I think you inadvertently pointed to the likely development path for Rodwell. Slowly, slowly, catch the monkey. I don't expect Moyes to use him anything but sparingly. If he starts more than 30% of our remaining matches this season (injuries and suspensions notwithstanding), I will be amazed.

I don’t think there’ll be a situation when all those players are available. There’ll be suspensions and injuries to contend with. But it’s a nice problem to have though!

Tom, to pick up on your last comment, I think this summer will be very interesting Moyes said at the start of the season if the players didn't perform he would think about re-building the side.

I know our form has changed dramatically since then but he allegedly still retains an interest in M'bia, Moutinho and what about Jo, if his form keeps up?

Rodwell will hopefully be part of a very exciting squad come next season, Moyes and Kenwright missed the chance to build on last season's good platform ? let's hope they don't fuck it up again.
Coyb.

Always seen Fellaini as one for the future, starting next season. Still a young lad, strange country & language, missing family & friends etc. I have little doubt he will pick it up next season, fitter, more confident and more attuned to the EPL game.

What I just love about this newly hatched debate is that it is centred around optimising what we have and not the zillions that we need to improve it. That said, our midfield still misses Gravesen big time. He is one of few players that drive teams forward almost single handedly (so does Gerrard, so does Essien). It hels you stamp your authority on games by being positive and always looking to break forward.

Thus I will not be surprised in the least to see Moutinho or M’Bia arrive in June. Both would make us title contenders. That said, if it doesn’t happen I won’t lose sleep because we are moving inexorably forward as a club and have shown that with current talent, coaching and that "extra ingredient", we are almost there. The fact that we have several kids who can do it now is a fantastic bonus.

Rodwell looks like a future superstar. He has got none of Rooney’s misplaced arrogance & stupidity, just talent, cool temperament, an inner confidence and a football brain. But then Anichebe & Vaughan are still kids, then there’s Baxter, Agard, Kissock & others.

And hey, if it happens that somewhere down the line ManU or RealMadrid or Barca want to fork out £25mor more for one of our kids & he wants to go then, like Arsenal, you just take the money, bring another one through or buy one for a quarter of the price and get on with it.

I wish the idea of the billionaire would go away now, for good. It’s just a distraction & I don’t want one. Just look at what’s going on here at the moment and consider how many chances these kids would have had if we’d done a Man City or Tottenham. It was stated yesterday that young Sturridge at Man City (think he’s 19 and played less than 10 games) only wants £65,000 a week to stay at the club. THAT’s what happens when the cash tap is turned on & it’s obscene.

More to the point, if Michel Platini gets his way in the UEFA & CL competitions & teams can only enter if they live within their means (i.e. revenue from gates, sponsorship & TV) then we are sitting well pretty and the business models of Chelsea, Man City, Spurs and 1 or 2 others is blown out of the water. It will be the best piece of footy legislation for a long time. If they added to it by having no transfer window during the season then we would be back to the era of open competition and good coaching.

Something is definitely stirring within L4 right now. If the governing bodies do as they are expected then we could be flying.

It?s going to be tough to accommodate Neville, Rodwell, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar and Osman in our midfield with Jo up front. Surely the numbers don?t add up?

Unless you?re suggesting Nev as a RB/we go to three at that back? Wingers are clearly where we need to invest money in this summer. To me, even Pienaar and Osman are arguably better in the middle.

Such is the quality of our up and coming talent to accomodate its resulting massive increase in support we would need a far bigger stadium and it would not matter if it was 5, 10 or 20 miles from the city centre.

I do not think it too optimistic to say that our club shows signs of an emerging colossus on the world stage. The only thing that could hold us back is a delapidated home ground. The sooner work starts on a completely new and bigger stadium the better.

Despite our tiny squad I have nothing but hope for the future, I feel we are only a few signings short of being brilliant. Our defence is second to none (I know the mancs dont concede many, but how much defending do they actually do?!?!?) and with more players who don't give away silly possession we should be flying.

COYB

Dick... stop pissing about! Did you take note of the gate on Sunday? Or are you too remote to see that far?

Start Fellaini on the bench, he has a crocked back. We have just smashed Villa so why change it up too much? Even Anichebe looked OK...

Dick Fearon, perhaps, given the current financial climate, it might be worth Kenwright et al legally challenging the requirement for all-seater stadia, which after all is based on very, very flimsy grounds.

Alan Kirwin has a good point there regarding Uefa. I would add they are looking at some "5+6" (whatever) where a significant portion of the team are home-grown talent or from youth setup (can?t recall the details exactly). That would place us in a very favourable position to kick on whereas a lot of the teams would need to frantically rebuild.

However I can?t see it happening as the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, G14s etc. will oppose. Uefa have no chance against the cartel.

Um... the original article.

We have a strong backbone to the team now.

Goalie: Howard ? suspect to crosses, we would need to look at a decent backup

Center-backs: Yobo, Jags, Lescott ? each have their strengths and weakness but we look good in this department. Needs to play the ball short to midfield or fullbacks as none of them are exactly Sammer.

Central-mid: Arteta, Neville, Rodwell, Fellaini, Osman ? Arteta is our fulcrum and must play. Which means added steel in the form of Neville or Rodwell.

Center-forward: Yak, Saha, Jo, Cahill, Vaughan. We usually play 1 up front but I would play Cahill and Yak, injuries permitting. Cahill as the link between midfield and forward line, and no need to upset Moyes with his 4-5-1.

The central positions look quite healthy (can?t believe we have the luxury) so any FM-related purchase would be upgrade fullbacks or wide players. Can Moutinho play wide?

The young lad is a massive find but sorry I do not agree with the attitude of use and abuse when we have him. Look at the end of the day, until a massive investor comes in, we are a club that is going to have to sell off a great young player to keep things ticking over.

I?m involved in the horse business and as much as I?d like to keep all the good young ones I have you simply can?t... unless I myself get an Arab backer!! I hate seeing them go but fully understand it. Unless we get a big backer we will loose him, it still kills me that we lost Rooney but we got a hell of a lot of cash for him and it has served the club well.

I tell ya though, this club right now must look hugely attractive to a wealthy investor. Look at the young lads we have coming through. Buy the club, buy a top notch striker and get that fucker from Portugal over and we really do have a serious side. The potential is massive...

I think a winger (possibly two) and a right back should be the priority in the summer, Pienaar just does not look as good as a few months ago and Osmans (as much as I like the lad) has been weak for a while now. I’ve got a feeling Ruddy (Is Turner still here?) will step up to back up for Howard next year so I can’t see us signing anyone in that position, when fit we are very strong in attack but can see us signing Jo if the price is right. As for centre mid and defence, all sorted.

And fwiw I agree about Osman being better in the centre, in Cahills role, which pretty much rules him out of the team IMO if we do sign a winger

Jesus H Christ I forgot about Gosling, I honestly think he should play right wing in place of Osman, make that one winger needed!

Robert Jones, why do we need ANOTHER right back ? We have Hibbo (who has improved tremendously this year), Neville has played in this role many times, we have Jacobsen (the current Danish international) and we have recently signed that Seamus Coleman guy, who is supposed to be very good in this position. We would be mad to sign one more right back.

Left back is a position I would strengthen. Baines is very good,but the back-up is thin. Nuno Valente?s career is almost over at this club. And moving Lescott over to LB would mean disturbing our Central defensive partnership.

I agree that we need a world class winger. Personally, I would give up Yobo to Arsenal in exchange for Walcott (and of course, bring in a cheap "Moyes uncut gem" from the lower leagues to replace Joey).

Dick Fearon, still talking bollocks I see. Whatever the questions are Re. the Club and Team, none of the answers is Kirkby.

Phil Bellis, the RS have shown that success brings crowds and crowds bring money and that wisely used, buys players. Those players help to perpetuate the success. What does it matter if crowd increase is down to glory-hunting blow-ins? If we are to capitalise on what could be a golden era then a new and bigger stadium is vital.

Somehow or other we must break into and hold onto a place in that exclusive group of top 4 clubs. Can you honestly say that is possible with Goodison as our headquarters?

Sorry if I?m wrong but isn?t Rodwell a centre-half?

At the start of the season our bench was full of kids and we had a few on the pitch, we might now be in a position where we have a strong team on the field and a bench that can come on and change things. As I've heard many times, it?s a nice problem to have.

To truly push on for a top 4 finish we need a winger who can make things happen, Ashley Young for example, or maybe a Lennon [the more likely to be available]; I?d love Walcott. I heard we tried for Eagles in the transfer window so Moyes is on the same lines.

Screech is raw talent and I fully expect him to be as important to the team as Cahill, Arteta and Jags given time. Rodwell looks promising but so did Cadamarteri ? anyone heard anything about Baxter?

Dick,
Yes

I agree with most of what has been said, I am very optimistic about the rest of the season and I am delighted we have offered Rodwell a decent contract, the lad is class. My only worry would be loosing Arteta to injury. For all the optimism about, we just do not have another playmaker in his mould, which is why I would pull out all the stops to get Moutinio or similar in the summer.

Lads, dont yer get what DM is doing, Fellaini is 21 and Rodwell is nearly 18. Phil Veville is 31 and Cahill is nearly 30? Rod and Felli are for the present but more importantly the future!

Iain, Rodwell started out in the Youth team as a centre back but Moyes saw him as a centre-midfielder and has told the reserve team coach Andy Holden to play him in midfield to develop him in that position and has only used him as a centre-mid for the first team to give him experience there.

Good point, Tom, and why are people stressing about Fel?s position we need a big squad and players will get picked on form.

No doubt we paid to much for fel, but be clear about this he is a weapon, look at the size of the guy his potential is enourmous, he just needs to develop. Trust in Moyes on this and give the guy time. what is wrong with a strong bench when we always get lodas of injuries?

We need back up for Arteta he is our best player and if he injured then no doubt Fel will drop back as one of the two centre mids but I think we need a ball player like Moutinho. we definitely don't need a RB as highligted by someone else but we do need a pacy winger

Love this talk of winning the league next season!

Dick bro Fearon, will you stop with yer boring fear-mongering, a la Ajamu whatever his name was. Disappeared with the call-in.

The ol? lady is well nigh unique irreplaceable. How do you recreate that fear factor which even the RS/kopshites fell to and were brought low.

By all means rejuvenate her, do her up, but get rid... never. Evertonians shall not fall in for that, certainly not to become Kirkby United FC. Everton FC and Goodison are as inseparable as our history. Even to us blues overseas, the uniqueness of a Goodison atmosphere stays with us. Arsene Wenger himself acknowledged it.

So go get a living will ye. Or are you too thick for that? May be running for some others then or what. Crazy.

Alan Kirwin: [[ More to the point, if Michel Platini gets his way in the UEFA & CL competitions & teams can only enter if they live within their means (i.e. revenue from gates, sponsorship & TV) then we are sitting well pretty and the business models of Chelsea, Man City, Spurs and 1 or 2 others is blown out of the water. It will be the best piece of footy legislation for a long time. ]]

What is our wage bill in relation to our turnover? I’m not so confident we’re sitting pretty well at all but maybe I’m mistaken. Anyone know?