Unlike the slobbering RS lot on the media the journalist nails the issue on the head. He kept messing BK around re the contract when he knew from the nudge nudge wink wink he got off SAF Xmas 2012 he wanted Moyes for the vacancy. The disrespectful comments about our club and how we were holding back the progress of certain players.

The other piece that really hit home for me was the inclusion of the fact the younger players were terrified of making a mistake under OFM as the knew the reaction they would receive from OFM. Maybe that is why SAF wanted him swap one bully for another.

I expect MU to win today and I had the same feeling on Wednesday I hope I am wrong. No doubt if they do win all the usual suspects will write us off and predict MU for the title next season. Not in a million years will they with OFM in charge. Roberto will be judged over the next few seasons.

Great save at the end by Tim. The only times this season we have looked dangerous at corners is when Alcaraz goes forward.

Moyes must be gutted!

Well done the Blues !

I'm going getting slaughtered in my Manchester local. Don't know if I'll make it back.

Great picture of The Grim Reaper here http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/20/david-Moyes-stalked-by-grim-reaper-on-return-to-everton-dugout-4704166/

A great performance so I shouldn't be too curmudgeonly, but...I still can't quite get over what could and should have been.

I don't care how well Palace are playing, we need to be able to beat them at home and if we had, not only would we still be clear of Arsenal, we'd be in bloody 3rd place and just 1 win off Chelsea!!

That should pretty much nail fifth. I quite enjoy continental travel, maybe another nice German trip or Switzerland.....

Although I can't help but feel gutted at how we have thrown 4th away with too many poor results this season. So many dropped points have come back to really bite us on the arse, as I cannot see us getting ahead of the Gunners now. Only a miracle can get us 4th now. Having our highest points finish is merely academic if it doesn't get us into the CL and the associated cash that goes with it. But, it does bring back Europa League which might not be particularly good for the club, but as I was well reminded by a fellow blue today, it does bring back european away days which are priceless for us.

Not perfect – Barkley had one to forget overall, Lukaku's touch deserted him, but a very professional (not to mention very pleasing) result and performance!!

I hope we start next season in this sort of form because we'll definitely be top 4 if we go on these sort of runs.

I wouldn't pay for Lukaku this summer.

Even so, when you only have 39% of the possession, it's not going to look like you really had control of the game. Maybe I should look at it again but we looked to be on the back foot for most of the first half and 10-15 mins of the second.

For me, the margins are so narrow; I was never convinced we had won until that final whistle. I'm so, so glad that we have... what a tremendous relief. There just seem to have been far too many occasions where we get fucked in the end.

Thankfully not today!

I was very confident going into this as I remembered Moyes as being the perennial bottler when it really mattered.

He did it again today, for all their possession they created virtually nothing and as mentioned we controlled how the game was played even when they had possession.

On a brighter note, what a great result against the former champions. I sincerely hope we manage the same feat next year (beating the champions home and away!!).

Come on ya blues, this time next year, we will be champions ourselves!

I get the feeling Roberto has been making a judgement call on young Barkley over these last couple of games. He could (and maybe should) have brought him off early in both games but left him on, to very little avail. His best position is really worrying me now.

If we got a £30M bid? ... That would be a big call for RM, as it could buy us 3 new players.

Having said that, RS, Man City and Arsenal -in the Cup- have tonked us so we are very much work in progress.

The quality of our football and the technical progress made by our players has been a joy and a similar leap next season will 'see us in serious contention.'

Have to admit my eyes have been opened although I still think Roberto needs to take care not to sign any more crocks.

Only criticism I have is we had three of four chances to really put the match to bed and didn't take them, which for me is the difference between first and fifth.

Otherwise I thought the match was a great advert for the game, both sides going at it fairly, agreesively and openly.

Quite poetic that it has hopefully nailed European football in some form for us next season, and consigned Man Utd's to the dustbin.

Well done and congratulations to Roberto and the boys for another hoodoo busting performance, and hats off to the whole support there today - Goodison crackling with atmosphere. Fantastic.

We also have to credit Martinez for having the foresight to conserve his players' energy against a United team that has had 11 days rest. Another bonus from the game was the performance of Alcaraz; I thought we wouldn't be as sturdy at the back when he came on for Distin but everybody worked so hard and stuck to their tasks, it was in the end a pleasurable experience.

I know Coleman got most of the plaudits and he played well but it was Baines and McCarthy who were the real stand-out performers and they led by example. Barkely was again a bit below his own high standards but I'm hoping he rediscovers his form by the start of next season unless he chooses to leave.

This Everton side is a very very good one and if BK can find the money to fund the ambitions of Martinez then we will enjoy a few more results like this next season and who knows where that might take us. Well done, Everton; we have our pride back and can once again play the game the way it should be played by an Everton side.

The lads will have had two preseasons and a full season under him. We will have a couple more new players and loanees who are comfortable playing the Martinez way. Happy days are here again.

You might have a point there regarding the Europa League. I think Roberto will know how to handle the squad and he will love testing himself in Europe. I just hope we get a chance this time.

The fact is we never looked like we were going to loose that game and just powered them out of it. Fast pacey counter attacks they couldn't keep up with. We just blew them away.

Such a shame we lost to Palace. Oh well onward and upward.

Moyes got the reception he deserved and it was great to hear phoney Phil Neville getting stick off us in the Street End, particularly with his snide 'Everton are buckling under the pressure' comment on Friday.

8 wins out of 9 now dickhead.

As with many of the other posters here, come the summer, I too will doubtless look back happily on a record points haul and a top 5 finish to go with some truly wonderful attacking football, a few new stars and a genuine return to the belief we could win every match we play.

However, once you open the bottle it's tough to get the genie back in and right now I'm still struggling with the Palace result and what could/should of been. If we only started with our strongest, most balanced side we'd surely have got at least a point and probably more and could even be looking down on City now wondering whether a Goodison win would put us in the running for third, or maybe even glancing up at Chelsea and imagining that if they don't get anything from Anfield and are held by Sunderland then 2nd place might not be a total pipe dream.

As it is, we're relying on Arsenal slipping up and with Ramsey back and firing on all cylinders plus options in Ozil and Oxlade Chamberlain, I struggle to see them dropping points in the run-in. They're certainly not going to collapse at home to a toothless Newcastle who are already on their holidays or an all round poor West Brom, so our only real hope is that Norwich are still in with a shout and needing the points on the last day pulling out a cup tie-like effort, whilst the Arsenal boys have their minds half on their own cup engagement.

The fact that we're even in with a shout of course owes so much to Robbie's ambition and tactical nous that it really is churlish to condemn him for one slip, especially when it was an attack-minded gesture. But the fact remains when we needed to step up and turn the screw, we conspired to drop the screwdriver on our own feet first.

Worst match of this season - and there has been quite a few to choose from. A disgrace! Wonder how much Everton could have won during the last ten years, if Moyes hadn't have been hindering the development at Goodison!? United need not 5-6 new players, but rather 12-15 new top players to stand any chance at all next season!

Fucking hilarious. Better than the guy at the Fulham match trying to hand the linesman a blind walking stick! Hahaha, good on him.

Great result, great tactics, great performance. Makes you feel good inside. Next year we will be a force... Why? Because our manager is top draw. Bring it on.

We stuff em.

We finish 3rd.

Very ironic result today, swapping managers and doing the double over Utd, I read its the first for 40yrs. Bloody great!

I'm sorry that Alcaraz is not 4 or 5 years younger, he would be some asset, a classy looking player.
Were still in with a shout for top 4, long shot, but you never know.
The city game is giving me the willies already though, going to be tough, but a least its at Goodison.

Whatever the rest of seasons results bring, we now have a top manager, lets hope the board give him some proper money to spend this summer.
Exciting times!

Today we had several men of the match - Mirallas, Coleman, Nais, Stones, McCarthy. Macca for me. To think some questioned the millions we spent on him - what an engine, what tackling.

Nais - what a fairy story. From a dunce to a lad who's getting ologies with us. What a turn around. Another great engine.

The calmness of Alcaraz today (and seen every time he plays). And strong in the air.

Stones - some call him for his defensive frailty. But a clean sheet against a team with Rooney, Hernandez, Mata, Welbeck, Kagawa, Nani. The lad played his part and is doing good.

Barks poor today but I guess he'll come good.

All in all, keeping the opposition on their toes as to how we were playing it. But I just loved the on-the-ground lightening fast breaks.

Can't wait for MC and then next season. Sod the WC.

It's amazing to still be in with a shout of 4th with only three games to play but ahhhh, that palace result is such a downer! Just a draw would have been enough to have it in our hands.

Europa League is pretty much guaranteed now at least, which is a plus. Cannot really see us getting 4th now though it's only one point. Arsenal have the barcodes at home next and they are by far the worst team in the league at the minute, their players are already on the beech. Southampton away is not going to be easy for us.

The players have a weeks rest now - all we can do is win our games and hope someone does us a favour. With Ramsey back however, I think arsenal will keep winning....

Still, it's already been a great season and if next year is better then who knows what will happen! This season we've beaten Chelsea, Arsenal and Manu at home and taken 4 points off them away. That's not bad for starter Roberto....

Right?

So happy to see Moyes slither out of Goodison dejected.

Watching Round, Neville, Woods, and HIM in the dug out today was a treat. Sorry Eds for basking in this but they act as if they are top top top tree at Man Utd and all that and we all know that this time next year the chances of each one of them being at the dream theatre is well, check out the bookies ....

COYB

What a great day, I couldn't really enjoy the game knowing Gerry Quinn & Paul Ferry had travelled thousands of miles (stay at home in future lads) I was totally desperate to send that corporate behemoth and all that is wrong with football to die. Does anyone know where Tarzan found those old tusks in the middle of the 'escarpment', do you know how difficult that is to type after a Vodka frenzy?

Only arl fellas will who visit this wonderful site will picture Jonny Weismuller crying over the corpse of Man Utd & a ginger wrinkly guy once of this parish.

I'm hoping we don't see Everton re-write the history books with a highest-ever-point-total-but-didn't-make-it record.

If you'd a said we were going to finish on 75 points before the season started no one would have believed it. How about finish on 75 and not make CL? Never mind 78 points!

History is usually an excellent barometer for the future. I have to believe if we win our last 3 we are in. No matter how winnable Arsenal's last 3 fixtures look on paper.

It would be a real treat to spend time bevvying with you lot. Right now I’m at my mate’s in Crosby as the 2 am hour looms just being matey happy! Fecking train to London in 6 hours!

Phil we need to talk about the workers and bosses!

All the best mate(s)!

It's also interesting that Alcaraz came on and won 4 headers from corners. We really lack that as a team. When you consider the amount of goals the RS have had from that scary freak at the back. It's an important part of the game we seem to neglect.

Peter the Meejah pundits aren't going to change: even if Everton were ten points clear at the top of the league, they have nailed their colours to their particular masts and they ain't gonna change for anyone or anything. It's always been like that for Everton and it always will be. 90% of the match reports I've read today have all been about Man Utd and their failings; I prefer it to be that way to be honest because the more the media ignore us or believe that we are not a threat the better.

I want Everton to go Fourth with the final kick of the season because that is the only time that it counts.

How is it that we stamp out such wonderful expressions of scouse humour, while giving in to all this maudlin kopite shite? I despair, I really do...

Sorry but the reality is the grim reaper first appeared 'haunting' Moyes at Utd's home leg against Olympiakos and is (probably a student) paid to get the name Paddy Power into the the papers.

In advertising terms, it's part of a 'guerrilla campaign' that (successfully it appears) looks to get free advertising (ie; why pay for a press ad when we can make 'the news' and get our name in the papers for nothing)

http://prexamples.com/2014/04/paddy-powers-grim-reaper-haunts-man-utd-boss/

What a lesson this match turned out to be - 'grass greener' etc - I wonder how many of our young stars will be thinking of 'jumping ship' in favour of the lure of 'improving their game' in more 'glamourous theatres' where their dreams will be shattered.

Rooney - (?) ...nuff said.

Rooney makes me more sick now than he ever did when he left us, because he hasn't signed his new contract to win more medals looking at United yesterday. It shows you how low our great club had become when a man like Moyes got over ten years in the hot- seat presiding over the only decade in which Everton never won a major honour in their great history.

And isn't it a pity that Greatey Market don't sell pace anymore because it's certainly not in the genes/ jeans of any team that Moyes has ever managed!

He could be our utility defensive rotator at either centre back or defensive midfield. He has experience, strength, heading ability plus decent ball control and distribution. I would be happy for him playing with any other centre back or midfield defender.

If Kone, Gibson, Oviedo and Pienaar return fit for next season, we will just need a couple of players to make us a decent, top squad. Personally I would be delighted to really go for Lallana and Puncheon. Plus a striker either to buy or loan if Lukaku leaves us. Bony, Lukaku, Remi or Ba would all do a job for us.

Martinez has shown him up to be one of the biggest con-men around. The way he approached that game showed how a tactically astute manager can adapt to surprise the opposition at every turn. We let them have the ball up until the final third – believe me, that was by design and not an accident. We could have won by four or five and to watch us breaking at speed going for a third goal was something beautiful to behold.

That's 20 wins for the Spanish maestro this season, another Premier League record. The Man Utd fans are disgusted at what they are witnessing and the shite the man spouts at every opportunity: "We'll try to get back into that top 4" being a particular favourite of mine. They were the fucking Champions at a canter last season! Is it any wonder the players want out of Man Utd, while our stars cannot wait to play for their inspirational manager, who has a vision for this club from top to bottom.

Goodison selling out and the fans are actually talking of a title challenge next season. You would have been sectioned for even mentioning those words when 'The Woeful One' was planning his raid for our players, as he took in the crowds adoration last May.

I'm loving every game and cannot wait for next season already – now where's me headache tablets?

I was out in the Texas Hill Country, dancing and drinking and camping under the moonlight all weekend, had a fabulous weekend; eventually topped by watching the game late on Sunday night (I had managed somehow to avoid the score for 12+ hours and the wait and extra-anticipation was more than worth it!).

Really, it could have been (and mathematically should have been) a Merseyside 1-2 this year, with blue on top of course. Next season?

So glad we got shut of this clown and his dour crap football and now the rest of the world can see what many of us did, a one trick pony playing the long odds game, a werewolf allergic to silver - only got a charity shield through someone else's work too, fit for mid table mediocrity and nothing more. He's broken stacks of records at Man Utd which nail his true quality to the mast for all to see.

Back to the game, we gave them the ball to fuck fart about with all afternoon and counter attacked at will and with panache, could and should easily have been a lot more goals too. The plan wasn't by chance either, Coleman said they'd be training for that before the game

I personally thought it was the most TACTICALLY AWARE performance I have ever seen Everton give at Stamford Bridge and the only fuck up was by Tim Howard in the last minute. Same at Spurs for me when a bit more quality in front of goal would have seen us out of sight by half-time.