Everton linked with move for Riera

Gotta ask, which sources are generally turn out to be more accurate? I'm surely not following the Sun but I have no idea what channels of news you guys get over in the UK other than BBC, Guardian and maybe Telegraph (?)

Dennis, I've never known any particular source to me more accurate than any other. It'd be interesting one year for someone with time and an interest in this stuff to chronicle every news item linking us to a particular player, and see what transpires.

With social media there's now loads of news and everyone is trying to trump everyone else with it. Twitter is full of supposed "ITKs" and agents who in reality trawl the net in search of snippets then concoct a timeline to put Sky's deadline day coverage to shame.

Of course, when one comes off, they trumpet "as told to you exclusively by me", whilst quietly and quickly erasing the timeline of the other 1500 shite reports they posted.

So as a statistician (?) why not have a go at compiling something? But I'm sure it will prove the old adage that "even a broken clock is right twice a day".

Matt, that's my conclusion as well. I do have a problem compiling the data even if I want to since there's just so many clubs moving parts. Big Data as McKinsey say, and I'm not that familiar with the technology. I am currently using ESPN since they are more of the thought to post after the fact. I guess rumors are fun when the club has dough to dish out...Not really for us though...

I do intend to try a "real time strength of schedule" analysis sometime. I find it odd that every time we play rs, we seem to have more key players injured than they do! It is easier to see in NFL than EPL because the schedules in NFL are not all on a home-away basis.

But compiling the data will be the death of me. I'm good playing with data. I did get caught sleeping on the job in my earlier days keying in data.

Dennis - none of the newspaper sources are accurate. They try to fabricate plausible stories so they have something to sell!

As a fan you get to learn your club's style of player/wants/needs and can clearly see when such a story is unlikely to be true, and has been written by a so called professional journalist, who doesn't understand his subject, just to fill page Space and earn an easy living, while sat sipping a latte in a
swanky London cafe.

I wait till I read it as a done deal on this site (as I find the os so overblown, sterile and cluttered, I rarely look). Unless that is, someone here says something about a mate who heard his cousin's wife's uncle, who works in the kitchen at goodison.... I read these little doosies for the craic!

Chris, agreed. As someone who dwell in facts and numbers only, the rumor mill often gets me confused. Plus this particular season adds so much more reason to want these rumors to be true!

I guess its back to ESPN then. They publish after the fact so they are rarely wrong. I'll just have to find a direct route to avoid commentary and videos of rs like Nicols and his deathly boring monologues! I wish they do more Macca on there. Terrible waste of an intelligent mind!

Chris #589, as someone who actually did work in the kitchens at Goodison in the 90s, I can say that it's not a hotbed of gossip. I was lucky because the kitchen serving the lounge I worked in had a back door opening onto the players' tunnel.

Great for standing there watching them file past on their way up to the hallowed turf, but not good for gossip - not even when Norman Whiteside popped in to ask if I'd save him a slice of Gateaux for half time (he wasn't playing, was during his write-off second and final season.)

My mate who was a chef there did manage to get Stuart Barlow washing lettuce for him. As usual he was on his own as the rest of the staff were slow to turn up, and was prepping the kitchen when Jigsaw asked if there was any chance of a sandwich (like I said, door to players tunnel). Not having a clue who he was, he gave him a load of expletives punctuated with "start washing those for me and I'll do you a sandwich".

It was only someone else coming in who, seeing him elbows deep washing vegetables, said to Jigsaw "New job Stu?", to which he replied "Well I'm not even on the bench today" that my mate realised he was a player...

Matt, that is definitely a story for the ages! I find these stories better than rumors!

Dennis, if we took notice of the rumours, we'd have about 57 new players! The Liverpool Echo (no longer printed in Liverpool!) occasionally gets near the mark.

Your point about us getting our injuries in truckloads, when due to play our bastard offspring, is well observed. I think the reason for this, and many other incidents that have worked against uis over the years, is that they worship the Dark Side!

By the way, have some thought for the hi tech dynosaurs among us. I've just about learnt how to use the basics of a computer (very basic) and your blinding me with science. What on earth is a "real time strength schedule" thing, at all?

Nice story Matt! Made my day.

Nice story Matt! Made my day.

Nice story Matt! Made my day.

You on a Groundhog Day Chris?

Looked this guy up on Twitter. Zilch. Came across top Spanish journo Gwillem Balague.."Stevenage v Everton. Only 3 miles from home Queuing up already for tickets. You have to love the FA Cup."

fa

cup."

Not sure what's going on there Eric! Only pressed submit once, honest!

I thought it was Stuart 'Barndoor' Barlow? Where'd the name Jigsaw come from?

He went to peices in front of the goal!

This guy is 27 years old with no pedigree what-so-ever. Played for small Spanish clubs with a rather unimpressive goal tally. Not sure what Martinez is thinking if this is true.

Mike, Surely he went to pieces in the box?

Steve is right he was called Jigsaw as he did go to pieces in the box, sometimes it was painful to watch!