Beto hails “not normal” Everton fans after Dundee win and embraces Barry battle

Hmmm... who's gonna tell him there might just be one or two Evertonians living in Scotland?

I felt guilty saying Everton bore me yesterday on ToffeeWeb, Michael because as soon as I left the house yesterday morning on my way to Lime Street, I saw a group of Everton fans getting ready to go to Dundee.

I also saw a load outside a boozer in Bootle on Friday morning getting ready to make the same journey and if I'm being honest the only thing that still amazes me about Everton Football Club, is the incredibly passionate fans.

Every single football team have got some great supporters but I'd argue that not many clubs would have as many as Everton. Thirty two years of hurt and still they fill out absolutely everywhere, it's why I find it very disappointing and also very insulting that The Silent Friedkins haven't attended a game.

Well said Tony, and agree the The Silent Friedkins who look like they are just in it to make a fast buck.

The club is a commodity to them, another opportunity to attempt to make money, you would think though that they would make the effort to attend just once. It's a same scenario at most/all Prem. clubs but at least they do show their face for PR purposes.

Never fails to amaze me the dedication shown by Everton fans.
THE only good thing about the club in recent years.
I don't go the aways anymore apart from London games now and again, the lads who never miss deserve full recognition.

Tony

I remember travelling up from London to Elland road with a trainfull of Spurs fans - The last time we won a trophy. All they way up they were trying to tell me they were a bigger club than us. To say they were not prepared for what they saw when the train arrived was an understatement. Evertonians were swarming all over the city of Leeds. I have read that we had 25,000 fans in the ground that day, but I often wonder how many got locked out.

Travelling back down. I soon realised that I was going to be sitting in the same compartment as the ones In had travelled up with.

No need for gloating. We'd twatted them. I just said "THAT is was a big club looks like"

It breaks my heart to hear Evertonians say we are not a big club anymore, because if this club ever gets it's act together and gives these incredible supporter something to cheer by winning a Major trophy. The celebrations will dwarf anything this country has ever seen before.

I live on the doorstep, so you would think I understood the club, but I still cant explain why the club that has for so long been the worst run club in the country, should have the most passionate following. I suspect it is in our DNA. How else can we explain the passion of our young fans who have never seen us win a banny mug, or even play remotely entertaining football ?.

Would love somebody to come on here and explain that one to me

Tony @ 2, Spot on there brother, the same has befuddled me for years of how loyal, but so often let down, fans can be, yet they still turn out in their droves. Now is it ' blind faith ' or over-optimism ?

Don't get me wrong I admire their loyalty, I used to be the same when I was younger, but I often think we are desperate for significant change. However, that is unlikely to happen while supporters go through thick and thin, swelling the Everton coffers in the process. Now if we were to realise our ' power ' and make just a small sacrifice it could bring about that much needed change. Boycott a Televised game in significant numbers and questions would soon be asked. That is unlikely to happen if continuing to attend like sheep !

Me too, Darren, but it is what it is, mate. You're right on what follows if we win a trophy, though, Darren.

I've never seen anyone celebrate like Evertonians/

Darren and John, and of course Tony for starting it, I believe it has something to do with football and truth. Everton fans seem to me as down to earth as it gets with football people. Old school values, love to see the hard work put in, and will travel anywhere to give the home crowd two fingers for their smartass songs.

That kind of loyalty is celebrated by the football community as a whole while it is targeted by Neo-noblesse oblige.

I will leave the door open for Kevin to air out some details, but there are too many dudes with too much money thinking they are doing us a favor.

We are an easy mark for some of the more artful operatiors. Our patience and honesty in accepting what has happened, internalizing it somewhat, and letting it weigh on future ambitions is a crime against our history.

Good on you all that constantly bang on about where we could be, even though some view it as somehow disconnected from our present reality.

Accepting that we must play it safe here is reminding of some bad psyops I get way too much of in the real world. This is football, we can dream big and Everton is big enough to make it come true.

Oh yeah, Beto could be the kind of guy who gets it, keeps working hard, and eventually contributes at a Premier League level. It has been an underwhelming beginning but he is now at a point where his strengths can be played to and his work ethic could pay off.

I never get the feeling he bullshits us.

Best fans in the country. Period.

Love them to bits!!

The passion, commitment, generosity and soul of Everton fans is truly extraordinary.

Beautifully put, Mike.

Yes, well said..

Mike (13),

Very true, and the complete opposite of the people who have run this club for a very long time, are the new owners going to be any different?

Rome wasn't built in a day but it looks like, from here, they are being treated with a bit more respect than they are showing us and I know you think in the long run that they will turn (up trumps... cancel that bit) us round for the better.

Dave, honestly, I couldn’t care less whether they ever turn up for a match or not. It’s their loss, not getting to experience watching the game surrounded by the greatest fans in the world.

What I care about is whether they treat the club properly and responsibly and return it to its appropriate prominence. It’s early days, but I’m very pleased so far.

I think they’re just missing out.

A brilliant day that was Darren, I just can’t believe there haven’t been many since mate.

I agree Derek, but life has changed so much, especially at the football, which has moved a long way away, from the times when cushions used to be thrown on the pitch at the end of a poor home performance when I was a little boy.

Let’s just hope that the silent friedkin’s, back us financially Jeff, and reading parts of Dale’s post, resonated with me because I will always believe that Everton, can become the greatest club in the land, once again.

I got very lucky yesterday because I booked tickets to take my daughter to London, to watch the diamond league athletics meeting, and witnessed a world record that has stood for 27 years, being broken.

Watching Josh Kerr, literally gliding around the track on his way to running the fastest mile ever recorded by a human-being, was absolutely incredible, but listening to his very humble speech after he had just achieved greatness, was even better imo.

He thanked everyone, and then he said that he believed his victory was for every athlete in Britain, because it should make them realise what every single one of them is “capable of” if they keep putting in the hard work.

I loved his speech because I have always had those exact same thoughts about Everton FC

At this moment in time, Mike, I think you are in a very small minority of being pleased with TFG's efforts so far.

At least on TW anyway.

I’m with Mike on this. I’m not sure what was expected of the Freidkin Group following 25+ years of absolute turmoil. We finally have some stability and can look forward. Had Moyes and the team performed at all at the end of the season we would be in Europe and looking at a brighter future. A little extra from TFG is expected and needed to give our support a deserved boost. I think they deserve a few years to get things right.

SO surprised to read that opinion from Annika. Again.

And again.

And again.

I know it's tough on her. She misses the good old days of Mosh and Bill so much....

Darren (#6) you surprise me because on very many occasions you have rightly lambasted Kenwright for kicking away our club's foundations and footings in pursuit of his own personal gain, which he eventually achieved to our further cost after decades of deceit and hypocrisy.

None of us know where we'd now be without an owner/major-domo who was financially inviable from the outset, sadly with notably large support from some gullible, but genuine, fans.

Friedkin, are you listening?

His legacy lives on in the world of football. We are seen as all-so-rans at best, world-wide.

We need an owner with the will and pocket to adjust us to trophy winners.

Pete Gunby 20: Had Moyes and the team performed at all at the end of the season we would be in Europe and looking at a brighter future.

But they didn't did they Pete, and we ended up on the same points as the season before with one goal more scored, all for a bargain 160Mish

So sad to see the same Mike continuing to defend his Heroes again.

And again.

And again.

But you are right on one point, I do miss the good old days, the Howard Kendall days. As well as the Harry Catterick days. Do you remember them at all Mike?

Or hadn't you selected Everton as your team during that period?

As they say, sarcasm is nearer to shit........

Shame when Everton have such a large support, that shows up on tv at away games, management believe that being in the top 10 is a sign of progress.

No, Annika, I CHOSE Everton as my club to support 41 years ago when I saw Kevin Sheedy convert his double free kick against Ipswich, in the last hours of Harry Catterick's life. I knew nothing of Harry until I read about him in David France's books. And forgive me for my ignorance, but I wasn't aware that either he or Howard Kendall ever owned or operated the club.

But maybe you could fill in a little of the history for me... who were the past owners of Everton that you miss so badly that you despise the present ones, the folks who have restored the club's financial credibility after a generation of chaos? Tell me all about those past legendary owners and why they were so wonderful. I always seek knowledge.

And I do apologize for discomfiting you. I know your bitter pessimism is a cherished core belief.

Couple of updated transfer reports:

Gazzetto Dello Sport, which is pretty reliable, says Djed Spence wants to go back to Italy, not stay in the Prem. Supposedly Inter is ponying up a £30m offer.

Yahoo Sports says the latest name on our radar is Lyon's Czech #10, Pavel Sulc, price tag £25m after a sensational season in Ligue 1. Goodison News says Wayne Rooney is his idol.

And late reporting from Ghana says Ipswich will beat us to Leicester winger Abdul Fatawu for £20m.

And the best fans in the country are continually treated with disdain and contempt by those in the hierarchy at our club.

Continually thinking they can get away with throwing Cup competition while we are all happily dissatisfied with not being in a relegation battle.

Big summer for TFG and Angus.

The recruitment team is in place, a dedicated analytics company is ready to support, there has been a huge ramp up in commercial revenues with the new stadium and supporters have made clear that last year’s team performances were unacceptable.

With a brand new stadium as a fixed asset for loan securitisation and a previous owner willing to write off £450 million in loans (yes Moshiri), it was a straightforward task to restructure our debt. Now it’s time to deliver improvement on and off the field - particularly in the performance of the first team and football operations. Talking is done.

If they show results in that regard, then all fans will praise them. If next season pans out like last season, patience will wear out quickly.

As for the absence of the Friedkins in attending a single game, and their non-communication to Everton fans, it is a failure in executive leadership. Most Everton fans are unhappy about this, so turn up, speak up and treat the supporters with more respect.

Does anybody still think Jake O'Brien won't start at RB against Palace in 4 weeks time? These owners are here to take the cash not spend it.

This is a massive summer for TSF. The reason is simple, we have been inside our new stadium for less than one year and a lot of longstanding supporters are already very, very bored.

Where has the excitement gone? Why has the anticipation of better things ahead already diminished?

Mike @ 26, show one of my posts where I ever said I despised the new owners. At least try to make statements that have some truth in them.

Nor did I ever state Kendall, or Catterick, were ever owners of the club. Of course you wouldn't know anything about Catterick would you, bring as you only jumped aboard 41 years ago.

I wonder if you would speak so effusively if our new owners weren't American? Because whilst they may have given us some financial stability, they haven't exactly set the transfer market alight have they?

But then you cannot accept anyone disagreeing with your ideas can you? We must all accept Mike is always right.

So I apologize for disagreeing with you and promise, from now on, I will accept everything you say as gospel.

Also I would suggest you stop making comments about my so called pessimism etc. Especially seeing how you have made totally incorrect statements.

You come from a different culture Mike.

I know your story and have the utmost respect for your Evertonian credentials, but Annika has every right to question the clubs owners. In fact it goes beyond a right. It's a duty
You cheered Kenwright until his shortcomings were pointed out to you.
You cheered the crazy spending spree Moshiri allowed Walsh and Koeman to embark upon
Now you are cheering the invisibility of This Yank crew.

It's not about unquestioning support for the owners...Annika remembers the owner at the time of Harry Catterick and will not be alone in lamenting the direction the club has taken since.

"Evertonians are a very loyal crowd. They pay their money and expect to see us do well. If we don't do well then something should be done about it and something WILL be done about it. .....That sentiment ensured we were kings

We've had the lying slippery fucker who was bereft of ambition. The sinister dosh washer and his puppet and now we have the Greedy Yank carpetbaggers. What did we do to deserve this ?

The fact that the only successful owner we have had since Sir John was a fucking kopite who won a trophy more by accident than design, says it all.

TFG did not steady Everton financially. The Ukraine war did that by allowing them to get a cut price deal and a virtually free stadium.

This crew deserve all the criticism they get (not that they give a fuck). This football club was in dire need of proper owners. Not a bunch of greedy asset gatherers

The biggest thing holding Everton back in the 21st century is our lack of success.

You need to be 40 now to remember our last trophy. Modern day fans don't look at us and think Everton are a big club. Never in an elite European competition anymore, never get to a grand occasion like the Cup Final.

That's why our lack of interest in ever winning a trophy again burns my head out.

Danny

Get paid

I'm not optimistic about the Friedkins. I was; they've persuaded me not to be.

Their rudeness and corporate silence bodes ill, as does putting in a barn pot like Angus to be the front facing comms for the club. He 'wants to make us proud'. Right.

All of the above can be parked if they start demonstrating they really know what they are doing, like the chaps across the park. There is no evidence to date they are cut from the same cloth.

Their mediocre tenure at Roma tells us that, and they don't seem like fast learners. Imagine buying a club like Everton, and thinking you can get away without saying one fucking word to the fanbase.

The current state of the club is concerning. There seems to be a split on who signs the players, and the credentials of the people making the decisions are questionable.

Now is not the time for verdicts, but we will know a lot more about them by the end of the summer. If it's chaotic and haphazard, we will know who we are dealing with…

TFG are not Evertonians.
They have spotted the chance to make a nicker and jumped in.Simple as that.
They have no emotional ties whatsoever to the club.

I was very sceptical about American owners when we got taken over last year by them and the whole thing has so far played out as I expected.

It will take something special this coming season for them to convince many people otherwise

The one thing TFG should not be allowed to get away with is keeping Moyes in place. I doubt whether they told him to 'not try' in the cup matches and solely concentrate on the league as that is something Moyes has done all his managerial career with us (apart from the odd exception). You just know (I really hope I'm wrong) that it will be another shit show and Moyes will be gone before Christmas and there’s another season down the tube without any success. This club needs winners and people with ambition and Moyes and TFG simply don’t fit that description from what I've seen over the last 18 months.

He'll be there until May Kevin but it will be a rinse and repeat type season.

I don't see the 3 promoted teams making much of an impression and I think Sunderland, Bournemouth and Palace will suffer with the addition of European football so we're never going to be in any serious danger of relegation.

On the positive, to me the transfer strategy over the past 12 months looks like a club planning for life after Moyes. They just need to step up with another few additions.

There has been a huge change in the way people react now to the times gone by and not for the better imo but going back to 1964 and in the car park at Anfield for a night game between Liverpool and Everton, it was crowded and I noticed a Rolls Royce with a canvas top and an elderly man sitting on his own in it— I recognised the driver John Moores so I knocked on his window which he rolled down and asked him if he could spare me a couple of minutes, he just nodded go ahead, we were rumoured to be after Fred Pickering at the time so I asked him what the the chances were of us getting him, he never said yes or no but said “ If the manager asks me for money he has never been refused before” so I took that has a yes and we signed him not long after. John Moores lived here of course but mingled with the fans before the game going into the players entrance and years later getting wheeled into the same entrance in his wheelchair.

An owner of the club who embraced and knew the value of the fans who supported the club in the good and bad times even then but that value was never more needed twice in two years when we dragged that team and the manager into staying in the premier league once when the chairman and the board with a former player on it had deserted the club and left it fight on it’s own with just Dyche and Thelwell fighting the odds with us— John Moore’s knew the value of the fans and the fans will judge the owners of the club with how they perform in the interests of the club and won’t begrudge them making Brewsters as long as they put some silverware in the trophy room— they will also smell bullshitters who look after their own interest’s more from a mile away.

Nothing changes or is likely to change does it, when you keep reading that the usual suspects are in for this and that expensive player. While we are still shopping at Lidl when we get round to actually buying anyone, compared to the top of the league teams.

Peter Reid stood outside number 10 to welcome Andy Burnham

UTFT.

Darren, pure invention. Is "respect" telling porkies about me?

I never cheered Kenwright. I merely expressed amusement at the intensity of the hatred for him here.

I cheered Moshiri on the stadium. I was downright acidic about his hirings of Koeman and the FSW. And regarding spending, you may not be aware that it was Usmanov, not Moshiri, who insisted on blowing that huge wad on Siggy, for example.

And I have never once cheered TFG's absence. In fact, my post #17 on this very thread flatly calls out that falsehood. I simply don't care. It's their loss. Yo, Dan, sign the players, build the club, stay home or hang out in Rome if ya wanna. It's nothing to me as long as the work gets done.

I'll be over next spring. If I get to a game at HDS before Friedkin does, way cool.

John #38, nope, of course they're not. They view us as a business to make successful, and personally I think that would be great. Would you rather the club be owned by Evertonians? As I recall, that worked out very, very badly last time. Who would you prefer to own the club? Got any particular Blues in mind? Blues who maybe don't share the sin of wanting to make the club wealthy and successful? (Shaking my head on that one.) When we were up for sale, I don't recall any lining up to buy us. None at all, in fact.

Annika, you didn't answer my question, which is a great disappointment because I do truly seek your wisdom. Of course I have no idea who owned the club 60 years ago when Catterick was manager. Who did, and why were they better than who we have now?

And for the record, yeah, I'm absolutely delighted that we are owned by Yanks, and by Jews for that matter, because I'm both, and I don't apologize for one little minute for being pleased. Any more than I apologize for not having been born a Blue, but for having DELIBERATELY CHOSEN this club over all the others I could have picked to support from 5000 miles away. I am totally proud of having "jumped aboard" and always will be. So sneer away to your heart's content.

Mike,
As a proper scouser born just off Scotty Road in 1951 and a lifelong Evertonian (a family tradition), I welcome you as part of the Evertonian family and all other foreign fans who follow the Royal Blue.

I also understand others' frustrations about the lack of thrust being shown in the corridors of power. I don't doubt that the Friedkins are good people, their reputation precedes them, but they are also the ultimate administrators of our club and are yet to show their true colours regarding EFC.

I have seen and admired the ownership of Sir John Moores but he also oversaw good and bad seasons (that is football), although you would never question his commitment to Everton being successful.

Times have changed though and, to be successful in the Premier League now, you need billions and a hefty commitment to the longer term.

I look at the crazy spending of Todd Boehly at Chelsea and the Greek guy at Forest and think to myself, "They are crazy, how can those clubs sustain that?" but that appears to be the price of a ticket, now fueled by the Sky money-making machine.

I often think when will the bubble bust and the man in the street can afford to attend games regularly with his kids but then the likes of Infantino starts putting out $9,000 to $20,000 tickets for the World Cup and I question the sanity of people.

Hopefully the revolution will start in Number 10 and some sanity may return... but, in the meantime, we wait to see how TFG will treat EFC.

Watch this space (Oh No... did I really say that?)

No porkies being told here Mike. Long time posters know you defended Kenwright regularly until you realised the critics were right.

If I'm not mistaken, you were mentioned in possibly the most famous article in ToffeeWeb history for challenging why he was so despised.

As for Koeman and Walsh. I distinctly remember you leading a group of fellow happy clappers claiming I was "the boy who killed Tinkerbell" for rounding on them in an article about their manic spending spree -- I know you remember that too.

Oh and while you are cheering this yank crew, I hope you are not overlooking the fact that they are not just invisible. They are completely silent.

Them being American Jews may delight you, but the rest of us will only be delighted when they start telling us what they can do for this club..... We already know what this club can do for them.

I always know when your angry, Mike, your reply starts with a yep or a nope! 😁

Why are you delighted we are owned "by Jews"? What significance does that have to the thread debate?

Mike @ 45, I did answer your question because I never once suggested that either Howard Kendall, or Harry Catterick, were ever Everton owners.

The Moores family, led by Sir John Moores, were the owners of Everton. Which you would know if you had taken any interest in the club's history. Being as you deliberately chose them from so many others.

They were better because they actually showed some interest and love for the team they owned. Backed them in the transfer market and actually attended games at Goodison Park.

You accuse me of sneering, is this because I question whether your heroes actually have any football interest in Everton, other than just making a profit?

Yet you seem to think your constant sarcasm is fine.

What have our new owners done so far to suggest they intend on making Everton successful? Wealthy maybe but, to my mind, success on the pitch isn't high on their agenda so far.

What have TFG done, Annika?

Finished the stadium and got it up and running.

Put us on a solid financial footing for the first time in a generation, reducing the club's net debt 57%.

Installed a badly-needed new corporate structure and populated it with real football executives who actually appear qualified for their jobs (Cox, Hammond and Smith in particular).

Worked the deals for Goodison and the women's team to get us some desperately needed revenues.

Watched their new business CEO (that Angus guy) bring in even more revenue with new worldwide sponsorships by Budweiser, Pepsi, Heinz and Aramark, and start leveraging the stadium for new cash flow from 83,000 Super League rugby fans (already confirmed to return next year) and 50,000 England-Fiji rugby fans.

Where do you think our future success on the pitch will come from? That money. That SCR-credited revenue and lots more like it (the new shirt sponsor, Christopher Ward et al) that will allow us to buy players.

I realize that in your eyes none of this is worth a spit until they sack Moyes, but hey, you asked, I answered.

Now we'll see if the people they hired can buy a right back and a goalscorer in the next six weeks. Are you betting against them?

For those not familiar with Mike's gushings, he actually believes these things are achievements. The rest of us already know that the club will do far more for TFG than they will ever do for the club.

Fair play to them as businessmen and carpetbaggers for capitalising on the government's decisions to freeze the assets of the Oligarchs. But if these people had a choice between a football glory and a profit, just about everybody who posts on these pages (with the possible exception of Mike) knows they will grasp the latter with both hands.

Copying the money-spinning ideas of other clubs to line their own pockets does not constitute doing something for EFC. The problem is: These fuckers are going nowhere... Not while the incomings outweigh the outgoings.

He`s right about one thing though. We'll be parading our profit and sustainability through the city for many years to come yet

Darren #48, you and I go back 20 years on this board, and no one has been subjected to more of your so-called "recollections" than I... your inventions, alterations and general snark are infamous in far wider realms than ToffeeWeb (and generate considerable mirth, I must say).

I do, however, admit to a guilty pleasure in knowing that that my Tinkerbell remark -- an offhand, genial joke meant to draw no more than a smile, and long forgotten by me until you brought it up again some time back -- is still a burr under your saddle after all these years. You just never know what you're going to be remembered for.

And by the way, Darren, of course I haven't overlooked that the Friedkins have been silent.

In fact, I'm the guy who told you and everybody else here when they bought the club that we would never hear from them, that they make no public statements outside of occasional press releases, that they hadn't given an interview since appearing on the Roma website in 2021 and that it was unlikely to be repeated.

Gee, I was right, wasn't I?

Mike Just so you know.

The whooping, hollering and cheering of that crazed spending spree (was it five number tens ?) which you and your merry band of happy clappers where indulging in. Was far more offensive to me. I was trying to point out the blindingly obvious while you and your merry gang were signalling the demise the knowledgeable Evertonian.

Unfortunately for you. I have a habit of putting up those remarks to support my "recollections"... Want me to do it again ?

I mocked your "Boy who killed Tinkerbell for not clapping" remark at the time and I am still mocking it now. Contrary to your own belief. It was one of my favourite ever TW quotes.

We all like to be right in our predictions, but your quote was so bizarre it stayed in my memory ( Yours too clearly). This never-to-be-forgotten quote didnt just show how right one of us were. it showed just how badly wrong the other one was.

You will do well to remember that every time you try to tell us how against the hierarchy you were at the time

Mike.

Yeah you were about as right as when you told me to eat crow after Carlo signed an ageing play-when-I feel-like-It mercenary.
I wasnt making a prediction when I told you (as fact ) that Carlo would NOT be attracting a load of superstars. I was stating the blindingly obvious.

I often wondered how that crow tasted after I had sent it back over the Atlantic.

Memories eh ? Whats to painful to remember. You, clearly, simply choose to forget

All the things you consider achievements for Everton Mike, I view as achievements for TFG.

We have no idea as yet whether Cox, Hammond and Hammond are actually going to prove successful in their given tasks. Regardless of what they have achieved elsewhere.

As for that Angus guy, yes, it would appear he is doing a great job of bringing in ever more profit to add to the TFG coffers.

The Christopher Ward deal is for the sleeve, not a front of shirt deal.

Will there be a new tight back and centre forward prior to kick off of the new season? I have my doubts. It's not like this crack team you mention have done much so far is it? One new face since the start of the window is hardly inspiring.

I would be ecstatic to see Moyes removed, but would that get TFG opening the purse strings? Again, I have my doubts.

But hey, they did extremely well getting a new stadium at an extremely good price and what an achievement finishing it has been.

Nothing you have mentioned can change my perception of our new owners, being that they are only it it for the benefit of what they can make out of Everton. Not what they can do to improve the actual football team.

But if you consider what they have done for the team so far as being success, we obviously have different trains of thought.

As good as I think Hayden Hackney is, I don't think our sole transfer so far is going to drive us up the table too much.

Maybe we should have an open bus tour of the city to celebrate TFG's achievements so far?

Darren, you can be an argumentative bastard mate, is definitely something I'd be saying to you if I was sitting in your company in a boozer, after an Everton game, listening to you creating considerable mirth. (There is nothing better than drinking with people who don't suffer fools and want to have a proper laugh.)

The laughter would definitely stop when you started talking about Everton though, because in amongst the arguments there can be no question at all about how well you know your Everton.

No disrespect Mike, but sometimes when you come up against a cradle to the grave, argumentative north end Scouse (Bastard!) Evertonian, you will definitely learn a little bit more about “our club” by taking on board what they are saying.

John @58, I was attacked the other week for something similar mate and although I didn't say anything at the time, I did appreciate it when you said it does appear that a lot of people are now trying to create a problem by constantly being incredibly offended, which is just as divisive as what they claim to be railing against.

So, Roma have had a bid knocked back for Summerville -- £39M.

Why not buy him for us, Saints Daniel-the-Absent and Angus-the-Silent?

A decade ago, great swathes of Arsenal fans wanted Stan Kroenke out and even 5 years ago, effigies of him were being hung outside the stadium. Accusations of disconnect and profiteering were flung around like confetti.

And now they are Champions and look well set to be at the top for an extended stretch.

TFG aren't Everton fans but of course helping themselves can also benefit the club. It's very early days to be judging their tenure but so far their impact has been net positive. They've moved us up the Premier League and are improving the balance sheets that in this new era crucially enable us to spend more on players.

It's not been perfect and I've not yet seen this transfer committee deliver the type of squad improvements I'd like but it's very early days with some of the crucial decision-makers only coming into their roles full time this summer.

I know patience is in short supply, from some individuals in particular, but maybe we can save the pitchforks for a little further down the line.

Sam, for me the failure to add anything beyond a 19-year-old loan deal for a Chelsea reserve in January when a push for Europe was definitely on was a huge red flag to their intentions.

Obviously I didn't expect huge marquee signings but not to bolster the squad more at least was criminal.

Beto — why didn’t you keep your bleedin’ mouth shut - see what you’ve caused on here!

Sam @71, moved us up the league? One point more than the previous incumbent manager.

That's hardly moving us up the league.

Annika, yes, in Moshiri's last full season we came 17th.

Under TFG we've come no lower (or higher) than 13th. No prizes for 13th but it is an improvement.

Land of Hope and Glory 😁😁

20 out of a 26 man England squad eligible to play for African and Caribbean countries

This explains it better John #108

England Team Heritage

Point well made Eric.

If it wasn't for immigration we might be watching the 21st Century versions of Dave Nugent, Geoff Thomas and Steve Guppy representing England. And most of our ancestors arrived on one boat or another, didn't they?

Personally, I thought it was great to see such diversity in the fans at home and the US actively getting behind the England team.

Back to TFG, we should praise them for what they actually deliver rather than what they inherited when they bought the club.

Football strategy - Confused to put it politely. TFG announced a long-term plan to invest in young talent and the Academy, then hired a manager who does the opposite - in 2024/25 Everton were 3rd in the table for playing minutes given to post-peak players (over 29 years old) and 14th for minutes given to pre-peak players (24 years old and below). Go figure.

Football performances - Zero improvement. Given a net transfer spend of £114 million delivered 13th place in 2025/26, I would say it's our worst performance based on ROI for half a decade.

Academy talent pipeline - Zero improvement. Since TFG took over, our Academy graduates have either exited or decided to take professional contracts elsewhere.

Corporate structure - in place and let's see what Kinnear, Cox, Hammond and Smith deliver.

Stadium - It was Colin Chong who built, finished and got the stadium up and running.

Debt consolidation - with a brand new stadium as collateral, it was a simple business task to restructure our long term debt.

Reduction of the debt - the debt was reduced because Farhad Moshiri agreed to write off £450 million in share owner loans.

Goodison and Women's team sales - good decision for a one season revenue boost that allowed TFG to invest in transfers. They have since been repaid in full by a chunky dividend payment of £43.8 million

Commercial revenue - Sponsorships by Budweiser, Pepsi, Heinz and Aramark look promising, so let's see how much revenue they actually produced.

Leveraging the stadium for cash flow for events - that is why the stadium was built by Moshiri on the Mersey rather than L4.

Executive presence and communications - car crash.

TFG have bought a distressed asset, restructured the debt, leveraged the new stadium for commercial revenue and brought in a new leadership teams.

Downside is that they have not invested much of their own money on the first team, have delivered zero improvement on football performances at any level and continue to ignore the fan base.

Big 12 months ahead for TFG to show they can deliver. That is how long the fans will give them before their feet are held to the fire .

And they might not get that long if we start the season badly with Moyes at the helm. After all, they watched while 15+ top managers were available this summer.

Eric 113.

I know it does, that's the reason I posted same link two days ago.

Give me a good laugh imagining the flag hangers doing their nut watching it.

Why do people have to pay to listen to the games on the club website, when it used to be free? Because nothing is sacred except money. which means I was already aware of the other thing I agreed with that Sean said, when he wrote expect to be fleeced.

I sometimes wonder if I'm normal because I watch GB News and also read The Guardian, and although I am very concerned about the current immigration policies, I absolutely detest Nigel Farage!

Live and let live -- just don't go in the Spurs end, calling everyone Yids. Thanks for the tip, Sir!

Tony, the thing with people having to pay to listen to games is that we all want the club to climb back to the top of the pile and unfortunately that can never happen without things like bringing in the cash.

Unless, as per rumours regarding our delightful neighbours today, you have potential investment coming in from the Mittal family who are trying to get Jeff Bezos on board too.

That was brilliant, Eric, thanks for that, mate.

I can't remember who posted it on this website, but I remember someone saying that over 100 players who played at this summer's World Cup were actually born in France. I was thinking that made the French the current kings of football... until the Spanish won!

Steve B, best post on the entire thread, mate, but have you got any figures telling us how much of their own money The Friedkin Group have actually spent, considering they have like you said, already paid themselves a very handsome dividend?

For what it's worth, I don't think The Guardian is far behind GB News when it comes to reporting on the truth rather than their own agendas. As for voting Labour, hopefully our unelected Prime Minister gives me a chance in the near future... unless he turns things around quite quickly.

Andrew@124, there has in my mind been nothing more certain than Liverpool, getting taken over by either an Arab State, or some of the richest people on the planet mate.

The Sport, has already been taken over by the globalists, and for these people it’s all about money buying power.

I suppose I shouldn’t say it on an Everton forum but, without doubt our neighbours have become one of the biggest football institutions on the planet, whilst we have just moved into a fantastic new stadium and yet the most common phrase used by a lot of Evertonians, is stability.

Couldn't agree more sadly Tony. We're an also ran in a time when it's almost impossible to become anything else once you're in that run.

Have faith Andrew, we are still Everton, mate, and somewhere up ahead, we might just get genuinely good people who can make Everton, a truly great footballing institution once again🤞

Right now I am completely bored with Everton, but you know what we’re like Andrew, defiant until the end and just craving the right owners because we know how great we can become again if people just stop being complicit in accepting mediocrity and start demanding a lot more.

Sorry, John,

I'm 'cleansing' this thread of all the shite you and Paul Griffiths have been posting.

In future, as soon as I see any mention of race or Jews, the posts will be removed, the posters suspended, and the thread closed, as this one is now.