For over 25 years I have watched Everton and football in general; however, it is now no longer a game, it's a business that we, as fans, have no control over. We can't control who runs it or how they run it. We are all praying that some oil tycoon from anywhere in the world buys us out and we don’t care who it is as long as he is loaded. That's how the game has now gone sadly. The current saga with Lescott, highlights this. Football is not a game, it's a business.

Man City are trying to buy every player under the sun and offering amazing wages, why? Simply because they can. Let’s not kid ourselves, we would love to be in the same situation as them and we would then be doing the same in the transfer market — the very same thing we are moaning about. Unless that is we would buy a load of free players... I think not.

It's not nice when the boot is on the other foot but we have to accept it. When we bought Johnson from Palace, time after time they said he wasn’t for sale, yet we raised the bid. Someone tell me what the difference is please and don’t spout the he came to a bigger club bollocks as the principle is still the same.

As I have also said before, contracts mean one thing, when someone bids for you they have to bid more for each year you have left. Nothing to do with loyalty. IT'S A BUSINESS.

Finally, let's all calm down about the game, yes we were shit and going in 3–0 down to Arsenal was always going to lead to more goals for them. This was the team who scored 4 only 4 months ago at a title-chasing side. So please lets calm down a bit. Its a marathon, not a sprint.

On Saturday before the game, I made a decision that I would not boo Lescott and get behind the team to try and support them to win the game. In a way, I can understand why Lescott would want to go. After all, Everton have no money and have signed no-one, showing no ambition or improvement, whilst Man City are signing star after star and have the money to push forward and challenge for silverware.

At the end of the day, players base their success as a player on what they have won and the hard truth is that in this moment in time Man City are looking more likely to win trophies than ourseleves due to our financial constraints. I know we reached the FA Cup Final last year, but it is a feat I think we will struggle to repeat.

However, when the Everton players ran over to the Gwladys Street end before the Arsenal game, my thoughts about Lescott soon changed. Every Everton player clapped the fans, whilst Lescott gave absolutely no acknowledgement to the fans after all the support we had given him in the game a week before against Malaga.

I thought this was disgraceful, he does not deserve to wear the shirt and although I still refuse to boo an Everton player on the pitch I'm not sure if I want to see Lescott pull on the famous jersey again after that.

What message must this send out to his teammates who are supposed to be able to work alongside him. Was this why we lost the Arsenal game in such a woeful fashion? Moyes should get someone in who wants to play for us, not somebody who is only now playing for himself. Or is it too much to ask for a signing this summer?

We are yet still crying out for a creative central midfielder in a similar mould to Arteta who can pass a ball and a pacy right midfielder instead of Osman who is incapable of getting down the line and putting crosses in.

When we bought Johnson, we negotiated the deal directly with the club and I have seen several interviews with Simon Jordan since who never complained about EFC, he was happy he eventually got a deal he was pleased with.

No, we don’t want to be the same as Man City. If we did get an influx of cash I don’t believe we would be. They obviously informed the player (Lescott) of how much he could be earning and they leaked their bid intention long before it went on the Everton website as a rejected formal bid.

We’ve been screwed over twice this summer — once in the Naughton deal and also with Lescott. It’s all very well to say if you can’t beat them join them, but I am far happier to say we don’t do things that way than I would be if we were also criticised for underhand tactics.

Moyes made an admirable stance, but I think he needs to sell high and move on. We won’t think any less of him.

Maybe Everton have not demanded any action... because they know that technically nothing has been done in breach of the current rules... Just a guess.

Or more precisely, they know that no action would be taken. Hughes has pretty much admitted that they haven’t followed protocol by saying if he had done Moyes would have said No.

I’m sorry Trevor but I disagree. Yes, football is a business but in how many industries are rival companies allowed to publish in papers their desire to poach one of your employees.

Since we all despise the press for encouraging rumours and for acting as a conduit for clubs to "do their business" in public, why does the EFC official site have a feature each day on "What the papers say"?

Unfortunately, ever since the Bosman case, the power in football has been transferred from the clubs to the players. The facts that players can now run down their contracts and leave for free has meant that contracts are worthless. The wages have spiralled out of control in the process, and so all the money that used to stay in the sport years ago now ends up in players pockets. Consequently you need billionaires in charge of the top clubs, and the rest get left behind.

Money talks, and bullshit walks I’m afraid. No legislation is ever going to change that. Years ago we could have told Lescott that he was going to rot in the reserves if he didn’t get his head right. He would have been relying on his appearance fees etc to top up his wages and he would have soon seen the light - he wouldn’t have had much choice.
These days, multi-millionaire footballers know their contract situations are like shotguns to the cubs heads. He knows that if he plays his cards right he will eventually get a £20,000,000 + transfer to City, because we can’t afford to have such a valuable asset rotting in the reserves, depreciating in value.

Fully agree with both Trevor and Danny.

There is no doubt that the bottom line amongst the players is our lack of new signings to boost all the hard work they put in last season. We realy should have capitalised right after the Cup Final when we were recognised all over the World as a top team — did everyone go on their jollies? Wenger rang his man while he was abroad while we were dithering.

So where do we go from here? Either take the so-called £20M that BK has promised, sell JL for another £20M, that will give Davy a decent kitty to play with OR keep what we have got and battle on. If ever there was a time (and there has been plenty) when Davy needs our prayers and encouragement it is right now, God bless my Everton.