Ian, I don't think it's ridiculous to assume we're skint. There has been no new investment (despite Blue Bill's 24/7 search... his insistence that there is no money out there, it has all dried up in the credit crunch... while the purchase of other clubs less attractive than ourselves goes ahead regardless... Makes ya wonder, don't it, if someone is perhaps telling porkies??? But I digress).

So you want to be all lovey and optimistic about the summer silly season that seems to already be in full swing, even though the transfer window itself does not open (correct me if wrong) until July 1. What exactly has changed since the last wonderful summer of inaction that ruined the first 2½ months of what could have been an even better season?

You think Everton are this season going to do what they palpably failed to do last season ? bring players in early? Well, if (as I believe) Moyes's fannying around over his contract, and uncertainty about his Everton future (that was until the golden words of one Sir Bobby Robson brought him to his senses ? his own admission, remember!) were the primary factors causing a total and unforgivable abrogation of his responsibilities as Everton Manager, then you could argue that (hopefully) such concerns will not be in play this summer and he will indeed buckle down early on.

So the problem of Moyes may have been resolved (let's hope so!) ... But the problem of money could still be out there. People are talking of £50M income last season, but I'm sure that's all been spent or allocated (or at least a large part of it), leaving surely the same conditions in which the real money (from Sky) doesn't come in until sometime toward the end of August. If this is true (and again, I stand to be corrected), then ain't it highly likely that this idea of having new players in for a full pre-season is once again just so much pie in the sky?

Interesting that you use that wonderful throw-away phrase "have faith"... have faith in what exactly? Rather than ignoring what we know to be true, and building your hopes on some future event that may or may not transpire, it may be preferable to go with the devil we know, which is the way things have been in the recent past.

Michael, I agree with you that there possibly could be no financial improvement from last year but there has also been word from Moyes and Elstone that we will try to get business done early on ? they could be saying that to keep fans quiet though, so the transfer budget is a 50/50/we?ll see situation. When I said "have faith" I meant in the playing staff.

I agree that it?s easy to get over excited and if we base it purely on previous experience then we?ll wait till the last minute and by no-one.

Then again, if you based expectations Everton?s on-field performance on previous experiences from 6 or more seasons back we?d still be fighting for relegation each year and hoofing the ball up between has-been players. Same could be said of our cup experience - go back 2 years and you?d expect us not to get past the first few rounds of anything!

If you based our commercial expectations on 2 years back (Wyness and before) we?d struggle to get our merchandise out at at the back of JJB, rather than being in our own spangly shop with a new kit deal and some slick promotion.

I could go on, but I think I?ve made my point. Sure we?re not going to change anything overnight, but there has been very definite, tangible progress in pretty much all areas of this football club and with the likes of Moyes, Elstone, Round and co in place and BK doing what he can I think we?ll see this continue.

Sure we won?t have £50Mill to spend and we?re not going to be competing for Kaka, Tevez and Ronaldo, but if the financials in the paper this weekend were even faintly right then we should be better off than we?re letting on and I?m confident we?ll see £15-20 mill being invested in transfers this summer - enough for a decent midfield battler (who can pass), a right winger and some support up front. Ideally with loans and youth we?ll sort out right back option too!

There?s plenty of time for doom and gloom as we approach the end of July, but right now let?s have a little faith and give the boys the benefit of the doubt eh! COYB!

Here we go again. Groundhog day. The season is only just finished. Transfer window not yet open and it's slagging off Moyes time already. Pathetic.

Yes the new kit is a disgrace. It also plays into the usual brigade of not dwelling on the past mob. However, in this particular monstrosity I agree.

Michael, few of us are under any illusions as to are lack of wealth but can we not have a week of the close season to look back and feel a little bit proud of the club?s achievements over the last 2 seasons?

Whether you like it or not DM has performed miracles ? a fact recognised yet again by his peers. It is certainly true that BK is not willing to sell to anyone with a pot of gold (or a way of borrowing it). A stance surely vindicated by the recent financial news from cross the park.

In my opinion we would not be the club we are without our tales of misfortune at the hands of the RS, referees and even world wars. Everton have dominated my life, influenced the jobs I have taken and turned down and even proposed on the back of one Derby win.

However, I do not want MY Everton to sell their soul in an attempt to break into the moneybags 4 who have dominated the English game was invented at the dawn of the Premier League.

Come on, Michael, take a deep breath and congratulate BK, DM, and ALL the players for an incredible effort. It really feels good to think well of them.

I am sick and tired of posters on here moaning about our lack of a sugar daddy. Be careful what you wish for.

The RS have two sugar daddies and they are in big trouble. The neo-cons have 6 weeks to re-finance their debt of £360m, or sell the club at a huge loss, failing which they will go into administration.

This will mean a 30 point deduction before the season even starts. Is this the sort of risk we are willing to take for a few extra quid from some foreign upstart with not a clue about our history?

I’ll stick with BK any day.

Mr Kenwright told us at an AGM that Sky money could be drawn upon once premier status was beyond doubt,unless that has changed we should have a few pence to pounce early on. If true it also makes a nonsense of last seasons debacle being blamed on Sky money timing.

The RS are so broke it is not funny. Well okay then it is really funny. Their new stadium will never be built unless yankee doodle dummies sell up.

Just thinking out loud but given the financial crisis would the city council buy the stadium from Liverpool and build a 70,000 seater with the intention of a ’stade municipale’ rented it out to both clubs like the San Siro in Milan?

It would be touted as a prime venue for England’s world cup bid. It is worth a thought given most fans dont want to leave the city.

Michael, I just dont understand the level of your negativity. Are you blind to the fact that we are making progress, yes slowly, season by season, but we are moving forward. Surely you can see that?

I honestly beleive we are only a couple of players away from really competing for a 4th spot in the Prem - theres always one team of the 4 that doesnt have a ’great’ season - and why not?.

I appreciate/assume we may not have a large transfer budget but Moyes is a master at finding gems for good money, and for me, Im a happy toffee, whos optimistic about the new season.

Lets be happy/excited with whats happening at Everton, it could be so much worse - without Moyes we we would return to the previous years with no plan, structure, or vision at our club (remember Walter Smith team, take alook and remind yourself what we had to watch and what path we were taking in that era)

If I remember correctly, Moyes has recently spoken out about last years transfer dealing, in that the money didn?t come in until late on. Nothing to do with his contract negotiations.

Hopefully this close season we will have the money earlier, like the season before and have the new players (if any) early on and have time to bed in.

I know it seems FM but the news about M?bia sounds promising with a lowish price tag and the usual story of Moutinho is out again but he has already expressed the possibility of coming to us, hopefully Bill will get a few pound from the back of the couch and get the signings out of the way to have a full pre-season and let?s build on this season.

Michael Kenrick, that's just about the best thing you?ve put on here. I?m tired of brave failure and how any criticism of David Moyes is somehow unacceptable. Financially, this has been a relative golden age for Everton. We have played appalling football throughout most of his reign. He and Kenwright have presided over a mild revival, no more than that.

I know his usual defenders will refer to the dark days of Walter Smith. I know that he is Manager of the year. But I ask this question; Why do we go into every game against Man U, Chelsea, and Arsenal trying to keep the score down? David Moyes is a fine man and coach, he is, though, on the salary of a great coach ? and that he is not.

Jeez Michael, I almost always agree with your sentiments but you don?t half hammer it home, why not give some guys some breaks now and then, spread the love, the summers here ?n? all that.

There have been improvements both on the field and off the field this season without a doubt. But it didn’t start that way and all of must rememeber that a major divot in why ther first couple of months were so bad was the appaling preparation, the arguments regarding availability of money for any transfers and Moyes digging his heals in over his contract. (which may well have been more to do with giving him the resources to do the job than personal monies)

That said we had to sell last year to buy and think this year will be no different. Look for the exit of Vic, or Vaughan, Lescott, Castillo, or even, god forbid, Cahill if the money was good. I think Moyes will keep Hibbert and Osman but limit their playing roles. If the Yak was fit I think he would be on sale too..

I think if someone came in with a 20m offer for Tiny Tim and / or JL I think Moyes might well take it.

I don;t for one minute think he should but we need to strengthen midfield, and the forward line. Moyes has a surplus of cover at the back (when fit) and what does he do when TC, MA, SP, MF, are all available?

Assuming we play with two strikers and not one, and the need for Neville to play right back.. that leaves the midfield mix requiring an enforcer and someone with pace on the right..

Do we end up with Cahill and Saha / Yak up front?
Do we have Arteta on the wing? MF is not an enforcer.. no pace but good touch,

Moyes has a few problems because with our current staff the mix is wrong even when we get them all back!

Should be interesting!

4 players are needed to go straight into the 1st team.

You need to improve on what you have otherwise it’s a pointless exercise!!! Osman, Hibbert etc need to be dropped from the 1st team. Simply not good enough!!

Andy Crooks - keeping the score down is the first priority in every game!

Look at the Barca games against Man Utd and Chelsea recently for reasons why you have to play a certain way when faced with better players.

I know I’m a one-off but I love my Everton the way it is! Of course some new investment would be welcome but not at the expence of our identity as per ’ over the road’!
I’ve read many of our number warning ’ be careful what you wish for’and I think that mantra still holds good.
I’ll gladly settle for another season like 2/3 of the one just finished -with progress measured by some improvement in our ventures into Europe.
I think Mr Elstone is making great progress on the business front and some good news re the ground move would be the iceing on the cake.
In the meantime,I’m happy for Blue Bill and Davey to get on with doing the excellent job that’s seen our progress to this level.

I have to first comment, not only on Mr Kenrick?s unceasing slagging of Bill Kenwright (however small the digs might be) but also on his naivety in things of a business nature... Quote "while the purchase of other clubs less attractive than ourselves goes ahead regardless." unquote.... Who says they?re less attractive than ours, the people buying them obviously don?t think so do they? Has it never occurred to you that the ones being bought ARE being bought because they can be an ongoing profitable business (yes I said profitable) without extending to the absolute millions it would take to do the same with our club.

It may seem a bit of a weird theory but to make the likes of Portsmouth a decent ongoing, if booooring, proposition, is going to take a hell of a lot less than it would for Everton to be a decent proposition... why? Because the clubs, the expectations, the cost!, and the DEBTS, are just world?s apart. To take Everton to where we HAVE to go will take absolutely millions upon millions whereas to make Portsmouth earn a few bob for your money will take considerably less....and in these hard times that?s a big ask!

So call ME naive if you like but why would Bill Kenwright sell to someone who he knows couldn?t do much more than HE does (which Michael will obviously say is nothing anyway)... and the reason he?s not selling to someone who will pour multi millions of pounds to get us a new ground, star players etc etc... is becasue that person/persons ISN?T/AREN?T banging down the door to plead with Bill Kenwright to sell.

Do I think Kenwright?s in it just for the love of the club? No! But I also don?t think he?s ONLY in it to bleed money and turn himslef a huge profit either. You simply CAN?T deny Bill Kenwright?s love of this club, it?s there for all to see... what?s also there if you look is the fact that we aint as attractive a proposition as we may all believe, simply due to the fact that we need a lot more than other clubs in the shop window.

The prospective buyers obvioulsy accept that restoring a classic old Rolls Royce, that?s in somewhat need of big repairs AND huge ongoing cost, is much more of a daunting task, and a much less viable one too, than respraying a three-year-old Ford Focus which will do them nicely in these days of doom and gloom.

So there!!!

...having said that *L*

Six new players to come in during the close season...

Four young buys for the (near) future and to supplement the squad at present, and two buys to go straight into the team.



FIRE AWAY!!!!

"Ever since we lost the cup final to Chelsea, it seems the feeling is that we have gone as far as we can and the only place is down. I believe this is far from true and the coming season will be our best chance of getting that fourth spot or higher after our second consecutive fifth place finish has proved we are the "best of the rest".



Generally speaking the club that finishes in 5th spot are usually 10-12pts off 4th position so we’d have to have a swing off..........10-12 points(roughly four wins) to displace Arsenal or Liverpool. Is any team outside of the "Big Four" going to get 75 points plus a season on a regular basis?

Spurs finished 5th two seasons running a few years back. We’ve just done the same. It could be Aston Villa or Man City turn in the next few years we’re not going to finish fifth ad infinitum.

I don’t necessarily take a positive or a negative view on the situation.......just a realistic view based on past indicators and the relative merits of the teams around us. And without a significant influx of cash I can only see us bouncing around the european spots 5th -8th/9th in the near future.

If we strengthen the right back and right midfield areas of our team and purchase a quality central midfield player then I can see us having another good season just not quite good enough to get into the top four unfortunately.

A nice post Ian. We are all clearly aware of the limitations that surround us and our finances - but good on you for keeping the faith.

We are the best of the rest again, and we were 9 points off CL qualification (which should have been 5 points if Arsenal didn?t equalise in the 92nd minute)

We are not far off now, and a slip up by someone above will let us in. Once in, we need to get to the group stage this time, and get some money from it. I have to believe we can do this.

MK - your negativity sometimes boarders on exasperating, and is the reason why I am now not a regular visitor to this site. There is a time and place for criticism of the board, players, sky4 etc, and this post was not the vehicle for you to get your pessimistic points across. Please allow us to enjoy reminiscing on a good season, and look forward with some degree of optimism to bettering it next season.

Ian Tod we are 20 points off 3rd position we have no chance of overtaking Chelsea Liverpool or Man Utd. Mainly because we play a 30 game season cos we dont win any of the top 4. we maybe could get 4th position but now we have Spurs and Man City on our tails. Dont want to be defeatist but trying to be a realist.

Richard Dodd, wondered when you would return, So, just for you:

"I know I?m a one-off but I love my Everton the way it is!"

Does that mean good news on the ground move as we stay where we are ?

Does that mean we settle for scraps at ther SKY 4 table?

Does that mean we give up on ambition?

As I said in my posting, there has been improvement both on and off ther pitch but I would never settle for what we have, nor would I ever EVER sanction a move to Kirkby.

Nor would I trust so blindingly the words and actions of our chairman. Just because we have had a better time on the pitch does not mean that all the ills have been swept away and forgotten as though the words and actions never happened.
My memory is a bit longer than 6 months in a season.

I think BK is a true Blue but is also driven to get a good result for himself. But trust is a funny thing, people give it once but if its broken they won’t trust again.

To me it doesn’t matter if we won the cup or came 3rd next year if it meant Kirkby was accepted. The outcome affects generations and the very fabric and future of our club. 30 pcs of silver ?

Why the big push from certain quarters to sell EFC to some rich guy from far a field who has no love for us. Why the push for a foreign owner, manager and prehaps 11 foreign players who may or may not bring a piece of silver to the club. Wouldn’t it mean so much more to achieve that with a scouse owner who loves us, our history ,culture heritage. Even if it takes a couple of more years. I don’t want to be a globle brand with more supporters in theAsian/ Arab world than our own city and owe the banks nearly half a billion pound.

Brian Williams, Portsmouth profit and loss for the last 2 years:

2007-08 Turnover £70.476M; Loss -£16.882M
( % players wages 77.6)
2006-07 Turnover £40.245M; Loss -£23.452M

which together with reported debts of £80 million and crowds of 20,000 makes them a more attractive proposition than Everton???

I wish all supporters could see Bullshit Billy for his lies and not for his ingratiating manner. Even his rich buddies Paul Gregg and now the invisible Earl and Green have realised they were conned by BK so he could keep his trainset.

Anyway on to the good news.

We have the best manager in the league despite all his supposed shortcomings.

We have the best supporters in the league even though that may be a biased view.

We have the best team spirit in the league without doubt.

Elstone appears to be sorting out the commercial operations 6 steps forward 2 steps back but progress nonetheless and certainly a major improvement on Wyness(who was appointed by who??).

The only question is how do we not stand still which we surely will unless we get more investment.

I do not believe we have looked properly at the opportunity presented to us by GP which with some commercial development (Hotel,restaurant,cafes,bars etc) could IMO be transformed and yield far better net returns than DK.

So for me it would be progress to drop Kirkby.

Reinvest in GP over time.

Invest in a couple more quality players and NOT sell any.

With the cup run and another high league placing we must have made a couple more million than last year so there may be enough to get an M’Bia and a Fabian Delph and a few loan players.

All that is certain is NOTHING is certain

Same old Toffeeweb, the blind optimists, the same slagging of Moysie, the dislike of Bill Kenwright. Yawn... We just finisihed 5th for the second season in a row and were cup finalists. To the negative fans, please explain how that is not progress. How is that a "mild revival?" Realistically speaking we have the best performing manager to resources ratio and a chairman who totally cares about this club. Tell me, oh negatives, what you would rather have, Newcastle?

To the blind optimists, keep up the good work, it hurts them more than it hurts us.

Brian Williams - I think you?ve chosen the wrong example in Portmouth to defend Bill Kenright. Jay Harris has beaten me with some of the figures but their purchase surely gives the lie to Bill's now daily (he gave up on 24/7, see recent interviews) search for new investment.

Portsmouth have massive dept, lower profile, lower gates & NEED A NEW STADIUM!!!

What holds us back is Bill hanging on for a better price, waiting for a decision so he can ship us to Kirkby, thereby rewarding himself and his retail sector ghost backers.

His insistence on keeping a role / position of power at the club once sold has also got to be a stumbling block. It?s like selling your car but telling the new owner you still be using it every weekend!!!

Andy Crooks, forgive me, but a manager who wins the LMA award THREE TIMES is a very good coach. You can argue all you want, but this award is voted for by the pros, and I’d rather take their word, than someone who considers turning a club from perennial relegation fodder to consistently top 6 in the space of a few seasons with limited resources a FUCKING MILD REVIVAL. FFS, have a think about some of the bullshit you type before subjecting my eyes to such FUCKING NONSENSE