Coleman ruled out with injury

It does not seem likely that we will acquire any decent player of real Premier League standard. Maybe we will scratch about for a couple of cast offs or freebees and live in hope !!

When we get all our injured players back, it will be like 3 new signings.... it will be like 3 new signings... like 3 new signings.... 3 new signings.

Is it the plot where we have a divine right to be successful because our Motto say 'Nil Satis'?

Is it the plot where Moyes should be winning trophies despite him being given little or no money to spend? Oh I forgot, you don't need to spend money to be successful in the Premier League and it is a shit argument that you do, despite the fact that the League is won by the team that have money to spend. The cups are won 9 times out of 10 by the clubs that have money to spend and the top 4 are invariably, yep those teams with money to spend.

He has played in midfield for most of this season as Coleman has been right back. Therefore, do you think that this stat is simply a big coincidence?

If Everton FC have the same ambitions as some of the posters on here, then it will be a happier club with happier fans when we're vying with a dozen other clubs for a return to the Premier League.

At least have the good grace to give it more than 24 hours before making a complete fool of yourself.

(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323940004578258072832363036.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

By any stretch this kills the fallacy that unless you have money to rival City, Chelsea, Utd you cannot win a trophy. I might add any audacious manager might see the money boys dropping their stars as an opportunity in the cups... audacious mind!

The League Cup is a damn joke and you know it, just as every other club does. Sure, a lower division side and a team from Wales will go to Wembley to win some trophy, that should tell you all you need to know about how important that trophy is. I can go down the road and have a trophy made for myself, but it's the value that others put in it that matters. Nobody cares about the League Cup, nobody. That's why United couldn't care less and field weak teams, City don't care, Arsenal don't care, hardly anyone cares.

Hell, even the fans stay away from the much bigger FA Cup, it just doesn't matter. Finishing high in the league and trying to get into the Champions League, that's all that matters for most, and only 2 or 3 clubs actually have designs or the capability to win the league. United and City, they go for the league, with Chelsea starting the season thinking they have a chance. Everyone else knows they're fighting for 3rd and 4th, and maybe try to pick up the FA Cup or go far in the Champions League.

If that was the Champions League Final Chelsea would have came out roaring and wiped the floor with Swansea, but it wasn't. It was the pathetic League Cup. It offered them nothing but a distracting fixture and extra match while they're focused on trying to get into the Champions League.

When it comes to the "money boys dropping their stars", when it comes to the League Cup, we're one of those "money boys". Bigger and better things to worry about. Christ, could anyone image us trying to take on all those League Cup fixtures with our squad having the injury problems we already have. We'd struggle to field a healthy 11 at this point, let alone a bench.

Your comment is typical of the Moyes boys denigrating a trophy because he cannot fucking win it.

I wouldn't mind going down to Wembley in March to take on Swansea or Bradford. It's a trophy we have never won, so what are you wittering on about? All the big guns enter and one of them usually win it. The old Sky 4 dominate it?

I'm still laughing. 'Nobody'?? Who the fuck are you to write that shite? Try for once to put your little silly spat with Barry to one side, if you are able. A pathetic swipe. I care and I am someone, therefore you are completely wrong. I would love Everton to win the League Cup.

Answer this question Mr Barks: "Would you have liked Everton to win the League Cup this year?" Please answer it.

Go ahead and call me a Moyes boy, too bad I think he should leave and we need somebody else. Too bad I think Neville should not be playing the midfield and Naismith has no place on the pitch, both things driving me nuts about Moyes. But yeah, that's me worshipping Moyes. You act like it's Moyes people only who think the Carling, err, Capital One cup is a joke, it's not. Nobody takes it seriously except smaller clubs. Yeah they beat Arsenal, an Arsenal team that just couldn't be assed. That competition didn't mean anything to them, just like it meant nothing to Chelsea yesterday.

The big clubs have superior squads and tons of depth, so they often get deep or to the final by default. They're just better and the younger players use it to try to gain playing time. Usually if they make it to the Semi's they take it more seriously, and if they reach the final they go for it. But yesterday Chelsea just didn't look like they cared. And that Aston Villa side, they'll be relegated this season.

The lower league sides play out of their skins because it could be the only time in their life they get to share a field with the premier league sides. And once in a blue moon some team goes on a run.

David Barks the problem is you are so immersed in excuse making you have lost the plot, competitive football is about winning and trophies are the gauge.

The marvellousness of 4th is the potential cash bonanza which improves your chances of???

Bingo! winning trophies... ask Arsenal fans they've had 4th or better since Adam was a lad but they're not happy why? Because they've won fuck all - not difficult is it?

The fact you CAN win trophies without money is killing you and the similar "wood for the trees" crew lashing out just because Moyes fucked it up once again - you really need a rethink.

Shut the fuck up. I'm not a Moyes fan, I've had it with him. I'm not making excuses for him, he can do that himself. I'm pointing out the fact that can be proven by poor attendances and lack of interest in the League Cup. Even the FA Cup, a much bigger competition, continues to see less attendance, less TV viewing, less fan interest. The top teams rotate their squads and do not care at all if they are knocked out in the early rounds of the League Cup. That's a fact, simple as that.

Any player worth a damn strives to play in what competition? The League Cup? The FA Cup? No, they all demand to play in the Champions League because it is the biggest stage in football, the one all the players and fans care about. You think winning something like the Carling Cup is the barometer of success because it comes with a shiny piece of metal at the end. But Villa could have reached that final and could have won it. But if they won the League Cup and were relegated that same season, while we finish 4th and get to compete in the Champions League next season while they rot in Championship, who would have had the more successful season? If you say Villa you're a damn fool and the only one in the "wood for the trees" crew being blinded by the shine of a worthless piece of metal.

I would never suggest a man of your calibre and dancing ability would fall into the same trap.

Sometimes you remind me why we used to have such colourful debates!!!

Then Dan had to go and remind us all that Moyes will play almost anyone anywhere else to accommodate the Neviller in CM. I by no stretch think that a back four of Baines, Distin, Heitinga and Jagielka is the end of the world, but many more games with Neville in CM and I may start supporting TFC.

David, I agree with you that the LC is the less of the trophies available to us, but, the flip side is, with a squad that is probably going to be safe from relegation, winning the LC in February would give us automatic European qualification, and a couple of months of fixtures in the EPL to really just throw everything at the opposition, knowing that possible lost revenue on a couple of ladder positions should the plan fail, would be made up with European fixtures the next season.

If our small squad means we couldn't take the extra burden of what, 5 or 6 extra games, then it doesn't really bode well for keeping in touch with the top 4 does it? Finishing in any European qualification position will be tough so what is gained by ditching the LC (which qualifies for Europe doesn't it?)? How would we compete in Europe anyway with a small squad, or do you seriously expect a big influx of top quality players based on potential revenue?

I think you misinterpret how some clubs treat the competition as well. It may lack the cachet of the other domestic competitions but the big clubs are still happy to win it. They use it as a way of blooding their youngsters and giving squad members a run out simply because the cost of failure isn't so punishing for them as missing out on CL qualification. It is about calculated gambles not throwing chances away. We aren't at that level and I really don't think the fans, players, coaching staff and board members are as flippant about missing out on the trophy as you think. It hurts us more that our gamble against Leeds failed than it does the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs (who are most peoples favourites for 3rd, 4th and 5th).

If Europe is the only prize worth having then we may as well let Bolton win on Saturday, but I bet all the clubs currently around us in the league will be going all out to win the FA Cup.

Dean, I think the thing with Birmingham, Boro and Portsmouth all of whom won a cup then imploded is they are historically lower division clubs.

The act of winning a cup in the first place is extraordinary a sort of "what the fuck do we do now!" moment, whereas with us it would be "right, where's that Champions league shit?"

Must be careful about false conclusions a trophy doesn't mean relegation otherwise City, Utd, Chelsea etc would be down.

Absolute beauty.

The difference between places on the league ladder is about £500k and we are told that it is important financially for the club to finish as high as possible each year (otherwise the difference between 7th and 10th becomes meaningless).

A couple of million extra in the coffers right now may be enough to secure a loan deal for a useful player, and surely the final will bring somewhere near the same again. Unlike you, I would categorise Joe Cole as a previously very good player and if he rediscovers his form I think he would be a useful player for a club like us.

If you require the revenue from a Champions League campaign to keep you going then anything else drops right down in importance. Taking things less seriously is not the same as not taking things seriously at all. We currently reside with the masses for whom it remains a big deal, if we are honest about it.

One point on Coleman's injury. It looked to me like he planted his knee in the turf coming down and has done some damage hyper-extending between upper thigh and pelvis. Hopefully it is a pull not a tear and won't keep him out for long.

The original post was about Coleman's injury.

I am with Marshy in WTF happened to Ofoe? — or at least the money we "apparently" had for him???

We are desperately crying out for a CM who can win the ball in the absence of Gibson.

Reminds me of the Fernades affair when we had £12million ring-fenced to sign him and never saw him or the money again!!

Forget the mentality of "I will sacrifice the League Cup for 4th" — It ain't gonna happen.

Howard,
Baines, Distin, Jagielka, Neville
Oviedo, Hitzlsperger, Fellaini, Pienaar
Anichebe, Vellios.
Subs:- Mucha, Duffy, Heitinga, Osman, Gueye, Jelavic, Mirallas.

The reason for Jelavic and Ossie being on the bench is purely because both have looked jaded lately and Jelavic is obviously suffering and I think that staring XI should be good enough to see Bolton off.

If we want him, we have to buy him now. Which is why we (if true) made a play for M'Vila, seeing if we actually had any cash to spend he was probably the better option amongst others(?).

The last throw of the transfer dice will probably be this Chesterfield kid...Watch this space (12pm, 31 January).... Sigh.