As good at it will get?

Allardyce??? Strachan??? Hughes??? Some other unremarkable jobsworth plugged in to the old boy network???? A McClaren or an effing Souness maybe????

Who in the name St Alan Ball of Goodison would the writer suggest, that would or could do the job???? And a caution here ? we all love Everton, that doesn?t mean that a Mourinho or a Mancini or a Rikjaard see our old club as we do. So don?t insult our intelligence by even mentioning them......
Love Moyes or Loathe him we are joined at the hip to him for the foreseeable future.

Moyes and Everton are a good fit, given his level of performance and the club?s spending power. Both could do a lot worse if they were separated. For that reason I would prefer Moyes stays. If the financial situation changed, as at City, then his methods, tactics etc really need closer scrutiny.

The irritating thing for me is that, given the solidity that Moyes has brought and a top 6, 7, or 8 finish almost a ?given?, and great credit to him for that, he doesn't send teams out to play a more expansive game, nor does he look for that type of player. Even the move of Arteta into the middle was a reluctant one. And he hasn't looked to even try replace him with a paler version already on the books.

Some judge Moyes by comparing him to SAF or Wenger, and say, "Well, Moyes hasn't won a trophy and we don't play dazzling football." I can pretty much guarantee neither of those two mentioned could do a better job at Everton (even if they wanted to ? which they wouldn't).

A lifelong blue of a chairman but totally inept in producing the funds Moyes needs to make us a true force again! An old ground which needs renovation, and an ageing fanbase that is suffering from a generation of under-achievement and under-investment.

You want EFC to be the strongest it can, well you start at the top (the very top) and work down. That begins with the chairman, the board, the CEO, the people who make strategic decisions about the club's financial and marketing goals. You start with those and you get them in order. You can get them punching above their weight as Moyes and our players do. Then when THEY can find Moyes remotely acceptable transfer funds, and us a new home, then we can look at Moyes and his team, and ask them questions.

Tell me James, how many PL managers over the last 7 years have put together a first 11 costing less then £40M (built from nothing) AND finished in the top 4 AND qualified for Europe 3 (soon to be 4 times)?

Get real everyone, we need investment; in players, in a new stadium, in our marketing department (starting with a FUCKING club shop in the city centre). In fact, don't bother with a city centre shop ? we?removing to Kirkby anyway so what's the point?

The best we?re gonna get... you're probably right! But that isnt Moyes? fault...

A great European run? ... urm, we got knocked out in the 4th round out of 7, that isn?t great. Yes, I gave credit for the run of wins but what did that come to? And when we were struggling in Fiorentina, common sense would have said to close down the game. You?d have thought he learnt from Bucharest. But he didn?t and that cost us.

And also his dreadful attitude in the summer would have been punished at any other club but at this he is let off the hook. I?m not denying he has done a good job but I wish Moyes apologists would once in a while accept criticism that goes his way.

And as for that same "all you are living in a football manager world" nonsense ? no! We just have realistic ambitions. No-one is expecting our football to be as glorious as Frank Sinatra?s voice but it would be nice to see an improvement and given how much progress we made early in this year playing free flowing football does that not suggest that it?s a far better option than hoofball?

James Boden, if we don't move forward soon? We have moved forward very impressively over the Moyes years!, I'm 24 and I know this is the greatest period for me as an Evertonian that I can remember apart from the '95 Cup Final, but that was a one-off. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that all pundits', managers', players' and other teams' fans praise for Moyes is because he is extremely talented and one of the best in the business.

I will agree that he can be negative but I?d rather that than the Gung-ho approach of perhaps a Keegan and the whole club fall apart around him. We are in great hands: last night in fact there was Baxter, Rodwell, Gosling and Wallace on England duty ? add to this the 3 lads in the first team and everyone of them will tell you that they owe something to Moyesy. The future is very blue indeed as long as Moyes is at the helm ? if not, I fear we will never get a better manager.

This is also the same alex Ferguson who had such a tight grip with United?s youth system that they couldn?t help but sign professional with United. This the same man who took a gamble by replacing senior pro?s with kids who he was responsible for coming to the club ? and look what happened? League and Cup double and they haven?t looked back.

If that?s not blindness towards Moyes's ability then nothing is. How you could choose him over someone who has seen and done the lot, from bottom right to the top is beyond me.

And please do not bring up this "well if you aren?t happy support, Man United" shite. That?s just petty for goodness sake. So say I was to have been to every game for the last 20 years but I slagged off the manager ? would that mean I am not a real fan? Get a grip and accept that I would like to see my club progress onto the next level and if I do not think it?s with Darling Davie then I will say so.

I must admit, after the Wigan game, I was fuming, but we have turned it around since then. What your piece rings off is an underlying feeling of discontent and bitterness against Moyes, which, no matter how well the team is doing, one single loss is enough to signal the Moyes out brigade, or Marshites as someone described it. Please, if Moyes is not the one to deliver, please put forward suitable suggestions.

But let?s look at this. Say it?s 2012 and coming towards the final year on his contract and we have stlll failed to win anything or break into that top 4. Should we extend his contract further? Or should we realise that he cannot take us any further?

I don?t hate Moyes, I just do not like his negativity and I find some of his tactics questionable. I also do not believe he has learnt from his mistakes as was proved what happens when you dither in the transfer market.

In 2006 we had a poor season so Moyes reacted straight away to rectify this by signing a forward, centre half and 'keeper ? all by the 1st July. That showed some savy and common sense. So why can?t he move this swiftly every summer?

If next season he plays that line-up that I predicted he will, then he would have learnt nothing. But if he drops previously untouchables then it will show to me that maybe this guy has some backbone and will be willing to make a change for the benefit.

And if we do win the FA Cup then I will eat my words. And personally I hope I am eating my words.

Arteta wasted on the wing for years when many of us were saying he should be in the middle; Baines sitting on the bench for half the season... only injuries forcing his hand to make the necessary changes.

Moyes has certainly got the drive and energy, but has he got the tactical ability? There are signs that he is learning but my God he?s a slow learner. After seven years, it's clear, however, that he?s no Brian Clough.

You, in the second post of the thread heartily endorsed the article. Now I suspect that on a site that feeds on user generated content, you saw the opportunity for a lengthy back and forth, a good discussion and some constant traffic to the site. You got that.

You must have known, after your big thumbs up at the top of the thread that the logical question would be asked of you. To then 24 hours later dismiss people who posed the question to you as asking a stupid question when it is clearly to illicit the answer "there is no-one" smacks of petulance on your part and came perilously close to calling your fellow Evertonians, the people who generate the best content here, stupid. That would be against your own rules wouldn?t it?

You also are rather smug about setting yourself apart as being one of a few who can see the flaws in David Moyes?s Everton. Pretty much everyone on this thread agreed with the original assessment of the Moyes years ? we are well aware of his problems with tactics, substitutions, team selection. It doesn?t make us stupid to ask people who talk of ending the Moyes reign where we would get the money to change now, who would fill Moyes seat. We know the answer to those questions ? the original post which you endorsed didn?t address that. Kudos to M Boden for following through and expressing an opinion. Boo to you for giving the question a body-swerve.

I have supported the club for 55 years so it is perhaps more difficult for me to come to terms with that than many others for I have seen the great teams of the 60s, 70s and 80s. However, most people are fully aware of the stranglehold that today?s Premier League structure has created and its resulting "top four" obsession.

This current clamour from many people for "Champions League" qualification in the current circumstances is perhaps indeed an illusion. Suppose David Moyes got his current squad (after some minor additions) into the Champions League ? does anyone really think it would progress much beyond the group stages, if at all, and at what cost?

It is no coincidence that the so-called English big-four, having swallowed all the riches bestowed by Sky etc and having beaten the FA authorities into craven submission on all fronts, are dominating the European League such is their stranglehold, over many years, on the finances necessary to keep you there.

Does anybody really want a Russian oligarch or such like to come in and throw his often ill-gotten monies at the club? Or should we not rather support the club and its currrent manager, whatever his faults, but with his many gifts and enjoy seeing us develop significant numbers of our own young players; (admittedly trying to play a more attractive style of football than has often been the case!) but nevertheless keeping our support within a realistic perspective.

Realistic success may well lie of course in performing creditably in the league itself and accruing the necessary funding from place finishes etc but also perhaps in the cup competitions where there is at least the lottery of chance and a somewhat more level playing field.

When one considers it, this is a strange age where getting into the "top four" is the goal! We are no longer one of the big clubs of the English game precisely because we are incapable of winning the Premier League itself and this is what needs coming to terms with. Not with having to give up the dream but the current structures appear to make this dream unrealisable at present.

Thus, in this climate, is winning the Premier League such a big deal today? Worthy of praise? Who could you "praise" from the usual suspects? Never Liverpool of course! Coming to terms with this could then perhaps help us to see that THE praiseworthy achievement may well lie much closer to home in what David Moyes (in spite of all our frustrations) has actually done.

All empires ultimately fall, and this current structure of the English game will inevitable implode because it is fundamentally corrupt. The longer Everton can "stay out of it" but continue to perform creditably then perhaps we will remain a truly "big" club but not according to the often farcical criteria that dominate this ludicrous Premier League.

Let us not forget that football is a season by season game and when it comes down it, just another form of entertainment for the public. It also has an awful lot of luck and chance, injuries to key players being an example.

The fact that we can sleep well at night thanks to Moyes and his team and not having to worry about relegation is comforting and makes me proud to be a blue.

For me I am satisfied; I know a lot of other Evertonians including the author of the original piece are not, but when it comes to the big picture, football is really about the moments and the glory at that point in time, not necessarily about dreaming about the future since as Anthony eloquently put it, the future is bound to fail in any case.

[Editorial Query: "no lime with Moyes as manager"... is that something from the Urban Dictionary I am not aware of? Or did you mean something like "no qualms with Moyes as manager"?? Or is it the complete opposite: "no time for Moyes as manager???]

James, I quote you: "I?m sorry to say but I think that if we don?t move forward next season then it may be time for Moyes to go" ? what do you class as moving forward? You see, whilst we are trying to improve, the Sky 4 are all trying to do the same, only they have far more money than everybody else as we all know. Then we have Villa spending loads, along with Spurs, Sunderland, City. So if I assume that in moving forward, you mean finishing in the top 4, then I hope I?ve illustrated how hard that is going to be.

And that is without considering that we will probably have little or no money to spend again ? and this leads to the criticism of Kenwright ? maybe he?s not done enough in the past to bring investment in, but think about the mess some clubs are in following ?investment? ? Newcastle (Mike Ashley), City (first Shinawatra now the Sheikhs), Pompey (Guydamarak), the Shite (the Yanks - not in a football sense but the club is still in turmoil). The fact that we will finish in the top 6 again for the third season running (bar a disaster) is nothing short of a minor miracle.

And once UEFA change the rules again (which they will be forced to do by the rest of Europe due to England?s (the Sky 4?s) domination of European football, we actually look in pretty good shape ? if they go for minimum number of English players, we have a squad packed full of them ? Nev, Jags, Lescott, Baines, Ossie, Arteta (would qualify as citizen), Anichebe (ditto), Vaughan, Rodwell, Gosling, Baxter ? while if they go for ?living within your means (i.e. wage bills, etc), I reckon we?re OK on that front.

The single worst thing that could happen to EFC over the next couple of years is that SAF retires or dies and they move for Moyes ? cos he would go, and we?d be fecked!

I also said I had an impression that you saw yourself as "one of a few who can see the flaws in David Moyes?s Everton." I then followed that up by saying "Pretty much everyone on this thread agreed with the original assessment of the Moyes years ? we are well aware of his problems with tactics, substitutions, team selection." Does that really seem like I?m knocking the contributions of other people here? That I?m blind to the opinions expressed? Indeed, they are my own opinions.

Agree or disagree with the opinions expressed, it is the users comment that set this site apart from the Pravda-like pronouncements of the official site or the less serious albeit enjoyable atmosphere of other Everton sites. And like you, many of us have questioned tactics, substitution, ambition etc.. I have no monopoly on truth ? my observation was that sometimes you come across as if you do. I would put it down to the limitations of the internet, where nuance, emphasis, emotion can be very easily misconstrued.

Peace.....

So, for at least four months of the year, speculation regarding specific players coming in, and what they could do for us, is understandable, although my inclination for a long time was to limit such discussions to those who were actually linked to us in the press/internet. My reasoning there was at least there is some prospect for that to actually happen. (Do you really want to read every internet Johnny piping up about how X player, their fave, with Y club could do a job for us??? I certainly don't.)

This is getting off the point a little, but the events of the last few years in terms of player speculation has gotten totally out of hand, with the result that last summer, we were "linked" to everyone and his mother ? literally at least one new player every day ? while the players who actually joined us ? Fellaini, Nash, Saha ? slipped in completely under the radar. But at least new players do come in now and again... it's something that actually happens!

So finally back to the point. How often do Everton change their manager? Answer: not very often... the current one being under contract for the next four years (although that means little other than securing compensation in the event he is ?poached?). What merit then is there in speculating about who might replace him? None whatsoever!!!

If there are problems with the current manager, what needs to happen is not REPLACEMENT but IMPROVEMENT. Replacement is largely unrealistic ? "he?s going nowhere..."; improvement is at least possible, and some claim is actually happening ("Moyes learns from his mistakes"...). What me and his other critics are saying is there needs to be MORE improvement.

Regarding the issue of discussion limitation (or ?censorship?), we have striven to ensure the discussions on these webpages are relatively sensible, and do not descend into the typical childish internet flame-war mudslinging (although we often seem to invite the "Scouse Wedding" syndrome... love that expression!). We are selective about what we publish, but most people who write in know this, understand the parameters, and hopefully support that general principle.

There are of course a few who think we are too restrictive: this affects those who mainly wish to make their point using sarcasm or abuse. We can all do sarcasm ? some better than others ? but it rarely if ever works on the internet. Nine time out of ten, you just come over as a twat, while half your audience take it literally and respond in kind, grabbing the wrong end of the sick... As for abuse, we have zero tolerance.

Judging by the overall level of contributions, which I think are generally excellent ? and I thank our regulars for that ? it's a formula that I believe works for the interests of the many.

Unfortunately there are a handful who continue to object to our editorial policy, and do their utmost to subvert it, with limited success. And there are times when we bend our own rules: normally I would not sanction the current debate about Michael Owen (not linked; out of transfer season... aged, injury-prone, so a pretty ridiculous idea anyway...) but I let it go because it's a quiet non-football weekend, and because I was pretty sure most people would respond (as they have) with varying levels of derision.

I?m tempted to suggest you perhaps focussed on this because fundamentally we disagree on the issue of ?the question?. I think from your last post you have recognized that now and so we can "both agree to disagree"... although ya know, when I read that on an internet discussion, it sounds kinda hollow and meaningless...

... Just kidding!

ps: Football Manager

2) Team Ethic
What other team could have survived with the level of injuries Everton have faced this year. Why have we been able to do this? I believe it is because of the unbelievable team spirit and work ethic Moyes has instilled in the team since his arrival. There is no bitching and back-biting between the players, there are no huge stars or huge egos ? only workmen going about their job in the way the gaffer asks

3) European Football
Before Moyes Everton team players didn?t even need passports ? need I say more on this topic? Of course people will say it's not the CL and we haven?t won but compared to previous years I am happy to have a beer to celebrate a European game win than to be only watching and ?supporting? other British teams on the road.

4) Solid financial base
Probably Leeds is an over-used warning now to teams but it probably holds up now more than ever. Liverpool have debts of £350m+, Man United have debts of £600m+, Abramovich even apparently is feeling the pinch (I think he is down to his last few billion!!). Everton don?t have the rosiest of balance sheets but we are nowhere near as bad as some teams in the face of the biggest financial and banking crisis ever ? who knows who will go next? No-one is certain and it is clear no-one is safe but Everton are more safe than most.

5) Some world class players now and in the future: Cahill, Jagielka, Arteta? and Gosling, Rodwell? for the future

People complain of Moyes?s indecisiveness in the transfer windows but which one of us doesn?t act in the same way when the cash is short. I am sure all of us take a bit longer to decide what to buy when we are a skint. So why shouldn?t he? For me it makes sense to try and make sure that who he buys fits in with the squad and gives the ?most bang for his buck?. I accept he doesn?t always get it right but I would say for every Krøldrup there?s an Arteta or a Cahill. For example, when was the last time Everton had three in the England squad?? all Moyes buys.

This is underpinned by a strong and successful youth system with clear talent coming through. Thank god for Gosling and Rodwell against Liverpool the other week...

In summary, Moyes and Everton have turned themselves into a team despite laughably limited resources who can consistently challenge the top 4, expect to be in Europe and who have dramatically overturned their failing years and given supporters confidence and some pride back.
It is a team that laughed in the face of Liverpool and the FSW in the FA Cup with a decimated team. Do you think the Man U all-stars are viewing the FA Semi as a pushover? I doubt it, maybe a few years ago but not now.

So for me the only limited thing about Moyes is his wallet not his ability to take us to the next level ? I am confident with a few more quid Moyes could take us to become a dominant force like Man U over the coming years. My biggest fear is who could do the same with the resources we have if he decides to go and take Man U to the next level himself in the next few years?