to Kirkby with the value of Bill Kenwrights own shareholding being enhanced by approximately £13.5m. This situation raises questions concerning a potential conflict of interest and the impartiality of the board to determine how best the long term welfare of the club is served. 'It is our view that the long term welfare of Everton Football Club is under serious threat as the proposed move to Kirkby does not offer a sound basis for a future business plan. 'There are many issues that indicate that this move will be detrimental to the long term welfare of the club, none more so than the out of town location and the inadequate transport infrastructure that supports the site. 'The current transport proposals do not reflect what Evertonians were promised by the club prior to the ground move ballot in August 2007. 'We believe that problems with access to and from the stadium and the inconvenience to be endured by the majority of supporters some of whom will be expected to walk for up to 90 minutes just to get to and from their cars will have a detrimental effect on the ability of the club to attract supporters to the ground in the future. 'How will younger fans, the future of the club be attracted to the ground if they will be expected to walk such great distances? 'If the club fails to attract capacity gates exceeding our current average gate of 36,500 by more than 10,000 this will undermine the claim that the stadium move will generate increased and sustainable revenue not only to service the debt that will be placed upon the club to finance Everton’s £78m contribution to construction costs but also to provide the manager with funds to replenish the team. 'No doubt the new ground may initially attract increased attendances upon completion but we are concerned these crowds will diminish once the anticipated ‘New Stadium Effect’ subsides and supporters become disillusioned with inadequate transport services and extended journey times. 'The new stadium will not possess the heritage, history and special atmosphere generated by Goodison Park and those Evertonians who are left behind in the new stadium will be left with a subdued match day experience and atmosphere as the new ground is gradually vacated by those Evertonians who are deterred by the inconvenience placed before them. 'It is our view that Everton FC must not inconvenience their supporters by moving to this location, we would suggest that any business plan would be better served by utilising the existing site at Goodison Park or perhaps another site close to Liverpool City Centre. ‘The board of Directors must acknowledge the great risk in moving Everton FC away from its spiritual heartland in the vibrant and rejuvenated City of Liverpool. 'The future of Everton FC is reliant on attracting supporters to the ground and in an age where Live TV is becoming more and more prevalent we believe that many will be deterred from attending the ground. 'Indeed, future innovations such as we are witnessing with the advent of live internet football may result with Everton FC struggling to compete for the revenue generated by match going supporters who may be more inclined to follow the club from the convenience of their TV monitors. 'This will ultimately lead to the erosion of the clubs fanbase and future prosperity. 'How will a laboured transport system and a subdued atmosphere inspire future football fans to follow Everton Football Club? 'As the club intends to move away from its traditional and spiritual heartland future generations of supporters may be more inclined to support a local, more convenient and accessible alternative in Liverpool Football Club. 'The board of Everton Football Club promised an iconic and world class stadium for very little debt. The reality is that Evertonians are being given a ‘mid range quality stadium’ for a cost of £78m. '10,000 Evertonians have already registered their rejection of the Kirkby scheme when it was portrayed as being world class and debt free, how many more would reject the proposals if they knew then what we know now? 'Despite these legitimate concerns the board of Everton Football Club have continued to pursue these proposals. 'Evertonians are concerned about foreign ownership and the potential for outsiders to asset strip and place tremendous debt onto the club. 'These are legitimate concerns but many Evertonians would be astonished to realise that Bill Kenwright and the board had done exactly that over the past 8 years. 'This must not be allowed to happen to one of English Footballs oldest and finest institutions. Kind Regards Mark Grayson and Tony Bennett

OUR NEW THIRD STRIP? - Nu Rave comes to Goodison

2008-07-02T09:54:16Z

HERE’S a look at what could be our new third shirt for this season. I’d heard about a month ago that the plan was to base the strip on Chelsea’s neon number last year.]]> It’s erm.....interesting isn’t it? I suppose we’ll only wear it a few times, probably against Blackburn away. I should point out this isn't an official picture and could well turn out to be a red herring but it looks authentic to me. Bet it's popular with the kids though. What do you think?