That is simply the most horrible news... Truly gutted.

Don?t forget though lads, as much as everyone is gutted, Joey is a more than able replacement. Joe proved he could handle Drogba on Wednesday and I believe he is the best header of a ball in our defence.

I'm devastated, never mind what he must be feeling.... The one problem we have now is a lack of organisation as Jags does all the talking. Joleon needs to stand up now and be counted...

I feel sick to the stomach. This is Arteta all over again. An awkward landing and knee kaputt. Shit.

(Not that he hasn’t already!) - He just needs to model himself on Waggy or Labby now.....

Sean, in Lescott?s 1st two seasons I thought he was our future captain. He was to our defence then what Jags has been this season, ever dependable. But for some reason he?s not kicked on and became the leader I hoped he would. I agree with you though... now?s his chance.

Gutted, yes Joey and Lescott are able but imagine if one of them can?t play for some reason? Or Baines? It will be a nightmare. Jagielka's injury is like Arteta?s so will he miss the start of next season?? I fear so...

What an absolute kick in the guts this is.

However we have managed to survive the loss of the Yak and Arteta and in many ways we are in a better position then when we lost those two as we have a ready made replacement in Yobo. It’s now up to him to prove his doubters wrong and perform until the end of the season.

I have absolutely no doubt that the squad will be even more determined to win the cup now as Jags has been a star this season.

Get well soon Jags and see you fit and raring to go next season!

I gotta wonder how much this has to do with the modern treatment to the turf of a football pitch.

Noticed how these days they don?t cut up ? all through the wettest winter? No divots to replace...

I understand that is because the turf is literally stitched together and tied down to the base layer using tough nylon or plastic thread and an almighty sewing machine that goes back and forth across the pitch.

So you can just imagine what happens when you get a stud or a toe caught in that and it does NOT move... something has to give. Someone please correct me if I?m wrong.... It?s just so fecking sad.

What about Big Vic!

Gutted for jags, if anybody deserves to grace that Wembley pitch this season it was him, he has gone from a utility player to the mainstay of our defence in a season.

Still we?ve proved before the spirit in our team can overcome any adversity. We?ll win the FA Cup for you, Jags! COYB.

Really really gutted for Jags. Forgive my ignorance but how long will he be out for? Will he miss the start of next season?

Really gutted for him and for us - if we didn?t have any bad luck we wouldn?t have any luck at all.

The one small silver lining on what has really been a desparate day for the Blues, is that at least four ?big? clubs have been sniffing around our Jags. (Including the ?richest club in the World? who we played today)... perhaps this injury will cause them to look for alternatives?

Nah... it doesn?t help much. If it is the injury quoted on the OS ? he?ll miss the start of next season... how will we cope with this?

Moyes has always said he sees Rodwell as a centre-half... It?s my guess Moyes will try him out there in the next few weeks ? specially if Roger or Joey get a niggle.

Truly despondent for Jags, he was one of our heros last Sunday. Scratch that, he?s been a hero for the last season and a half.

I remember slating him for playing badly in midfield at Villa way last season in a review I wrote. At the time I harboured major doubts about him. But, from the Januray of 2008 onwards, the boy has been class in defence. Utterly cruel that he is denied a Cup Final spot. He is one of those players that you know plays the game to win and achieve. Sadly he is denied.

As for us, well, it is a blow, but Joey Yobo is a pro and now he has a chance to shine. Take your chance Joey, make yourself a legend. Not saying Joey and Jags have differing motivations, but now is Joey's chance.

I was gutted after the Yak & Arteta got injured, but today's news is the worst ever; not only is Jags a rock in our defence but he seems to be a top bloke and a true blue.

I really don?t see how we can pull off the FA Cup but you never know with these players; they have all been fantastic this season and they all deserve our support right up to the end of the season.

Heartbroken Evertonian.

COYB?s

What a nightmare for Jags; if anyone deserved to play in a Cup Final, it was him.

All is not lost though. When watching Chelsea and us last Wednesday, I thought Drogba was really frustrated with Yobo and could not shake him off (until the last five mins). Yobo won most headers and bullied Drogba in a sense.

Remember, Yobo is the captain of Nigeria and has played against Drogba more than any other centre-forward in Premier League. He knows how Drogba plays the game. There is not a hope in hell Yobo will get bullied or pushed around, plus he is one of the best headers of the ball we have.

Our problem is we have no width on our right side. Osman is no way a winger and someone has to be tried there in time for Cup Final. It's a big ask as well, coming up against Ashley Cole. Maybe Gosling is our best bet; Cole would not know what to except.

MOTD has just referred to Jags’ injury as a "freak" occurence - failing to mention that the same bloody thing happened to Arteta too this season. What shitty luck for the team and Jags especially because he would deserve his medal most of all this season.

It?s absolutely unbelievable how unlucky we have been with major injuries this season, you usually get one, at the most two big injuries per year, this is our third. As the post title says, the spine is ripped out of our side now, all we need is Howard's thigh to get worse and go for the full house of injuries to fuck us for the end of the season and Wembley.

Gutted.

Can?t believe it, how can one team be so unlucky. We haven?t just suffered normal injuries this season, but some of the worst footballers can pick up.

Still there is not point in feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to go on with the same attitude we have displayed in recent months.

The Cup Final couldn?t have two more different teams. One full of highly paid mercenary stars and us with a threadbare squad comprised mainly of bargain buys. If we win the cup, it should go down as one of the proudest moments in the club's history.

Question for you guys...

If we go on to win the cup, do the injured players in our squad (Jags in particular) get medals as well?

Because Jags certainly deserves once and we wouldn’t be in the final if not for his great performance all season.

Damn.. when it rains it pours...

Truly a sad day for us. Hope you get well soon and be stronger next season, Jags.

Anyway, I felt that playing in almost every minute of Everton’s games, except the Chelsea game last Wed, played a role in his injury. He is tired and the knee just crumble.

Just a thought tho...

Yobo and Lescott can do the business ... and in Rodwell and Neville there ARE back-ups. This will just make the FA Cup win all the more incredible ... beating the multi-national conglomerate without our best defender, best midfielder AND best striker ... just hope Tim Howard doesn?t complete the set!!

What's done is done. What's happened is shite ? but we have to move on ? remain focused... Christ, we win that FA Cup, it will be the most deserved piece of silverware in the history of football!!!

It's all hands on deck now; 5 games to go... lads must give it there all, secure 5th place and win the cup ? it will be an incredible achievement.

What I cannot fathom ? and maybe you guys can enlighten me ? is the disgraceful negative attititude of toffeewebites who have posted shitty comments re hibbo, osman and the bad result today? What the fuck is all that about? We were knackered. Osman will put his all in til 30 May ? then its time to analyse and aportion blame ? now is the time to rally and go for the finish line.

I don't like the fact that Michael felt he needed to post Tony Marsh?s comments today ? 5 games to go and that guy is still having a crack at an exhausted team playing out of their skins, on empty, loads of players injured, slagging off Moyes... It's disgusting ? all this should be left for 1 June ? don't you agree???

OK, I know Leon isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I simply don't believe that he walks onto the pitch and thinks. "I'm gonna play shit today, cause I don't care about this club." ... Maybe he's not up to Prem standard ? but we need him till 1 June ? so we should be getting behind Everton... the whole team ? every single player ? whether we think they should be here next season or not...

Shame on everton losing after playing 3 games in 7 days ? one of which was 120 mins playing a fresh Man City side... Christ... how ridiculous and petty is that?? 1 June boys, 1 June ? that's the time for long articles explaing who and why and what...

Totally agree, Sam Higgins.

Now is not the time to criticise - the Manager and players have made mistakes, but they have been truly heroic - every one of them (including Shandy Andy - who can forget "THE CROSS" that led to the goal over the RS ?).

Thankfully, Everton fans are much more than a few petty minded fans.

Let us all cheer them on - you can count on 1 lonely voice travelling 8,000 miles from Bangalore !

Sam Higgins, I don’t think you quite get what this website is about. We pass on news and news links about Everton, and we encourage timely discussion about Everton topics ? that means anything and everything to do with Everton.

Everton is a football club, and playing football is their prime function; as an Everton website, we have no compunction in providing a forum for fans who want to discuss the game and how the players performed. For some of us, it’s a fundamental aspect of how we support our club... it’s what we’re about. Think of it as a virtual post-match pub.

The idea that we should somehow suspend post-match analysis and critical assessment of players until 1 June is simply preposterous. I can understand if it’s something you don’t want to talk about or read about ? in which case, I think you know what to do. No-one is forcing you to participate if you don’t want to. But please don’t presume to tell others what they can or cannot discuss on this website ? that is totally unacceptable.

Fucking shitting fuckshit!!!!

This season is starting to take the piss.

Absolutely gutted for Jags, he deserved his place in the final, he’s been the most important player for us this season. Yobo is a pretty good backup, but we’ll miss Jags.

Can’t believe that he’s gonna miss out after all he’s done, football can be a cruel game at times.

I guess an ACL injury has pretty much fucked him until at least mid-way through next season as well. Fucking great.

I can't accept this shite about our chances of winning the cup have gone. We kept a clean sheet against Chelsea when they desperately needed to beat us and the Jag wasn't playing.

My thoughts are for the Jag himself, he deserved to play ? he?s been magnificent ? and it's heartbreaking that he won't be there.

Sam Higgins: "If we do win the FA cup, it would be the most deserved piece of silverware in the history of football." You're not wrong there, lad.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/26042009/58/fa-cup-injured-jagielka-miss-final.html

I was reading this report on Jagielka?s injury and saw the comments section. Some well wishes from Chelsea fans and even an Arsenal and Liverpool supporter. I thought some of us could use some cheering up.

Michael - I do understand what this website is about - and I appreciate the amount of effort that you and your team (lyndon and colm etc..) put into it to make it all work - to be honest its probably the best soccer fan-based website on the net - and im not brown - nosing - its a fact. Also I’ve been browsing and making comments from time to time over the past 6 years - and some of the feedback, mail, articles and columns submitted are truly magnificent in their clarity, reasoning and opinion.

What really gets my fucking goat though - and to be fair I did write my previous post this morning (sunday - im in new zealand at the mo) shortly finding out about jags ( and i think we are all a bit feeling a bit shitty about this) is the continuing negativity towards Moyes and a few select players over the last couple of weeks by certain toffeewebites. I simply dont understand how Evertonians ( and i know they are all blue blooded Evertonians - not trouble makers) can slag off, slate, and shit all over players who have given there absolute fucking everything this season - to the extent that a cash-strapped, injury-plagued club with one of the smallest squads in the league are now safely ensconsed in the FA cup final and with a few more home wins will proabably finish 5th in the most challenging soccer lague in the world behind four of the best club teams in the world whom have every resource at their disposal. Not only that but in reaching the FA cup final we have beaten 2 of these top 4 teams, and Aston Villa our main rival this term.

So I get a tad irate when yet again the likes of Tony Marsh who by the way I have absolutely no doubt is proabably one of the most fanatic Evertonians in the world, gets the freedom of Toffeeweb, as usual, 10 minutes after the final whistle on Saturday to say in a round about way ’Tony Hibbert is a prick, Leon Osman is a wanker, and David Moyes is a cunt’ when these players have almost certainly given their all in the last 7 days.

As for the whole ’we still arnt sure about David Moyes’ thing that is still common place in a lot of TW posts - and you yourself have maintained this view - well since ive been a toffeewebite myself(!) - I have to ask this and I ask myself this every week after reading the negative posts.

WHO in the name of blue fuck if we got rid of David Moyes would we replace him with???????? Really I mean come on Tony if your reading this WHO?????? If u could have anyone????? Hiddink?? No thanks. Scolari? No your alright. Wenger. Again, no your fine. Benitez? Only joking.

None of these people would mange Everton, cause they had been touched by the club in the way we the fans have - for the very reason we are all so dam paasionate about them.

But Moyes is. He reallly is. He really really loves this club. Its his baby (in footballing terms!) He cares deeply about this club, its players, its fans, its roots, every piece of fabric that make sup Everton FC. Would Hiddink? Would Capello? Would Scalari? Yeah of course they would. If u paid them 10 mil a year.

Yes i know he plays defensive more ofen than not. Yes i know some games can have u wanting to swing from the neck under one of the roof papapets of the park end. Yes i know his substitutions can sometimes have u scratching your head in wonderment - and yes i know he is loyal to those players that some of u would have shot at dawn. But HE is the a FANTASTIC manager for Everton. HE has turned them into a top 6 side. We now have domestic cup runs. We now play in Europe. We now have gifted, skillful players. We now have players who live and breathe the club. We now have very good young players coming through.

Maybe he has made it look too easy so the likes of Mr Marsh expect us to perfrom like Barca every week (ok im being flippent now i know but im getting tired!) Maybe he expects Osman to play like Messi for 90 mins. I dunno. What i do know is though that all those players have put in 100 percent over the last month and they all deserve our praise and approval. e need to get behind them not slag them at the final hurdle. I say the 01 June in my previouspost cause then seems the right time to analyse and discuss.

I guess im just a Toffeewebite who appreciates all that they are doing at the oment and maybe someplayer sshould be here next season, but for now they all need our support!!!

COYB!! Its the best fucking club in the world - and in my mind like Kenwright says (careful now!) they have the best manager they could have.

Hey ho. This might all be academic anyway as we will all proabaly have died by next week of swine flu.

Can I just apologise for some of the shite grammer errors in my post - im knackered and was typing too fast - u will get the drift im sure.

Michael Kenrick - After waking up still feeling gutted about Jags injury, I very much enjoyed your analogy of TW being a "virtual post-match pub". I think for many visitors to the site who are no longer able to frequent Goodison as often as they once did, the "buzz" of being in a bar full Evertonians post-match is greatly missed. TW does a very good job of recreating that post-match experience without the hangover!

Got up 6am sunday morning NZ time to watch the game. Once I saw Jags get injured, to be honest I didn?t give a shit about the result. I was just too gutted for him, missing out on the final after the euphoria he must have felt last week.

I?m sure the lads will do their best for Jags, Mik and Yak etc and I?m also sure that they will be reading the posts on this and other fan sites.

Jags, you?ll still be there at Wembley mate, joining the rest of the lads on the pitch at the end ... this time in ya dapper FA Cup Winners suit.
COYB!

Best defender out, best midfielder out and best forward out. But we are STILL gunna win the FA Cup. COYB!!!

"Best defender out, best midfielder out and best forward out"

...serious injuries and all received in the most innocous ways. I guarantee if Tim Howard so much as picks his nose between now and the final he’ll lose a finger and we can complete the set.

I know this is probably clutching at straws but did I hear somewhere recently that Yakubu was back in light training? Is there any tiny chance he might be ready for the Cup Final? We are truly cursed with injuries...

Tragic tragic news about Jags. Cruelty of the highest level. But it's happend before. We are Everton football Club. Let's just move onwards and upwards.

Jolly and Joey are still on of the best defensive pairing in the league. Only thing i would say now is we would probably need to bring in another centre-half this summer. With a ruptured knee ligamant he won't even be back for the start of August. My bet would be John O'Shea ? he can play anywhere at the back and even centre-mid. He would be a quality squad player to have and probably not too expensive.

We are like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. First we lose an arm, then the other but we keep on fighting ? ?tis but a scratch? ? then we lose both legs but still win the cup!
But if Cahill goes down next..... Can we not just concede the next four games?

It’s really bad news that all 3 are missing the final, but what concerns me is when will they be back? Will any one them even be ready for the start of next season? And also will they be the same players? I’m praying to God they are!

I know it?s unlucky the amount of injuries we?ve suffered this season and whether it be bad luck or not, I can?t help wonder are our players being physically trained properly? That?s five ligament injuries this season and it makes me wonder why this is happening.

Having studied PE as a GCSE I seem to remember that a ligament is what attaches the muscle to the bone, are our players' muscles so overdeveloped that the ligament cannot cope with the size of the muscle or is there a way to develop the ligament? Any ideas as I can?t think of another team in the Premier League with so many injuries of the same nature.

Don?t think many people will disagree that Jags has been our most consistent performer this season, and if anyone deserves an FA Cup medal... it?s him.

How?s this for a thought... give Jags one of the (unused) substitute spots. Due to the fact that we?ve got so many injuries, the bench might have a few kids on... or even (wait for it... perish the thought) AvdM ? Would it be in the manager?s mind to play all of the subs he names on the day, or would one or two be named ?just for the experience?? Ok, I know it would limit the manager?s options but it would be a fitting tribute to our Player of the Season.

Anyway, just a thought....

I?ve never been more gutted about an injury to a player. Where is the justice... and even if we win the cup, I?ll still feel gutted.

It really pisses me off that these major injuries only get fleeting coverage too... if the redshite lost Torres, Gerrard and Carragher to major season-ending injuries, you?d never hear the last of it.

Kev, I do hope you are not serious about "Four" big clubs sniffing around Jagielka. On the other hand, I do feel very sad for Jagielka in having to miss what was possibly the biggest game of his career. Very sad indeed.

First time I can think of in a long time (since the 80s) when we’ve had a real dominant "spine" to the team (Jags, Arteta and the Yak).

Good luck to them all getting back to fitness and back to their best.

Fucking fuck’s sake. Get well soon Jags.

Aren’t we glad Moyes is playing Yobo and keeping him in shape. Should we give Nash a game?

Sam Higgins!

Your comments are absolutely spot on mate, your rant really should have had it’s own thread.

You completely summed up my frustrations with certain posters on this site whilst putting your point of view across far more eloquently than I ever could. Thank you.

Jags out of cup final! I think if his knee just exploded he'd be out for much of next season as well... So who will we be missing on the opening day? Is Arteta without crutches? Is Yakubu jogging yet? Has Anichebe got the look of shock off his face yet? Is Shandy... never mind. I'm thinking the first three will not be in a position to start next season... and it was a poor start to this one which has cost us a chance of CL footy! Time to check the bank balance Bill and get spending!