I sincerely hope you are right !!

I used to really rate Michael Ball. When he first broke into our first team, I bet a mate a pint that he would play for England. Obviously, at the time I thought he'd get more than one cap, but that didn't matter... He won his cap and I won my pint!

If he could prove his fitness, surely on a free he could at least provide some sort of cover for Baines?

Anyway, to the main point of the article Stephen, I pray that you're right and we do see some major squad investment this summer. I would be surprised if it wasn't funded primarily by player sales though (the loanees plus at least one big money exit).

I'd happily welcome in Adam, N'zogbia, Larsson, Wellbeck, Ba... and Ball - even if it meant selling future England captain Jack Rodwell (another bet I had with the same mate!)

More sleight of hand from cronies. Bull of the highest order. WAtch this space

I wouldn't hold my breath about new guys coming in unless we have some going out. Most of us know it is more likely to be loaners or lower league potentials like Beckford. Yes it's going to be hard watching all the big money clubs throwing at around like confetti but Everton cannot gamble big money for some of these overpriced,overpaid prima-donnas. We need more players with speed going forward and as I have said previously some of last seasons new guys should be given a good run out during the summer. I think Beckford has proved he can score against top defences and the like of Velios and Gueye should also be given their chances. Coleman should be the right back and Rodwell should be the holding midfielder. Neville and Heitinga should only be used as back four back up or defensive midfield.

That's great news and I really hope it's true. You're right, why would talk crap to you for no reason? I like this positivity.

So did you ask him who's getting sold as well?

What is really happening is nothing. Sorry, but after last summer when we were linked with zillions of players and ended up with, erm let me see, NONE, anyone who falls for it again this summer is a fool.

I bet Michael Ball will talk to you again,mate! Expect no more than a couple of high profile loans and a freebe or two.The spending budget is £10M tops,believe me,and that depends on 2Y sales!

The signings probably will be suprises, as no one will have even heard of the clubs they are signed from.

Its difficult to see anything different from the last couple of years with the likes of Castillo being brought in late with no other Clubs that interested in them.

Hope ime wrong but hasn't Moyes already told the fans not to expect much?

There was no money in January after selling Piennar and lowering the wage bill so i dont see whats changed.

I Knew it !

Why must people on this site always be so cynical about Bk et al stewardship !

Now that my faith in human nature has been restored I'm going to give my full bank account/password details to those emails that I was doubtful over.

Then I'm going to transfer £20,000 into the Nigerian bank account of that nice billionaire who is having short term cash flow problems - boy, he's SO going to reward me for that deal.

Sigh .... ain't life great ?

Heres hoping. My feeling is not so good though. As so many have said before me, I will believe it when I see them wearing the everton kit.

If (and it's a big if); the board did happen to have a few quid, from the saleswages of offloading the pre-mentioned players or some other source; then it would be prudent of them not to go around broadcasting it.

It's far better to enter negotiations whereby your counterparty has no insight into how much you have in reserve.

That said, last years accounts aren't very encouraging.

He's a great singer - is he at the "Empire" or sumfink?

Doddy has spoken!!!! Its £10m to spend this year. That's it. Anything else is just speculation. *rolls eyes*

OMG Jamie #2...."If he could prove his fitness.....surely he could provide some cover for Baines at left back..."

This totally sums up the apathy and resigned lack of faith in the club to challenge for honours in the future...yes the way forward for Everton is to sign Michael Ball...

None of us expect us to make any SIGNIFICANT signings this summer and most of us (except the truly blinkered) are not expecting us to win a trophy this coming season...the majority are happy to settle for mid-table mediocrity which they see as success (as does our Board of Directors)...unfortunately that's not good enough for me.

Kenwrong & his cronies have ruined this club to the point where we can't even compete to sign players in the £10 mil bracket which by today's standards is the lower end of the scale.

How the fuck the likes of Sunderland -who have yo-yo-ed up & down the leagues in the last 15yrs whilst we have played every season in the top flight- can make bids for the likes of N'Zogbia, Crouch etc whilst we get linked with shite like Bothroyd and DJ Campbell is fucking beyond me...probably because thay have a forward thinking Chairman and Board of Directors.

Things will NEVER change whilst these clowns are in charge....so once again get used to second rate loanee's who we've never heard of cos that's all we're gonna get....and that's if we're lucky.



STRONG PROTEST by the followers of the shite eventually got rid of owners who where leading them to oblivion...even tho they didn't want to sell.

We should....no MUST do the same and not just except the shite that he and his puppets spin EVERY close-season and January transfer window...FFS we spent more on agent's fees than transfer fees last season

Kenwrong has lead us to the edge of the abyss and we are peering into the black hole of oblivion....HE MUST BE STOPPED !!

Neil,

"STRONG PROTEST by the followers of the shite eventually got rid of owners who where leading them to oblivion...even tho they didn't want to sell."

Total rubbish. The protests carried out by Liverpool fans did not get rid of Hicks and Gillet. The banks wanting their money back got rid of Hicks and Gillet. If Hicks and Gillet could have met the financial deadlines placed upon them the fans could have protested 24/7 and it would not have made any difference.

Look at Manchester United they have protested like the Liverpool fans and the Glazers are still there simply because they are meeting the finacial deadlines placed on them by the banks.

Can we just end this myth once and for all that it was the fans protests that got rid of Hicks and Gillet.

We are all hopeless. Transfer gossip is the drug we all exist on. Sadly with Moyes and Kenwright in charge we are all going cold turkey. Given the past few seasons I don't expect any major signings other than those clearly heading for the door marked EXIT (Yobo and Yakubu, although I would play Yakubu 100 times out of a 100 versus Anichebe). I expect Everton to line up for the first game of the new season as follows, Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Coleman, Arteta, Fellaini, Osman, Cahill and Saha or Beckford. Would anyone seriously bet against this being at least 9 out of 11 right? Steven Defour, no chance, NZogbia, no chance (Everton won't pay transfer fees I'm sure, they didn't last year). A few free transfers and kids at best. Welcome to Everton!

Bloody hell Dicky Doddy- you have crossed over and seen the light!

We've all heared it before Stephen, please don't get too excited.

Doddy i remember your predictions over Destination Kirkby and they were all wrong so, Im affraid im going to put my prediction at no net spend. We will sell to buy and Ile bet we even have change, Such is my faith in YOUR blue Bill.

Oh really David...think you'll find 'the banks' only started wanting their cash back when the protests started and the reality of decreased revenues....

If you think Kenwrong and the Board are doing a good job...so be it... I DON'T

we are on the way to oblivion make no mistake...at least STRONG PROTEST can make us heard !!

If our attendances started to dwindle (like the shite's) and thus our revenue decreased don't yu think our bank would want their money back !!

How dare you raise my expectations, Stephen!!!

Neil,





Yes your right strong protest could make everton fans heard, i don't dispute that.

I presume you will be leading the protest at the first home game of the new season?

However, i am afraid you are living in a fantasy world if you think it was the protests that removed Hicks and Gillet. It was the banks who removed them. The fans however well intentioned could have protested till the cows come home, but the simple fact is if Hicks and Gillet were meeting their financial obligations they would still be at the helm at Liverpool irrespective of the fans feelings.

Neil....on the way to oblivion?! Blah blah blah. Seriously?

We are on the way to apathy at worse with a team that is comfortably too good to get relegated but not good enough to challenge at the top. Mid table mediocrity awaits.

What exactly is a strong protest going to do...other than unsettle the players? Not like bidders are lining up. Afraid things ain't gonna be changing any time soon unless we clear some debt or some big toffee fan wins the biggest lottery ever.

I'd take Nzogbia, Ba, Larsson and Canales on loan. Shifting Yak, Yobo and Billy.

Fixtures out on friday. I'd take Chelsea at home to kick us off, nice easy 3 points.

Sorry Jamie mate it has raised my expectations too after my chat with him. Doddy how do you know we have 10mill to spend? Yes maybe Michael Ball dosen't know the full story but as i say im only telling yous what he told me and that was, that Osman and Hibbert were told by Moyes to expect some suprise signings in terms of money being spent, and with the way it was put its big money for us anyway.

As i say maybe he is talking rubbish but why would he waste his time speaking rubbish to me for over 20minutes when im sure he has enough money to spend around town. Maybe they will be funded by a few player sales but the players seemed optimistic it seems as to what is happening and i remember Tim Howard's comments towards end of season that big signings would be made.

Also Jagielka signed his 5 year deal and also said he expects things to happen so maybe there is a takeover? or an actual forward thinking business plan from our inept board for a change. Like i said im sick of hearing rumours from rumour sites and stupid newspapers, i just want something to happen and after the chat i had i am feeling a lot more optimistic than i was, maybe im being naive but we shall see won't we.

I for one hope Ball is correct and for once we do have a summer were we buy good players to improve our squad and give us a better chance next season. COYB!!!!!

Sam...take your points on board mate but your post kind of proves my point exactly ...Whilst we accept the ' too good to go down...not good enough
to win trophies' mentality of our Chairman & Directors things will never change and we will remain in mid-table mediocrity for the foreseeable future.

IMO we past apathy a long time ago..it's more like abject realisation that we are NEVER going to WIN A TROPHY...(after all isn't that what they play the game for to WIN trophies)...whilst the present board is at the helm and if you think that is ok then you're entitled to your opinion....I on the other hand DON'T think being 'too good to go down but NOT GOOD ENOUGH to challenge at the top....' is acceptable for Everton Football Club

The team you say is 'comfortably too good ...' to get relegated is getting older by the year and the better players (i.e. Cahill, Arteta,Jags etc) are all picking up more injuries and are out of the team for long periods as they do so...we are not replacing these players with any sort of quality and sooner or later we will be left with the likes of Anichebe and Bily having to carry this great club forward...god help us !!!!!

When that happens oblivion won't be too far away.....

I accept that I am probably in the minority with my views but mid-table mediocrity or being 'best of the rest' (OMG just what does THAT mean !!) is NOT success to me...

Roughly translated our motto reads....'ONLY THE BEST IS GOOD ENOUGH'...well obviously not with this Chairman & Board....more like 'No Need To Win Things Just Don't Get Relegated Will Do...'

Neil... I think the vast majority of people who frequent this site share your sense of frustration.

However, I agree with Sam@22 "What exactly is a strong protest going to do...other than unsettle the players?"

I also understood the frustrations of the "cushion throwers" and "paint daubers" of the mid 80's but it wasn't they who brought about a change in our fortunes, was it ? That catalyst could be viewed as "that back pass" ... Kevin Brock ?

So we either have to find a benefactor of Bill Gates standing OR find a manager capable of finding that elusive winning blend on a shoestring .... is DM that man ? Answers under 2500 words please.

Cue Gladwys Knight and the Pips "memories" but did HK spend big in comparative terms ? Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me but wasn't Reid £60k from Bolton ? Sharp £120k from Dumbarton or something like that ?

Sam there's no such thing as a team that's "too good" to go down, that is crying it in, with a squad as small as ours all it would take is a single major injury to Baines and we'd have no senior left back, a single major injury to Beckford and no senior striker (don't get started on the mercurial Anichebe as a goal scoring machine - Neville only scores every few years and still scored more than him last season), one major injury away from gaps all over the pitch and defending won't win games or would you fancy 38 draws keeping us up? Add to that little scenario the underlying business model of selling players to service debt and it's a pretty bleak picture.

I have a money tree in my back garden, i'll lend it to Bill shall I.

Don't worry Gavin, if Baines is injured, Michael Ball's available - if he doesn't get snapped up in the summer!

I 100% agree with you Gavin...I have been saying ever since Lescott left that we have no cover at all for Baines...we desperately need a decent winger and a striker....that is 3 players.....the squad and the FANS need something to freshen up the squad and excite the faithful...we are totally apathetic and BK is quite satisfied so long as we maintain premiership survival with what we have....thats why DM is so cautious as he already knows what is required to keep his job safe.
I am really concerned that if nothing is done we will start to slide because Arteta and Cahill are getting near the end of their sell by date and some others are already past theirs....if we do not bring in some younger players we will struggle to survive.

Hope this is true and in the same way I won't get too excited about it until we've signed some quality, I won't write off some good players coming in until Moyes says there's definitely no money. There's definitely players going out for money so I believe our squad will improve.

David Crowe, Gavram, Doddy & co- there will be new players coming in Michael Ball said so! He probably said to Stephen as they said goodbye "Watch this Space"

Sadly I think that Neil (23) has got it spot on. Thanks to Bill we have just stood still, and Goodison is dated wooden hole. To make matters even worse the American Chavs accross the park are serious again. Nil Satis.....

".. why would Michael Ball talk a loada crap to me for over 20 minutes?"

You weren't buying his drinks were you?

What the fuck and why not. We're signing Landon.

Just seen this on the Eurosport Transfer Site.

Just shows how bad we are... so pissed off it's unreal.

Eurosport:
EVERTON: Everton boss David Moyes is running into major financial problems in his bid to sign Charles N?Zogbia from Wigan in a £9 million deal. Everton do not have the money to even pay the down payment of £4.5m. (Daily Mirror)

I am one of those who prefer to look past early mistakes and forgive and forget. When it comes to both Yobo an Yakubu, I regard them as top quality players, not only because they play for Nigeria but because I have seen them at their best.

I firmly belive that we as a club cannot afford Moyes to get offended and bitter for every little thing players do wrong. It is because of Moyes's sudden impulse to sell players he gets bad feelings about that I want Moyes to go, or at least take anger management classes. It makes me angry that he thinks it's ok to give away a player for nothing, that cost us £11.25 million just because he lacks long-term profesionalism or a buisness sense. If Sven Goran Eriksson were manager for our club I can promise he would never have sold either Yobo or Yakubu for next to nothing as Moyes is trying to do now. It is absurd that a manager lets himself be run by a strong grudge and stubbornness...

We will lose our £11.25 million plus lose money on Yobo who is worth more staying put if we qualify for Europe or have new injuries as we do each season. Yobo is taller and stronger than Heitinga so he would be fit right in to Distin's role when he soon retires.

I just want to know what you feel about this and if you disagree then give a valid reason except poor attitude as that can be coached away if done right!!

Michael @26
As a confirmed, county-standard cushion-thower since the days of the Bra-zil clap (not a notifiable disease, by the way) I, too, used to believe that a good manager with innovative tactics, motivational skills etc could mould a group of players into a team whose collective ability and performance far outweighed their individual talents - and that you can teach players to pass amd move without having a billionaire benefactor
Sadly, the realists tell me the days of Clough and Howard I, picking up and creating a decent team out of journeymen, crocks, bargains and reserves etc, will never be repeated as only money can nurture a talented, winning team
As for Nostradoddymus, where do we start?

Despite £2.5 mil for Pienaar and £2 mil for Vaughan and Gosling for nowt and loaning players out to save the wage bill, we are still dependent on the sale of Yak and Yobo and maybe even Rodwell or Baines before we can sign anyone worthwhile.

What an absolute joke of a club.

Protests may not have got rid of Hicks and Gillette but they sure as hell didn't do any harm and they sure as hell caused PJ to get out of town fast.

Kenwright at least does a magnificent job of manipulation. If only all the suckers could see through his web of deceipt.

I am still asking where the £12 million went when we were supposed to be signing Manny Fernandes "in the morning".

Never mind... continue to "watch this space" ? cos that's all it will ever be.

I'm gutted to see today that Bayern Munich look to have secured the signature of Tranmere's Dale Jennings. Bayern will be paying Tranmere £500k up front and then further payments depending on the success of the 19 year old.

I think we have missed a great opportunity. The lad is fast, two footed, has an eye for goal and can play up front or on either wing. It's a big leap from League 1 to Premier League, but I think this kid was worth a gamble at a £1 mil all in offer.

I think that we should have used the Pienaar money in January, his wages wouldn't have cost much. If we don't have much money these opportunities need to be grasped.