On relatively small wages Mike. They have to improve that vastly before the vultures circle.

Hidden gem christy i’ve seen every game live Harrison has played for Everton and so far he has not had a shot on target i think been booked for a few late tackles and i believe he’s played about 20 games or so. Well TFG are clueless because they are only paying him about 15 grand well i think there probaly paying him over the odds for what he has done so far christy . Im not saying he doesn’t have potential but i think right now TFG have his pay about right.. Lets hope he cracks on and repays all the toffees who sang for him at bournemouth i for one in the next couple of seasons christy

Ian, what are you talking about now? We extended Armstrong’s contract last year. He’s “sorted” through June 2028.

James Vaughan has “now left Evertons set up”??? You’re a bit behind, Martin. Vaughan left 17 months ago to change careers. Became an agent. One of his clients is 16-year-old right back Divine Madueke, whom we swiped from Spurs’ academy last year and who is now getting some subs’ minutes for our U-18s. So Vaughan is still contributing to Everton.

Absolutley i said he has that x factor but so did one of the best Everton players in my life time Paul Bracewell and he just got bad luck after bad luck . John i just hope Jarred respects everything Everton has done for him and repays us with a trophy and you never know it could be this season .

You just read that? It happened in June. Everton chose to pursue Richarlison and Balogun instead.

You answerd the question tony at the end . The difference between believing you can win and knowing your going to win is massive. Harry kane is good of course but he can’t win simple thats why he left the prem not a single trophy . Branthwaite could be a star but with his injury list who knows where or how far he goes tony.

I understand Tuchel played him there as a favour to us to get him into practice for when he returns to FF/HDS

As a Villa Fan I am pleased. We are attracting Young talent from across the UK to join our ranks and hope we can provide the lad with the chances he needs to fulfil his apparent potential. That said, i think the system stinks. For years Villa have suffered the same, big clubs taking our talent. As a Villa Fan, i have always liked Everton, Newcastle and teams of a similar background. Based in the community, supported by the community. Fans who love the club through thick and thin, and for us and other teams, mainly the thin. To have the best young platers in effect stolen does not seem right. Sorry Everton Fans!!! Maybe, one day things will change. Up the Villa, but feel your pain. Football should be about the fans and the community. Not money. All the best you Evertonians, but i still hope we take 6 points from you this season. Up the Villa. Up the Toffees!!!

I highlighted this some time ago. James Vaughan was the BBC contributor. He has now left Evertons set up Because Everton isnt a company with shareholders in it for profit, the only accountability has been the toothless 2114 minority ordinary shareholders (less than 0.5% of total equity). The shambolic ownership for decades ran a regime which was equally as useless. Its relatively inexpensive for the correct set up to nurture talent into becoming first team players. But they too have to be talented and supported. Then there is the manager aka Head Coach. If he doesn’t buy into it then the whole thing just becomes a circus. A new team are now in place. But things wont change overnight To put this thing right takes owners with pride and passion. Is that the TFG ? Time will tell.

James Garner can also fill in at LB

No reply on the other post you replied to me on Mark, but I honestly can’t believe that anyone who has been around top sportspeople for years would genuinely think that Argentina, did England like a kipper, even if they did believe they were going to win mate. My own view is that once England, got the lead, they proceeded to beat themselves, and they definitely weren’t helped by having Harry Kane, coming so deep. They beat Holland, in the previous European semifinal, because Kane, went off and the goal scorer Watkins, stayed on the halfway line and knew how to run in behind, but like you say, even though Harry Kane, is an incredible footballer, the longer the competition goes on, the closer he plays to his own team’s goal. I never watched the Spain game, but didn’t Kane, have a chance to make it 3-1 from the penalty spot? My own view is England are very close. Brainthwaite will really help them, so they just need more belief and another centre forward, imo!

Villa have big money backers who are limited in their backing of the first team because of financial rules so they have invested heavily in the academy infrastructure ….. great facilities, coaches and players. Villa also have shown they are prepared to bring the best academy players through to the first team squad. Their reputation to young players is top drawer and any trip down to check the academy out is going to prove very attractive to any ambitious player. Credit to Villa for investing at the club’s roots …… it will repay them in years to come !

Barry will not be available to play every game in the run up to the January window. Two positions with no back up. Very poor thinking from the behind the scenes group.

The Friedkins are clueless, Armstrong is a hidden gem, and he has to be signed up to a new contract which he deserves. He signed his contract in January ’25, and definitely the lowest paid player in the first team. He has new representatives, and they know what salary Forest were offering, and hats off to Armstrong, who wanted to stay, so give him the contract he deserves.

Mykolenko injured yet again on International duty, and the medical staff allowed him to train, and he carrying an injury, did he not feel the injury himself and stop training? Oh and thanks to our superb recruiting team, we’ve no other left back? Just read that Kevin Kilbane recommended Troy Parrot to Moyes during the window, and he didn’t want him?

Me neither Mark. He could play there though imo. It will take a bit of time for him to breakthrough,when he does he will become a fixture in the side.

Thus the reason why Nick Cox was brought in to rebuild the Everton Academy system from top to bottom. Major changes have already been executed but it’s a long process.

Aznou has an adductor injury. Yet to play his first game for Malaga.

I would guess Maitland-Niles to LB (plenty of experience there) and Jake to RB.

John i think Jarred could play there of course but so far i have never seen him there john. Jarred is just starting his international career lots of players have more in the bank with tuchel than Jarred , and centre half is a very low position to show how good you are most of the game its hard to show your stength because your standing around just watching the game just look at Tarky.

Tony Sadly England are built on hype . Trust me in the world cup every team we played upto the last 8 where 200 /1 and more 3 teams where a 1000 /1 . Then Norway 80 /1 they struggled but got it done . Then the Argies came and done us like a kipper probaly because they believed they would win . I know there is nothing better than winners i can tell you. So tony i watched last night and all they talked about was the wins no one mentioned how Spain missed 3 one on ones and could of really embarresed us. 1st is i dont think we are very well organised both full back positions no one has nailed them down for years . Midfield i think are very negative and players playing are not that good and then we have Harry kane the longer the tournament goes on Harry drifts away its a fact tony .

Jarred at left back then. Shuttle runs up and down the wing is just what his hamstrings need.

The fact they were prepared to sell him shows how little they know about our club

The current Everton Way!

Actually, looks like Aznou hasn’t played this season so what was the point of the plan??

Can we recall Aznou?

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. All the talk Angus, but no fit left back on the books. Piss poor. Every other club has a fit left back, without the need to hide behind squad cost ratios.

Another cock up this summer. How no body thought it wasnt right to sort out the contract is beyond me. Piss up & brewery.

How he wasnt offered a new deal last season is a head scratcher, we all saw his talent, and watched it improve as the lad got game time. Not the first time this has occurred at Everton, we seem slow to recognise and reward the right individuals, it will cost a bit more to tie him into the first team now. The squads too small to accomodate any more shrinkage.

Michael,. You would have had to be around the pubs and clubs of Liverpool city centre at the time to see what was going on. I reckon Billy,a cocky kid,just joined in with the crowd. No mind as to how he ended up like that and whos fault it was or wasnt. More of a sadness for a potential top,top Everton player falling away. Wish him all the very best in his life.

It’ll be good to give Aznou a go… oh, wait.

Doubt he will be fit or risked against Hull. In the absence of proper cover I imagine Norgard (If fit) or Garner will fill in or possibly Jarrad and bring in Jake or Keane. Shows how poor our so called elite team have done.

No, just real AI. Play with it a bit and you realize the scam. LLMs are not the model.

An injury and a positional exposure waiting to happen. Completely self inflicted. Ridiculous really for a PL team, very amateur.

Yes Dave. I remember him getting quite a few chances, but he couldnt quite make the shirt his own

Yea, Dave, my sources say Billy Kenny Snr played for Everton on 10 occasions, plus 2 as a sub.

They usually tell us these young players have been with the Everton Academy since a very early age… but not in this case. What Ian Jones said on the earlier story rings true: “A quick Google suggests Jake was at a school in Warrington and was part of Liverpool’s academy before moving to Everton.” However, when I asked Google to check this, she said: “Jake Doughty was never part of Liverpool’s academy. He is a product of Everton’s youth system at Finch Farm, where he developed and featured for Everton’s U18 side and represented England at the U16 level. The reference to a Liverpool link appears to be a misconception or confusion with another academy player, as there is no record of him ever playing for or being associated with Liverpool FC.” Fake News???

Are there any negotiations going on at the moment while the lad is losing thousands of pounds every week at the moment, mind you plenty of clubs will be back in January offering Harrison a good signing on fee and very good wages— might suit these owners not to offer a new deal and sell him.

Not good . Thought we’d have to be lucky for none to get injured on such a long break.

Good post Darren but Bilbo definitely played for Everton’s first team around a dozen times but never enough to become a regular.

And so the injuries start….

I think perhaps what most of us want to hear from players is their take on stuff that never made it out from Behind Closed Doors. But it’s a bit like the Official Secrets Act and an almost unwritten creed not to provide any tittle tattle on mysterious events that went on at the club years and years ago now — but are still veiled in secrecy and silence. Here’s three that Barry Horne night have some additional insight on: 1. Gary Speed’s fallout with Howard Kendall, his rapid departure from the club, and years later, his shocking suicide. 2. The Curious Case of Per Krøldrup, an interntaional defender signed for a bifg fee who “couldn’t head a football”. 3. Any dirt whatever on the Master luvy, Bill Kenwright, who profitted to the tune of around £40M from his Everton Shares.

Why are the most recent comments not showing up in the “recent comments” list ? Yet older ones are ? I cant make head nor tail of this site at the moment. I

He was a bit of an Eddie Grant. (Born at the wrong time). His arl fella Bilbo was a smashing footballer. Didnt quite have enough to break into the first team. He grew up on road were drinking was very much part of the culture (Much more so than at Everton FC) By the time Bill came along, the drinkers were slowly but surely being replaced by the users. I never dabbled in Persian rugs, so I`m no expert. but they seemed to be everywhere. So readily available. Many a youngster fell by the wayside so I certainly wont be condemning anyone for falling into that trap. Especially somebody suffering depression after his very promising career had been derailed through serious injury. In fairness he takes it on the chin and is maybe even a tad harsh on himself when he says he only had himself to blame. Bilbo was the best player on Scottie (which took some doing back then), but his lad was the best player in the city….and he knew it

Do you not think Branthwaite could play right sided centre half Mark?

He seems like a level headed kid, he wants to play for Everton and I imagine he’s family are Evertonians ,he’s got a great future in the game, just offer him a decent long contract and I think he will sign.

You say you have worked with top sportspeople for many years Mark, so how far away from success, and what do you think they have got to change the most, if they’re to achieve their overall goal, which should imo, definitely be either The European Championship, or even The World Cup, for this current group of players?

I wish it was that simple, Eric. Like I said, we had to move the entire site to a new host for multiple reasons and the old comment system couldn’t transfer. Believe me, if we could avoid upsetting the TW apple cart we would avoid it… the last thing we want is unhappiness from the regular posters and negative comments when we log-in. I’m pushing Arena for the changes we need, so leave it with me. Hopefully we can get sorted as soon as possible and it shouldn’t be so different. They’ve listened to what Michael and I have asked for and think a lot of the changes make sense for their product.

Replying to Eric -further down the thread- 5 hours ago. Yes Eric I honestly think that money plays a big part in the decision to move away from the club even though you were born in the city that you’re moving from like Jake has done now. Regarding Tony no money was offered. although a week in Italy with Forests youth team that summer was offered as a sweetner. Football was all Tony thought about but he had plenty of mates in Norris Green and a lot more closer to town where his school was so I t nought it was best he moved from that environment to concentrate mostly on his possible football career. He never made it at football but those 4 years at Forest enabled him to learn about looking after himself and definitely helped him to grow up quicker.