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Season 2004-05


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January 2005


News Headlines & Features

Moyes secures Arteta on loan
31 Jan - Following Thomas Gravesen's departure to Real Madrid earlier this month, David Moyes has moved to fill the breach with the acquisition of midfielder Mikel Arteta.  The 22 year-old former Barcelona and Rangers star joins on loan from Real Sociedad for the remainder of the season with a view to making the transfer permanent for £3M in July. Meanwhile, Moyes has been testing Tottenham's resolve over Simon Davies whose prospects of moving to Goodison appear to hinge on Andy Reid's move from Forest to White Hart Lane.  The manager also tried to lure Barry Ferguson from Blackburn for £5M if reports are true but the player's return to Rangers was announced at 11pm.

Beattie off the mark as Blues coast through
29 Jan - Everton breezed into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable win over Championship side Sunderland. James McFadden started a game for the first time since his goalscoring appearance at Plymouth and he took just 9 minutes to find the net again, connecting with Kevin Kilbane's cross to give the Blues the lead. Everton were 2-0 up just before the half hour mark when James Beattie's turn and shot was deflected past ex-Evertonian Thomas Myhre. Sunderland pressed a little more in the second half but the Blues were rarely troubled and Tim Cahill added to the scoring with 10 minutes to go, converting another Kilbane cross. Richard Wright almost gifted the visitors a late consolation when he spilled a long-range shot but managed to keep his first clean sheet. Report from Paul Traill

Five Days and Countin'...
27 Jan - As Everton fans watch and wait as deadline after promised deadline passes for the arrival of Chris Samuelson's much-vaunted Fortress Sports Fund investment and stare in disblief at headlines that David Moyes will be making no further attempt to strengthen the Premiership's smallest squad before the transfer window closes, Colm Kavanagh makes an impassioned plea to Everton's Chairman to stop the charade and step aside for the good of the club. Reader responses

Li Tie injury setback
26 Jan - Chinese International Li Tie, who is looked open as a ready-made replacement for Gravesen in the beleaguered Everton midfield, has suffered a substantial setback in his extended mission to get back to match fitness since he fractured a shin-bone over a year ago.  The player suffered badly in a collision with Bolton's Ricky Shakes during yesterday's reserves game, and had to be stretchered off the field.  He later went to the hospital on crutches, but the results of a scan were unclear, so he was sent to a specialist today who allayed frears that he may have suffered another hairline fracture.  Another Everton reserve player, Christian Seargeant, is in the same hospital with a suspected broken ankle.

Martyn signs one-year extension
25 Jan - Nigel Martyn has signed on to another year at Everton, and hopefully a starring role in the team David Moyes is building for the future at Goodison Park. The contract extension will take Martyn through until the summer of 2006, putting a little more pressure on the nervy Richard Wright, who has yet to keep a clean sheet since he stood in for the injured 38-year-old veteran last month. Martyn, who is recovering from damage to a calf muscle, still appears to be some weeks away from full fitness and what must be an automatic return to the first team. Contracts for at least 10 other players in the first-team squad are still due to end this summer.

Curse? You make your own luck
22 Jan - The so-called "Capital curse" will be blamed once more but this sixth defeat of the season — all by London teams — was down to a lack of attacking inspiration and drive by an Everton side who are missing Thomas Gravesen, no matter what they say. James Beattie came closest during his home debut in the second half when he again hit the inside of the post, while David Weir had a header cleared off the line in the first half. The below-par Blues were punished right on half time when Matt Holland struck a 25-yard effort firmly past Richard Wright to give the visitors a half-time lead that the Blues never really looked like reversing. While teams below us all dropped points (except, Charlton, of course) this was another golden opportunity spurned, with the gap now opening up above us. And still the manager doesn't expect to make any signings before the end of January...?

Still on track for Europe
20 Jan - Steve Flanagan has updated his seasonal comparison to provide a new analysis of Everton's performance to date, and the potential finishing position this season.  Despite the recent Christmas blip, there is little sign that the early-season bubble has burst, with Everton now a full 19 points ahead of last year, based on corresponding games.  A total of 66 points is a reasonable expectation from these projections, which would give Everton European football based on league position for the first time in over 20 years.  In Moyes we trust...

FA Charge Everton & Boro
18 Jan - The Football Association have decided to charge Middlesbrough and Everton with a breach of Rule E21a in failing to control their players during Sunday's game, when most of them ended up in the Boro net after Duncan Ferguson challenged Mark Schwarzer for a dropped ball. Other clubs charged recently for similar offences have suffered £10k fines, which seems really silly. If the FA wanted to stop this sort of thing then they need to single out Zenden for his stupid reaction that caused the fracas.

Cahill salvages a valuable point
16 Jan - Tim Cahill scored a crucial equaliser with 15 minutes to go to atone for a Richard Wright error that had gifted Boudewijn Zenden a first-half opener and hand David Moyes the draw he apparently came for.  Despite looking like the home side for much of the game, Everton clearly missed Thomas Gravesen's invention, and it took the introduction of Duncan Ferguson to force the all-important goal after James Beattie had rolled the ball off the base of the post.  The controversial Scot nodded down a Tony Hibbert cross for Cahill to knock the ball past Mark Schwarzer.  Marcus Bent would have won it late on with more killer instinct but, ultimately, it's a shame Moyes played this one so conservatively because 'Boro were there for the taking.  Reports by Lyndon Lloyd and Paul Traill

Gravesen completes Real switch
14 Jan - As expected, Thomas Gravesen's Everton career has come to a premature end after he negotiated a 3½-year contract with Real Madrid and the Spanish giants settled on a reported £2.5M transfer fee to bring the Dane to the Bernabeu Stadium six months early. The move strips David Moyes of his most valuable player and puts the pressure on the manager to find a top class replacement before the transfer window closes in just over two weeks' time. View from the Blue: Farewell, Dr Jekyll... we hardly knew you

Colm's Corner: Fortress Goodison
14 Jan - Well, it's been rather a long time since the huge promise of the Fortress Sports Fund first gave Evertonians hope that the Club's finanical woes may be laid aside... more than six long months ago! Colm Kavanagh has been biting his tongue, resisting the strong desire to cite the failed promises, chapter and verse. That was until today...  Meanwhile, Keiran Kinsella argues that if the Fortress cash does materialise, it should go towards investment in the club's infrastructure — youth, new stadium, etc — rather than a spending spree for David Moyes.

Gravesen agent in Real talks
13 Jan - Thomas Gravesen's agent has confirmed that he is in Spain talking to Real about a possible move for his client to Madrid in July. He is quoted in today's Independent has saying that it would be a wonderful opportunity for the Danish international but that he would also be happy if he stayed at Goodison Park, at least until the summer. Sivabaek insists that the final decision rests with Everton — i.e. the club can inisist he stays until the end of the season or accept around £2m-ish for him now. At the BBC website, Jan Molby thinks Gravesen's relationship with David Moyes could be a factor, but cash is as ever a vital assest at Everton; the Club's short-term fiscal needs may therefore dictate this outcome... [Keep him or sell him?]

Independent Blues: Ten Years
12 Jan - This weekend's trip to Middlesbrough marks the Tenth Anniversary of the Independent Blues — Everton Independent Supporters Association.  One of their leading lights, Ian Macdonald, has written a wonderful illustrated retrospective to celebrate the occasion.

Another kick in the teeth?
11 Jan - Is this yet another kick in the teeth for long-suffering Evertonians who troup off, week after week, to follow the players who they believe are giving their all for the Club... only to see them (or their slimey agents) engineering a move to sunnier climes? Yes, it seems that Thomas Gravesen, the fist-pumping loon who has excelled himself in midfield for Everton this season, could well be off to Real Madrid, and instant Champions League football. He said he wanted European football — and we seemed on our way to providing that — but without him...? If he does want to go, are Everton better off cashing in for him now (the €3m rumoured = £2m) or using him on the field until the end of the season? Vote in our poll.

Campbell leaves Goodison after 6 years
10 Jan - Six years after he arrived at Everton and single-handedly saved the club from relegation in Walter Smith's first season in charge with nine goals in eight games, Kevin Campbell has left Goodison Park for West Bromwich Albion. The 34 year-old negotiated a payoff to cover the remaining six months of his five year contract and joins Bryan Robson at The Hawthorns on a free transfer to try and save the Midlands outfit from relegation.

The Unsung hero of the Blues' revival
10 Jan - Eight months ago, Lee Carsley looked destined for the Premiership scrapheap. Seemingly confirmed as the second-rate journeyman midfielder he has always been billed as by the horrible 2003-04 season, there didn't seem to be any future for the Irish international at Goodison given David Moyes's desire to overhaul his squad. Fast forward past the financial crisis of the summer of 2004 and through what has been a wonderful first half of the season and Carsley's reality couldn't be more different. Far from a dispensible squad member, it's hard to see where we would be without him.

Premiership class tells at Home Park
8 Jan - Everton are safely into the fourth round after seeing off a stern challenge by Championship side Plymouth Argyle. It was a largely unspectacular display in which debutant James Beattie struggled to get involved, but two goals in two first half minutes by Leon Osman and James McFadden had Premiership quality stamped all over them. The home side got back into it before the interval, though, when Joseph Yobo knocked the ball into the path of Bjarni Gudjohnsson and he finished with aplomb. Everton laboured in the second half to keep Plymouth at arm's length until substitute Nick Chadwick ran clear to slide the ball under the 'keeper and seal the tie. Reports from Dave Moore and Lyndon Lloyd

Osman snatches it at the death
4 Jan - Leon Osman fired a priceless last-minute winner as Everton bounced back from two successive defeats to win their fifth straight at home. After Yakubu had quickly cancelled out Alan Stubb's opener on the half hour, the Blues threw everything at the visitors from the South Coast but they didn't get their reward until injury time. This was a crucial result in the context of Everton's faltering challenge for Champions League qualification and sets the stage perfectly for new signing James Beattie. Report from Paul Traill

Everton win Beattie battle
2 Jan - Southampton's James Beattie has accepted terms with Everton in a club record £6.5M move that will see the England international switch to Goodison next week.  David Moyes had to fend off the persistent attentions of Aston Villa, who upset Southamption by making approaches to the lad last summer, securing his first new signing of the January Sales.  Beattie represents a great acquisition who would likely force a change in playing formation now that the rest of the Premiership has sussed out this 4-5-1 malarkey...

Tottenham Hotspur 5 - 2 Everton
1 Jan - Any hope of dismissing the White Hart Lane hoodoo vanished inside half-an-hour of this painful game as the wheels really fell off Everton's bandwagon. Two simple goals from a rampant Spurs had Moyes's makeshift team rattled, with the loss of Stubbs to injury revealing gapping holes in the once solid defence.  But Tim Cahill got one back just before half-time to keep Everton in the game.  However, a screamer form Mendez looked to have sealed the points for Spurs. More goals from both sides (McFadden's first!) only made the scoreline look increasingly farcical.  Over to you, pundits.

 		  

Snippets & Rumours

Man Utd at home in 5th Round
31 Jan - Everton were drawn at home to FA Cup holders Manchester United in the 5th Round, bringing the prospect of an early visit to Goodison Park for high-profile departee Wayne Rooney.

'Merseypride'
31 Jan - In a piece at Squarefootball.net, Anthony Melvin suggests that the real bonus of Everton finishing fourth will be the almost certain departure of Steven Gerrard from Liverpool.  Lyndon Lloyd begs to differ.

Blues hope Beattie goal is upheld
30 Jan - Assistant Manager Alan Irvine says that Everton are convinced that the second goal against Sunderland is James Beattie's to claim.  Although Thomas Myhre was positioned to easily gather the ball, Black Cats defender Danny Collins deflected it into his own net, but Irvine says the goal should be credited to Beattie because the original shot was on target.

Moyes wants pitch re-laid
28 Jan - Having blamed the sub-par performance against Charlton on the playing surface, David Moyes has asked that the Goodison Park pitch be re-laid after the home game with Norwich next week.

French youngster drafted in
28 Jan - David Moyes has moved to strengthen squad numbers for the remainder of the season by signing Lens midfielder Guillaume Plessis on a 6-month contract.  The 20-year-old's contract with the French club was cancelled without him having made a first team appearance.

Scotland recall for Weir
28 Jan - David Weir has ended his hiatus from international games, with old Everton manager Walter Smith naming the defender in his first Scotland squad.

...always a Blue
28 Jan - A player who has turned down the promise of cash at other clubs in favour of staying with Everton?   Too bad this versatile midfielder/striker isn't eligible for the FA Premiership!

Joe-Max retires at 33
27 Jan - Former Everton striker Joe-Max Moore has announced his retirement at the age of 33.  The US international underwent reconstructive surgery on an injured knee last week and he made the decision to call time on what was an illustrious career Stateside.

Martyn returning to full training
27 Jan - Nigel Martyn, who has been suffering from a calf injury since Christmas, is to return to full training next Monday, and must be odds-on to replace Richard Wright, who has so far failed to keep a clean sheet.

Unsie on the move again
27 Jan - David Unsworth is joining his old Everton boss Joe Royle at Ipswich Town, on loan from Portsmouth for the rest of the season.

It's Groundhog Day!
27 Jan - Chris Samuelson tells the Telegraph that tomorrow (Friday) is now the day he expects to get approval from the Brunei authorities for his Fortress Sports Fund. Mañana, mañana, mañana...

Bosnar's trial terminated
26 Jan - [Link in Norwegian] This story in Dagbladet, the Norwegian newspaper, indicates that Eddy Bosnar has been sent back to Everton after a trial that failed with Norwegian club Valerenga.

24
25 Jan - Everton are expecting to hear "... in the next 24 hours..." that the Fortress Sports Fund has been given Government approval in Brunei to start operating.   Hold your breath now and start the countdown!

Fans Comment: Doom & gloom
25 Jan - As many Blues wail and gnash their teeth in frustration as Everton's challenge for Champions League qualification starts to wobble, Stephen Burton doesn't see what the fuss is about. Nor does he think David Moyes should be throwing money at the team in an effort to keep them in the top four.

Reverves beat Bolton
25 Jan - Nick Chadwick and Li Tie lined up for Everton Reserves at Bolton tonight but there was misery for the latter who hobbled off just before half time, prematurely ending his comeback attempt. A Laurence Wilson goal sealed the game for Everton.

Fans Comment: All that glitters...
24 Jan - Colin Dempsey revels in the team ethic that surrounds the Blues these days and states the case for not spending rashly in the transfer market this January.

Spaniard rejects Everton offer
24 Jan - Spanish international forward Joseba Etxeberria appears to have turned down a £5.5m approach by Everton, choosing instead to stay with Athletico Bilbao.

Where is he now: Stephen Hughes
23 Jan - Captain of Coventry City; facing Newcastle next week in the FA Cup 4th Round.  This Observer feature traces the career of Stephen Hughes from big-money Champion player for Arsenal to Championship captain for Coventry, with the briefest mention of Everton in one paragraph.

SuperKev hits the Ton
22 Jan - Kevin Campbell had a great home debut for bottom club West Brom, scoring the opener (his 100th Premiership goal) and playing a significant part in the winner that gave the Baggies a great win over Man City — only their second win of the season.

Beattie firm on Sven
22 Jan - James Beattie still feels Sven Goran-Erickson should have called him to let him know he was dropped from the England team (ah Bless!).  Let's hope he's getting his head right for today's game.

Chasing shadows
22 Jan - David Moyes seems to be increasingly doubtful that he will be able to pry away any of the players he wants from their current clubs as the transfer window approaches its final week.

Monday is new D-Day for Samuelson
21 Jan - Chris Samuelson, the man behind the proposed Fortress Sports Fund, has promised that all the red tape for the £12.8m investment will be cleared by Monday when he expects to get approval from the Brunei regulator and financial authority.

Smoke-Free (but mirrors to stay)
21 Jan - In a move that is, we understand, completely unrelated to any ongoing confusion over the absent Fortress Sports Fund millions, Everton are thinking about making Goodison Park a smoke-free stadium (although not the first, as claimed: Riverside; White Hart Lane...).

Ellis screwed Beattie deal
21 Jan - Aston Villa Chairman Doug Ellis is credited with screwing up David O'Leary's attempt to sign James Beattie from Southampton, requiring the striker to take a pay cut if The Villains were to be relegated!  But here's a cautionary note: this piece is written by Alan Nixon!

Nick Armitage's Unsung Heroes
21 Jan - It's been a while since we heard from ToffeeWeb Columnist Nick Armitage. In this piece, he has a few words of praise for four players who seem to have evaded the media spotlight so far this season.

Everton to be last Umbro link
21 Jan - Chelsea's decision to ditch Umbro as their kit manufacturer at the end of next season (for a staggering £24m!) means that Everton, whose strip they sponsor, could be the only Premiership club with which they will have an associsation after 2006.

So we are that desperate
20 Jan - Robbie Savage is claiming that Everton, the club he reputedly followed as a boy, made a last-minute bid to hijack his move to Blackburn but he decided to join Mark Hughes' plans at Ewood Park anyway.

Fans Comment: Get over it
20 Jan - AR Ismael-Mia believes that Everton fans should get over the departure of Thomas Gravesen and concentrate on those players who do want to play for the club. Meanwhile, Donnchadh Boyle ponders whether his sale betrayed a lack of ambition by Everton.

Youth demolish Yeovil
19 Jan - Everton's Youth team hammered Yeovil Town 6-0 at Huish Park this evening in the 4th Round of the FA Youth Cup. Prospects Paul Hopkins and Bjarni Thor Vidarsson both scored braces, Victor Anichebe and James Vaughan netting the other two.

Li Tie's benefit match invite
18 Jan - Everton's almost-forgotten midfielder Li Tie has been invited to play in the 15th February 'Football for Hope' match at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium in aid of the victims of last month's tsunami. The Chinese international would join the team captained by World Footballer of the Year, Ronaldinho; Andriy Shevchenko will skipper the other.

Villa charged over Beattie approach
18 Jan - The FA have found Aston Villa and their manager David O'Leary guilty of illegal approach for James Beattie last summer.

SuperKev's fine words of thanks
17 Jan - Kevin Campbell has paid fulsome tribute to the Everton fans, the Club, and his time at Goodison Park.

Jigsaw, by Rob Fox
17 Jan - Rob Fox takes a look at the many pieces of the current jigsaw that is Everton and draws some positive conclusions.

Where's the Money?
17 Jan - The Daily Post tracked down Christopher Samuleson in Hong Kong and asked him some direct questions about the Fortress Sports Fund.  "The money will go into the fund ... certainly by the end of the week."  No worries, then...?

FA await Ref's report
17 Jan - The FA will wait until they see Dermot Gallagher's report before deciding if any action is needed over the silly brawl that had 15 players in the 'Boro net on Sunday.

Fans wanted Gravesen over cash
17 Jan - Our readers voted in record numbers and 7 out of 10 would have preferred that Everton keep Thomas Gravesen rather than £2m cash. Of course, that doesn't take into account what the player wanted, but it illustrates how important he had become to us.

Moyes's assurances
17 Jan - David Moyes insists that he is doing all he can to bring in new faces ahead of the transfer deadline having lost Thomas Gravesen and Kevin Campbell. With few players available at reasonable prices at this stage of the season, it's not going to be easy... but one midfielder at least would seem to be imperative.

Osman: long-service award?
16 Jan - THis excellent article on Lean Osman in today's Observer reminds us that Leon Osman has been around EFC longer than most, and won the FA Youth Cup in 1998 with the likes of Dunne, Jeffers and Cadamarteri.

Moyes seeks Midfielder
15 Jan - Despite numerous enquiries for other players to replace Thomas Gravesen, David Moyes sounds resigned to the likelihood that he will not secure a suitable one before the transfer window closes in two weeks.

Derby date switch
15 Jan - The Anfield derby has been switched to Sunday 20 March to facilitate live TV coverage on Sky and in the usual overseas markets. Kick off 4:05pm GMT.

TG: An Air of Inevitability
14 Jan - In our Fans Comment section, John Coyne laments the Air of Inevitability surrounding Tommy Gravesen's departure from Everton.

'Back-o-the-Echo' moves on
14 Jan - Former Everton striker, Ibrahima Bakayoko, has joined French club Istres from Osasuna after his contract with the Spanish side was cancelled by mutual consent.

New Everton Director
14 Jan - According to the records at Companies House, Everton have a new Director as of last month: Anita Gregg, the estranged ex-wife of now fellow Director Paul Gregg.

The wrong gamble?
14 Jan - Paul Grech at squarefootball.net is the latest "pundit" to suggest that Everton took the wrong option in choosing the cash over another 6 months of Thomas Gravesen's services. All well and good, but we don't know what the player really wanted and it should be remembered that he stalled on signing a new contract at Goodison, not Everton.

Higher Ground by Rob Fox
14 Jan - As the whirlwind swirls us around the January Sales, Rob Fox steps forward with a series of comforting thoughts about new acquisition James Beattie, and the seemingly impending departure of Thomas Gravesen. Rob believes that David Moyes will remain highly focussed on building a team for Everton's long-term future. Clearly Gravesen will not be a part of that, but does it make his departure now any easier to accept? As ever, In Moyes We Must Trust...

Everton confirm Madrid contact
13 Jan - Everton have confirmed via the Official Site that Real Madrid have officially stated their desire to sign Thomas Gravesen. The Dane can sign a pre-contract agreement with the Spaniards now and join them in the summer but Real are known to want his services immediately. Talks will continue tomorrow...

ToffeeWeb Player of the Month
13 Jan - Ouch!  For the second successive month, Thomas Gravesen is your top pick.  What a shame he might not still be with us by the time the transfer window closes this month.  They'll be awfully big shoes to fill...

Once a Blue...
13 Jan - Talking of Wayne Rooney, click the above link and scroll down to the second story in this odd Sports feature from Singapore's New Paper. Stubbsy says that Rooney is still a huge Evertonian and wanted to do an "Unsworth" at last month's derby!

More fallout from the Rooney saga
13 Jan - In The Telegraph, Mihir Bose reveals that the FA are to conduct a secret inquiry into "certain shortcomings" in the regulations governing football agents that were brought to the surface in the blackmail trail involving John Hyland and Paul Stretford, Wayne Rooney's agent. With an apparent absence of irony, the FA says "The emphasis is on improving transparency."

McFadden: I'm going nowhere
13 Jan - James McFadden has dampened speculation that he could return to Scotland to either Celtic or Rangers by committing his future to Everton where he is currently enjoying an improved run of form.

USA midfielder on trial
12 Jan - Everton will give a second trial to United States U-20 prospect Stuart Holden starting tomorrow. The British citizen and Houston native, who attends Clemson University in South Carolina, has 8 caps for the US and scored for them against Brazil and Denmark earlier this season, spent two weeks with the Blues during their pre-season tour in Texas last summer.

Everton deny Gravesen contact
12 Jan - With little they can do to affect the developing Gravesen saga, Everton are denying any contact with Madrid over an asking price expected to be at least £2M. Since 1 January, Gravesen's agent has been free (under the Bosman ruling) to conduct pre-contract negotiations with any club of his choosing, without seeking clearance from Everton.

Beattie: Right choice for Everton?
12 Jan - It's a question that has been addressed by plenty of non-Evertonians in the media. Here, ToffeeWeb reader Peter Roberts mulls over our new record signing and he isn't convinced James Beattie is the answer to our goalscoring problems. Time will, of course, tell.

Check your Passports
11 Jan - In this delayed Part Two of his periodic assessment that rates all the Premiership sides against last season's perfomances, Phil Roberts records an impressive spell for Everton that was then spoilt a little with those two London losses over Christmas.

Young Reserves top Boro
11 Jan - A very young Everton Reserves team comprised mainly of the Academy Under-18s traveled to the northeast today and beat Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to a goal by James Vaughan.

Blackburn game live on Sky
11 Jan - Everton's home game against Blackburn will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday 6 March 2005, kick-off 16:05 GMT.

Final 'No' to Groundshare
11 Jan - Liverpool City Council finally announced that both Everton and Liverpool have rejected the concept of sharing the new stadium being buit to replace Anfield, bringing to an end any further consideration of groundsharing.

Strachan on Beattie
10 Jan - In his Guardian column, Gordon Strachan seems to be saying that 4-5-1 won't really work for any striker, never mind James Beattie...

Fortress Fund Faltering?
10 Jan - Keith Wyness exhibits the first signs of frustration with the continuing Fortress Sports Fund saga, while Christopher Samuleson optimistically struggles with more "minor" red tape that has succeded in spinning this one out for the last six months. Dave Norman ponders whether the investment is right for Everton.

Beattie can be a success
10 Jan - Colin Illingworth at squarefootball.net believes the likes of Neville Southall are wrong in predicting that James Beattie will be a flop at Goodison, believing that the Lancaster-born forward has what it takes to succeed with the Blues. His colleague, Daniel Kelly, completely disagrees...

Beattie's fitness an issue
10 Jan - David Moyes pulls no punches in this stark assessment of James Beattie's match fitness — or lack thereof — saying that we may not see the best from him until next season!

Everton v Sunderland
10 Jan - In the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, Everton will play Sunderland at Goodison Park, Kick off will be 3pm on Saturday 29 January.

Grave nonsense hots up
9 Jan - The Sunday scuttlebutt has Man United moving in for Thomas Gravesen... although not until the end of the season... while he will (supposedly) be offered a mammoth £40k/week salary to re-sign with Everton.

The 'morale high ground'
9 Jan - Nothing particularly new in this Sunday Mail article from the north of the Border, but it's nice to read another positive article about David Moyes and the Blues.

Campbell heading for Goodison exit
8 Jan - According to Sky Sports, Kevin Campbell is on the verge of leaving Everton after coming to an agreement regarding the remaining six months of his contract. West Bromwich Albion are rumoured to be interested in the 34 year-old who will become a free agent if the report is true.

McFadden in Moyes's plans
7 Jan - While some fans have grown impatient with James McFadden, his manager is steadfastly behind the 21 year-old Scot who scored his first Everton goal at Spurs last week and looks likely to start in the FA Cup tie at Plymouth tomorrow.

Memories of Home Park
7 Jan - Some long forgetten encounters between Plymouth and Everton from the annals of history.

Price not quite right?
7 Jan - Carl Marlens reveals a plausible financial reason why the Fortress Sports Fund has been dragging its Euro-feet...

Still 18 points up on last season
7 Jan - Steve Flanagan's statistical comparison game-for-game with last season shows Everton have an impressive 18-point gain so far.  But attendances at Goodison are down by more than 2,000 per match.

Bent Officials? Surely not...
6 Jan - In The Guardian, Paul Doyle has the temerity to raise an unthinkable spectre: that some refs and linesmen may actually be corrupt!

FT: Some Comment
6 Jan - The Financial Times weighs in with some puzzlement over the non-appearance of Everton monies from Christopher Samuleson and the Fortress Sports Fund.  £12.8M was going to be in the bank within 6 or 7 days, remember?  That was nearly a month ago...

Sheedy penalty still rankles
5 Jan - Joe McCarthy recalls the last time Everton visited Plymouth in the FA Cup: 1989 — and stole a 1-1 draw with a late and hotly disputed penalty.

Trebs is torn
5 Jan - Mike Trebilcock, Everton's two-goal hero from the 1966 FA Cup Final, talks of split allegiances when contemplating Saturday's Third Round tie with his previous club, Plymouth Argyle.

Looking to the future
5 Jan - Frederik Dahl Pedersen assesses the current Everton squad following the signing of James Beattie.

Beatts of Everton resurgence
4 Jan - The writers of "original football articles" at the Square Football website see Everton's acquisition of James Beattie as confirmation of their resurgence.

Beattie a key to rebuilding
4 Jan - "James is just the first piece of a jigsaw that I hope to build to make Everton competitive at the highest level," said David Moyes as he introduced new acqusition James Beattie to the press at Goodison Park before the Portsmouth game.

Moyes balks at Davies fee
4 Jan - David Moyes is miffed at Tottenham's unreasonable price tag on midfielder Simon Davies. The Londoners want £5m for him but Moyes says, "we have our valuations and once we've set a figure, we don't tend to go above it."

Small clusters of water molecules
3 Jan - This article from some American "armchair sweeper" appeared on the Soccernet website last week and adds a new twist to the Everton success puzzle: Penta mineral water from Colorado.

Double Whammy
2 Jan - The very idea of these two somewhat less-than-popular ex-Everton players teaming up to save a Premiership side from relegation is guaranteed to give you a smile...
 

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  Team Pld GD Pts
13 Fulham 34 -4 42
14 Crystal Palace 34 -12 39
15 Brentford 34 -7 35
16 Everton* 34 -12 33
17 Nottingham Forest† 34 -18 26
18 Luton Town 34 -28 25
19 Burnley 34 -32 23

* Everton deducted 8 pts; † Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breach
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