ToffeeWeb Season Diary
Season 2008-09
 2007-08 |
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October 2008
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News Headlines & Features A goal, a win... three points!!!Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Everton 29 Oct - It was not pretty and it was really not all that effective for long periods of what looked depressingly like becoming a stale goalless draw... That was until the 90th minute when a certain £15M 'flop' by the name of Marouane Fellaini got on the end of another cross, this time from Steven Pienaar and his header sneaked in off the inside of the post to given Everton an absolutely vital win — only their third, in the third month of a campaign where they have rarely looked in the game, never mind at the races. But a win is a win is a win... and in this case, a clean sheet too! Full report Bolton Wanderers v Everton Match Preview 29 Oct - After playing the best 45 minutes in a long, long time against Manchester United, Everton travel to the Reebok tonight and take on Bolton, who are three places but just one point behind the Blues in the Premier League. So... a massive 'six-pointer' for contention of the relegation spots? Another impressive performance (for 90 mins?) and a decent result are obviously required — this game marks the ¼-point of the season and it is not where we want Everton to be spending the rest of it! Jimmy the Masseur Half-time inspiration 27 Oct - Phil Neville says it was some comments from the Everton masseur Jimmy Corner that helped spur the half-time turnaround at Goodison: “The masseur, who is a massive Blue, said to us this was not like a normal Everton-Man United game. He said the crowd were quiet, the players were quiet, and in the second half we needed to lift it and show more energy." Finally some spirit shown Everton 1 - 1 Manchester United 25 Oct - David Moyes named an attacking 4-4-2 line-up and the boys looked up for it in opening exchanges. But United's clear superiority saw them inevitably take control and on 20 mins, Fletcher was able to stroll through and score with ease. Everton laboured to make much impression before the half but came out with far more intent and were eventually rewarded, Fellaini nodding home a good Neville cross to really shake up the Red Devils. Everton continued to press and with more self-belief, or perhaps a little luck, should have won the game, Yakubu's shot bouncing off the post. A far, far better second-half display. Match report Everton vs Manchester United Match Preview 24 Oct - Morale is low and the Blues' prospects against a frighteningly in-form Manchester United appear to be even lower but the 90 minutes are there to be played so possibilities still abound. 4-4-2 will surely be the order of the day (though Dominic King in the Echo says it'll be 4-5-1 with Yakubu getting the chop), giving Louis Saha the chance to show his old club what they're missing but will Mikel Arteta keep the captain's armband now that Phil Neville is fit and a potential starter in midfield? KO is a police-mandated 12pm. Tim a talisman for Aussies too 21 Oct - Australian coaching great Rale Rasic deems Tim Cahill "far and away" the greatest footballer the country has produced after his impressive return to the international stage against Qatar last week. Rasic made no apologies after admitting he sat "with eyes wide open" watching Cahill's display in the 4-0 win against Qatar in an Asian World Cup qualifier in Brisbane on Wednesday night. The midfielder serves the final game of a three-match ban from the Premier League this weekend when the Blues take on Manchester United at Goodison Park. Osman's early strike to no avail Arsenal 3 - 1 Everton 18 Oct - Everton surprised the Gunners with an early goal when Leon Osman played a nice one-two with Pienaar and lunged to poke the return ball inside the post to put the Blues ahead in the ninth minute. A very good save by Howard prevented an early equalizer. But after a poor first half from Arsenal , Walcott came on and they were level inside 2 mins. Everton were pinned back and Van Persie eventually put them in the lead as the Blues tired, Moyes as usual making his changes after the fact. Walcott got his reward at the end to underline the horrendous gulf in class and management abilities between the two sides. Report Arsenal v Everton Match Preview 17 Oct - Another annoying International break is out of the way and it's back to the business of the Premier League. David Moyes will no doubt now be held to a higher standard that befits his massive new salary more than the dismal start his team has made to the season as they take on a faltering Arsenal, whose injuries and recent form could make them unusually vulnerable. Will Moyes have the courage to do anything other than he usually does against the Sky 4 — play it tight and try to nick one — or will he take a leaf out of Hull City's book? Kick-off is 3pm; live in most overseas TV markets. Cahill inspires the aussies Australia 4 - 0 Qatar 15 Oct - Despite currently serving a three-match suspension from the Premier League for his red card in the Goodison derby, Tim Cahill played an inspirational role for Australia in their Asia zone World Cup Qualifier. Scoring the first goal and then winning a penalty, he was the spirit behind a driving force that swept away the Gulf side 4-0 to but the Socceroos on top of their group. Moyes finally signs New Deal Dithering is over 14 Oct - David Moyes has finally signed a bumper new contract that gives him anywhere from £3M to £3½M per year. Explaining the protracted dithering that has delayed this moment and even (some say) affected the commitment and enterprise of his players so far this season, he said, "There have been many different things for different reasons but we are here now and the big thing for me is that I am at Everton, as far as I am concerned, for another five years and the job is to make us better than we have been." Harris hopes to find buyer But they must be right for Kenwright 14 Oct - Keith Harris, chairman of investment bank Seymour Pierce, is hopeful of finding a buyer for Everton. Harris said he is "quietly confident" over Newcastle's proposed sale and told BBC Radio 5 Live that he was similarly optimistic about Everton. Confirming Bill Kenwright's reverse vetting policy, Harris said: "It is not going to be hot money or people who want to do all sorts of strange things with [the club]. It is somebody who is going to carry on the tradition." Club on the verge of £180m sale? No, say EFC... again! 10 Oct - Mihir Bose, the BBC's supposed football man-in-the-know, blogs today about Everton's imminent sale to a thus-far faceless overseas buyer. Bill Kenwright is apparently jetting out to further negotiations, already at "an advanced stage" and perhaps conclude a sale that would value the Club at £180m. The buyer, who is neither believed to be Anil Ambani nor the pair of African consortia currently vying for Newcastle United, apparently wants assurances that the proposed Kirkby Stadium remains viable. Everton's ritual denial from Ian Ross swiftly followed. More debt added to the bottom line Everton secure another £30M in credit 10 Oct - In the depths of an unprecedented global financial crisis and "credit crunch", Robert Elstone labels debt as a necessary evil in the running of a football club, while news is now emerging that Everton last month secured an additional £30M credit line in favour of Barclay's Bank. It is unclear exactly what the additional money is for; it could be in part to pay for record signing Marouane Fellaini, but is likely needed just to bolster the day-to-day running of the club as it struggles to finance operations through limited commercial and gate income, and takes the overall club debt to around £90M. Two goal bonus given up again Everton 2 - 2 Newcastle United 5 Oct - Everton got off to a bright start and their lively positive play was rewarded with a penalty after 15 mins that was firmly despatched by Mikel Arteta, captain for the day! After a tough 15 mins, Everton went further ahead with a great goal from £15M man Marouane Fellaini and it seemed the Blues were on the verge of a fantastic victory. But the Toon pulled one back just before the break, and stole another just after the break to get right back into the game, courtesy of the two-goal bonus Everton seem determined to gift anyone they play this season. The second half was simply horrible, with Everton not in it until the last 15 minutes, when they huffed and puffed... to zero effect. We can't keep a clean sheet... we can't even beat Newcastle! Everton v Newcastle United Match Preview 5 Oct - There's always someone worse off than you. To prove the old adage, today's visitors from the foot of the Premier League are Newcastle United, who's off-the-field chaos makes anything at Everton seem almost idyllic in comparison. But it's a must-win situation for Everton, who have lost all three league games so far at "Fortress Goodison" this season, and have no more excuses for failing to perform with Steven Pienaar now fit to play (well — there is the suspension of Tim Cahill, which starts with today's game). KO 16:00 BST. Two bids brokered for EFC Far East or Middle East: Take your pick 4 Oct - According to the Daily Mail, Keith Harris is brokering a £200 million deal for the sale of Everton to a Far or Middle Eastern group (possibly a 'sovereign wealth fund', similar to the Abu Dhabi entity that bought out Man City). Apparently both are interested in a buy-out deal but it will takes weeks before real deals are actually put on the table and nothing is likely to be completed before the January transfer window [Why does it take Everton 3 months when other clubs change hands inside two weeks?] Failure to deliver sends Blues crashing out Standard Liege 2 - 1 Everton 2 Oct - The trip to Liege proved a step too far for the the fractious and inconsistent players under David Moyes, who was yet again unable to motivate them sufficiently to keep a clean sheet that could at least have given them a sliver of a chance against the Belgian Champions. An easy tap-in given up in the first half meant that it was always going to be an uphill battle, but a scrambled goal from Jagielka gave the Blues faint hope... only for Leighton Baines to foul Jankovic for a penalty that the Croatian duly converted to send Everton crashing out of the Uefa Cup at the first hurdle. Report Standard Liege vs Everton Uefa Cup Preview & Statistical Record 2 Oct - There's little doubt from their comments in the press this week that David Moyes and his players realise what is at stake this evening when they take on Standard Liege looking to recover from an away goals disadvantage from the first leg. Can they deliver their best performance of the campaign so far against the Belgian champions, advance to the group stages... and effectively rescue their season? Kick off is 6:40pm BST with live coverage on Five in the UK. |
Snippets & Rumours AJ won't be badge-kissing31 Oct - Some sensible words from Roy Hodgson on the ridiculous issue of "badge-kissing". Has anyone noticed how much AJ looks like Joe the Plumber? Fellaini misses Hammers game 30 Oct - Marouane Fellaini will miss the visit to West Ham next weekend as he has rapidly accrued five yellow cards, most of them unjustly, during his short stint in the English Premier League. Carsley showing his value 30 Oct - In his BBC blog, Paul Fletcher opines that Lee Carsley may be the Championship's "most effective player" in the holding role he made his own at Everton. The 34 year-old left Goodison in May to join Birmingham City, his hometown club. WIN tickets to Fulham (H) 29 Oct - Once again we have a pair of Main Stand tickets up for grabs, this time for the visit of Fulham this weekend. Deadline for entry is midnight tomorrow. Meanwhile, tickets for the game are on sale and can be ordered at evertonfc.com/eticketing Another takeover broker? 27 Oct - According to The Sun, football dealmaker Chris Nathaniel held talks with chairman Bill Kenwright on Saturday about a takeover of Everton. Neville's tackle: Hard but legit 27 Oct - A rare, relatively unbiased report on the weekend's big game in the so-called quality press, this from James Ducker in The Times. Second best is too good 26 Oct - This article by David Walsh reflects some of the concerns voiced increasingly in our mailbag regarding the dominance of the Sky4 and its effect on the Premier League. Battling Blues rediscover their heart 25 Oct - It may have come almost an hour late but Everton finally did shrug off that all-too-familiar inferiority complex to deliver a stirring fightback that might have earned them more than the point they deservedly claimed were it not for a crucial intervention by Ewin van der Sar and the woodwork that denied Yakubu what might well have been the winner. Match report by Lyndon Lloyd Second Pre-Inquiry Meeting 25 Oct - As the date of the full inquiry itself approaches next month, the inspector will hold a second preparatory meeting on 5 November to finalise the administrative arrangements for the public inquiry into Tesco's Destination Kirkby project, that includes a planned new stadium for Everton FC. Dubai group dismisses Everton link 23 Oct - Dubai-based Zabeel investment group, mooted as the latest investors eyeing Everton, insist that they have no intention of opening takeover talks with any English club after dropping their interest in a £20m bid for Charlton Athletic. Ladies hammer Liverpool 22 Oct - Well, at least one Blue team can beat Liverpool. Everton Ladies thrashed their local rivals 5-0 to go second in the table with a game in hand. The win preserves their 100% start to the season. Trio could return for United clash 22 Oct - Joseph Yobo, Victor Anichebe and Segundo Castillo could provide three extra options for David Moyes on Saturday. Yobo has recovered from a virus and should be fit but Anichebe and Castillo, who both suffered slight hamstring strains last week, will undergo late fitness tests. Jacobsen targeting December return 22 Oct - His arm now out of its sling, Lars Jacobsen has started some light cardio work in the gym as he rehabilitates from a nasty shoulder dislocation suffered playing for Denmark before he could even kick a ball for Everton. He has his sights set on a December return to action. WIN tickets to Man United (H) 22 Oct - We have a pair of Main Stand tickets for Saturday's high-noon clash with Manchester United to give away. Deadline for entry is midnight tomorrow (Thursday). Alternatively, tickets are still on sale for the game at evertonfc.com/eticketing. Moyes's Moaning Money Mantra 19 Oct - David Moyes claims he's doing all he can to get Everton to perform but "At this time, we don't have the resources to compete." So how did we finish 5th last season?!?! Moyes elaborates on delay 18 Oct - The delay in reaching agreement with Bill Kenwright on his new contract was in part down to concerns David Moyes had about guaranteeing his autonomy as Everton manger in the event of a takeover. No Directors of Football or Heads of Recruitment for DM!!! Arteta: no interest in England 18 Oct - Mikel Arteta has confirmed he has no interest in playing for England, reiterating that his real desire is to play for Spain, and that he was (for the umpteenth time) happy to be playing in the Premier League. Moyes threatens team rebuild 17 Oct - Unhappy with the form of his players thus far this season, David Moyes has apparently said, "If we do not get things back to what they were last season we will have to start working on re-assembling another team for years to come." ... so setting us back 6½ years!?! No loans for Vaughan 16 Oct - Despite enquiries (apparently), Everton will not consider making James Vaughan available on loan. Reserves comeback stuns Liverpool 14 Oct - Liverpool Reserves cruised into a comfortable second half lead against Everton only to be pegged back level with two goals in three minutes, before James Vaughan's second won the honours for the Blues. Pienaar looking to score goals 14 Oct - Steven Pienaar is keen to get back among the goalscoring stats. Having regained fitness after breaking a toe, Pienaar is looking to score five goals this term after only finding the back of the net on two occasions since moving to Goodison Park from Borussia Dortmund in July 2007. Marou Run Run! 11 Oct - David Moyes wants Marouane Fellaini to do more fast running in matches: "I run a lot, but I do it at my own pace," said the Belgian. (Through an interpreter?) Davey in for the long haul 11 Oct - Back in July, David Moyes found himself wondering if 6½ years at one club was too long... but inspirational words from Bobby Robson made him think the opposite, that it was not long enough. Fellaini scores for Belgium 10 Oct - Belgium beat Armenia 2-0 with the help of a gaol from Marouane Fellaini. Moyes does a job on Yobo 10 Oct - Speaking of dropped defender Joseph Yobo, “He will be back in the team, I am sure about that,” said Moyes. “He is disappointed because he wants to play. I expect that and understand that. But he’s had a difficult start to the season. We gave him, extra time off in the summer because of his international commitments, then he had an injury niggle and that’s all contributed to him not being able to reach the fitness level he wants. With fitness comes concentration and he has missed that. He’s not really got back to the level we would have liked.” Fellaini the unfair scapegoat 9 Oct - In The Times, James Ducker thinks Marouane Fellaini has been unfairly scapegoated by Everton fans for the lack of balance and confidence that seems to plague Everton currently. Fellaini, who has apparently grown an inch while he has been at the Blues, had "a shaky start to his Everton career" but Evertonians won't see the best of him until he is paired with the Carsley replacement who continues to be conspicuous by his continuing absence from every line-up David Moyes names. Contract will be signed “soon” 9 Oct - Everton's acting CEO, Robert Elstone is confident David Moyes will sign his new bumper contract "soon". The less-than convincing reason given for the inordinate delay: "... because neither side saw any issues." Uh! Reserves play the same game 7 Oct - Emulating the uncanny ability of their senior colleagues to give up a handsome two-goal lead against northeast opponents, the Reserves did the same against Middlesbrough at the Stobart Stadium, yielding their 100% league record in the process. Club hope rest is key for Osman 7 Oct - Everton have further delayed surgery on Leon Osman's troublesome knee in the hope that rest over the international break will be either resolve the problem or ease it sufficiently to allow him to keep playing this season. Balague: Arteta needs more football 7 Oct - Commenting on rumours of fresh interest from Spain in Mikel Arteta, finger-on-the-pulse football pundit Guillem Balague says that Everton seem to have forgotten why they bought the midfielder and need to start playing the game the way Moyes says he wants to — on the deck — if they're to keep him. Takeover or no Takeover? 6 Oct - This reiteration of the rumbling takeover story in today's Times does not mention the club's denial of such things; they appeared later via the Daily Post. Knee surgery for Osman? 6 Oct - Leon Osman meet with Everton’s medical staff to determine whether he needs to go under the knife during the international break. Osman has been troubled by the knee since the start of the season, training sporadically during the past month, and it could be that surgery is the only remedy. Crisis? What Crisis? 4 Oct - In denying that Everton are in crisis after being dumped out of two cups in just over a week, David Moyes has pointed out that, if his sides beats Newcastle on Sunday, they will have the same Premier League record as at this stage last season, which was proclaimed a success when they finished fifth. The Art of Moyes 3 Oct - It's not only the readers of ToffeeWeb who are perplexed by the current sate of affairs... read Robbo Robson's blog at the BBC SPort website. [Thanks for the link, Anthony Jaras] Moyes says he will sign... 3 Oct - David Moyes has stated yet again that he is close to signing the bumper contract that will assure him of a substantial financial reward over the next five years. But no guarantees: "Who says when you come into football management that every year you're going to have a good year?" Cahill called up by Australia 1 Oct - Tim Cahill has been called up for Australia's World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Brisbane later this month. He is suspended for three games in the Premier League so, injury concerns aside, it's a rare opportunity for the midfielder to travel down under without his manager chewing over the effects of jetlag on his form. Crisis talks for Moyes & Players 1 Oct - This Mail story describes crisis talks between Moyes and his players that sounded like a post mortem into the Liverpool defeat, punctuated with questions over Moyes's future. But all's well as it ends with yet another one of Capn Pip's famous rallying calls... |
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