I don’t know the reasoning. It seems really strange to me though. If Martinez wants them doing well for England then surely he should be playing them and asking for them to cement their place in the England team.

The only half decent explanation I can come up with is that maybe both have not been selected for the World Cup and are so disappointed that RM doesn’t think that their minds would not be on the job ahead!

That’s the best I could think of, it’s not very plausible though is it?

Can’t wait to travel to Goodison Park next year. Wish they’d post the schedule now. Any chance I’ll be able to get a ticket against the enemy?

See ya Pienaar. See ya ossie. See ya Gareth. Au revior olde gits.

Stevie G, Stevie G, Stevie G, lost the title against Chelseeeea.

Suarez is off as well according to 5 Live.

Happy days.

That was your chance, Roberto’s army are on the march now.

Roberto has his reputation as a wheeler dealer to protect — let’s hope he squeezes some serious money out of the board and works wonders with it. My man of the season scored the first goal to-day. He has played at the same high level the whole season, no drops in form and mood.

The first thing I want to read on Monday is "Gareth Barry signs on for 2 years at Goodison."
COYB

And the lovable scallywags lose out.

Did Rodwell play enough games to get a medal?

Roll on next season; I for one cannot wait.

Don’t want anymore of our lads to earn Championship medals that way.

Stay with us and earn them honestly.

Funny what dominates some Evertonian minds.

I’ve just opened a bottle of Moet and it’s not 10 o’clock yet in Canada. It is Mother’s Day here though so a bit of a double celebration!... mand I’m loving it.

Re the medals, think the rule is you need min 10 appearance but exceptions can be made for players who missed a lot of games through injury. I guess Rodders and Lescot got medals because of this.Bit off if you ask me - injured or not, how can you get a medal having only made 4 appearances all season?

Exactly!

The "Saturday Dilemma" thread from last week might make some interesting reading in retrospect.

One or two Blues wanting the rs to win it (!?)

One or two Blues betting on the rs to win - and now out of pocket :) I’d rather be happy than happy and out-of-pocket. Karma.

Ecstatic about today.

A great performance by the Mighty Blues that has capped-off an excellent season. Well done to Roberto Martinez and the lads.

Record points haul, 8 points ahead of Utd as well as the double over them. Turning over Arsenal and Chelsea. Europa League.

Nervous day today.

The season summary in 5 words or less:

School Of Science Is Back (someone else mentioned that on R5L) or...

Gerrard Slips.

World Cup to look forward to ...... summer ahead ...... happy days.

(I wonder if we’ll be on first on MoTD tonight?)

We are Everton; unfortunately for the rest, they’re not.

21 wins...better than last season.
61 goals....better than last season.
15 clean sheets....better than last season.

72 points and back in Europe....better than last season.

Romelu Lukaku...16 goals, 15 from 29 Premier League matches...

Say what you like about what he us or isn’t worth, the simple fact remains, to replace those goals is going to take a considerable chunk of money...

Great end to the season and how fitting was it that our "other" player of the season, James McCarthy should score his first Everton goal on the last day.

Thanks for giving us a quality season Roberto and the lads..Already can’t wait until August 16th when it all starts again.

Man Utd — 7th; 64 points

For me this is in the top 3 of enjoyable moments. As a newbie this is the team I despise the most. They're the ones who have been shoved down my throat here in the states. All those favorable calls over the years, ole Rednoses' sense of entitlement. Love it, love it.

I must admit though, as I read more posts, read more history, the Redshites are climbing up the list fast.

If I'm wrong, as I often am, get yourself down to Hannah's Bar and in the loudest possible voice ask for a pint of Blue Moon; I'll be at the end of the bar with mine

We only seemed to record 2 or so doubles maximum in recent history. Gaining momentum is about beating teams home and away and getting consecutive wins, such as the 7 straight wins in March/April. Well I think our season was let down in the very dry January/February when we only won once in each of those months.

An excellent 'transitional' season from Roberto! 72 points and no Champions League chance seems very harsh but it just proves how much harder the league gets every year. Can't wait until we go again. The School of Science is on its way back!

Negatives:-
Another year on the clock for Osman, Kone, jags, Distin, Howard, Pienaar.
Gibson injured again.
Loans got to go back.

Summer ahead:-
Need a top notch centre forward or two. We still don't score enough goals to get to the top table or trouble the trophy cabinet. Lukaku for me.
Need a pass master in the middle. Someone who can play the ball ala Pirlo.
Would love a Lallana type on the left. Someone who can can score 10 plus goals a season and create. Pienaar isn't going to be that player.
Need so more cover for the additional games. As Roberto says, another 5-6 players are a must.

Agreed... not surprising that the red media hate Mourinho as well. He pulled off tactical master-classes away to Man City and Liverpool; got praised for the former and slaughtered for the latter.

I'm made up about Everton's season. I'll be the first to admit that Roberto Martinez has far exceeded my expectations this season. A breath of fresh air. Unlucky (or naïve) not to get Champions League which would have really been something.

We've got some exciting talent for next season and European footy.

And to cap it off, and I say cap, as Moyes getting binned off was sweet for me.. Liverpool actually threw the league away when they looked certs, thanks to Stevie G.

The badge even grew on me as the season went on too..

Onwards and upwards, and if we don't see the loan lads again... Good luck to you.

I guess my attitude has always been 'fuck 'em', I'm not interested. I've lived and worked in our city all my life and I've done so as an Evertonian. 'They' don't sour my life, I tell you, the gods made the right choice for me!

The derby county fans just did a mins applause for the victims of the Bradford fire anniversary..

Any bets on it getting a mention on MOTD tonight?? Or will the fact that it's Hansen's final appearance on the show be more important??

Everton ended up with the third best defensive record in the Premier League behind City and Chelsea, which is both pleasing and surprising given how many of us thought that was an area of the team which would have suffered under Roberto. Sixth best attack although a good way off the top two - 101 goals and still no Title?

In the end it has been a very satisfying season but it will be a tougher ask again next season - but at least we know that Roberto will extract every ounce of effort from the lads and there will be no self-imposed restrictions apart from the obvious lack of financial backing, which it seems at least one of the top four teams also suffer from as they couldn't stop the huge bank balance of Manchester buying the title.

You are JOKING!!

Those people are SCUM!!

Name and shame them I say!!

Well let me say whoever they are, they're certainly nowhere near the Evertonian you are and nobody hates Liverpool better than you.

MIke! Mike! Mike! Mike!....

(seems to be what you're after)

Just imagine next year if Roberto was given £100m to get in 3 or 4 top quality players, we would have a chance of winning the league never mind top 4. Never going to happen of course, so the question is can we match this season, it will be very difficult I'd say.

According to Gerrard, they're going to win the title next year, yeah right, with their 2nd choice manager and without no legs Suarez their not, they blew their chance this season big time. That dozy sod, Lawrenson, had us down to lose today, what a surprise!

We are going to have to think outside the box, and maybe sell Seamus for a king's ransom, okay, you're going to call me barmy but it would give us the money to strengthen up front and midfield!

Still of the opinion that January was the turning point of the season and that the board and chairman was at fault for not acting at the time to freshen up the squad to provide coverage for injuries and fatigue.

As the saying goes you can not change the past so on to next season and let us see if money is available to bring in new players that can take us to the next level. Looking foreward to see who from the youth teams are going to make the next step up and displace some of the older players in the first team squad.

No use speculating who is coming in or who leaving till after the world cup but I believe the Manager has a firm idea of the type of player he wants and after last season with more time at the club I do not think he will let us down.

If this is supposedly a transition season then hopefully we can expect better come this time next year.

What a shame the media don't talk the same way about Roberto as they do about Brenda!!

The only downside is next season they will probably have Danny dickforbrains Murphy and Didi 'I am one of ze boyz from Brasil' Hamman on. Even worse as those two look like a pair of creeps.

we also need a few defenders please

Today, and this season, has been very good, with the highlight for me being the night at Old Trafford. COYB.

Loanees:
Deulofeu
Traore
Tello
Ince

New buys:
Holtby
Redmond
Martins
Colbeck.

We got £28 mill for Fellaini which is at least £20 mill over the odds and should be parlayed into a Lukaku.

Nuff said.

You are probably right on that, particularly "In the end it has been a very satisfying season but it will be a tougher ask again next season"

I think that'll be true for a few next season. This year has been really strange (twists and turns at the top, Man Utd decline, a larger than usual gulf between top and bottom).

EFC have achieved without the massive resources of the others in the top 8. Obviously the striker situation needs sorting as does the squad size in Europe - neither will be cheap! That is extremely satisfying given the younger players coming through as well as some of the walking wounded returning to action.

City and Chelsea are shoe-ins for the top 4 next season (for me).
Third and fourth places are up for grabs between us, the rs, Arsenal and Man Utd.

I'm optimistic about it.

Now it's all over I can sympathise with the other lot that it's shame they didn't win it because it would have been great for the city (ho, ho)

Ha, ha... nice imagery there. I'm defo looking forward to MotD tonight. I wonder will Hansen get a Guard of Honour from the legion of RS pundits? It wouldn't surprise me at all.

I just hope they have the season review and it includes: the Oviedo goal at OT; Barkley's goal against City; ...... and Gerrard's motivational "don't let this slip" speech, closely followed by the slip.

(By the way, did anyone hear Brenda's pre-match press conference? It was a 3-minute team talk for WHU concluding with "but we only focus on ourselves." Really?)

According to Rednapp Jnr. the team young players should sign for is Citeh. Look at Rodwell. Got his arse off the bench five times and now has a PL champs medal.

The Sunderland result on Boxing Day was a blow as was Crystal Palace. There's 6 points that we should have had – although it never works out like that, does it?

Southampton away was a shocker and let's forget about the tactical balls-up at Anfield. We were so close.

Still, an excellent season.

After the Liverpool - Chelsea game the MOTD panel reviewed the game and there was not a single mention of Gerrard's slip. No replay, nothing!

Like it or LOVE IT that moment changed the season and they can't possibly avoid discussing it tonight...can they?!

Anyway laughs at them over now.

A really good season for Everton.

Must do this summer..

Sign Lukaku or at least a proven 16 plus goals a season striker in the mode of Lukaku...i:e Wilfried Bony, Loic Remy.

We must keep our progress up next season and that means we must compete off the pitch during the summer in the transfer window.

In the words of Steven Gerrard..

WE CANNOT LET THIS SLIP

I'm currently reading "101 ways to lose a title" and I can't seem to get past the highest new entry at number one, which is that slip by Stevie Me against Chelsea which in my mind now surpasses Arsenal '89.

Dead right, there: sit on the bench, get a medal. And a £100k per week...

Am I right in thinking Kevin Langley played 14 times in the 86-87 season and we had to ask the FA permission for him to get a winners' medal as you needed to have played 15 times?

Over to you Bill to help Roberto cross that particular bridge...

Excellent season boys, Thank You..

That slip will (hopefully) have him waking up dripping in sweat for the next 50 years.

Open on kipping Gerrard.

Richard Burton type voice: "It...was...you....it...was...you...it..was...YOU...YOU YOU...YOUYOUYOUYOOOOUUUUUU!!!"

SG: (waking) "NOOOOOOOOO!!!...uh...what...I was having...uh...nightm.."

Satsuma coloured missus: "Oh f'frig's sake lad, it was 20 years a-friggun-go - pack irrin will yer!"

SG: "Yes..sorry..I'm sure it'll pass...(sigh)...one day"

A mention too for our traveling support. I watched the game on BeinSport and as always they were in fine voice, drowning out even the very excitable Arabic commentator!

Really chuffed for McCarthy scoring a well deserved goal, and McGeady made a few decent runs and I think will benefit from the preseason with us.

All-in-all very happy tonight, but oh, August seams so far away... can't wait!!

I wrote here a couple of times prior to our game against Man City that if we don't lose we'll be handing the title to the RS. Together with others here we were proven right, so now we have also the outcome of the title race to cheer about. I can't understand EFC supporters criticizing it. I only hope the RS will not feature again in the title race and will not advance too far in the CL. If that'll happen, I promise never to mention them. I just want them small, meaningless & behind us.

I have tried to find the correct procedure for this to no avail. Anybody know anything about the rules?

My understanding is that, if Arsenal win, then Everton will go straight into the group stages. However, if Hull CIty win, then THEY will go straight into the group stages and Everton will have to play in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

We've set up a new Everton in Europe page, trying to explain some of the utterly bizarre Uefa complexity underlying the seeding logic for their European competitions, and we will try to update this as things develop. It includes links to the fount of knowledge when it comes down to European Football: Bert Kassies.

Roll on next season.

Just got back from the game and will be writing to Hull City for the disgraceful way in which all Everton fans were treated on exiting the ground today.

While the Hull fans remained in the ground to watch the lap of honor, we were all made to walk miles out of our way after they locked the gates, through the tightly parked coaches, single file access only, through mud, hills, shit and puddles. Older fans were falling and slipping as a steep bank had to be negotiated to get away.

All it did was delay our escape and we only ended up bumping into the Hull fans anyway, which was surely the whole point. It never ceases to astound me how they can treat us paying supporters in this manner.

Whoever made this decision needs to be dealt with as he is clearly a prize pratt.

Anyway, we won, rant over. Roll on next season. Up the toffees.

I hope we treat the Europa with the respect it deserves and bring home some silverware. Thanks, Roberto, for reigniting my passion for the Blues.

I would like to see some of the loans turn into permanent deals and a few fresh faces – especially an up-and-coming keeper to be understudy to Howard – Robles does not cut it.

"Strange but true.
If we had done the double over Man City and the RS, we'd be Champions tonight by 3 points."

David, the above mentioned are difficult to achieve, even in top form.

However, remember Norwich (1st game), West Brom (home/away), Crystal Palace (away/home) and Sunderland (home).

All of the above and we're Champions with points to spare!

It was basically our performances against the so-called lesser teams that has us outside the CL and places and (just like the dark side) not champions.

And these games were so absolutely do-able.

If Hull go straight into the groups ahead of us, what Uefa are basically saying is that they regard a six-game cup run more highly than a 38-game season in the toughest league in the world.

I'm delighted and completely shocked! Now will Roy have the balls to ditch Lampard too?

That sounds appalling and you are right to complain.
I hope you and your fellow Blues took advantage of doing Stevie G impressions, though, slipping in all that mud and crap.

(Not that I'll be mentioning it much these coming weeks.)

(And is it just me being a Blue Bigot that sees so many of these top managers as having a bit of class when it matters - RM included - but with one notable exception?)

Watch McCarthy, Coleman and Barkley set this League alight next season. Forget about the loans, we will see them replaced and Bobby's master plan start to take shape.

Every Evertonian expects a top 4 challenge next season – it would funny to hear Martinez set a primary target of 40 points. I wonder what some would have to say about the Spaniard if he did?

If Baines was to get injured then you're throwing in an 18-year-old lad in Shaw straight into the deep end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nVlsXYhJJ4

Remarkably (funny how you forget these things), the Shite got in in 2003-04 with 60 points. And there's us feeling a bit shamefaced about getting in with 61 points....

Exciting times.

Lots to be positive about for next season provided the manager gets the backing he has proved he really deserves.

Shame the Barcodes folded again; if they had won today the RS would have ended up 3rd which would have been hilarious. Happy for Pellegrini who has name-checked us regularly this season when asked about the contenders. Being just 14 points behind the Champions considering the relative resources is a remarkable effort which isn't being highlighted enough. When is the Manager of the Season announced?

Is the summer transfer window already open? If not, then the announcement of a bid for Luke Shaw can only be a poor attempt by Man Utd to bury their atrocious season at the earliest possible moment.

What happened to that rumour about imminent investment? Any updates or has it been confirmed as the usual bullshit.?

COYB! Remember Bill – Nil Satis Nisi Optimum.

Si - I'm hoping that our neighbours have annoyed the Man City hierarchy so much that they get one of their mates to invest in Everton FC.

Is it the final squad being announced? I thought they had a few weeks before that had to be decided and might announce a preliminary squad if there was a chance of getting everyone together for some training in the next couple of weeks.

I also meant to make a point about the excellent application shown by the majority of the squad throughout an arduous season. Seems like Roberto's ball skills oriented approach has worked as well as OFM's more fitness based regime. I believe we are losing our fitness coach who was given a good send-off by the players today. Hopefully his successor will be as competent and popular.

Great away support from the fans today, the Hull City fans were pissing themselves laughing at the Stevie Me song. Nice too that Jelavic get a good reception.

Roll on the 16th August!

Fair play to you, in that case - no offence meant

You are, wiithout douty, a very special, balanced, content and unembittered human being
(however, I drank your Blue Moon )

1) The 5th-placed team (Everton) will qualify for the 2014–15 Uefa Europa League group stage if Arsenal win the 2013–14 FA Cup.

2) Since the 2013–14 Football League Cup winners (Manchester City) qualified for the 2014–15 Uefa Champions League, the 6th-placed team (Tottenham Hotspur) qualifies for 2014–15 Uefa Europa League Third Qualifying Round.

3) If Arsenal win the 2013–14 FA Cup, the 6th placed team (Tottenham Hotspur) would instead qualify for the 2014–15 Uefa Europa League Playoff Round.

4) Hull City have qualified for the 2014–15 Uefa Europa League, as they will play Champions League-qualified Arsenal in the final of the 2013–14 FA Cup. Their starting round will depend on whether they win the FA Cup.

5) If Hull City win the FA Cup, they will enter the group stage. If Arsenal win the FA Cup, Hull City will enter the Third Qualifying Round, the 6th-placed team (Tottenham Hotspur) will enter the Playoff Round, and the 5th-placed team (Everton) will enter the group stage.

Only puzzler is the "Playoff Round" — is that the Fourth Qualifying Round per Bert Kassies?

And re-reading that... it doesn't really make it any clearer.

Other than, we have to wait until next weekend!

Oh, and we should probably cheer on Arsenal for the FA Cup.

Yes, as I understand it, the 'Playoff Round' is the Fourth Qualifying Round.

Now on to the silly season:

Who comes in / who leaves?
How much money do / don't we have available?
Who are we going to play preseason?
What colour are our socks going to be?

With all these important things to discuss, plus the WC, it's going to be another busy TW summer. Blue 'til I die!

I think the Fellaini saga last summer showed that we are not going to be pushed around in the transfer market anymore. We can offer our players European football and a realistic crack at Champions League qualification.

Our main task is to secure Lukaku or a top quality replacement. Looking forward to pre-season for once!

Link

Personally I think that this year may be a hard act to follow.
Why, because our loan players have made a massive difference this season, and it will be difficult to replace them like for like. It seems to me, reading between the lines that they will not be with us next year.

Man Utd and Spurs will probably be more competitive than they have been this year, especially Utd. Then we have the Europa League to fit in, which is very unlikely to help our PL form. If we do finish lower than 5th, I don't think it will be the manager's fault, it will more than likely be a lack of money available to bring new quality players into our squad!

I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, just a realist; I think at this point if I was having a bet for us to finish 5th or higher or lower than 5th next season, it would have to be lower than 5th.

But if you want to really be Realistic Raymond, then yes, in all likelihood Martinez won't get the backing in the transfer market, and therefore we'll be left struggling to compete again.

In other words, the same as the last 13 years under these owners.

Déja vu.

7/4 City 9/4 Chelsea 11/2 Shite 11/2 Utd 9/1 Arsenal 33/1 Spurs 80/1 Everton 400/1 Bar.

Mind you, the cautiousness of bookies never ceases to amaze me, even on stupid bets – I remember seeing the odds for finding Elvis on the moon were only something like 500-1. You would have thought they could have pushed the boat out for that to a million to one. After all, they were never going to have to pay out!

Others have flirted with it, namely Villa, Newcastle and Leeds the reason being, IMO, is that they're all effectively one-horse town clubs that the PL/Sky bullshiteers can market to death in Brunei and Guangxhou without fear of upsetting the apple-cart.

"Thanks for contacting us regarding BBC One "Match of the Day" broadcast on May 5.

I understand you feel the choice of pundits we have for this, and other football programme is biased in favour of Liverpool Football Club.

You are rightly correct in saying that they played for other clubs beside Liverpool FC, but they have got a wide experience of football knowledge and success with the teams in which they played for, on both an international and club levels.

Programme contributors are appointed on the basis of their experience and talent, but judgements are often subjective and we would never expect everyone to agree with every choice we make.

Let me assure you that I've registered your complaint on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that's made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, channel controllers and other senior managers.

The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content."

Lerner putting Villa up for sale at double the price for EFC, it's rumoured. It will be very interesting to see how quickly it gets sold in light of our own 15-year 24/7 search, the longest sale in the history of selling things. prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/12/aston-villas-american-owner-randy-lerner-puts-club-up-for-sale/

This is especially poignant given that RM has asked for at least 7 players to be added this summer and that extra TV revenues, prize money and player sales should cover most of it. Over to you, Bill...

Thanks for posting that response from the BBC.
The response was almost as funny as some of the links above.
Especially :-

"Programme contributors are appointed on the basis of their experience and talent"

I can only guess watching Fowler et al that the BBC (Brenda's Boy's Club) don't view their own output.

Talent?

However, when Collymore did his feature on EFC on Talksport a while ago, a source from the club – rumoured to be a former Media Head – had put a figure of £125m on the majority shareholders stake, which, given the relative percentages owned, would've valued EFC at around £175m.

Interesting though that for the last couple of years Villa have been cutting back on expenditure, and our net transfer spend (negative) has been growing at the same time...

I read somewhere that Lerner paid £62m to buy the club and he certainly bank-rolled them in the first few years. How much that was, I don't know – but he put in considerably more than our board who have been at Everton for twice as long as Lerner.

And since then, the asset base went from slightly positive to somewhat negative.

That's why, when these carpetbaggers do eventually piss off, they'll have made an absolute fortune whilst the club has stagnated – ie, opportunity cost. But there'll still be people on here who support it cos "he's one of us".