|
News Headlines & Features
Van der Meyde and no
more
31 Aug - Andy van der Meyde is finally an Everton player after
officially signing for the club this afternoon following a protracted
medical. The Dutch winger arrives from Inter Milan for an undisclosed fee
but despite fevered anticipation among Evertonians that he would be followed
by the striker we so desperately need, the midnight deadline passed without
further signings. Robbie Keane held talks with the manager yesterday but
the writing was on the wall when it emerged that David Moyes spent most of
the day at a charity golf tournament before heading to Haig Avenue to watch
the reserves. So, despite having over three months, Everton have failed to
address the most pressing need in their squad.
We've been here before.
On tenterhooks
30 Aug - Expectant Evertonians face more nail-biting waiting as the
club's medical staff seek a second opinion on Andy van der Meyde's second
medical before David Moyes decides whether to proceed with the £2m transfer.
Reports in the Echo today suggest he would be out for three to four weeks
with a groin problem (which surely won't be a problem in the grand scheme of
a four-year contract), but the manager will obviously want to make sure
there are no longer-term issues there with the Dutch winger's injury. The
player's agent seems
confident he'll sign a 4-year contract tomorrow.
Collina Quits!
29 Aug - Pierluigi Collina, the self-proclaimed "best referee in the
world", has announced that he is quiting football... but not for the reason
most Evertonians would expect. The shame he must have realised after making
that dreadful mistake to dissallow Duncan Ferguson's go-ahead goal at
Villarreal is nothing to the shame of accecpting €800k from Opel, who also
sponsor Real Madrid.
WANTED:
Goalscorer, urgently
28 Aug - The transfer window closes in three and a a half days' time
but while David Moyes is smartly adding some much-needed reinforcements to
defence and midfield, the most urgent need — that of a consistent goalscorer
— was brought into sharp focus at Fulham yesterday but remains frustratingly
unaddressed. Moyes's admission of failed bids for Owen and Kuyt hopefully
indicates a vastly bigger budget than we're used to; from Makaay to Mintal,
McCarthy to Miccoli, Everton need to get into the market for a big name if
they want to compete once more with the big boys.
Turning three points into
nothing
27 Aug - Everton suffered a European hangover on the ground on which
they haven't won for almost 40 years as they were hit by Fulham's
second-half sucker-punch. David Moyes's side dominated the first half but
just one striker — an injured one at that — meant the cutting edge simply
wasn't there. Then, after 57 minutes, the home side demonstrated how it's
done: an incisive pass to an overlapping full-back, a sweet finish by former
Blue, Brian McBride and 1-0. Everton fell to pieces after that and although
they finished with McFadden, Vaughan, Ferguson and Osman as attacking
options, only a late saved header from the Scot and a Mikel Arteta free kick
threatened to bring the Blues level. Tomasz Radzinski capped a miserable
afternoon by engineering a second yellow card for Phil Neville in the dying
minutes. Match report
It's Dinamo Bucharest
26 Aug - Everton have been drawn to play Dinamo Bucharest in the
first round of the UEFA Cup following the draw in Monaco this afternoon,
arguably one of the more difficult ties that was on offer. Presumably the
Blues will be away in the first leg because of the order in which the clubs
were drawn out of the pot. The first leg ties will be played on 15th
September 15th with the return fixtures on 29th September. Premiership
rivals Middlesbrough drew Zante and Bolton have been pitted against
Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
The Reckoning, by
Rob Fox
25 Aug - If you are left exhausted and deflated after going through
the full range of emotions during last night's crucial Champions League
game, you probably aren't fit to do much other than collapse in front of the
computer and work your way diligently through another massive dissertation
containing the soothing and resiliently optimistic thoughts of ToffeeWeb
columnist Rob Fox.
Blues' late revival
killed by Collina
24 Aug - Everton's Champions League adventure is over after a valient
— albeit belated — effort that brought them to within a goal of saving the
tie but a scandalous decision by Pierluigi "I am God" Collina robbed the
Blues of a perfectly valid goal and Diego Forlan caught them on the break in
injury time to seal it. A wicked deflection off David Weir had put
Villarreal 1-0 up through Sorin but when Everton eventually started pressing
in the last half hour, Mike Mikel Arteta stroked a beautiful free kick past
Barbosa to make it 1-1 on the night. Then, Duncan Ferguson rose to power
home an Arteta corner but Collina ruled it out for a foul by Bent at the
back post when, in actual fact, it was the striker whose shirt was being
tugged. The next chapter begins on Friday with the UEFA Cup draw. Reports:
Lyndon Lloyd |
Guy McEvoy
Introducing the ToffeeWeb Forum
24 Aug - It's been some time since we had an official forum attached
to ToffeeWeb but the popularity of the
MailBag prompted us to take another look at providing a discussion forum
where our readers can discuss all things Everton. The ToffeeWeb Forum is our
new message board and while it is open for anyone to read, you will have to
be a registered user in order to post messages. So, there you have it — an
online community waiting to be built...
Vaughan signs
professional contract
22 Aug - James Vaughan, who leapt onto the Goodison scene with a bang
last season when he scored that great poacher's goal against Crystal Palace,
has agreed a three-year professional playing contract with Everton. Vaughan
holds a number of "youngest" records for Everton and the Premiership:
youngest player, youngest scorer, youngest player to score on his debut,
etc. David Moyes has not seen the need to use him much so far this season
but could the deepening injury crisis see him thrown into the cauldron of El
Madrigal on Wednesday night...???
Everton plunder three
points at The Reebok
21 Aug - David Moyes's Everton survived the predictable Bolton
onslaught and stole all three points by converting what must have been their
only chance of the game seven minutes into the second half. The home side
carried all the threat and had all the chances in a typically physical
encounter at The Reebok but when Cahill's sliding cross fell perfectly to
Bent in the six-yard box he made no mistake to tuck home the only goal of
the game. The win came at a cost to David Moyes's small squad, though:
Pistone was stretchered off after half-an-hour with a strained knee and Bent
limped off with what looked like the same complaint after an hour.
Neverthless, a first win earned against all probability and secured when El
Hadji Diouf's thundering shot cannoned off the bar late on.
Match report
Never mind the
Quality...
19 Aug - A number of contributors have commented on the need for more
width in the Everton attack, but none have captured as well as Martin
Doherty what this really means on the field. Simon Davies, whom the press
thought had a good league debut for Everton against Man Utd, was a
particluar culprit for taking the inside track instead of getting down to
the byline, where accurate crosses can do the most damage.
Responses
Panic by Rob Fox
18 Aug - Picking up on a theme proffered earlier by Colm Kavanagh,
Rob Fox utilizes some recognizable song titles to encapsulate his typically
wide-ranging and in-depth analysis of our first two matches. By providing
some thorough reasoning, backed up with a number of solid examples, he goes
a long way to counter the recent Panic that appears to have gripped a
good portion of the Everton fanbase.
Wake up and smell the coffee
16 Aug - The increasingly outspoken kopite-loving Alan Green used to
be a well-respected and incisive football commentator but he is now
seemingly going out of his way (literally — to yesterday's Irish Examiner)
in order to deliver his own brand of venomous disdain, with David Moyes the
primary object of this piece after he targeted a top-three finish for
Everton this year. And Evertonians don't fair any better as he pours plenty
of cold water over our pipedreams. Read this
excellent reply — from a Tranmere supporter!
Beattie out for
'some weeks'
15 Aug - Everton's difficult start to the season was dealt another
blow with the news that James Beattie will be out of action for some weeks,
giving David Moyes something of an injury crisis with four senior players
now out of action. It was
also feared he may have fractured a bone in his foot when he hobbled off
after just 19 mins against Man Utd, but that is not the case. It gives
Marcus Bent, who was nominated the Man of the Match on Saturday, the
opportunity he has been waiting for to prove to David Moyes that he is the
one who should be leading the line in the 4-5-1 formation.
Normal Service Resumed
13 Aug - After the massive expectations placed upon Everton in this
first week of an exciting new season, the kick-off turned into a damp squib
with a poor opening game at Goodison Park against Manchester United. Everton
looked to control the game for periods during the first half but lacked the
guile needed to penetrate and score. When Beattie walked off with a foot
injury, the script was written — although Bent did liven things up briefly.
But van Nistelrooy did his usual just before half-time with a very good
final touch. Then, straight after the restart a catastrophic Yobo moment
gifted the ball to who else? Wayne Rooney. He will never score an easier or
more sickening goal. Everton never recovered, never looked like recovering.
Reports: Lyndon Lloyd |
Paul Traill
Blowing the European
Money Myth
11 Aug - This will do ToffeeWeb's reputation for negativity no good
whatsoever, but Jamie Rowland's research puts some much-needed perspective
behind the widely held presumption that Everton getting into the group stage
of the Champions League will automatically provide a huge financial bonus to
the club.... it won't! That conclusion is based on information from Uefa's
own website, where the numbers show that the perennially successful clubs
who play in the competiton year after year are the ones who reap the massive
financial rewards.
Gutsy Everton come up
short against Villarreal
9 Aug - Everton kicked off the new season at home to Villarreal in
the Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round with Marcus Bent and Per Krøldrup
on the bench, the manager sticking with the 4-5-1 formation and Beattie up
front. A fantastic atmosphere as Everton tore into the Spaniards and really
set the tone, not giving them any time on the ball in the first 10 mins. But
Villarreal, in their first real attack on the half-hour, had Figueroa fire
the ball cruelly into the Everton net for a critical away goal to stun the
Evertonians. James Beattie eventually steered the ball home before half-time
on a great Neville cross but cheers turned to jeers in seconds as a
well-worked goal from Josico gave the Spaniards the lead again. Bent,
Ferguson and McFadden came on in the second half but Villarreal were intent
on keeping their spoils. Reports:
Lyndon Lloyd |
Paul Traill
Tunnel Vision
8 Aug - Tomorrow is the Big Day.... and Rob Fox is the writer of the
Big Column which, by way of a far-reaching match preview, sets the context
for the first leg in terms of a longer and more contemplative progression
that is — you guessed it — all part of David Moyes's long-term plan for
Everton. Rob has little time for those who see this Champions League
qualifier as some sort of litmus test for the mixed results of transfer
proceedings that have generally seen many fans frustrated over the close
season.
The Truth about
Rooney?
7 Aug - The reaction of Everton fans to this new book published last
week from tabloid journalist Frank Worrall is likely to be very mixed — from
those who will be put off by the horrible title: Wayne Rooney – Simply
Red — to those who may still be searching for "the truth" about the
events preceding his controversial transfer from Everton a year ago.
Whether Worrall provides some much-needed enlightenment, dispels any myths,
or simply fills this book with more tabloid sensationalism is not known at
this time... Reviews will be welcome from anyone who does read it.
Also
this long article on Rooney in today's Observer, for those
interested.
The David
France Collection finds a home
6 Aug - Great news for Evertonians who make a song and dance about
'knowing your history' - Lord Grantchester, speaking on national radio this
morning, has confirmed that the David France Collection, an unequalled
collection of Everton Memorabilia, has secured a permanent home and will be
housed at the Liverpool Record Office in William Brown Street, which is a
few minutes walk from Lime Street Railway Station. Lord Grantchester urged
Evertonians to continue supporting the
Everton Collection Charitable
Trust.
Cahill set to agree 5-year deal
5 Aug - There is no official confirmation yet from Everton but the
Daily Post boldly claims that Tim Cahill will accept a whopping £27k/wk
salary that goes with a new five-year deal being negotiated with Everton as
a "reward" for his wonderful efforts last season. It was believed he was
asking for £30k/wk — but Tiny Tim is not greedy! Oh no... if he was greedy,
he would have asked for a transfer!!!
Now, now, Mr Editor
Neville deal
finalised
4 Aug - Everton have completed the signing of utility man Philip
Neville before the deadline for registrations for the Champions League third
qualifying round. Bill Kenwright brokered the deal with the player's father
on Wednesday evening and formalities were completed today on the transfer
believed to involve a hefty £3.5m fee. The 28 year-old signs a five-year
contract, will wear the no. 18 shirt and brings both versatility and
Champions League experience to an Everton squad still worryingly short on
numbers and firepower. He should go straight into the squad to face
Villarreal next Tuesday and then make his Premiership debut the following
Saturday against his brother.
Opportunity knocked
3 Aug - We started the close season with dreams of a revamped squad
stripped of its dead wood and stuffed full of quality players to take the
Champions League challenge head on. A succession of failed transfer bids
later and less than 24 hours away from the registration deadline, Everton
will likely face Villarreal with the same size squad as that which finished
last season and with just three notable additions. Time will tell if it's
enough, but you can't help feeling that when opportunity came knocking, we
failed to answer the door.
Everton 1 - 0
Udinese Calcio
3 Aug - Everton gave themselves a lift in their final pre-season game
before things kick off in earnest against Villarreal in six days' time with
a narrow 1-0 win against fellow Champions Leaguers, Udinese. Things didn't
go to plan in the first half, however; Mikel Arteta — arguably our most
important player for Tuesday's first leg — had to be withdrawn from the
action as a precautionary measure after hurting his ankle after 25 minutes.
After a goalless first half, Udinese pressed in the second but it was
Everton who broke both the deadlock and the Blues' recent goal drrought
three minutes from time through (unofficial) home debutant Simon Davies.
Report from Paul Traill
Everton confirm
Baros interest
2 Aug - Everton have publicly announced that Milan Baros is on their
list of potential transfer targets following mounting speculation that Baros
could become the first Liverpool player to make the switch to Goodison since
Gary Ablett 13 years ago. If
The Independent are to be believed, the Blues, who are running out
of time before Thursday's deadline for registrations before the Villarreal
fixture, will need to break their transfer record again with a £7m bid after
Liverpool failed to accept £6.5m. Not only that, but the unreliable
Mirror suggest that Baros fears a backlash from Liverpool fans and wants
an increase on his current £35k-a-week salary. Psssst, Moyesey... Robbie
Keane.
|
|
Snippets & Rumours
Ferrari on target for Reserves
31 Aug - Watched by David Moyes, Matteo Ferrari helped Everton
Reseves to a 1-1 draw at Leeds with a nice volley.
Murinho key to Valente deal
31 Aug - Nuno Valente has revealed the key role played by Chelsea
manager Jose Murinho in convincing the Portuguese star defender what a good
club Everton would be for him to join.
Moyes made one last Owen pitch
31 Aug - In an article for The Times explaining why he made the move
to Newcastle United (could it be money, Ickle Mickey?), Michael Owen reveals
that David Moyes telephoned him late on Monday evening "to see if there was
a chance of getting me to Goodison Park and to wish me luck if not."
Preston act to keep Nugent
31 Aug - David Nugent has been offered a £10k-a-week deal by Preston
in a last-ditch attempt to stop a £1M deadline day move to Everton.
Planning for
Bucharest
30 Aug - CFW Tailor Made Travel are putting together packages for the
Blues' away leg against Dinamo Bucuresti, so if you haven't made your
arrangements yet, check 'em out.
Cahill running on empty
30 Aug - An ever-present for Everton so far this season, Tim Cahill
isn't shirking his responsibilities to Australia. He is back in his native
country to prepare for the Socceroos' match against the Soloman Islands, but
after another 22-hour flight from England, he can barely stand up due to
fatigue.
Season Comparison
30 Aug - Despite what seems to be a poor start to the season, if you
compare the results with the same fixtures last season, we are still on
track to finish with the same points total!
The Shortest Straw
30 Aug - Nick Armitage is in firmly in the Collina Conspiracy Camp as
he views the dubious circumstances surrounding the referee's retirement.
Nuno Valente signs on
28 Aug - Normally the arrival of a new player fills us with hope and
excitement... but another defender? 30 years old?? Digruntled with his
club??? And he get's a three-year deal???? Davie, he'd better be very, very
good! [Speak for yerself, Ed.]
Groin issue threatens AvdM move
27 Aug - The Guardian report that Everton will assess further
a groin complaint uncovered during Andy van der Meyde's medical yesterday.
The quotes from David Moyes, who confirms that he is looking for a left back
in addition to Matteo Ferrari, seem to suggest that the injury will not be a
show-stopper... but you never know.
Ferrari deal done
26 Aug - Everton have completed the loan acquisition of Matteo
Ferrari from AS Roma. The 25 year-old defender passed a medical on Wednesday
and signed on the dotted line at Bellefield today. The club are awaiting
international clearance for the Italian before knowing whether he will be
eligible for tomorrow's game at Fulham.
Van der Meyde move close
26 Aug - Andy van der Meyde is finally on the verge of signing for
Everton after a £2m fee was agreed by officials from Goodison in Milan this
morning and the Dutch winger agreed personal terms this afternoon. He will
undergo a medical over the weekend with a view to sealing the transfer move
from Internazionale by Tuesday.
Pistone KO'd for much of season
26 Aug - David Moyes has been dealt a hammer blow with the news that
the Italian will miss most of the season after suffering a cruciate knee
ligament in his late challenge on Henrik Pedersen at Bolton last Sunday.
With Gary Naysmith also a long-term absentee, even the imminent arrival of
Matteo Ferrari isn't sufficient cover at left back.
Another bad
injustice
25 Aug - Guy McEvoy, whose match reports have been sorely missed at
ToffeeWeb in recent years, was in Villarreal last night to enjoy Everton's
return to the Continent. Read his account of what was a bitterly
disappointing but simultaneously pride-instilling evening.
Ambassadors for
the Blues
25 Aug - Everton fans have been praised by Merseyside police's match
commander for the way in which they conducted themselves in Villarreal last
night despite hundreds of Blues ending up scattered throughout the home
supporters' seating. Once again, our fans have done the club and country
proud on the Continent.
Dashed Dreams
25 Aug - On the Football World website, Matthew Day thinks things are
looking up for Everton despite the drama of last night's exit from the
Champions League.
Moyes furious with Collina
25 Aug - David Moyes speaks out about the ludicrous refereeing
decision that cost Everton parity with Vilarreal in last night's crucial
match.
Ferrari
agrees Everton switch
23 Aug - The agent of Italian defender Matteo Ferrari says that the
25 year-old has agreed to join Everton on a one-year loan with a view to
making a permanent £3.7m switch from Roma next summer.
Kuyt & Owen approached
23 Aug - David Moyes has stated that Everton made a £10M bid for
Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt three weeks ago, but Feyenoord wanted £12M. Also,
Micheal Owen was approached but he was not interested. Everton are chasing
the big names, but will not pay over the odds.
More on the
Animals theme...
23 Aug - Villarreal keeper Barbosa gets more covergae for his moans
about Everton players rough-housing with him a bit too much at Goodison
Park.
The Beauty of
Winning Ugly
23 Aug - Colm Kavanagh took his lad to the Reebok to watch the Blues
plunder three precious points from Bolton, and went back to Ireland with a
smile on his face.
Bet
on the miracle
22 Aug - There are lots of permutations to whet your betting appetite
for Wednesday's game. Like Tim Cahill to score first and Everton to win 2-0
at 150/1 or David Weir to score first in a 3-1 Blues victory at 1700/1! Just
a plain old 3-1 Everton win is currently 66-1 at
BlueSq.
No ticket,
no go
22 Aug - Everton supporters who don't have tickets for Wednesday's
match against Villarreal are being urged not to travel to Spain. Based on
the experiences of Middlesbrough fans at a friendly against the Spaniards,
that is probably sage advice.
Unsworth joins Sheffield Utd
22 Aug - Former Everton defender David Unsworth, accomplished
proponent of the angled hoof-ball, has joined Sheffield United after
Portsmouth wrote off the rest of his contract, worth £½M.
Ian Ross responds to Stubbsy
22 Aug - Ian Ross has spoken out, reiterating Everton's view of the
real reasons why Alan Stubbs left Everton: he wanted a two-year extension.
Collina's the
man in the middle
22 Aug - The vastly experienced Pierluigi Collina will referee the
second leg of our Champions League do-or-die clash with Villarreal this
coming Wednesday evening. We remain hopeful that the aerial threat of Duncan
Ferguson meets with Collina's approval!
'Cancer clause' turned Stubbs away
22 Aug - After initially blaming the length of contract offered for
his decision not to re-sign with Everton, Alan Stubbs now reveals that the
club wanted a clause inserted in any new contract stipulating that they
could tear it up if he suffered a relapse of his testicular cancer.
The Club
issues a quick response.
Pistone out;
Bent doubtful
21 Aug - Alessandro Pistone will need a scan to figure out the extent
of damage to his knee, and will miss the Villarreal game. while Bent's
similar injury is less serious.
Cahill —
True Blue
21 Aug - Tim Cahill is featured in this Sunday Times story
building up to Everton's games against Bolton and Villarreal. Tiny Tim is
also the central figure in
this article from The Independent.
Moyes's real challenge
21 Aug - Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, David Moyes is
becoming more bullish about the Villarreal challenge as Wednesday
approaches: "This tie is still alive. We are capable of going to Spain and
getting the result we need."
Green, Schmeen...
20 Aug - We've had plenty of angry feedback in our
Mailbag regarding the obnoxious Alan
Green, but this calmly reasoned response from Paul Appleyard stood out.
Davies another case for treatment?
19 Aug - More worrying injury news with the statement from Moyes that
"Simon [Davies] has had a few problems with his shins since he came here."
Oh brother!
Li Tie still 'terrified'!!!
19 Aug - Although he has being playing friendlies and reserve games,
and gets to be named on the seven-man Euro bench, Li Tie clearly has some
way to go before he can be risked in the rigours of a Premiership match.
Truth hurts
18 Aug - We don't usually highlight things that aren't directly about
Everton but this article in The Guardian by sports editor Sean Ingle
reinforces some uncomfortable truths for fans of the 'beautiful game'.
Villarreal
match ticket up for grabs!
17 Aug - Over on
The People's
Forum there's one match ticket up for grabs - via auction, with all
proceeds going towards Zöe's Place.
A worthy cause that will hopefully benefit from some Evertonian generosity.
Get your bids in if you're travelling to Spain and are currently ticketless!
Mixed fortunes on world stage
17 Aug - Kevin Kilbane and Joseph Yobo were in international action
today for their respective countries (Eire lost 2-1 to Italy; Nigeria beat
Libya) while Phil Neville was, probably to his relief, an un-used sub in
England's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Denmark.
Bent unsettled by speculation
17 Aug - Marcus Bent has admitted that he is surprised by the recent
talk linking him with a move to the likes of Wigan Athletic and Charlton
Athletic and wonders if he figures in David Moyes's long-term plans. It is
not known whether the quotes attributed to him were made before or after
Everton's rejection of the speculation.
Naysmith facing
further surgery
17 Aug - Gary Naysmith will undergo a second operation to remove a
piece of bone from the ankle on which he had surgery earlier in the summer.
That should, theoretically, clear up any lingering problems in that area.
Moyes dismisses Bent speculation
17 Aug - David Moyes has moved to dampen speculation that Marcus Bent
is to be sold to Charlton Athletic. "How could we think of selling" him?
We've got no strikers.
Blues
triumph in mini-derby
16 Aug - Everton edged local rivals Liverpool in a five-goal thriller
despite finishing the game with 10 men. Rising Icelandic star Bjarni
Vidarsson scored twice with Victor Anichebe also on the mark as the Blues
won 3-2 away.
Blues need more firepower
16 Aug - Former Goodison hotshot Andy Gray believes that a lack of
striking options up front could hinder Everton's hopes of building on last
season's achievements.
Davies pulls out of Welsh squad
16 Aug - Simon Davies has withdrawn from Wales' friendly with
Slovenia on Wednesday because of a "shin complaint" according to Sky Sports.
Bolton v Everton tickets
16 Aug - Tickets for Everton's match at Bolton on Saturday are
available to season ticket holders upon production of voucher No 32,
together with at least eight away match ticket stubs from last season.
More...
The Man with the Plan
15 Aug - David Moyes arrived with a five-year plan for Everton.
Three years in and fan Steve Guy is convinced that Everton are well ahead of
that plan, and moving forward to consolidate the Club's rightful position in
the top part of the table and competing in Europe on a regualr basis.
Match Report from Paul
Traill
14 Aug - Overall I’m not too down. We’ve played two quality teams in
five days. Yes we’ve lost them both but have given them a good game. I
feel that if we can play to that standard week-in, week-out then we’ll have
fourth place again. We certainly would if we had a striker who could score
goals.
Kroldrup out
until late September
14 Aug - Per Kroldrup goes in for hernia repair surgery on Tuesday
and will not be available until the end of September.
Beattie injury
'not serious'
13 Aug - Everton will wait for the foot injury that forced James
Beattie out of today's defeat to Manchester United to settle down but the
initial prognosis is that there is no serious damage.
Neville gets
England call-up
13 Aug - Phil Neville has been included in the England squad for next
week's friendly with Denmark. Sven Goran Eriksson was at Goodison Park to
watch the midfielder make his Premiership debut for Everton. Neville played
in only two games for England last season.
Yobo error compounds
Blues' deficiencies
13 Aug - The expectations were great. The reality turned out to be
far more dispiriting and depressingly familiar as Manchester United departed
Goodison Park with another comfortable victory that, coming on the heels of
the defeat to Villarreal, made a mockery of Everton's Champions League
pretensions... both in terms of participation in this year's group stage and
qualilfication for next year's competition.
More...
Kroldrup itching
to play
12 Aug - Per Kroldrup is adamant that the niggling groin problem that
flared up last week and will likely require surgery "at some point" won't
stop him from making his Everton debut tomorrow if he is selected by David
Moyes.
Market Pool Money and more...
12 Aug - Following on from Jamie Rowland's concern about the dubious
financial rewards of playing in the Champions League, we are immensly
indebted to Carlos Donald of St Louis, Missouri, for this much more detailed
explanation supporing a minimum figure closer to £15M for participation in
the Group Stages... All we need do now is qualify!
Ledgers capture our history
12 Aug - The Daily Post has discovered the wonders of
The David France Collection,
which is being bought on behalf of Everton fans by the Everton Collection Charitable
Trust, who need all Evertonians to
contribute to the cause.
They don't like it up 'em
12 Aug - Villarreal keeper Barbosa has been crying about the tough
Everton players, whom he calls animals! And Tiny Tim gave him a big blow,
which hurt a lot.
Villarreal
ticket announcement
11 Aug - Everton are finally able to publish details for obtaining
tickets for the away leg in Villarreal which go on sale at 10am tomorrow.
Supporters presenting season ticket voucher no. 62 and 20 away match stubs
will qualify for the 1,600 ticket allocation that the club have been handed.
Construction work at El Madrigal Stadium has reduced capacity to 21,000.
Houston is
still calling
11 Aug - Everton are still getting a good press in Houston, TX,
thanks to Glen Davis of the Houston Chronicle, who is keeping
American fans of the Premiership well updated.
Beattie talking the talk
11 Aug - It seems the journos can't get enough quotes and promises
from James Beattie, who is oozing confidence ahead of Man Utd and the return
match in Villarreal.
Wolves
undo Reserves late on
10 Aug - An 89th minute goal from a Wolves defender gave Everton
Reserves an unfortunate home defeat in their first league game of the new
season, although Li Tie clocked another 90 mins.
Still half a tie to play for
10 Aug - David Moyes will take his players to Spain in a fortnight
believing they can get the two-goal advantage needed to turn this one
around.
Krøldrup may need surgery
10 Aug - Per Krøldrup was not fit for last night's game — despite
sitting on the bench — because of a groin strain that may need surgery to
fix. No estimate as to how long it may be before we see him making his debut
for the Blues.
Everton's European Legacy
9 Aug - Henry Winter ends his excellent piece in The Telegraph
with this: "Moyes's side have a tradition to live up to. Giving up is not
in the Goodison dressing-room code of conduct bequeathed by Reid and Gray."
Pie & Bovril
9 Aug - David Moyes is looking for the Goodsion faithful to get
fuelled up and really let the opposition know where they are tonight.
Squad Numbers confirmed
9 Aug - Big Dunc regains the Number 9 shirt for the season, with
Beattie wearing 8, Naysmith 3, and Pistone 23.
Everton's day finally dawns
9 Aug - Not a wiff of 'London-centric' jourrnalism in this excellent
piece by Dominic Field from today's Guardian, talking up Moyes and
his achievement in bringing European football back to Goodison Park.
Like Christmas Eve
9 Aug - David Moyes is definitely excited about the challenge ahead
this week as he relishes the opportunity of squaring up to Villarreal in
tonight's massive game, followed by the visit of Man Utd on Saturday.
Blond Ambition
9 Aug - Everton's return to the European stage offers James Beattie
the perfect chance for a fresh start.
Villarreal [A]
ticket details
8 Aug - Everton had hoped to be able to announce details for
obtaining tickets to the CL3QR away leg at Villarreal today but have had to
delay publishing details until Wednesday.
Cahill contract
boost
8 Aug - As expected, the club have confirmed that Tim Cahill has
signed a new contract that will keep him at Goodison until 2010. Although
not confirmed, it is believed to be worth around £27,000 a week.
Myhre back in the Premiership
8 Aug - One-time Everton No. 1, Thomas Myhre, has made a return to
the Premiership by signing a one-year contract with Charlton Athletic.
Calling
all Stockholm Blues
8 Aug - Two enterprising Evertonians in Stockholm, Ian Taylor and
Paul Collyer, are starting up a Stockholm Supporters Club for local and
displaced Blues in Sweden — just in time to watch Tuesday's big game at the
Dubliner on Smålandsgatan in the City Centre.
Riquelme the big
threat
7 Aug - The journos have picked playmaker Riquelme as the biggest
threat to Everton as the build-up to Tuesday's massive game against
Villarreal at Goodison Park on Tuesday continues to build. Tickets are
still available!
Howie still hurts for Everton
7 Aug - Howard Kendall reopens old wounds regarding Uefa's poor
treatment of then Champions Everton after all English clubs were banned from
Eurpoe due to Liverpool's role in the Heysel disaster 20 years ago.
Captain
Weir defiant!
7 Aug - David Weir talks to the Sunday Times about a now
familiar pre-season scenario: Everton written off before a ball is kicked in
earnst.
Is
Everbody Excited?
6 Aug - Bob Roberts has written in from Dublin, asking some probing
questions and making some strong points about how well things are shaping up
for the new season. But the ToffeeWeb Editor is not counting the chickens
just yet...
Vaughan in
contract talks
6 Aug - Everton have announced that talks are under way with Jamie
Vaughan's agent to set up the lad's first professional contract, now that he
has turned 17.
Nice welcome for Neville
6 Aug - Both The Times and The Independent carry this
nice story about Phil Neville's transition to Everton.
Everton vs Villarreal on TV
6 Aug - Correction: The first leg of Everton's CL3QR tie with
Villarreal will be screened live on ITV2 in the UK, on four-hour tape delay
on Setanta Sports USA (now available to DirecTV subscribers for $11.99 a
month) and live on ESPN in Australia. More TV details
'Barcelona'
T-shirts available
6 Aug - Still haven't ordered your limited-edition ToffeeWeb European
Tour T-Shirt? The "Is this the way to Barcelona?" design is now in stock.
Order yours here.
Wasted opportunity?
5 Aug - Jonathan Fruin takes TW columnist Lyndon Lloyd to task over
his recent article that
lamented the missed opportunity this summer and suggests that the cup is
very much half full.
Get down to Goodison Park!
5 Aug - Everton kick off what is, financially, the most important
game in the club's recent history on Tuesday and it is essential that
Goodison is sold out! The general consensus amongst Evertonians is that this
game is already sold out. It isn’t and a full house is required on Tuesday
night folks! Tickets are back on general sale and available in person at the
box office or at
tickets.evertonfc.com. We repeat: This game is far from sold out
Stay Positive!
5 Aug - Some fans like to perpetuate the myth that ToffeeWeb is a
hive of negativity, and they persistently ignore contributions like this
from Jamie Rowland, who has nowt but good things to say about the Club, the
Board, the manager, the team, our chances in the Prem, etc.
Bread
5 Aug - The summer has obviously taken its toll on Kieran Kinsella as
he compares some familiar characters at Goodison Park to the dysfunctional
Boswell family of the 80s Liverpool-based sitcom, Bread :-)
Carsley will miss a month
5 Aug - The knee injury Lee Carsley picked up in the last minutes of
last season's last game were exacerbted in Istanbul, and he will now miss
all Everton's games in August.
No more additions
4 Aug - Barring any major surprises in the morning, it looks very
much as though Phil Neville is the sum total of Everton's scramble to add
bodies to the squad ahead of tonight's 23h00 BST deadline. Any interest in
Milan Baros would seem to be on hold and the Freddie Kanoute rumour looks
like paper nonsense.
Moyes
talks to World Soccer
4 Aug - This interview with David Moyes in World Soccer
magazine is featured on Kenny Fogarty's long silent ToffeeBlog.
Fresh talks with
Cahill
4 Aug - Everton have proudly announced that a new round of talks has
taken place with Tim Cahill, who is looking for parity with the club's top
earners.
Stubbs hurt by Everton decision
4 Aug - Alan Stubbs talks at some length to the Daily Post
about his difficult and painful decision to leave Everton.
Arteta
substitution precautionary
3 Aug - Everton report that Mikel Arteta was withdrawn from today's
friendly with Udinese as a precaution after he rolled the ankle that was
causing him problems last season. He should be fit to play against
Villarreal on Tuesday.
Villarreal away
date confirmed
3 Aug - The second leg of Everton's CL3QR tie against Villarreal in
Spain has been confirmed for Wednesday 24 August, kick off time to be
decided.
Villarreal
ticket update
2 Aug - Following outcry by fans over the decision to put the
Villarreal game on general sale, Everton have announced a 48-hour "period of
exclusivity" for season ticket holders to buy tickets for the CL3QR home
leg. Details
Stubbs signs for Sunderland
2 Aug - Alan Stubbs, who rejected the offer of another year at
Goodison, has signed a 12-month contract with Sunderland... go figure!
Another fine
ticketing mess
2 Aug - Everton shareholders and season-ticket holders will not be
impressed with a pathetic line of excuses from CEO Keith Wyness justifying
the latest ticketing fiasco at Goodison Park. There was ample time to set up
a priority sceme: there was obviously no will or competence to do it. No,
we'll blame the terrorists instead... More in our
Mailbag.
Shake that Stick
2 Aug - Lots of Evertonians have lots to say at the moment, as our
Mailbag testifies. Also these longer
pieces: a letter to Keith Wyness;
a medical analysis of EDD;
Concern over Dithering
Dave... and a potted Summary of
The Trouble with Everton, especially for those of you who may not have
been paying much attention (but note that Home Farm is ancient
history...).
Bet on the Blues
2 Aug - The new season is just 11 days away so it's time to translate
footy fever into some well considered bets with our betting partner, BlueSq.
Sign up via
this link as a new member and they'll give you a free £25 bet when you
place a wager of the same amount. See
some of the latest prices.
What does
Everton mean to you?
2 Aug - As fans, we are sometimes ignored by the club and its
directors. Research is being currently undertaken across all Premiership
clubs to assess what values fans associate with their team. The results of
this research will allow clubs to better support the wishes of their fans.
If you're interested, this survey takes about 3 minutes to
complete.
ToffeeWeb RSS
Dashboard widget
2 Aug - If you're a Mac user who has upgraded to OS X 10.4 Tiger, you
can add our news to your Dashboard with the ToffeeWeb RSS widget. This smart
looking interface was designed for us by James Hanna, purveyor of fine
Everton goodies
for your Mac.
Villarreal
ticket details
1 Aug - Tickets for the home leg against Villarreal go on general
sale at the box office tomorrow (2 Aug) at 11am. There is no priority for
season ticket holders and you'll get shafted for £3 if you opt for the
convenience of booking on-line.
Villarreal date
confirmed
1 Aug - The home leg of the Champions League third round qualifier
with Villarreal has been confirmed for Tuesday 9 August, KO 8:05pm. That
would normally mean the reverse fixture would be held on Wednesday 24th
August but further discussions between officials and police are apparently
needed.
The Knives Are
Out
1 Aug - Even Bill Kenwright sounded exasperated with the lack of new
players, but Paul Carroll reckons we are close to the spending limit he set
already...
Purpose of the Fener game
1 Aug - David Moyes talks about the rationale behind the game against
Fenerbahçe; "The game was played exactly the way we wanted it to be, but we
didn't want the result to be the way it was."
|
Top of the Page