I'm sure Neville re-signed a few weeks ago, didn't he?

Maybe Moyes will look to play the likes of Duffy, Barkley, Gueye and Vellios regularly to replace some of the named players. Garbutt and Wallace may play. Young and enthusiatic individuals to come in and take us forward.

Oh no, sorry ? Mr Moyes is more likely to offer the big (mostly old) names big contracts that we can ill afford, just to keep them on board and sell the younger players who could make us a decent team.

Seriously though, would love to see us keep Drenthe ? he could be the diference between a struggling mid-table side and a team that is capable of surprising other mobs ? and help avoid boring us to death. Hope we keep Baxter too ? we are meant to be a club that give youth a chance, so let's see it. Please.

Hiding in a closet with copious amounts of beans & stella....not the best advice ever given out on Toffeeweb!

Dunno Brendan.

Doesn't sound too bad to me.

Colin

Perhaps not... at least it'll be a change from Billy stinking the place out!

So Jeremy, you hoping big Denis and the scottish Rooney will be staying? Think their contracts are up end of the season as well.

Not to mention Hobbo and Osman will turn 32 next season so (like them or not) they dont have too many years left in them either.

On a bighter note, one would hope the club offers a LOWER salary in new contracts offered to players older than say 32, the players are not in a position to take the club to ransom given their age.

Let's get Fellaini's contract sorted out first ? speaking of which, was this not 'really close to being signed' about 3 weeks ago!

If Moyes stays and I hope he doesnt he will offer contracts to -
Cahill
Saha
Neville
McFadden
and play the same shit football weve all come to love watching.

If Moyes goes and I hope he does contracts will go to -
Distin
Drenthe
Barkley
Gueye
Feillani
and we can build a team around good quality players and exciting football again.

The new boss Martinez, Poyet or Pardew could then remove / release those Championship players Moyes loves -
Cahill, Saha, Neville, McFadden, Baxter, Bily and Anichebe.

Pardew !!!!!!!!!!??????

Agreed that was a poor shout, I'm tired, I was up early today!

I think Moyes will let Saha go for sure. Baxter too, most likely.

Cahill, if he doesn't say himself it's over, will get a renewal, 2 yrs.

Distin should and will get one or two years more.

Drenthe is not ours. I guess we will re-sign the little fellow if he stays on mother earth and does'n get any serious injuries.

The only one I have no clue to is P Neville. I sort of hope he will retire, however, he's one of Moyes sweethearts. And who's gonna take the captaincy?

So for me, Distin, Cahill and Drenthe stays. Heitinga in for Jagielka, and perhaps Heitinga could be captain?

I agree that next year could be a tough one. We do seem to have quite a few younger players coming through including some on loan who are doing well (eg Duffy). Whether they are ready to step up to the mark yet remains to be seen. Positionally I think Saha is going to be the hardest to replace. Vellios seems ok and may develop long term but it would be crazy to rely on him. We need to have a decent striker on the books.

David #6 - mate, I don't love Moyes either, but Martinez?? Seriously, I know he tries to play attractive football, but he mostly fails and doesn't know what the word "win" means. He's a pretty shit manager.

Not a big fan of any of the managers you named but, given recent form, I'd probably take Pardew over the others.

Chris #12. Please refer back to Steve #8

No money, no hope.

The end is nigh!!!!!!

As much as it pains me to say it, our only option is to sell Felli in January. He has put in some good performances this season and his stock is currently high. Arsenal and Fiorentina have been linked with anything between £15 ? 18m. The sales of Piennar, Vaughan, Beckford, Yakubu and Yobo?s perpetual loans should be enough to keep the banks of our backs and so we should have £20 ? 25m to spend on a striker and an attacking midfielder (both need to have pace). Get Barkley on a long term deal and Drenthe signing a pre-contract agreement in March and maybe things won?t be so bad.

Let?s move Neville into the coaching staff (maybe player coach), give Distin a year extension, Baxter an extension and send him back on loan (to the Championship) and say to Cahill, thank you for giving us belief during the early days, thanks for the derby goals and being a proper blue, why not take a free transfer to Bolton, Blackburn or (if you?re lucky) Stoke.

I think Nigel Clough would be a good option for manager. I would really like ot see Moyes get some money and see what he can really do.Starting team for Sat: Howard
Hibbo Jags Distin Baines
Osman Barkley Rodwell Drenthe
Cahill
Saha

Jon #16 - I'm intrigued. Where did you get those fgures from?

What a load of negative drivel. If any of those players wants a new contract, earn it!. If any of them doesn?t, fuck off!

We shall not be moved.

5 minutes research Jeremy.

Neville signed a new contract taking him to 2013.

Cahill signed a 4 year contract extension in 2010: www.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14608901.stm

These 2 are going nowhere in the near future unfortunately.

I see Rodwell is back in the Everton camp although I`m not convinced he is of that quality. Many on here saw him as the alternative to Fellaini as a passport to clearing our debts. What do you feel now?

A wee while ago, a contributor penned an article around the demise of the Argentinian institution that is River Plate.

All the pedigree, history, honours counted for nothing as this club suffered the ignominy of relegation and life in the back waters of Argentinian football.

The article did strike a chord with me...but I did not at that time draw a direct parallell with EFC.

Some time on...well...how things have changed..because, without doubt, we are now "a dead man walking".

The opinions on this site will as ever be polarised. As a fellow blue, I respect all views. However, even the most ardent supporter must get this "trend"...we are going backwards at an alarming rate, with no sign of the slide abating.

The club's stale, lacking imagination on all fronts...carrying on through self-interest and self-interest alone. No surprises with Kenwright, he's that type. Moyes however?
I am surprised as I thought he had more about him. He is propping up this "strategy" and is therefore equally culpable.

Cahill has been carrying an injury for the best part of 2 years. I think we have seen the best of him but I still feel he will be a quality impact sub if he can regain a bit of form. They don't come much more committed to the cause of Everton than Cahill. I'd be happy for him to stay...

I'd be happy for Distin to stay. One of his ex-defensive partners labelled him the best one-on-one defender in the league so that says it all in terms of he should stay... but at his age you are only going to see one-year deals with the option of an extra one if all go's well.

Nothing will be decided on Drenthe untill the end of the season. He may sulk and want to fuck off if he doesn't start regularly.

I think it's time Baxter went and tried to build himself a career in the Championship... he has been around the 1st team squad for 4 years now and doesn't make the bench unless the squad is crippled with injuries.

Saha would have to have an immense run of form and goals and fitness and staying injury free to even warrant a new 1-year deal.

And finally Pip... it's a shame he's so committed to us, he should've gone to Spurs last January when he had the chance. You can't knock his service to the squad in a very frustrating time in the club's history (a period where we needed that elusive billionaire to take us to the next level). He had the knowledge and experience and versatillity, and I can understand why he is a 'pro's pro'. But I beleive Pip should be on his way in May. Hopefully Bury will be managerless next summer... he will have his chance then.

And IF we get taken over it will be Champagne and Caviar. YUKKKKK.

Andrew, I took my list from toffeeweb's own player list.

I don't have the time sadly to idly sit researching on the web all day to debunk other peoples posts, you obviously do, so well done.

Next Year!!! Bring it on I say. The more years go by, the closer we are to losing Neville, Cahill, Osman, Hibbert etc (I could go on, but I can't be arsed thinking to hard). And the closer we are to having the young guns gain maturity and become "ready".

We got some decent young lads waiting in the wings. If we can stay up this year, we might actually have the makings of a half decent team of young lads, mixed with some decent players already in the fold.

Glass half full n'all

COYB roll on 2012!!!!

Jeremy, not all day, 5 minutes. Probably the same amount of time it took for you to write the above article and submitting not caring whether it was factually accurate or not.

I am annoyed really, after reading your post I was actually quite pleased to see that a couple of Moyes' out of form Favourites might not be insulting my eyes in an Everton shirt for too much longer.

There's really no need to worry, Cahill will be making a brief appearance on Everton TV at the beginning of next season reasurring us that things are not that bad as himself, Saha, Distin and Neville have just signed contract extensions. Drenthe will be off to another club so long as he has a good season ? and who could blame him?

As for Baxter, he'll go to a Championship club. With the exception of (and I can't believe I'm saying this) Distin on a one-year contract extension, it would be criminal to give it to any of the others yet we all know what is going to happen. Just another example of piss poor management.

I thought Cahill signed a 4 year contract when Arteta signed his meaning he has 2 years left. I am sure Neville re-signed a couple of months back too

Jeremy... Al @ 29 is definitely right about Cahill, as he signed an improved deal in 2010 & I'm pretty sure he's right about Neville too.

I think Distin has already been offered an extension but was haggling over it's length.
Drenth isn't our player & the only reason he's with us is to put himself in the shop window. If he has a good season there was no way we could keep him, as someone with money will snap him up.

As to Baxter & Saha, I don't know & frankly don't care.

Al,just when there was a glimmer of light.

Shaun 18 - The figures are of course only estimations, but Mr Kenwright came out and said we are losing £5mil a season and the bank was on his back.

So we reportedly sold Piennar for 2 mil, 2 mil for Vaughan, 4 mil for Beckford, 2 mil for Yakubu and 2 x1 mil loan deals for Yobo over the last 2 seasons. That is 10 mil and some hefty wages saved over the last two seasons, helping to deal with the bank.

We then sold Arteta for 10 mil and if we were to sell Felli for 15 mil (a price reported some papers, admittedly not a consistently reliable source), that would be 25 mil, of which we could possibly spend 20 on two 10 mil players.


We'd have a smaller squad, a much more affordable wage structure and could give youngsters like Barkley, Gueye and Vellios a chance.

Not ideal obviously, but the best I can come up with, without a takeover.

That Andy Johnson looks some striker, would love a forward like that!

I would be more worried if we re-signed any on that list.