Draws aren't going to cut it, says Baines

The amount of criticism the players get (especially Neville) for giving reasonable, but politically safe, answers to the kind of obvious questions they're asked daily by local and national press is ridiculous. What are they supposed to do - tell the reporter to fuck off? Slam the chairman and the manager?

No, they're doing exactly what players should be doing. Being open enough to the press that they answer their questions, without being dicks.

This is a natural by-product of the 24 hour a day media circus. I freely admit I have bought into it. I check Toffeeweb 4 or 5 times a day, as though Everton are always imminently likely to do something Earth-shattering.

I clicked on the Baines link, simply because it was there, and received the reward I expected, stupefying drivel. Michael and Lyndon, this is not in any way a criticism of you or your fabulous site, just a comment on the triviality of everyday sports reporting.

Sadly we don't have oodles of time each day to search for more interesting Everton content, so any good links our readers come up with, especially outside of the normal news feeds, we are of course extremely grateful for.

I remember writing letters to the Football Echo 30 years ago and that was my only outlet. I had one letter printed, about John Bailey.

My fellow Toffeewebbers, thank you all for your input and your love of Everton Football Club. Most of all thank you to Michael and Lyndon for providing this magnificent forum for us all to communicate. I live in Cape Town and know no other Evertonians.

"We're going to play some shite hoofball from now until the end of the season so get prepared for it".

."But mostly interviews are to fill peoples time when before the internet age we'd look out the window before the boss came back in. Of course back in those days the first internet was in black and white and closed down for the afternoon."

Please explain.

I'm sorry, but I was always told to never apologise and never explain, because it opens you up to further criticism...

It's brilliant!

"So Mr Pol Pot, what have you got to say about this large mountain of skulls?"

"Tôi xin lỗi, nhưng tôi đã luôn luôn nói không bao giờ xin lỗi và không bao giờ giải thích, bởi vì nó mở ra cho bạn những lời chỉ trích hơn nữa"

Translation - 'I'm sorry, but I was always told to never apologise and never explain, because it opens you up to further criticism'

I'm just covering my self because you've got the name of a novelist.