Jose Baxter doing well for Oldham

Takes it out of you, time travel...

http://www.royalbluemersey.com/2013/1/15/3849418/everton-has-a-decision-to-make-and-supporters-wont-like-it

I didn't see Jelavic in 2016 at all, so make of that what you will.

Moyes was definitely the manager of Borussia Mönchengladbach. I think we all knew that was going to happen.

Bainesy was still with us and now captaining the team, so good news there.

Phil Neville was still with us and - no, hold on, that was just a bad dream.

BK is not the owner. After DM left, he spontaneously combusted one night while sipping a large brandy. Poor Bill.

The new owner? I can't quite make him out, but he seems to be impossibly rich. I expect you want to know who the next manager is. Alas, all I see is a silhouette shrouded in mist...

Off you GOooooo.

Cue burning rubber

Even without disrupting the space/time continuum, I can confidently assert that Ferguson and Wenger are on their last legs, so their clubs' cycles will come to an end, precipitating a period of uncertainty. Also, Spain's time at the top will be over soon: tippy-tappy football will no longer rule the world, its place taken by a new style of play in which the 5-5 formation becomes the norm and midfield play ceases to exist.

Time will tell if he can play in the Premier League. But it does prove one point: Everton's wannabes are better off on loan until they are ready for the first team squad.

Vellios is a prime candidate for a loan, I think. I'd really like to see if he can cut the mustard playing in the Championship. Unfortunately, we're short up front so he may not get the chance. The lad needs to play, clearly.

The sad fact is, it is really difficult to go from apprentice to a regular first team player. Osman is the only player at the moment who has achieved that at present. And he is 31 years of age. States volumes about the futures of young players at Goodison.

If a player proves that he can perform well and consistently in the Championship (such as with Coleman) then higher the chance of them getting a few games.

I would love to see the likes of McAleny, Duffy, Junior and Vellios starting week-in and week-out for clubs in the top half of the Championship. Then we would see what they are really made of. I think there will have to be a few youngsters come through in the next year or so as Neville and Distin can't carry on for ever and we don't have any money to buy people, so...

As I say, Wallace did well enough at Tranmere to show he could do an OK job for us, but he was still sold. Similarly Baxter, who chose to go because he knew he was nowhere near the team. Gueye (after one or two good games) is in dire need of regular games somewhere, but he stays on the bench. Why?

Like some others on TW, I believe Barkely's development would be better served by "breaking him in" to the Premier League rather than loaning him to a Championship team. Barkely will learn to cope with the pressure by being put in a position where he HAS to cope with the pressure, rather than letting him get used to a lower standard of football.

I think Rodgers (the swine) has done well with Sterling. He gave him a good run of games and now that his form is dipping he's going to take him out of the team for a few weeks, give him a rest then bring him back.

I don't believe the Under-21 academy is a bridge for first team promotion. Players by the age of 18 or 19 should either be included in the first team squad or sent out on loan.