Everton confirm new deal for Coleman

But if there are no quality players coming in, we will struggle even more next season...

Seamus has looked after himself, is fit and and seemingly a calm influence in the dressing room.

We have the master (Seamus) who the apprentice (Patterson) can learn off.

This season needs to be one of transition for Patterson, if we use Seamus intelligently that should be a natural merging until Nathan is the first-choice right-back. We then don't have to worry about back-up until the following season.

Patterson has looked good in patches but this year will give him more time to grow into that right-back berth. Excellent news. And 15 years at this level is an incredible achievement.

It will be good to see if Patterson can force his way in, because Seamus won't step aside easily.

We are not blessed in the full-back position with the likes of Patterson and Mykolenko still to prove themselves in my opinion and Holgate a no-hoper.

We had some promising young full-backs who somehow got lost in the constant shuffle of managers and they vanished off the scene.

These days, however, one doesn't know how any team will line up with sometimes 3 at the back and 5 or 6 across the middle so it would appear that teams who have adaptable full-backs who can also do well in midfield are the ones who will be hard to handle.

Everton have a long way to go in that department with the current players available.

'Checks life insurance - not enough for the missus - walks on by…'

Kenwright as far as I'm concerned can do one, don't use Seamus's new contract to worm your way back in, because you've burnt your bridges, so just go!!!

Sorry Seamus, you are 100% blue, but others who claim to be blue, are riding on your genuine popularity to try and ingratiate themselves back into the fold! no chance!!!

We need someone at the club we can rely upon

However, we need him in midfield so it will be between Seamus and Patterson to compete for first-choice right-back. If he has fully recovered from his injury, Seamus looks the better option to start the season.

Barry's wife has just text me offering a substantial contribution even if it leaves her ill-provided for.

She's big on Free Speech... worth the sacrifice apparently.

She's asked "What does crowd-funding involve?"

Instead, we have a soon to be 35-year-old, who has recently undergone surgery, will miss most if not all of pre season. I feel as a result, he will have a miserable season, with most people wishing that he just quits, and ends up overstaying his welcome.

A high school mate of mine who used to play professionally told me a training ground story: daily trainings would start at 0930, and when he once arrived at 0900 and tried to praise himself, he found that the two oldest players in the team would always show up no later than 0830 because they knew their injury-ravaged bodies need at least an hour of warm up and stretching to merely get into training shape for a tough gaffer. These two "dads" enlightened my mate's subsequent approach on how to look after his body and improved his work ethics.

Seamus would bring the same impact. It is especially critical if the team continues to integrate more youngsters into the squad.

If this extension is also helping Seamus to transition into a coaching career a la Leighton, I'll be happy too.

Time and tide wait for no man.

There were times last season were he struggled, where the opposition targeted him with fast wide players, where he lost the foot race. There is no doubting his experience and it has served him well.

Another serious injury won't help and as such its extremely doubtful (or wishful thinking) that he will be the first-choice full-back he has been. Care has to be taken with his use.

I cannot help remember the crucification of that other brilliant servant, Tony Hibbert, a game too far. Hold him up there, but use him sensibly.

Let's make sure he doesn't have to go through it again... eh, Everton? Eh?

There's no room for giving sentimental contracts in this game. We've been guilty of that with players and backroom staff before.

And if it's not that, and he does indeed play next season, well that says even more about this club.

And I'll contrast it with the response on here when Davies was offered a contract. At 24, with some resale value.

As much as I love Seamus, it's a sad state of affairs that we're rolling him out for another season. And as Christine says, I really hope it's not a season too far as his enduring reputation doesn't deserve that... just because a football club can't run itself to an appropriate standard.

Was I close, Barry?

Tin hat on.

His transfer fee works out at under £5,000 per year of service.

By comparison, Declan Rice will need to play for Arsenal for the next 21,000 years to offer them equal value!

Is he passionately committed to Everton? Yes.

Do we desperately need players who are good enough and passionate enough? Yes.

So what the hell else would you want in a signing?

I just don't get you on this.

That said, age and his visible loss of pace has well before now diminished all the traits that made him so appreciated, and it's not his fault, obviously.

I just wonder what other Premier League club would now offer him a 1-year contract as a demonstrably now frail but 100% earnest professional?

Apart from very skint us, of course.

Well done and greatly deserved.

Go and say your Hail Mary's!

It's a debate in it's own right, but you missed arguably the greatest Evertonian to support and represent the club at just about every level. Colin Harvey.

I suppose it could be generational a generational thing. Mick Lyons?

He stepped in for us last season because we had no-one else. He was very good in spells, particularly towards the end of the season when his character really shone through.

He also struggled in spells. He's never been a tremendously talented footballer but he's made up for any shortcomings with his pace and attitude. The attitude is still there – the pace isn't. And here we go with another year, after another injury.

If we had let his contract expire, do you think any other team would have come calling for him? I really don't.

Like it or not – there will be a point when Seamus Coleman isn't in our first team. Ideally that should be because we have moved on. It shouldn't be because his legs have long since stopped working. But this is Everton. He'll be rolled out until he can't run anymore.

It looks like the second biggest curse in our 145-year history is going nowhere, a sickening, condescending, antagonist man whose continued presence at Everton is definitely helping to slowly suck out whatever life is left. This is only my view, of course.

Searching for additional cover at right back is an extra headache we simply don't need at the moment.

I know he has to finish at some point but, right now, we have nobody else of his quality – as a professional, as a leader, as a person – at the club.

He was the best full-back at the club last season. So I'm not sure why you think he's about to disgrace himself.

Some players play into their late 30s comfortably. Even if not starting, he'd be a more than capable back-up.

“I've said it often, Seamus Coleman is one of this Club's greatest heroes in its 145-year history.” Cue standing ovation for the great thespian.

And we all know who Bill regards as the Club's greatest hero of the last 40 years.

A different angle would be ‘Would any other club in the Premier League offer the best full-back at the club a 1-year extension after a good season?'

The answer is Yes.

Yes, Seamus struggled in the derby (they all did) but he also won the game vs Leeds. All players have bad games but when a player over 32 has one it's old Father Time catching up and they should hang up their boots.

What's the excuse for Patterson and Mykolenko? Both young and both had numerous shockers last season.

Not offering a 1-year extension with the options we had would have been a serious dereliction of duty.

At least with Seamus, he is sure what he is going to get. I hope Seamus has made a good recovery from his injury. We will find out when he plays.

More than ever, Dyche's ability to get performances out of a threadbare squad is going to be the deciding factor in this coming season. At least he has a full season and may be able endure the usual below-par periods that Everton have had season after season, which still has not been addressed.

Let a candle forever be lit in your name with words inscribed "He spoke the truth, for him fear did not exist."

I salute you, sir.

Last season he proved he is still the best right back at the club, now it’s up to Nathan Patterson to prove otherwise. From what I’ve seen Patterson will make the position his own this season, if he can have more luck with injuries.

Just look at the emergency replacements who played at right-back when he was injured at the end of the season (apart from Garner v Bournemouth), did they do a good job? Were they better than Seamus? Absolutely not.

Just having him in the dressing room and training ground is reason enough for me. As Carlo said, Seamus has a contract with Everton for life.

Give the man a chance, if he doesn't meet your expectations next season, then feel free to further abuse him.

Coleman for another year is fine and, if we can address our issues for once, then right-back can be looked at.

Seamus the person deserves his new contract; Coleman the player shouldn't have to be relied upon to perform at Premier League level at this stage in his career.

Why can't Everton find a natural successor to Coleman? It's only been 5 or so years that the club has been searching for one, perhaps, the future right-back is somewhere out there sat next to the elusive goalscorer who the club has also been searching for since Lukaku left.

If the club is to progress, it cannot continue to re-hire players past their use by date, Seamus is an Everton hero, and I would hate for him to make a costly mistake in an important game due to his body letting him down, and thus have his Everton career tarnished because of it.

However, I doubt he will figure in too many games and his enthusiasm and general attitude is good for the club and the squad, I'm sure that once he hangs up his boots, he will move into coaching and will continue that career with Everton.

You're right though, we 100% shouldn't have to rely on him. It's an indication of our recruitment but as others have said- with Patterson and Seamus we're okay at RB for now and can concentrate on that Lukaku replacement!

I don't see this as a sentimental signing at all, or as a sign that we are desperate. Seamus and Patterson as options at right back is fine with me, especially as James Garner not only filled in there for us against Bournemouth, but was picked twice for England U21 in that position.

Great signing, now lets worry about the positions that are really a problem.

However, I am 100% on board with giving Coleman a contract extension as someone who can provide squad depth and a high level of professionalism on and off the pitch.

He can always be relied upon to give everything and performed well at times last season at right-back and also as a third centre-back. He's the perfect pro to help guide Patterson into (hopefully) being first choice and help any other new full-backs we get.

His wages are not big. Handing out oversized wages to players has been arguably our biggest failure over the last 4 years. £100k + to Iwobi, Mina, Alli, Gomes, Sigurdsson. £80k+ to Godfrey, Holgate, Gbamin, Keane. Madness!! Has made it very hard to shift all of the mediocre players we have bought and then overpaid.

Now we have Gueye and Tarkowski who some would consider old. Arguably two of our better players last season – Tarkowski was my Player of the Season.

I don't get overly excited about age. If the player has looked after themselves and stays fit, they can still do a job.

A good non-Everton comparison is Cristiano Ronaldo, who maintained the highest level into his late 30s compared to Rooney, whose legs where gone by 31.

I hope he continues to play the way he has always performed for the Blues, honest endeavour and putting the team first before himself.

I hope you have a good season Seamus, best of luck and enjoy an injury-free season and help to keep us up (again).

Yes, other players have played well into their mid- to late-30s, but not as an attacking right-back. It is the most demanding position on the pitch. You're asking a 35-year-old not to be out of position – but give you something going forward.

That's a tough ask for a 35-year-old when the full-back on the other side is garbage – with no-one to to cover him, never mind challenge Mykolenko. Opposition just play a high left winger to pin Coleman back, knowing the other duffer won't cross the half-way line.

I agree, Garner can cover if needed, but that does miss him in the central areas. 1 July tomorrow, hopefully players come in the new financial year.

I don't judge a player by his age, the important thing to me is his ability, and although there were some who considered him past his sell-by date I think that he has been our best right-back for some time.

I believe that there will be proof of other players who have been playing well beyond expectations, the classic example being Stanley Matthews. For those who would claim that the game is faster now, I would counter by saying that the players are fitter, and better looked after.

Regarding his age, it's purely down to the individual; Cafu retired at 38.

Yes, fitness and heath can mean a reprieve for those who don't rely on an engine to get up and down a pitch, but a full-back is usually up against a teams young and fastest players. They cannot compete physically and rely on experience.

Last season, when Seamus played, we got targeted with diagonal balls behind him as the younger speed merchants tried to force him into a sprint chase. The opposition knows how to play Seamus and his experience is not enough over a full game.

We appear to be struggling as we did in January to bring in a centre forward. The fact we said no to Ipswich over Simms tells me we can'r risk selling him in case we are left with DCL and Maupay. Dyche urgently needs to see if Tom Cannon looks like he may be up to it. What's the betting we try for Vardy - 1 year left on his contract. He played 42 games, though completed 80 minutes or more on 8 occasions. He managed 6 goals and 5 assists. No injuries according to Transfer Market.

Desperate times indeed.

Squad as it stands:

GK - Pickford, Virginia
RB - Patterson, Coleman
LB - Mykolenko
CB - Tarkowski, Keane, Godfrey, Branthwaite
DM - Gueye
CM - Garner, Doucoure, Onana, Gbamin, Gomes, Alli
RW - Iwobi
LW - McNeil, Gray
CF - Calvert-Lewin, Maupay, Simms

Comparisons with Milner are absolutely nonsense, he is a freak of nature, rarely had any injuries throughout his career and is on track to break the Premier League appearance records over the next year or two.

Coleman doesn't have the same physical condition, sustained multiple serious injuries throughout his career and is just not made of the same stuff as Milner, Ronaldo or Cafu.

Now let's get easy draws in the League Cup and somehow beat Man City in the final so Seamus can lift a trophy at Wembley!

We seem to be looking at relegated and Championship players whilst decent Premier League players won't come to us.

Everton are finished as a big club.

He is. Flesh and bone.

And whether it fits your narrative or not, they are factual examples of professionals playing into their late thirties. There are hundreds more.

You also said in your first post that you thought he'd have a miserable season?!!

Before a single ball has been kicked. Decided that have you? Crystal ball or intuition?

Yet my opinion is nonsense.

And we wouldn't still be in this league without him... certainly we have nobody else who could have scored that goal. We'll just disagree.

Christine #63, many of the greatest players on the planet would disagree with you. Messi, Lewandowski, DeBruyne, Gundogan, Benzema, Mahrez and Di Maria are past 32, some way past. Lewa has been the most productive striker in the world since turning 30.

Everybody slows down, but I don't think there's a hard-and-fast threshold of when it happens. Of course Coleman at 34 got targeted last season but, from my view, he handled the onslaught very well.

Michael #54, spot on.

It's funny how the elderly card resurfaces. I remember the early 90s we had 39-year-old Gordon Strachan as a flying winger for Leeds, Trevor Francis, 39-40, doing well at QPR & Sheff Wed. Ray Wilkins and Bryan Robson I think were both 38 or 39, Dalglish hung it up at the same age.

A few years later, Sheringham was another – plus Arsenal's entire back line of Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Bould, Keown, and Adams were all close to 40.

Then we hear the modern game is too fast, even though in the interim we see the likes of Teddy Sheringham 40 sneaking by. But in the last few years, the past-35 crowd of Benzema, Messi, Ronaldo, Modric etc have dominated.

Wasn't Strachan the Coventry manager when we survived on the last day in '98?

After Everton legend David Burrows got an assist for Dion Dublin's goal.

Fun fact, Dion Dublin ended up joint Premier League top scorer thanks to his goal against us.

I didn't know that. I wonder how Howard Kendall felt about that stat given he resigned when the club refused to sign Dublin during his second spell?

There's no one on here that dislikes the ridiculous sentimentality of this club more than me. There are players in this squad who make my heart sink when theyre on the teamsheet. Seamus isn't one of them.

A good decision.

You say that Seamus is not a talented footballer, and made up for it with his pace and attitude. That alone wouldn't have given him a great career in football. Try and give him a bit of credit, he can play football, and a great tackler, and reader of the game.

I don't believe a player should be given a contract extension on sentiment, but how you can't see he deserved his contract because he's still the best full-back we have and deserved it for his performance last season.

I hope he doesn't play as often this season, hopefully Patterson will get over his constant injuries, but even to have Seamus on the bench will have a positive effect on his fellow teammates.

Will we have another Giggs, Maldini, Buffon, Messi, Ronaldo or Zlatan?

Seamus earned his contract with the immense effort he showed last season, ability too. He's still our best right-back, why wouldn't we keep him? We are better with him than without him.

I'd give him £70k a week to just bollock the rest of team when they are not pulling their weight.

If ever there was a player to show that investment in youth and development is better than the big fees and wages, it's Seamus!

God it's depressing being an Everton fan.

We are after Arnaut Danjuma on loan who rejected us last time for Spurs.

If so, he did well enough last season to merit this. I get he is a modern-era great – albeit that's a low bar – but that shouldn't be enough to get more money, he has to deliver. Hopefully he will also show some potential beyond just playing, coaching and especially mentoring Patterson.

I agree with others that ideally you would be moving a mid-30s defender on and it might be a year too far, but it is entirely pragmatic to extend for a year, we have bigger fish to fry and gaps to plug.

I'm not arsed what that shower are doing. They are not our competitors at the moment, we are miles from competing in that market.

I'm more concerned with West Ham banking £105M to spend, what Wolves, Palace, Bournemouth and Forest are doing to strengthen as this will affect us a lot more.

Yes totally agree, just makes you feel deflated how we can't shop in the same market.

No brainer this contract extension for me. He won’t be 1st choice but a good solid backup and a leader in the squad.

Oh yeah, I was in Saigon on honeymoon trying to find out if we survived. I couldn't get the scores for days.

Everton Oldest Players

Southall, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Gough, Weir, Barry, Neville, Ginola, Kendall and Mark Hughes. Is my team based on those I've seen play for the Blues, slightly light on forwards, but could sneak a few one-nils maybe?

If you look at the list also, 18 of them (over half) played within the last 30 years in the "high speed" era.

Finally!!!!

Wouldn't it be nice if Everton could afford to get a piece of the action? So much effort being put in to the fantastic new ground and so far it's looking like we won't have a team good enough to match it.

That said, is this beginning to feel a lot like January?

Seamus just shits gold bars in my world. I don't give a flying fuck how old he is.

Blue through and through. The guy is literally everything I want in an athlete who plays for "my" team.

Walks on water, my Seamus.

I agree that Seamus was targeted by opposition teams, but on occasions, Seamus's replacements were targeted with similar tactics and came off worse. I remember last season prior to a game that Seamus was selected to play in highlighting these targeted tactics, only to find that it was Mylolenko who was targeting with success on the other wing.

I do think that Seamus should retire from international football, as Tony rightly suggests, but I was watching Seamus's post International interview last year, when he was asked when he was going to retire.

He was totally affronted by the question and it was obvious he was not considering retirement, His whole demeaner give the impression he wasn't even thinking of retiring.

Seamus does have a positive influence on Iowbi and I do think Onana benifits also. But such is the culture at Everton ,others players do not seem to buy into Seamus's enthusiasm.

Coleman will hold his own next season, he will not play every week, but he will be used more sparingly and give a calm influence in defence, Patterson will learn so much from him.

Last season, when he went off on the stretcher, every single Evertonian's heart sank. Was that the last we would see of one of our greatest players in recent times?

I am absolutely over the moon we will get to see him wear the Everton shirt again, and what a fairytale if we somehow managed to get a cup run and give Coleman his swan song at Wembley.

You do not know how lucky you all are to get to see Coleman play one more season at Everton, when it looked like his career was ended by a bad injury.

Enjoy the moment because, when Coleman finally hangs his boots up, it will be the end of an era for blood sweat and tears, and loyalty to a football club.

We will not see the likes of Coleman, Baines and Jagielka again.

Welcome back, Skipper.

Players have different 'sell-by' dates. Apart from genetic differences, certain players look after their bodies, while others abuse theirs. Over time they pay the price with early retirement. Diet and lifestyle being contributory factors.

The hypocrisy of some fans never ceases to amaze me. It's true regarding Seamus. When the man was desperately trying to find his form after that horrendous injury he was being written off as over the hill, at Goodison and by many on here. Now everyone wants to jump on his bandwagon of praise. Which incidentally, he thoroughly deserves. If he has two bad games, the same merchants of doom will reappear.

I'm more concerned about the form of Onana. I don't buy into all this nonsensical 'he's a star of the future' hype. He's shown nothing yet to suggest anything of the sort to me. I'd sell him in a heartbeat to the highest bidder.

Taking the age analogy of Coleman to the other end of the lifetime of a player, I believe that if you're good enough, you're old enough: Alan Ball, World Cup winner; Howard Kendall, FA Cup finalist; Joe Royle and Colin Harvey, first team regulars, all in their teens. Great players show their greatness at that age.

Onana's greatest strength is his inflated price tag. We should cash in on it without delay and use the money restructuring the team.

We have a reliable ever-present centre-forward who regularly bangs in 20 + plus goals a season. Our wide men confound defenders and delight the crowd with their range of skills. We have energetic box-to-box midfielders reminiscent of Reid and Bracewell who contribute goals on a regular basis. Our centre-back pairing is second to none, almost telepathic is their understanding.

No, the one position that stops us reviving the spirit of the eighties is right-back. He has to go!

We had that kind of money and spunked it up the wall, mate.

I admit, I kind of forgot all about finishing it off until the news of Seamus extending his contract emerged yesterday.

I haven't submitted it to ToffeeWeb as I have a feeling it's probably farrrrr too long for Lyndon/Michael's liking (but if you do wish to use it then obv feel free).

His Moyes days were never of the champagne variety, like most of the era. He was reasonably functional never in danger of being snaffled by a truly challenging outfit.

Still, years later, being resident as the main right-back is a borderline scandal totemic of the lack of progressive thinking at the club.

It's not his fault of course and being such a popular figure the waters get muddied by sentiment. But his retainment is confirmation of zero progress bordering on regression at Everton Football Club.

Great man and an Everton legend certainly in my mind.

Barry Rathbone @ 105 should have a read.

He has slowed noticeably in the last couple of years but makes up for that with his experience and knowledge of the players he is up against.

However (and this is a big 'however'), Seamus is gonna be even more prone to injury and, as Patterson also appears to be subject to injuries, I believe we need more cover at right-back. Godfrey obviously is not the answer and has really deteriorated as a player following his injury and Covid.

I read the piece and I have no problem with it being a eulogy to the character of the man but that is not the issue.

Tucked away near the end is tacit agreement with my point -

"In an ideal world, Seamus would have been used more sparingly over recent seasons, providing back-up and competition while helping to school a suitable successor. Yet, a neglectful recruitment policy neutered any possibility of him being phased out naturally when such a process should, rightfully, have taken place and instead prolonged his place as a nailed-on starter, even as his prime recedes further behind him."

You should have read and understood the entire piece.

Wins the award for the most stupid thing ever written on ToffeeWeb. Ever.

They didn't want to be Leicester and in the Championship as they stood on the pitch waiting for the news from Goodison.

John @104, thanks for the link. Really good read. You should have posted it.

Last season, we were a decent striker away from being mid-table; this season we will have one, maybe two if Calvert-Lewin gets fit. There's a bit of stability at the club with the pragmatic no-nonsense Dyche, fitness levels have improved, players look happier in their work, and to top it all the Esk says Kenwright will be gone soon, then we will have a united club again.

I agree it has looked very depressing, but Doucoure's thunderous strike has punctured a hole in the darkness. There's a faint ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

So we end up in the Championship (which might happen anyway) but with a great trophy haul over the last 20 years.

Hmmm... On balance, Everton, cos I'm an Evertonian,.. but he's got a point.

I don't think a Leicester fan on the planet would agree with him.

Gotta go with Ben #113 on this one.

Leicester right now gives you that recent history, but currently as a Championship club.

Hobson's choice really.

A season in the Championship (guaranteed promotion if offered) but 3 great trophies in your recent history, what would you take?

Hiring Lardass to replace Frank remains the dumbest thing I've read here.

I mean who thinks like that?

That's moving the goalposts a bit! Not realistic.

If you'd trade recent history for real history, Championship for Premier League, and most of all, Coady for Coleman… you really are truly warped.

What a ridiculous post, probably the most insane post ever posted on TW, and believe me, there have been many of them!!

On another note, I think we should all commend Pickford's agent for getting him a fantastic new deal when so many clubs were in for him!! The Man Utd, Chelsea and Spurs interest was a complete red herring… no one wanted him.

We are the biggest suckers in world football.

So recent history is not real history then?

I'm dumb… you're dumber.

You'd have let Coleman go for free and paid out how much of our bottomless transfer kitty on a new back-up right-back when so many other positions need filling. You'd have let the most admired and best leader of the squad walk off and replace this intangible with what?

And Pickford, probably our most important player over the past two seasons. Tell him "No Jordan, no contact for you. We're going to let to run it down as well as let your back-up leave too."

Great stuff again, John. Brilliant read.

I'm not trying to create trouble for you or pile on but then they all say that when they are. Just to frame it nicely, am I understanding that you would take the Premier League, Championship, and a relegation together over a continued yet admittedly contested tenure in the Premier League?

That goes with all the financial considerations and probabilities of promotion. This is your chance to switch up, mates.

Problem is, the solution here gives me a Premier League win in the past, that has already happened, that I can't savour and have effectively missed. Just a piece of history.

Give me a Premier League win next season but relegation the one after? Now I'm tempted. I'm tired of being a cold and timid soul...

I appreciate you are trying to add balance and context. I never mind that, nor the different views. It is healthy discussion.

We all see things differently for the same common cause. I'll repeat, my brother has said countless times, only Evertonians can argue about the one thing they all agree on!! He's wiser than me, even though I am 17 years his elder. I revert to talking about Kevin Sheedy, my other brother reverts to Heysel. If Anfield ever burns down, I'd be straight on the phone to check if he was involved.

I don't want to be Leicester or anyone else. That smacks of the Kenwright - Moyes years of systematically lowering our expectations. Or trying to. Well, that is a lost cause with me. Especially as Kenwrigth openly and publically accused Everton supporters to their face of betraying the club. And that was before Headlockgate and taking the shithouse approach of abandoning us.

Give your seats to those who can't get tickets because we sell out every week home and away.

It's like saying we'd want to be Liverpool or Manchester United.

No. It doesn't wash with me.

We want to be and are Everton. That's what we want to be. Everton. Not Leicester or anyone else. We want to compete and give ourselves a chance of winning something.

We have done it and will do so again.

Sailed close to the wind on 4 occasions, but haven't been relegated since the 1950s and have proudly stood in the top flight with the most recorded season presence in the top flight over every other English club.

Fuck them all. We are Everton. Always will be.

And we are not getting relegated next season. As soon as the season kicks off, we have a chance of qualifying for Europe and / or winning a trophy.

I'm not sure why we would follow thinking otherwise.

So no. I don't want to be Leicester. I don't want to be anyone else. I want to be Everton. Everton is what matters. I don't care or compare with the rest. They don't matter.

There is still one piece missing from the puzzle. When is the obvious root cause who has been present since 1989 being retired? After the 48 hours, he's still here.

I had an interesting discussion with family last night. Some point the finger at Moshiri and I understand that.

He has been naive and ultimately he is the owner, so the buck stops as they say. But the one consistent who lowered our expectations (not mine), continues to influence and told supporters to their faces that they had betrayed the club has been in place at executive level in one shape or form, since 1989. He is still there.

Does he have hypnotist type powers inside the corridors of Goodison?

Time to go, before the season starts, because he is hanging around like a toxically bad smell.

He must see it. Moshiri must see it. Act. Otherwise this will continue. Listen to the supporters who give up time, money, effort and emotion to follow our proud club.

If only you had the same pride. Not fake news type "we understand" or "greatest Evertonian ever" sentiment.

I did say at 117 that, on balance, l'd take Everton's situation and history every time, because I'm an Evertonian.
I was just trying to give a bit of context to what Michael at #109 was maybe saying.

You need to watch a match at Goodison. It works the neck muscles.

Those who understand need no explanation!

I did read and understood the whole article. We all know that Seamus shouldn't play every game, but is it his fault that Patterson is constantly injured and that Godfrey and Holgate aren't good enough to play full-back?

We need to sign a right-back and a left-back.

Apart from @126 when calling me ‘dumber' for pointing out the simple facts that our history is better, our league is better, and I'd rather have our captain than Coady.

Very foolish stuff, Jeff. If a small purple period is what you seek, plenty of other flash in the pans to go support instead.

To quote a great Evertonian who graces these pages and who I meet up with at matches with his very well educated fellow Evertonians. I don't need to name, you know who your are.

"I'd rather live with our history than have theirs."

If I said that to one of my brothers, he'd be off on a Heysel rant!!

It's all about Everton. We are all Everton.

Have different views, but don't let them divide and conquer.

It's nearly August.

I asked him whether he was prepared to accept relegation in exchange for the success they have had over recent years? He replied “Undoubtedly”.

Further discussion suggested he was fairly philosophical about the promotions and relegations he had experienced in his lifetime, whereas they are something I haven't experienced in my 67 years.

As an aside, we were in the same television lounge watching the Champions League Final, he jumped up and was cheering when Manchester City scored, which I found rather strange.

That is all alien to me as I only support one club and one team.

Okay, I follow Schalke, but that's separate.

The fact that Forest, Villa, Man Utd, Man City and our neighbours have all won the European Cup, or Champions League as it's now called, really irks me, and we haven't ever got to the final of this competition.

I had hoped that, after yet another season spent fighting relegation, our owner and chairman would have come out and told us how they plan to change this. As we all know this is the second season running we have been in this situation, and still nothing from our owner or chairman.

It feels as if they don't think they have to justify anything to the most loyal group of supporters any club could have. The only bright thing on the horizon is the new stadium but, other than that, there is very little to get excited about.

Sadly as supporters, we have very few options, other than protesting, which many have done. The only other option to force change is staying away, and seeing our take-up of season tickets is high, I don't think that's an option.

I know Sean Dyche said towards the end of the season he hoped that there could be some reconciliation between the fans and the owner and the board but that wish looks further away than ever.

1. For Danny O'Neill's Sheedy read Mark Murphy's Seamus. I love the guy – my favourite all-time Everton player and I've supported us for several decades.

2. I wouldn't envy Leicester, Man Utd or even Real Madrid their shiny cups even if we went into free fall and ended up in League Two. Everton for life and proud of them.

3. Fuck off Danjuma!

You referenced my original post in a fit of pique presumably because it didn't indulge the overlong eulogy to Seamus even though the piece actually supported my post regarding the football.

Now you are saying: "We all know that Seamus shouldn't play every game, but is it his fault?"

You can see why I get puzzled by such wittering when my original post said: "It's not his fault of course."

There seems a certain mindless group of pretenders on this forum who desperately want to jump onto the highest horse possible to slay imaginary dragons at every opportunity.

Unfortunately, when the reality is explained, they lack the good grace to climb down and apologise like an adult.

John Mc Snr, take note.

We are different. I hope relegation never becomes something to which we are accustomed.

Does anyone know whats going on with Maxwell Cornet at WHU ?

Cornet has only made 14 appearances, mostly from the bench for zero goals. He has been struggling from a calf injury which refuses to heal. The last resort could be an operation which would put him out for quite a while.

He picked the injury up in his first game for West Ham but keeps breaking down on comebacks.

Great theatre at Lords in the morning session.

Come on England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

However, had I been offered, prior to the Bournemouth game, relegation, immediate promotion, a League title, an FA Cup, a Community Shield, and 10 years of good health in which to witness it, I would have been seriously tempted!

I suspect the devil made his Faustian pact with one club in this city 60 years ago, he's unlikely to do it again.

Regarding your "mindless group of pretenders", I think you could fit in to that category.

A friend of mine, a West Brom supporter through thick and thin, told me a while ago their years of yo-yoing between the Premier League and the Championship gave him some of the best times of his life following the Baggies. There was rarely a dull season.

It is all about context and expectations. Repeated struggles to avoid relegation and rarely seeing your team win matches can drain the spirit of a club and its supporters. Would we enjoy a season in the upper reaches of the Championship? Quite possibly, but I would rather not put the theory to the test!

Why become so emotional just because your unthinking missives were exposed as blustering nonsense?

Take it on the chin and move on… the world will keep spinning.

Dyche seems a lot more pragmatic. He's going to put defending properly, maximising set pieces, and adding a goal threat. That might mean less fluff in passing around the back, but that's fine by me.

The transfer window will tell us whether he has the right tools.

That said, even Moyes's 4th place spot had seen Rooney & Radzinski sold, with one Marcus Bent, Tim Cahill and Arteta (on loan) for about a 10th of the transfers out.

Let’s see what happens if the club really does try and reconstruct itself in the next few weeks, the squad has to bring a few fresh faces to replace those gone and still more moving out, lots of wheeling and dealing in the background with loan transfers and exchange deals, cash from sales being spent on two or three players to fill in the most needed positions, striker, full back and centre back.

I’ll have to stop there Nicholas I’m getting too excited reading what I’ve just written there and excitement has been missing for too long at Everton FC except that last day excitement that we can all do without.

So hope for the best: prepare for the worst at the moment, we still may get pleasantly surprised!

The 30th June "must sell" by date has passed and we didn't.

I think some limited money will be found but Dyche will spend it wisely.

We'll know soon enough...bring it on!

Secondly, I see a lot of promise in Patterson. He reminds me a lot of a young Coleman. Raw is not a great defender but learning quickly whilst being bigger, stronger and a better crosser of the ball.

In the same off topic conversation, I ask myself would I take winning the Premier league only to be relegated the following season. Yes in a heart beat.

I don't want to support any other club, but I'm jealous of any team winning trophies. Relegation is like losing a game, it can happen to any team. It's what you win that matters and there's very few trophies up for grabs in any single season.

Branthwaite looks like a basketball player who doesn't like football but had to fill in. Garner at stages in the Portugal game looked clueless.

If we have to rely on either of those two for most of the season then God help us. I've seen some poor displays from players over the years but Garner and Branthwaite would be in the top ten.

If you look out of your depth in an Under-21s game, you aren't ready for the Premier League. Good job we got Coleman to sign another contract.

You can criticise me and others, Barry, you always believe you're right, trying to be smart with your big words, but everything you say about the players and the club is all complete negativity, this is my last response to you.

Branthwaite is another player, who we have seen less off, but been getting rave reviews from his loanee club.

As for the Under-21 comment, a semi-final place coming up on Wednesday for the England lads is hardly failure.

If I had the option of Garner and Branthwaite staying, or Keane and Holgate, I know which two players I would keep hold of.

Next season could see the likes of Cannon and Warrington being added to the first-team squad. I would have also said Mills, but have a feeling we will send Mills out on loan, with only being 19, to gain some regular first-team outings.

He is defensively sound and has withstood some much quicker opponents and although he doesn't get forward as he used to, we are a better defensive unit with his influence across the back.

I hope Patterson can learn from him and I hope that the two of them can stay fit, so that Garner can run the midfield.

I didn't say not to keep them or they wouldn't make it, I was merely pointing out that in those games, especially.

Branthwaite, he looked way below Premier League standard, and Garner at right-back for us would get targeted by better opposition.