Allardyce set to finalise Everton deal to become new manager

Not only will he be our manager, but will be for the next 2 to 3 years. And on 6m a year.

Utterly bewildered at Moshiri choosing this guy. Everton have finally broken my love for them.

Prepare yourselves ladies and gents for the arrival of the Bungosaurus and his hideous brand of Jurassic football.

If the appointment is confirmed, we have done so out of fear and it is completely regressive.

Most think he will stay for the remainder of the season, this fella believes he can manage the big clubs but has never been given the chance.

I cannot even summon the anger to fight it. I'll be truly broken if it becomes true.

Moshiri; what have you done?

It just gets worse and worse. Our board are useless in the extreme and we are officially the laughing stock of the league. If you still regard us a big club, think again.

We are such a mess we need one of two managers. The first type, and surely everyone's preference will be an accomplished and ambitious manager able to inspire the players immediately and oversee a much needed revolution. Unfortunately that man is likely to be untried in the PL and if he isn't an instant hit, he could well end up in a relegation scrap.

The second type, I'm afraid to say, is Sam Allardyce. He knows the league, he's a safe pair of hands. He will put his arm around those who need it, and fire a rocket up the likes of Schneiderlin. He'll utilise the full pitch and play two up front. I had my head in my hands when his name was raised, purely because I find him a particularly grotesque human. He's good at what he does. And he will definitely get the best out of Bolasie when he gets back. He's a Big Sam player if ever I saw one.

‘Big Sam'... look at me getting overfamiliar. Let's stick to Twat Sam.

We sacked a self-serving idiot, but had no idea who was going to replace him. Big continental names were dropped into the mix and quickly denied. Good men like Dyche, Hughton, Howe and Wagner were totally ignored. Silva was allegedly pursued, Fonseca was thrown in as a last minute red-herring and we are going to get the money-grabbing, unethical Sam Allardyce. Well, let us hope that his skin is thick enough to accept the brickbats and that his expertise as one of the few international managers to come out of that cauldron unbeaten, will allow him to rescue the collection of individuals that passes for Everton this season.

Unsworth had to be replaced, but this is probably the worst option. I presume we've given him an overpaid, 3-year contract.

Well, at least he might start with some finger-pointing, "Oi, you! Yer shit! Get the fuck out of my changing room!!.. You! Get yer fucking kit an boots on, yer in defence!!".. Bit like my old sports teacher, lol!

Well, we can hope.. and, anyway, I'd like to see that video on YouTube!.. gotta be better than, "Do I not like that!" at least, annit? I'm actually just hoping on hope he gets us fighting like we mean it!! Does that and summer comes and 'Thanks an all that, chap!'.. we can look again.. Fonseca maybe.

Chance to be back in an apparently decent state come then would be a fine thing, I reckon!! TOFFEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is Moshiri our Mike Ashley...

If, and its a big IF, he keeps us up, then I for one will be behind him. At least he's got the experience and balls for a fight. Yes, he's got a chequered background but I don't mind that at all.

Fuck who else comes – just get on with it. At least he'll get em playing or show em the door. This club needs change big time and who else would want the job?

In my opinion, all the current first team staff have failed so no arguments. Get rid of em all no sentiment in business don't do your job you should be fucked off – it's simple..

I hope he is introduced tonight; those who don't like it just go and do one. Good luck to him if he gets the post, he'll stand up to everything that's chucked at him.

Money is not the issue – we've thrown enough away on the previous two wankers!!!! So let's get ready for the battle!

Bullshit Bill will tell you to keep watching this space.

Can Big Sam save us with this bunch of none committed over rated over paid players? I'm not to sure. If we go down he might get us back up is that good??

The crazy game of football has lost it's shine for me. How can I support a team that has so little regard for the paying fans? I have not bothered to watch a single match this season. Going by the posts on here I have not missed much.

Happy days are well and truly in the past, if ya know ya history and all that.

I said at the time and at numerous other times during his distrust reign, that Koeman would be a disaster, based on his record of appalling man management and the application of bemusing and confused tactics at his previous clubs prior to Southampton. A little due diligence and some simple research into Koeman's background would have confirmed this but Moshiri failed us in that respect. Many of us were also convinced by clever marketing, that we would be getting a 'top manager' when in fact we were getting a man who had been sacked or who had walked out from three of his previous four clubs.

By the time the penny dropped Koeman had led us into the relegation zone, a la Valencia and Moshiri was forced to act and duly sacked his 'top manager' who preferred the golf course to Finch Farm and couldn't even be bothered to watch the U23s to truly assess the potential at the club.

Since then he has remained tight lipped, given the supporters no hint of his plans, and made David Unsworth the Aunt Sally, left to make the most of Koeman's leavings. He has prevaricated, shown his true lack of knowledge about running a professional football club and through his indecision and possible adherence to his advisers suggestions, we now find ourselves on the brink of bringing in Sam Allardyce as our manager.

After 59 years as a supporter of the club, I have never witnessed such witless, gutless, unprofessional leadership from the very top of the club but if we do hire Sam Allardyce, then like a true supporter of the club, which is bigger than any one man, I will be 100% behind Allardyce in his attempts to pull us out of the mire Koeman created. I just hope he insists on the sacking of Steve Walsh, who has been a total failure as a so called director of football, and who should share in the blame for the abysmal recruitment of the last twelve months. Those who say they will walk away from supporting Everton if Allardyce is appointed should ask themselves what they expected, mid season and with the club deep in the mire. If Sam saves us from relegation and shows he can do a job for us, then fine, and if not, get rid, but don't knock him for his past indiscretions. To call him a money grabber is fair enough, but money grabbers don't come much bigger than Ronald Koeman, who truly took us to the cleaners, but who initially received great support from the majority of supporters and who left us, crying all the way to the bank.

Please, get behind the new manager, whoever it is, and support his efforts to turn the current mess around. He's going to need all the help he can get, I think.

I don't even really have anything against the bloke. It's just a sign of where we are. A bright new era being completely undone in front of us.

The most galling part of this is that it took 5 weeks plus whatever time they already spent considering Ronald's future. And this was the conclusion... a bloke who was available and said he wanted the job 5 weeks ago!

And they've got the nerve to allow him to bring in Sammy Lee.

I just can't see this as a Bill appointment. For all the shambles we were before Moshiri, the last few months has been on another level.

Basically, he can get fucked as far as I'm concerned.

Thank God we are getting Allerdayce and not Silva. Please continue to expect our team to win and if possible play good football. I support EFC club the first thing I want them to be is winners.

All this anti-football is rubbish – it's first and foremost winning. That's what the game is about. It was never invented for anything else. That's why it's called a competition. You go out there to get a result.

I'm proud of the expectations of Everton supporters long may it last.

Absolute fukin shame and to think that dweeb of a man Sammy Lee is going to be connected to my club feels like someone's died. Kopites will be laughing their fukin tits off this Christmas.

I think Craig Shakespeare would be a great appointment too he's regarded as one of the top coaches in the country.

I'm not quite sure about Sammy Lee even though he is highly regarded but let's see on that one.

These Ex Evertonians need to go and prove themselves at other clubs; now it is time to end the sentimental vote.

Get down to Goodison tonight and show some support or sit on your laptop crying into your 'School of Science' memorabilia.

We are in Deep Shit.

I can see him at Anfield in a few weeks high fives to Klopp after being twatted 6-0 and giving the thumbs up to his mates on the Kop. If this happens, then Moshiri and Kenwright don't give a fuck about us.

Whatever it takes, we are in free-fall as a club and relegation looms large. This is crisis mode.

Let's support Sam and show how much we love this club. Two more wins and we are mid-table.

Rhino will take charge tonight apparently against West Ham and Moyesie. Oh the irony.

Allardyce is a temporary fix. When he's gone we'll probably be back to square one. I can see us being relegated in the next two seasons. It will get a lot worse than this and we will do an Aston Villa.

I've been around a few reds tonight and none of them actually give a shit. Amazingly we are not the be-all and end-all of the Premier League – we are just what we think we are. Unfortunately we think we are massive and skies above what we might get.

Big Sam maybe be the one for now but let's not kill him before he gets to the shambles. We need a rudder soon – otherwise we are going to tip and, although the Portuguese are fantastic sailors, I think we need a submarine. From the depths we may charge and mid-table rest.

I know this is a place of passionate thought but I think we need to remember what we are. What a draw when in 20 years: No titles, no cups, no Champions League and sitting pretty in the south. We need massive help!

For me Koeman's style was boring, despite the positive home results in the second half of last season, the football was always dull under him. There was some imagination in Martinez's approach in his first season, but generally it wasn't good to watch and we know what Moyes's approach was.

If it has to be Allardyce then what I would be desperate to see is whether we can get a manager who is prepared to compete at Anfield next week rather than roll over like the others have done.

Get a grip of yourself. What do Evertonians know anyway? I've never forgiven them for voting for Kirkby. If he beats the RedShite at their place, can we keep this forum going.

How has it got to this??!!!! Joke.

It's akin in many ways to the American election, millions of Americans, and the two candidates ended up being Trump and Hilary Clinton!

I will get behind whoever gets the job, but with a degree of reluctance, reassured by the fact, it will hopefully, be temporary.

Why the two to three year contract? Why not just keep us up, and then review the situation?

I'm in my 50s now and maybe it's just old age but the world is a different place now and everything is about me, me and me. I'm sick and tired of Everton and the UK. Such an ugly place now.

What message does this send to the kids of Liverpool? It's okay to steal, to cheat, to lie, to swindle... that's how you get on in the world?

I will never go to Goodison again.

Can you imagine the atmosphere at the ground if this doesn't work. If that little ewok arrives with Jabba there will be murder over the cones which, as we all know, our Duncan has been in charge of for years.

His record consists of some wins, but none of the clubs he managed ever progressed. They just become relegation fodder. His England career was a embarrassment.

Sad times. A once great club run by a bunch of clueless idiots. This is the result of 20 plus years of mediocrity.

I just hope we aren't giving him any more than 18-month contract, preferably 6 but can't see it with this lot running our club.

My first choice would not be Allardyce, but we obviously need someone who can get the players bothered to play, disciplined, show some fighting spirit etc, the bare minimum required. I think Allardyce should be able to sort the players out, and it may be a case of my way or the highway for some - it may come as a shock to some of the players. The football may not be pretty, but as some have said, he managed to get some lively football out of Bolton.

If anyone is interested, there was a good spot on BBC radio - worth listening too - it's at the beginning of the piece. Interesting overall view on some of the players performance.

Link

Kim, at 28, I understand the overall point you are making comparing us with Villa, but they didn't quite plummet like a stone, although that depends on how fast you think it takes a stone to plummet!

Looked it up, I would say they were last 'competing' with us in 2009-10, they finished 6th, we were 8th. Then, the following seasons, they were placed 9th,16th,15th,15th,17th and then finally relegated in 20th.

Took them 6 years to finally manage relegation. The way their club was run, it was almost as if relegation was what they were seeking!

Overall, I think overall, our club is in a better state than Villa were, but need to get a shift on and move up the table, which will instill, hopefully, some confidence into the squad.

Onwards and upwards

Fat Sam – just stay up, hoof it anywhere, dire, tired, turgid football

Are you saying that if we (heaven forbid) get relegated, that you would not support the club anymore? The very definition of fair-weather fans.

How we got to this situation is a shame and quite embarrassing. A series of poor decisions and a lot of wasted money, but the fact is that this is where we are and we have to deal with it. As I said before, crisis mode.

I for one will give all my support to big Sam and his staff, as I did with Moyes, Martinez, Koeman and Unsy.

What would you do as a top flight manager? Take on a team in free fall with players that are not performing and gaping holes in the squad? I think not. What is needed is clear heads and someone that can put this club back on the tracks.
COYB!

However his major holding is still less than the 50% plus that would give him or his appointee, a majority in a shareholders meeting (not a board meeting).

Additionally, we are not privy to any terms that may have been included in any shareholders agreement executed at the time of Moshri's acquisition of his shares.

In short, we don't know what internal machinations are going on at shareholder or board level at Everton FC – but one thing is becoming more and more obvious, Moshri is not "in charge".

The question is – who is?

At the moment it would seem that the chairman of the board (as in most such organisations), still carries all the clout.

If, as many suspect, Alisher Usmanov is a "shadow" shareholder, he needs to rapidly increase his holding to over 50% and garner full control at an extraordinary shareholders meeting.

We may then see a real shakeup at board level and begin to see the club run in the way we would wish.

٤m a year. Is Moshiri using the club to launder money or something?

Moshiri must be feeling a bit tender this morning.

Don't get started on that piece of shite Sammy Lee.

Well done, Everton – Silva would have been another foreign disaster.

That post has no info in anymore, so mine is a bit redundant

To those going tonight, enjoy. Reading between the lines, if Allardyce is the chosen one, this match could be the last one some will be going to for some years.

Wouldn't it be ironic if the team started resembling a football team, gained some confidence, started playing some attractive attacking football.

What a shame to miss out.

I like a comment on Facebook, which suggested someone had found two Everton season tickets outside the ground and had pinned them to a notice board. When they went back to see if the season tickets had been claimed, someone had nicked the pin.

:)

I will not watch any match from the moment that despicable man and his gang sign on the dotted. Seeing then on our grounds will kill me. I know I can't escape hearing about him but I will make an effort.

I can never support another team and I can never divorce Everton from my heart so it feels like I'm stuck in an abusive relationship with a man I still love.

Until the day he leaves, my football life will be in limbo.

His record at 39% wins (according to Wikipedia) isn't even good, and is poorer than Moyes (42%), Martinez (40%) and Koeman (53%) – none of whom would have been acceptable. Added to this his coaching team brings in a failed Leicester manager and an ex-Liverpool player.

Again and again, Allardyce has been shown to have a problem with money – from Panorama through to being duped out of the England job. To add insult to injury, his teams have been consistently dreadful to watch whereas the previous three all displayed positive attributes before they arrived at Goodison – something they sustained for different periods.

This is almost certainly going to end very badly, the crowd will turn at the first sign of trouble (the December derby?) and – in my view – the whole farce makes relegation more rather than less likely.

Moshiri seems to be in thrall to last year's "success" when he makes these appointments – in which case, the logic should point us to Benitez who – after his success with getting Newcastle promoted – is probably a decent bet for the next Everton manager, he has the record.

But to tie him down to a 2-3 year ٤M a year deal is beyond me. You can't blame Allardyce for upping his terms when we essentially turned him down in the first place. But the club should have walked away.

I still believe a short term appointment is the solution in order to see what the likes of Silva, Dyche, Howe, Fonseca do across the season, before making that permanent appointment.

I will support my team and wish Sam all the best. You don't have to like the manager to turn up and support your club. From day one I hated Martinez's BS and disingenuous crap, but I still supported our team, that he just happened to manage.

Perspective is required. Oh and by the way, does anyone think it's possible to become a billionaire and be whiter than white?

The likely damage will send us back several seasons, because we simply won't have a hope in Hell of attracting the kind of players to improve us and our U23 manager's stock (assuming Unsworth sticks to his word of returning to manage them) has taken an almighty knock too.

By making this appointment in the manner we have, we're not just showing fear of relegation, but a a complete lack of faith in all our existing personnel. Many would say rightly so, and given performances, it's understandable... it's just we've publically announced it in the worst way we possibly could; blundering our way clumsily and loudly around like an overtly jealous partner who eventually proves themselves "right" with a self fulfilling prophecy after ruining every social engagement.

All I can hope is that this is premature or that we scratch a line through his contract come the end of the season and write it down off to what we would have had to pay off Watford for Silva – who I predict will have been well and truly found out by then... So we might as well hire him and pay him 㾶M a year on a 5-year deal.

Nothing else.

The purists can dream of taking a punt on an untried Portuguese from Ukraine, who would most likely have got nothing out of our players.

The reality is that Koeman and Walsh couldn't agree on a back-up striker and the club has allowed our two best players of recent years to leave.

Moshiri and Kenwright fiddled while Koeman burnt Rome. A replacement should have been lined-up earlier. If Unsworth had managed to get the team playing then the club might have had more time to line up the new man before the January window, or wait till the summer.

It is a pity for Unsworth but the club had to do something, and we really have no idea who they would have liked. The likes of Hughton, Dyche, Silva and Howe are all in jobs which means we had to ask their clubs for permission to talk to them. At this point in the season who would be inclined to say yes?

The clock is ticking and the board had to make a decision. With huge amounts of money at stake and the hopes of a new ground (which would be undermined with relegation) they have, it seems opted for the safe choice.

It will be expensive but hopefully it will work, and if the man gets us winning again, I will be happy.

As for the animosity to Sammy Lee – get over it: lots of Reds have played for us, it's not like he was one of ours who jumped ship.

Let's hope Unsworth can give us a boost by avoiding a defeat tonight... it's the proverbial six-pointer. COYBs.

The board has allowed it to be hijacked, first by Koeman, and now by Walsh, who has shored up his own position by bringing in his old pals Allardyce and Shakespeare. Finally, we hear that Lee may be joining as well. Our neighbours across the park will be loving this.

For many, it doesn't matter how wins are achieved, as long as they are achieved. Well, for me it does matter, so I'll be taking a short holiday from watching Everton until this nightmare is over.

Moshiri has his appointed man on the board, and his 49.9% will outvote any other realistic combination of shareholders (as some of the shareholding is diluted).

He took Bolton into the Premier League from relative obscurity in the Championship, improved them year on year over several years until they qualified for Europe via league position and held them there, or thereabouts for a few seasons. During that time, within the budget available, he signed some good, but ageing players, such as Jay-Jay Okacha.

He was then approached by Newcastle and resigned from Bolton saying, quite justifiable, that he had taken them as far as he could on the transfer funds available and was moving on to a bigger challenge. He was hounded out of Newcastle by the fans' reaction, before having had time to truly establish himself there.

He then began to get a reputation as the "go to" man to get clubs out of relegation battles, which he has done with continued success.

Whilst having recently been appointed England manager, he was set up in a "honey trap" type of operation by a national newspaper, where he was encouraged into saying that he would take advantage of his new position to make a large amount of extra money. What was suggested may have been immoral and greedy, but it certainly wasn't criminal, otherwise he would have been charged with a crime.

So, what it all boils down to, in my view is:- he may not be our choice for various reasons, but many of the reasons being touted are not factual.

He is probably not the ogre he is being painted, nor is he a saint, but, like most people, somewhere in between,

The only question we should concern ourselves with is:- can he improve our side quickly and bring some stability and progress to the rudderless "team Everton"?

Shakespeare will be great behind the scenes & Allardyce will do a job.

Allardyce until the end of the season, keep Shakespeare and go get Marco Silva at the end of the season.

Some have made their mind up before a ball has been kicked under the new manager. Its no use discussing anything if that's the case. They will always be against the appointment and most are desperate to be proven right. Sad cases.

I will be working all day and then go straight to the game tonight and meet my friends and 2 daughters both in their 40's and my grandson aged 25 who have supported, like me, Everton all their life. I will meet in The Dark House and put my £1 Bet - Everton to win 4-0. We will of course moan and comment on the current goings on at our Club. Bemoan our situation, ask questions of Moshiri and Kenwright - - debate our new manager if we have named him by then. Liam(my grandson) is called Liam The Team - - because he is first (these kids know technology so well) - - will shout out the team news the moment it is available and we will all argue who should be in or out - - very rarely these days is there any agreement on team selection - - we will then make our way up to the ground and watch Everton play.

for me personally I never ever thought that we would employ Allardyce - -never thought he would get another job in football again - - but we all know (surely) that football is corrupt, phoney - - that we despised Suarez and his tricks but would loved him to sign for The Blues and that most fans w and clubs and managers would see their souls (if they had any) to win something. For as much as I love living in Liverpool ( well New Brighton for the last 3 of my 68 years) I have never ever bought into the phoney "Greatest Citeeee in De Werld" crap.When you love someone or something you know and understand they are not perfect they have imperfections - - just like we do ourselves - - and yet we still love them.
I love going to the match. Love seeing my mates and talking football and love Everton - - even though they drive me crazy and annoy me greatly - - - I love the whole package of Being A Blue - - from The Agony to The Ecstasy.
No back room Accountant, no blown up phoney Chairman, no false money grabbing blurt or couldn't care less players are ever going to stop me or take my memories, my love away from me. Wont let them.
I am not passive about Everton. I will not boo anyone tonight. We need to win games and we need to support Everton. But we do have to let these crabs who are ruining our Club know that we see through them. Not going is some people's way of doing this and I respect that but that's not for me.
68 - - I am - - One Last Fight.

Got to get working - -its 8.23 - have to prepare for a meeting at 10.00 but just stuck on Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush - - OK Ready For Anything.

In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail
No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face, I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose
Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good
Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that we'd be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn
Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up
We don't need much of anything
Don't give up
'Cause somewhere there's a place
Where we belong
Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don't give up
Please don't give up
'Got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flowing
That river's flowing
Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs
Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not the only one
Don't give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up now
We're proud of who you are
Don't give up
You know it's never been easy
Don't give up
'Cause I believe there's the a place
There's a place where we belong"

God Bless All Evertonians - - said Tiny Tim Cahill -- sending massive "posso waves" and cosmic grooves to all fellow sufferers and Blues - - don't forget Ma Joad is one of Us - - We Are The People -- with a firm handshake Brothers and Sisters - - your friend George.

If, at the time of acquisition, the shareholders agreement says (for example), that in any dispute the Chairman of the Board's decision is final, the size of his shareholding is immaterial.

Maybe this is what we need, a complete change of direction. The fans are good enough and passionate enough to get behind the team, and at the moment that's what it needs more than ever before.

Sometimes when there are nothing but poor choices the only thing to do is make a poor choice. Allardyce had better understand quickly what this club stands for and fully embraces it.

Those scoundrels Messi, Mourinho, Ronaldo, Neymar all investigated for tax fraud, so we'd probably not have any of those either given the chance.

Fact is Moshiri plans include the revitalisaton of the docks including a shiny new football stadium and as any astute business owner would do, is looking to protect that investment.

But yep, our billionaire owner is an idiot and knows nothing.

Jesus wept.

Not my choice, but given the situation probably a pragmatic one. If he is to be the manager then he should get a chance from the fans to present be himself.

For me, it's desperate stuff at worst & miscommunication at best.

Whether Allardyce can do a good job is only half the picture. His ethics and persona do not enhance the image of Everton. Like many of the older fans (I go back to having seen them in the old Second Division) I am disgusted that Everton's Board is totally oblivious of the issues surrounding Allardyce.

Pragmatically, he may be a safe option; morally and from a PR perspective, the choice stinks.

But, how the hell did you get in that perilous position to begin with? Someone is to blame. Someone should answer for it.

Am I happy we've got Allardyce? No, because it means we are in the shit! But we need the closest guarantee to staying up and he is it! We need clean sheets and we need wins and I don't care how we do it. We can pay him off and start again in the summer but people need to realise just how shit we are and we are on a downward spiral.

I'll back Sam while he's our manager, has been found guilty of anything criminal in football? Not that I'm aware of so all this name calling is a bit silly. COYB

Mind, I respected what he did at Bolton. No doubt. And, after England went out of the Euro I actually though they could do with a Sam Allardyce.

I still don't want him. But, if he does come can we finally have a real go at all the top teams? Stick two fingers up to everyone else in the Premier League, just don't give a fuck and take no more shit form anybody? That would do me fine.

Not that I want him now, though.

Rooney – charged and convicted with drunk driving after picking up a woman while his pregnant wife was away on holiday with his three young kids, yet I've seen nobody tear up their season ticket in protest at him playing for us?

I have thought and said we are a “team” that looks like never winning a match, the dreams for this season have gone its time to fight to stay up and as much as it is not want I hoped for Big Sam is the type we need as even he will struggle to get the existing players to perform.

Yes, we have players coming back in January, but who knows how they will perform and be subject to injury, it might take the rest of the season to get them fully match fit.

January transfer window is the main hope, I do not expect big name signings (who will want to come to a relegation candidate team)? But some strong big defenders and forwards who will fight for the ball and the club.

Why give Sam a 2- or 3-year contract? Because he would not come for a half season, would you?

Time the blue tinted wonder specs are removed and we all get real, stay up re-build and move on as crap as it sounds I honestly do not see any other way.

I have commented a couple of times, we are at home, on the TV, playing absolute crap, well on the way to being hammered, and the camera catches Kenwright, totalĺy despondent, then it pans to Moshiri and he has beaming smile!

Not sticking up for Kenwright here, but his emotions are probably the same as ours, when we are being humiliated on the pitch.

Yes, I'll still want them to win and stay in the Premier League but I'm not going to commit any more of my time to watching games. I despise what Allardyce stands for and the kind of football he represents and this great club must really be at its lowest ebb to feel forced to turn for him.

However long it takes, I'm going to wait until he's gone before I can have my club back.

Big Sam is a master of getting teams in our position out of the doo-doo, which is precisely where we are. Yes, I am fed up that we are in this position but desperate times call for desperate measures.

You never know – he may lead us to actually beating the RS. Imagine that! He won't be here forever. He'll just keep us up, and for that, I'll be very very grateful indeed. Wont you?

This Kenwright / Moshiri arrangement obviously isn't working and the weakness goes right to the top of the club.

Frannie Lee was interviewed in this weeks Sunday Times and he mentioned Peter Swales (!) Frannie said things did not get better for Man City till they moved to their new stadium.

If you are not watching Everton games you are not fans and should not be be on an Everton forum again.

I'll be there tonight like many others with one of my sons. a dodgy pie and tea trying to get behind the shower of shite they call a team at the moment.

Sam was not my first choice but I don't think he is the spawn of the Satan – just like I don't think other managers are Mother Theresa.

If he gets us out of relegation and starts winning games guess what we'll be happy. We either lack a moral soul or a sanctimonious one.

No-one seems to have accused Moshiri of being an idiot, yet it is reasonable to say that many of us – probably by a large majority judging by this thread – see this as an idiotic and unsuitable appointment that has been very badly handled for past six weeks or so.

No doubt, "Moses" Jim White will let us know when his master gives him the latest tablet of stone.

It might not be pretty, and he might be corrupt. Let's face it, how much of the £100 million spent on Schneiderlin, Klassen And Sigurdsson probably went to agents.

If he's appointed, why not get behind him and let him prove that he was wrong to be overlooked by big teams for so long.

I just hope that we get a succession plan in place as I think there'll be no better person for Unsworth to learn from and I hope he comes good to be the next manager after Allardyce.

I won't hold my breath... :)

If Sammy Lee has the skill and capabilities to do the do the job, I don't give a toss. So he used to play across the park... so what? It was his job so now get real and get some who has the experience and lets focus on the been professional. Just because he played for the RedShite is not an excuse to be part of the team/club.

The club needs a vampire from top to top-bottom. The style they play and more importantly the leadership on the pitch is so lacking from Jags – probably the weakest captain we have had had. Rooney should be leading the team out. There is a lot of work but I reckon. It's a no-brainer for Allardyce for me.

Sign for 6 months, agree a huge financial bonus if we stay up and walk away head held high.

Asking for a long term contact means being sacked in the summer – huge pay out but bad press.

The sound I can hear is my dad turning in his grave. He brought me up on the School of Science, the Holy Trinity, the Golden Vision, Vernon, Sheedy, Steven. It's why I'm a Blue. It's why my 6 year old lad is a Blue.

It just seems to me that today is the day where we accept the motto "nothing but survival is good enough". Very depressing.

I firmly believe though that if we do stay up Moshiri will sack Allardyce at the end of the season and then go for the manager he wants. Moshiri's obviously not shy about letting managers go, or bothered about having to pay them off.

No doubt Allardyce, who's well aware of the club's desperation (and is probably aware that Moshiri will give him the bullet at the end of the season) will make sure he receives a pretty packet of a contract. He's got us by the balls and he knows it.

So, for those who would have had Allardyce 'til the end of the season and then get the manager we hope for during the close season, I believe that's exactly what we've got.

Unfortunately, we're gonna pay through the nose for it!

George McKane (66) – loved this post! Cheered me up on a bad news day.

For my own part, I am bitterly disappointed with regards to Moshiri; bitterly disappointed its Allardyce – but it is what it is – it's still Everton FC after all so despite the vitriol I feel about Moshiri/Allardyce I will be shouting my head off as always this evening.

The club usually do the half season tickets around Christmas, I think, so you could buy them from the club then maybe.

If that is the case, we are all neglecting the obvious fact that morally, and perhaps, in other ways the Premier League is rotten to the core.

The good ship Everton is stranded in shark-infested waters, though some of the sharks managed to sneak on board many years ago and then more recently. They have been doing the damage and feathering their own nests ever since.

Perhaps Allardyce is another shark. Perhaps he will be a better manager than the last two tossers.

Who knows? Only time and results will tell you what.

Tell you what though – I am not expecting our usual meek FA Cup exit this year.

Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am
Come around and talk awhile
I need your smile
You need a shoulder
Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am
And the door is open wide
Come on inside
Longing to see you
Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am

I find the days hard to face now
Empty rooms
There's much too much space now
And the nights go so slow
I'm sure you know
Wish I knew what to do
It would be so nice seeing you
And it might help you too

Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am
Come around and talk awhile
I need your smile
You need a shoulder
Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am
And the door is open wide
Come on inside
Longing to see you
Oh Sam, Sam, you know where I am

Oh Sam, you know where I am
Oh Sam, ooh Sam
You know, you know
You know where I am

If he saves us, gets us mid table, why can't we do a Watford and get rid? What's the difference – give him a chance we can always sack him.

So all those castigating Moshiri, try looking at that fraud Kenwright who has led us to this point. He's put no money in for 20 years, got a lot out, hired the fucking idiot in Martinez, which led us on this collision course with disaster, and he's still in charge too.

Fucking Allardyce. What a low point we've ended up at. I will still be going to the game but I will direct my comments at Kenwright. He's destroyed the club with his small-time mentality and his desire to remain in charge – to hell with the consequences.

He's no Evertonian – he's just a power-hungry leech who we need rid of before the club can ever grow again.

Sad times. The club is just rotten. How ironic if Moyes beats the ex-Hammers manager tonight. Kenwright Out!!

Maybe a mass boycott at his first home game might get the message through! They have made us the absolute laughing stock!

Everton means nothing anymore - just another poxy club – a Stoke, a West Brom, a Bolton. Forget about Big 5 or 6, just another lumpy ugly old club, a bit like Old Sam himself.

Him sitting on the bench at Goodison? Not my idea of what EFC is/was meant to be all about.

How would we look now nearly 5 years later? He certainly wouldn't have gained a tarnished reputation and we would have certainly maintained our defensive solidity and probably have stayed in the 5th-8th finishing positions with Allardyce probably now after 5 years looking to move on allowing us to replace him with a genuine top class manager.

Was a change of footballing style worth it? For all of the money spent we are now no better than we were 17 years ago.

Maybe this is the perfect storm, maybe the club will rebuild Allardyce's reputation as he rebuilds ours?

Allardyce hates cup competitions. I believe he actually told people not to to bother turning up when he was at Bolton as he would field a weakened team for an FA Cup tie.

Same at West Ham when they got trounced at Nottingham Forest (?) a few season ago.

Allardyce would probably prefer us not even being in the draw for the 3rd Round at all.

We are in the shit, no top manager for now is going to risk coming, the players need a kick up the backside, Sam will sort this mess out,he will not put up with players not putting in 100%, football might not be pretty for a while but I will take a few ugly wins all Day long.

July we were patting ourselves on the back, players coming in left right and centre, we were sure this was the next step up for Everton, we got that badly wrong.

Who's to say we may have got it wrong about Sam.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but the shite we are in it could turn out to be a master stroke.

Let's at least give the guy a chance, no one else is battering the doors down at Goodison to take the job.

Whoever we get, I will not turn my back on Everton, I will still follow my beloved clubwhether it's big Sam or someone else, all I want is someone who will get us out of this mess and quick.

Keep the faith fellow Blues.

Is he going to be around in 18 months? How much money will he be given to rebuild the squad.

Worrying times this

They've become scared to think for themselves. Believing everything this biased horrible English media tell them. You only feel safe repeating the nonsense of the comment before or thinking in large groups of agreement. Therefore this pathetic hysterical bandwagon rolls on.

Analysis is dead.

Common sense is dead.

The fear to have your own mind, is alive and kicking.

But you're on trend. It doesn't matter whether you've thought through your arguments or not. Throw in a few a clichés: School of Science, long-ball dinosaur tactics, Paul Scholes can't tackle, and you're away. The sheeple love it.

Joe Royle is steeped in the School of Science tradition more than any numpty on here. His Dogs of War team was a fantastic team IMHO. The turn around from sideways and backward passing, leaky defence no-hopers to determined energetic committed warriors was great to watch.

Wing play. Bite in midfield and Dunc up front was very scientific. That derby win. Going on to win the FA Cup. That was all the science I needed and the only successful team anyone under 40 can truly remember.

Like everyone, I'll be very shocked if Sammy Lee arrives. Surely just journos making assumptions as Kenwright won't allow this to happen.

Not only (and more importantly) am I worried we'll be the exception to the rule of Allardyce saving clubs by the skin of their teeth but the rebuilding process for the next manager whenever he comes in will be some task.

To convert a team from basic football to something closer to the top six will be all the harder if Allardyce gets to bring in his type of player and what if he doesn't get any results in his first eight games and has to rely on the January window to bring in a striker to change results? I will be thinking we should of brought in a more continental coach.

If he becomes manager I hope the obvious, he keeps us up and is payed of at the end of the season but what a waste of money this club has gone through since Koeman came in.One of the worst managers we've had (Koeman) really has set us back years.

Don't say it's because we are now more desperate. That's not a good enough reason. That's like pouring mud onto a turd so there's less turd. It's utter nonsense.

Everyday we should still be pursuing our number one long-term target. Then we can get him in ASAP. I'm all for getting behind the players but we can't allow the board to think we are now happy with this. Before and straight after the game we need to let them know that FS and Everton Board are not doing a good enough job.

If this is true, give him until January 1st and, if he's not worked a miracle, then bin him off. He needs to prove he can do a much better job than Unsworth with the current team – otherwise, what's the point keeping him?

Best case scenario: he stabilises us, gets us to mid table. (After watching Atalanta and Southampton, that would be an achievement.) Then the club can decide to go forward with Sam or pay the beans and choose an alternative in June.

Worst case scenario: Absolute Pandemonium. Bottom 3. Sit-ins. Fans and Board at each other's throats. Sam blaming fans. Sam blaming players. Massive derby defeats. Losing FA Cup 3rd round to MK Dons... Relegation with Sam saying “I can turn it around given time”.

Don't worry; best-case scenario is by far the most likely, 90% chance of it with our resources.

However, ‘Cry “havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war'
(Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 1), springs to mind. To be fair, had to look that one up!

For those who haven't gone as back as far as George McKane's post (66), it's worth a read

On a lighter note and on the subject of song lyrics applicable to Everton and fans, sing-a-long to this...One Direction's "History"

You gotta help me, I'm losing my mind
Keep getting the feeling you wanna leave this all behind
Thought we were going strong
I thought we were holding on
Aren't we?

No, they don't teach you this in school
Now my heart's breaking and I don't know what to do
Thought we were going strong
Thought we were holding on
Aren't we?

You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen
You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
So don't let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever...ton

All of the rumors, all of the fights
But we always find a way to make it out alive
Thought we were going strong
Thought we were holding on
Aren't we?

You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen
You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
So don't let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever...ton

Mini bars, expensive cars, hotel rooms, and new tattoos
And the good champagne, and private planes, but they don't mean anything
'Cause the truth is out, I realize that without you here life is just a lie
This is not the end
This is not the end
We can make it, you know it, you know

You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen
You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
So don't let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever..ton

You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
We could be the greatest team that the world has ever seen
You and me got a whole lot of history (oh)
So don't let it go, we can make some more, we can live forever...ton

So don't let me go
So don't let me go

We can live forever

Baby don't you know
Baby don't you know

We can live forever...ton

If he brings an ex-Lpool player with him, a recognised decent coach, it won't bother me a jot. I enjoyed watching Morrissey, Sheedy & Beardsley.

It's also possible that Allardyce may have a better relationship with Walsh that brings in better players.

Handsome is as handsome does. I'll judge him on what he brings to us.

Dave, most of your first paragraph is just NOT true. I know we're all riled up and emotional at the moment but your facts are mostly wrong mate.

I didn't choose to support Everton, it was because my dad took me to Goodison in 1961 and I was hooked, and that grip became stronger through the 60s. I've supported them through thick and thin, but as I've got older I've gone to games less, partly through other factors, to a point where I seldom go to Goodison these days. So I've become a part-time supporter, but I'm not a 'fair weather' supporter, and I don't believe any true supporters are fair weather supporters, because Everton is in your blood.

The problem now is disappointment on a grand scale. When Koeman arrived I thought it exciting, but my dad said to me, don't get too excited, Everton has a habit of lifting you up then letting you down. I had fears of Koeman failing, despite what he did at Southampton, but deeper fears that we would end up selling Stones, Lukaku and Barkley, that it would be that disappointing aspect of Everton to which I'd become hardened over the last two decades or so.

So those fears have been realised. Okay, we've still got Barkley, but he's been out in the cold. Of course, Everton is bigger than any player (or trio of players), but that doesn't stop the disappointment.

The problem with disappointment is it gets worse when the initial expectations are greater. And let's face it, we were presented with some great expectations only 18 months ago. We knew success wouldn't be overnight, but we didn't really expect the management cock-ups we've since witnessed. On the face of it, my dad was right, I was daft to get too excited.

So now it's a case of bracing ourselves, yet again, for continued disappointment. We might be pleasantly surprised, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

I am expecting Godzilla to arrive on Wednesday night and chew of the roof at Gwladys Street.... Wake me up!

Alan (#117) you make a good point. You are right in your assertion that successful EFC managers haven't always totally embraced the School of Science and that this is often a "mythical" aspiration. However we know the label of "Dogs of War" was massively misplaced upon Royle's team. Limpar, Kanchelskis??? I enjoyed that side too. The football media are essentially lazy and labels are created and incorrectly on occasion stick.

Mythical though the School of Science is...to many Allardyce, is the antithesis of EFC – it matters not that the comparison references EFC on the whole of its history not as I suspect those pro Allardyce view it purely in the context of EFC 2017.

With respect, the ire and frustration on here I feel is not misplaced. It's wording may centre upon Allardyce but I sense that with good cause the wrath is targeted at an incompetent board – to have messed just about everything up to find that Allardyce is the go to man. Heads should roll on that boardroom – but thy won't. This club will not move an inch until our chairman goes – that's the anger I see.

Dyche was available, is a better coach and has none of the baggage. He would have made a cracking Everton manager and galvanised us. Burnley play great football. Not that that matters to a man like Moshiri, who chases whoever the Sky muppets tell him to.

Moshiri is proving himself to be an utter clown and an awful final move of Kenwright's to bring him in.

But if he brings that red munchkin with him, then that's me done. I won't step inside Goodison as long as that little red shithouse is there.

Kenwright can't be that stupid to allow the munchkin inside Goodison... surely not?

Thanks for that beautiful post. You have the spirit of Everton in your DNA. Your family are lucky to have you. Most of us on he will have that same spirit; it will, over time, override some reactions to the current state of play.

Whatever happens, that spirit and unity will not be broken. The love for the club runs too deep, our history and memories are set in stone and cannot be erased.

I'm proud to be an Evertonian and will support the club, no matter what, until my dying day.

We ve been a mid table club for the last 30 years, School of Science, Holy trinity, Golden Vision were all in black-and-white and sponsor-free as it's ancient history.

I don't live in Liverpool anymore and we aren't a laughing stock because outside of the city we don't even register.

I had great hopes in the summer and shouted my mouth off, but we are currently in a right mess. We cannot score goals so first off we need to stop conceding. Like it or not, this man is the best fit to our present situation.

How does theory go from one extreme to the next?

Let us face it, I have not seen Everton this bad for a long long time. In fact, I can't remember us every being this bad but that might be due to my advancing years and loss of grey matter.

If Fat Sam comes we can save money by binning the youth teams. Our promising youngsters should get in touch with their agents ASAP for a move away to help save their careers.

It won't happen but we should ensure we insert buy back clauses in all of their selling on contracts. After Fat Sam sets us back 5 years, we may be able to afford to buy a few back.

Aaaahhhhhh..

"Get rid of him and get Jaaavy Klaasen in!"

I've not lived in Liverpool for over 30 years and can confirm we aren't a laughing stock because outside of the city we don't really register.

If its any small comfort, having not wont the title for almost 30 years the RS don't register either – at least not with the under-40s.

Feeling dead inside atm, will be listening to our games from now on.

I just hope the players turn up tonight to finally put on a decent show for our fans & Rhino in his last game in charge.

Moshiri... OUT!!!!

Please name me one REALISTIC, prem proven manager who would come to Everton and stop the rot? Because Sam is the only man. Might not be first choice but who cares, if and when he saves us from inevitably going down, you'll all be the first to queue up to suck him off. Fickle.

As for Moshiri, you're all complaining about someone who's come in and actually given us financial muscle again? Someone who has actually secured land for a new stadium instead of floundering like the last 3 attempts? He's come in and will be plowing money in. If you don't like him as majority shareholder, go and find another billionaire to invest and let the club know.

Today is the day Everton confirmed they are no longer a big club. And that we are prepared to accept good enough, rather than strive for the best.

We've expected it for a while but there's always been a faint light at the end of the tunnel that we might just regain our status and compete with the elite. Today, that light has disappeared.

I'm not saying we'll go down or that it's the end of the road. But we've settled for mediocrity and in the process, we've redefined the status of our club. We are a selling club, a feeder club for the elite, and we should be satisfied just to give the elite clubs the occasional tough game. That's the message we've sent to the world today.

Our motto can change simply to Optimum. Good Enough.

When have we ever been any different to any other club outside of the likes of Chelsea and Man City? Are we a bastion of all that is right in the world??

We are falling fast right now into a chasm of uncertainty and definite relegation. We need someone who can galvanise a team bereft of spirit, belief and fight. We need a man to adapt our style to fit the fight we are now in. That man – whether you like it or not – is Sam Allardyce. He's proved time and again he is a decent man manager and evidently capable of being that 'quick fix'.

As for the overall style of play, lets not forget in his latter days at Bolton when he had the likes of Jay-Jay Okacha etc that his team actually played effective and fluid 4-4-2 football.

I'm not saying I ever wanted him at Goodison Park but by Christ I'm realistic enough to know that we damn well need him now. As for Lee and Shakespeare well there's always a cloud to the silver lining.

Let's revisit this thread come March and reserve vitriol for the man until then. Mark this down: We will be in the top half of the table solidly by then.

We're in a terrible spot at the moment obviously but even for this season I still harbour expectations that we will make top ten. We have some excellent players to come back and will surely have more resources to spend than any other bottom half clubs in January.

The last time Allardyce finished in the top 9 was in 2007 with Bolton. Its not his football I can't handle its the very limited ambition of his teams.

Such a move reeks of panic and will set us back a great deal in my opinion. There is absolutely guarantee that he is any more likely to 'save us' than Fonseca or Rui Vitoria or any other foreign name that it seems fashionable to dispense with because they don't know the Premier League and no foreign coach has ever done well here

If he is to be our manager than I will back him as I do all Everton managers at the start but I sincerely hope that this is not the path we are going down.

He won more as a player in his career than all the true blues on the coaching staff added together, and has coached teams for longer periods.

Oh yes, forgot that he played for the RS 30 years ago. No wonder its a mess, we are so parochial and stuck in a time warp.

Every club has high points in its history, we aren't the only ones with a teary eyed past.

Lots of posters attack Kenwright on here for his sentimental Boys Pen back in the day was great attitude and then go onto rant exactly the same about how great we used to be and we are too illustrious and above the likes of Allardyce etc.

It may take all of 5 games to “save us”. What then? Do we sack him and appoint a manager with the skill set to save our season and reclaim 7th? Or we settle for mid table with the Bungmeister in charge?

What about next season and the one after as the Bungmeister forces the youth team players to sign with his agent mate or they won't get a new contract?

You keep telling yourself you're in the shit. You keep believing what the likes of Paul Merson and the gutter press are telling you, that only the Bungmeister can save us.

I know different. Just because we end up with an incompetent coach I will still demand a minimum of 10th this season and a minimum of 7th next season.

The crooked piece of shite will not be getting an easy ride and he'll be hounded out quicker than he was at Newcastle as he will fail to meet standards.

I'm off to go and cry somewhere...

Despite all of these heartaches and the occasional little bit of enjoyment I have always remained optimistic but I just cannot believe that we have come to this Allardyce and Sammy Lee, for God's sake...

If we think it is bad now with Evertonian David Unsworth managing the team... be prepared, it is going to get much much worse. Desperate times.

Unfortunately it is like the John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett sketch and Everton are the little working class Corbett: "We know our place".

I thought My Moshiri was taking us upwards and onwards?

Apparently Steve Walsh rates him very highly and it's heartening to me that a football man is driving this decision rather than a well meaning billionaire who wants to placate the masses by appointing a ‘Hollywood' name.

If Sammy Lee is a decent coach then I couldn't give a shite if he played for Liverpool 30 years ago and I'll welcome him with open arms.

I've got a good feeling about this appointment and fingers crossed if we can stabilise the club and ensure survival this season, the remaining 2 years of Big Sams tenure can be spent building towards a situation where we can attract the kind of manager Moshiri wants.

Hopefully we'll have some fantastic nights under the Goodison lights along the way.
COYB!

And by the way, I'm happy if he brings in someone he believes can assist in accomplishing the task, whether it's Sammy Lee, Sammy Winward or Sammy Davis Jr!

The alleged bungmeister's agent mate is in fact his son Craig Allardyce, who was investigated (along with Allardyce senior) for alleged corruption in 2006.

Just get the deal done now!

Agree with David (#157) and John (#158).

Apologies for trying to inject a bit of light-hearted humour into this we are doomed thread with my reference to One Direction.

I'll get my coat or straightjacket (whatever seems more appropriate).

I agree, the Dogs of War team was fantastic. I enjoyed watching them. That was my point. And yes, Kanchelskis (the following season) and Limpar were great.

I was also the first person to spot the flaws in Moshiri so I'm glad if you've finally got round to directing anger (better if it was questions) in the board's direction. But you still can't bring yourself to mention Moshiri's name (it's all Kenwright's fault or the board's).

Of all the managers on our list, Allardyce was the best, unfortunately, and not the last resort. He had the England job and had higher finishes in a the Premier League than anyone else on the list.

Would I have preferred Silva? Possibly. But to say Allardyce is antithesis of all things School of Science is ridiculous. With the right tools (players), he'd play good football. Or do you think he'd take the Barça job and change them to long ball?

There's no logic, sound reasoning or evidence to 90% of the shite fans say anymore. And it starts of in our media and terrible punditry.

Your spot on when you talk about labels. People can't think outside of them.

Zaha had the most dribbles in the Premier League under Allardyce. Anelka played up front for Bolton. He may still take us down because we need five players. But how many on here said Lukaku had a bad touch whilst lauding McCarthy?

Barry was, according to everyone, the most consistent player. Before he signed, no-one wanted him. Hysterical "backward step" shouts. One tackle vs Chelsea and he was great. Next season, he was shit. Following season, he was great again. The next season, he was shit, finished and too slow again – because we fell in love with Schneiderlin. This season, we miss him; we need him in the team.

Just look at this example. The same people who called Barry "Mr Consistent" have put his performances on the biggest roller-coaster of peaks and troughs that the most ambitious theme park wouldn't dare to design.

It's hard to take anything seriously any more. Reality has almost nothing to do with anything anyone describes on here or on any other media outlet.

See analyses of:
Lukaku
Barkley
McCarthy
Schneiderlin
Pogba
Ozil
Luiz
Wilshere

Allardyce is no different and Paul Scholes could tackle.

Pickford is shit, by the way.

Alan Smith. Joe Royle played Limpar and Kanchelskis in the same team less than ten times. We had Limpar mainly sat on the bench as a super sub which is why he threw his toys out the pram that season.

It's not happened yet but in expectation, I'm just going to have to come to terms with this, I guess.TBH he's a big improvement on Koeman imo. Certainly more charisma and media savvy.

I wish Sam all the luck in the world and hope this turns out to be his most successful job to date.

I just hope he scrubs up for the job and backs off on the chewy a bit.

Money talks. Sam is trying to ride us to the moon and back.

If Koeman won 5 of the next 10 games should we have kept him? If Unsworth won 4 of the next 10 games is he doing a good job and worth keeping as our manager?

Therefore what's the threshold for Fat Sam? If Fat Sam wins 3 of the next 10 games, is that good enough? Or he gains 10 points from 30 is that good enough?

I'm being incredibly lenient on him because he's new to the job, but so was Unsworth. If we don't get at least 10 points from 30, are we okay to trust him to sell and buy players to improve things?

In short, if this horrible rumour is true, we have to judge him like we judged the other two managers.

Can we all agree that, if there's no short-term improvement, he needs kicking to the kerb before taking brown envelopes and getting his son involved in transfer dealings???

No seriously, we are in a real pickle. Regardless of the players and talent that some believe we have in the squad – we cannot keep shipping goals at the rate we have been, if we have any hope of steering clear of the trap door. I agree with some who stated relegation would be a disaster for Everton that we may not be equipped to bounce back from easily.

Sam Allardyce has seen it all before and he knows how to organise a defence and therefore make a team hard to beat. It would have been interesting to see how far he could've taken England. I do believe that any perceived under-performance at Newcastle & West Ham was probably down to the fans not really accepting him and desiring more stylish managers.

Okay yes, the football might not always be pretty and his morals are perhaps a bit less than absolutely scrupulous, but he is a good choice right now to drag this team out of the mire and all fans should get behind him and the team if this happens (which looks likely).

Thanks to Lyndon and Michael for bringing me so much info. Signing off now. Will have to find another hobby.

Thanks to Lyndon and Michael for bringing me so much info. Signing off now. Will have to find another hobby.,,BlueKfrog,1,11:20:57,,79.97.32.144,ok,4859,11/29/2017 11:20:57,FrankWade,reader,, 876912,35876,toffeeweb,29/11/2017,Ajay Gopal,ajaygopalswamy@gmail.com,"
My team for Unsy's last game as manager:

Robles (bigger physical frame)
Kenny Jags Williams Davies
Baningime Rooney Besic
Siggy
DCL Sandro

Subs: Pickford, Holgate/Feeney, Martina, Gueye, Vlasic, Lookman, Mirallas

All the best, Unsy! I hope the boys play well enough for you to leave with your head held high.

Three times there was damning evidence of his corruption. And you think our signings now will be above board? When talented players from the youth team leave, will you think it's just normal, won't you wonder if Allardyce is up to his old tricks with agents?

When we sign a load of Africans on massive contracts, will you not wonder if they all have the same agent and what his connection is to Sam Allardyce.

This is the darkest day in the history of Everton and it's all because Moshiri lacks the balls to appoint a winning manager and instead went with a losing manager.

We've gone from aiming for 1.6 points a game with Koeman to aiming for 1.2 points per game with Allardyce. Even Moyes had much better than that. Pardew too. They're both much better managers than Allardyce and their records show it.

The main problem though is Steve Fucking Walsh. The Director of Football model has never worked in this league and also leads to a lot of coaches getting sacked on the continent.

A manager picks the team, tactics and style so should be in charge of transfers. Look at Damian Comolli, responsible for the farcical transfer problems at the RS and Spurs. Got sacked from both. At Chelsea every manager there begins to hate the place not long after taking over because of not having total control over team affairs.

I'm sure Walsh is probably a nice guy and all and respect the fact he didn't get on with Koeman but he was in charge of transfers in the last 18 months. Only one signing has been a success in Gueye who was relatively cheap at £7million and Pickford at £30million.

All the rest – like Schneiderlin (£24m), Klaassen (£23.5m), Keane (£30m), Lookman (£11m), Sandro (£5.25m) and particularly Sigurdsson (£45 fucking million) – have been total dogshite.

All the players bought for the youth team we will probably never see in the team like so many before. Now Koeman deserved to go because of his shite management but so should have Walsh.

As for Big Sam, this is his chance to prove what he said in the past about he'd win stuff if he was at a big club with money to spend. I just hope after another £100million is spent, we don't see awful, dinosaur long-ball football because it fucking doesn't work in today's game.

I must admit, while I won't be threatening to remove my support, I'm feeling a bit different about the club. I mean, what is the point?

Whether you agree with the appointment or not, you can't disagree that this last 5 weeks shows shocking incompetence and a complete lack of imagination. Add in the comments (outright lies) about Ross and allowing the shit (outright workplace bullying) that went on with Niasse... well it's hard to defend this club right now isn't it?

I've always held Everton to a higher standard. Not necessarily the performances on the pitch – though I want the best – but in the way we carry ourselves. This is just embarrassingly fucked up.

Time to move on, indeed.

Nothing has been proven against Sam Allardyce. (Unlike our Wayne -– but let's conveniently forget about that because pomposity is hypocritical and selective, isn't it?)

And, on footballing grounds, Allardyce's alleged style of football can be nothing worse than what we have seen these past few weeks / months.

Those accusing the club of not being able to move on are guilty of the very same thing.

Give him a chance.

Some posters on here (Steve Ferns) would prefer to see us relegated – as posted on another thread ("would prefer to be where Tranmere are") – than appoint Allardyce.

And on the back of comments like that I'm supposed to feel disgust at the prospective appointment of Sammy Lee! (I don't want the latter to happen but there is some shoite posted on here.)

For those throwing in the towel at the prospects of Allardyce – one man is bigger than EFC? Really?

It has had fallow periods and has hit the lofty heights during that time, it has acted with great dignity in times of strife and mourning and has put smiles on faces when there was little else to help many in their day-to-day lives.

The appointment of Sam Allardyce won't break those qualities because no individual person can, neither will the Board of Directors or the owner, regardless of how useless they may be.

The worst they can do is to temporarily put the School of Science on it's back – but in the end the club is and probably always has been, in a spiritual sense, about the supporters.

Those supporters who are currently so annoyed and say they will refuse to attend during this period are free to do so, it has been done previously when it harmed the club financially, the club survived.

Those who did and do threaten to withdraw their support, realised and will soon realise that they are unable to cut the ties completely it's impossible to do so, if you're an Evertonian.

Good luck to Unsy and the boys tonight we'll probably need quite a bit if we are to add to our tally of points, I and thousands of other Blues will be there to watch it all unfold. Same on Saturday and for many more football matches to come.

Has there been any rumours of Sammy Winward? That would cheer me up a little!

To answer your question, I don't have a solution. But if I was in charge, I would have at least attempted to show more ambition than Sam Allardyce. Sean Dyche would have done for me. If he was Portugese and named Joao Dychendez we'd be all over it.

All attainable for a team that isn't played off the park by Palace or has their heart torn out by Atalanta & Southampton.

Problem is that this team can't play, can't pass, can't defend and can't score and we're 3 points off 20th.

If West Ham play like they did against Leicester, the team that beat Spurs last night, compact, organised with twice as many shots on target then by 21:45 tonight we'll be in the bottom 3 and then it's quite possible that the only CV's arriving in the post will be from the likes of Warnock, Cockerill & Megson.

I'm not saying they're bad and Moyes especially done really well in stabilising us all those years on a meagre budget but his last few jobs have really harmed his reputation in my opinion. Pardew divides opinion, but then so does Allardyce. He'll keep us up though, that I'm almost certain of.

At 79 years of age and 69 years of regular attendance, and a few more [if God spares me], I will be carried from the church, and friends and relatives will remember me by saying "He used to be an Evertonian"

I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be carried home from the pub, with friends and relatives, using the same expression.

I have previously posted my thoughts on ToffeeWeb debates regarding managerial appointments, which are, that any such appointment could turn out to be either the best or worst decision.

We as supporters, have no influence in such matters and while I respect anyone who, [on principle] decides to withdraw their support, I can only say, it's good thing we don't sing, as many supporters of other clubs do, "I'm Club X till I die".

I will be there tonight in the Park End, encouraging the so called, lazy "Prima Donnas" because they play for Everton, and supporters by definition, SUPPORT.

We need to rebuild those foundations. I don't think the problem is the players we bought, the problems stem from players we couldn't get. Koeman took a gamble forced on him, or he opted not to buy a couple of old school players for a short term fix.

Allardyce will prioritise defence and that will do for now. If he saves us from relegation he will have been well worth ٤ million. Once confidence in defence is restored our 'foootballers' will have a platform to help them perform.

It would great though, would it not, if Sammy Lee could be a real turncoat and become a true Evertonian. That would really rub Their noses in it after we beat them in a couple of weeks. He just hasn't had the chance for Everton to touch him yet, has he?

Fuck me, I'm dreaming again.

"Gutless and spineless" comes to mind for those who only have their own interests at heart. Steve Walsh grinning next to his partner whilst his supposed star finds cannot put two passes or a headed clearance together in a recent game.

We are concerned that Big Sam is not of the right caliber to be associated with the club judging by the many comments that appear on ToffeeWeb. Surely he is no worse than the gangsters currently running the show and is small time compared to the current mafia.

I do not care about his past as all I want is someone who can save us from our current situation and if he is the one chosen to try to remedy the current problems then so be it. Everton as a club have a proud record built up over the past 50 plus years and I for one would be devastated if we were to drop out of the Premier League.

Sometimes beggars cannot be choosers and our begging bowl is well and truly empty so we need to get behind whoever comes in and not worry about their past indiscretions.

He will ruffle feathers and kick ass wherever it is needed as he is a straight talking no nonsense operator who will insist on discipline and maximum effort; something that is in very short supply at this time.

His best Bolton side actually played some good stuff so he is not averse to moving the ball around if players follow his tactics and instructions.

Do we want Pulis, Pardew, over Big Sam because there does not seem to be very much choice other than to poach a manager from a current Premier League club. Silva can't set a team to defend as has been seen a number of times already this year. Dyche would be a similar option to Allardyce and Howe was never in the frame so we have to take someone who is probably the best of the bunch on offer at what he does best, ie, saving teams from relegation. NSNO.

RIP Everton. Moshiri, you fucking clown.

Everyone involved should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

If we hire him, we need to give the man a chance. Be aware that he is doing his best do sort this mess out.

If any frustration is vented it should be towards the woefully inept running of the club and demand better. ''Kenwright Out'' would be more accurate.

My Dad (supporting the team since before the second world war, his father before him) took me to my first match in 1963 where we beat Fulham 4-1 if my memory serves me well.

I have seen success (got mugged in the Boys Pen!) and failure, I was at the Munich game and Rotterdam. I saw the last cup we won so I think I do know our history.

My eldest daughter (Lucy Soares Smith) blogs/social media for the Premier League for a big company in Sydney and has her love for the Toffees on her CV (which made be proud). But if we take on Allardyce, I will suspend my support and go and watch a bit of Rugby.

I would like to say I'm mad but, worse than this, I am disinterested. My old man would be turning in his grave.

Those calling for Silva, the man has done nothing yet. He might be the next Pochettino, he might be the next Martinez, who knows, but it's more likely the latter on his record so far. Fonseca? Again, he's done nothing of any real note and has zero experience of the Premier League, let alone a Premier League battle against relegation, which is what we're in right now.

Calm the fuck down, he's only a manager. He's being brought in to do a job. Is he being overpaid? Probably but he holds the cards now, and an overpaid manager still earns a lot less than an overpaid bench-warming Number 10.

Is he crooked? Even if the handful of stories about him are true, and nothing has stuck, it's hardly fucking Watergate is it?

Would Liverpool fans accept this? Why are we accepting it? Board out! Every last one of them!!

A move that makes me want to fast forward, right now, to May, so we can pay him off like a hooker the morning after, and pretend the sordid assignation never happened.

A move that's pragmatic to the point of desperate, regressive short termism. Would anyone have believed we'd be here, back in February 2016 when Moshiri took over?

For those who thought Koeman "felt wrong" .shudder. Just sack the board, FFS

Okay, he got caught doing the brown bag shuffle... his only crime was being caught.

Yes, his brand of football is not what we would like to see at Goodison Park but desperate times and all that. I hope the naysayers, of which I was one, will get behind him.

Finally to those who insist we are not in a relegation struggle, you need to find a lifeboat before your feet get wet.

If it is Sam Allardyce (editors, please ban the use of names such as Big Sam, BFS, etc.), then like most other people with the club at the heart of their thoughts, I hope he proves everyone wrong and is a huge success.

I'll caveat that with what I think will happen and I think we will see a true 'Moneyball' project develop at the club. Buying players who will statistically provide what we need, with very little chance of seeing the likes of a Deulofeu or Barkley trying the imaginative and more the prospect of honest professionals playing percentage football.

He's a terrible manager, with terrible tactics and a losing record. He comes with a long history of corruption allegations.

In no way shape or form should be be considered.

This feels like a huge step backwards for us.

Usually I can find some dregs of optimism however grim things are looking for EFC but today I am struggling. Just hoping that I wake up...

If Sammy Lee is the best number 2 so be it! we have had no success on the pitch for so long maybe this is the shakeup that we need. Allardyce has never managed a club with the potential as ours and so any previous stats etc are spurious to say the least. There is no alternative.

Really? There's literally a hundred other managers out there who have managed at top level and would jump at £6m a year.,"There is no alternative."

Really? There's literally a hundred other managers out there who have managed at top level and would jump at £6m a year.,,,1,12:03:28,,82.12.150.98,ok,2108,11/29/2017 12:03:28,samhoare,reader,, 876942,35877,toffeeweb,29/11/2017,Steve Ferns,stephen.ferns@hotmail.co.uk,"Pardew managed clubs of the calibre of Allardyce though. And he had a better record. He's a better manager. Why didn't we go for him? He's not been relegated either. And he's not been accused of corruption once, never mind three times.

Good luck to the rest of you. I hope Mr 39% and 1.2 PPG gives you what you all dream of.

Truly a kopite's wet dream for Everton.

And in some ways, although perverse, it is right and fitting that Allardyce is arriving as there's no greater symbol of Kenwright's shocking reign than this.

A fitting epitaph to a person who has consistently put his own ego above the betterment of the club. A complete fraud of a man. Now we have his legacy that will forever stick – small comfort,

This appointment (Sam and his Team) goes against all my Right, Good and Blue feelings, against what I perceive to be our fabric, our Soul.

Dramatic? Unrealistic? Sentimental?

I cannot help how I feel. I do not expect everyone to understand, nor really care.

It just is what it is...

I can't think of any proper Evertonian – unlike your good self – who would conceive and admit to relegation as a preferable scenario to Sam Allardyce.

Utterly ridiculous.

He is straightforward, has a far better coaching ability than people give him credit for, and has not just been in charge of boring football, he has often encouraged flair players and attacking football.

He is not a 'modern' foreign coach, but look where that has got us! We are in dire straits and we could do a lot worse than Sam.

Besides, this is our club and I just want us to get out of trouble and back on track. We really do have some good players and I for one believe that Sam can get some good out of them and if he comes then I for one plan to support him.

If he does a good job then I hope that the many people going crazy on here will eat humble pie and admit they were wrong.

Sorry if I've missed it but who was your choice?

Luckily I've got a ticket for Huddersfield on Saturday, and I'll be supporting Everton as usual, and will be getting right behind Sam. Personally, I don't think he's a Hitler or even a Trump, so I can probably give him a chance.

Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck... it's a duck!

Everton is bigger than anyone person though. I wanted Rhino to lead the charge but the herd (his playing staff) have failed him.

If it is Big Sam, as Evertonians we should back him and the team fully, because we are in a fight and must stand together.

Back in 2009, I think. I spent the night in Liverpool, before the Blackburn game at Goodison. The Mrs and I sat down to dinner and there on the table next to us was Big Sam and his backroom staff. He is the loudest bloke you'll ever hear and the volume on him was effortless.

I don't imagine there will be anywhere to hide on the pitch if he does get the job.

[* It was the game were El Hadji Diouf accused us of throwing bananas at him... obviously none were found...]

Sam out, Sam out, Sam out.

Is an incredibly disappointing start to the season but we are NOT in a relegation dog fight, yet.

In 13 games time when we only have a handful of points because of this looser, in the final 3rd of the season, transfer window closed and actually in a relegation scrap who will we turn to then?

I'm sure the wags on Twitter who said that Goodison Park is to be knocked down prior to getting planning permission for Bramley-Moore Dock are incorrect, aren't they?

I thought Everton was a big club. Small-time manager for a small club.

We all want a team playing good football at the top level; I hope this is possible soon.

I don't like Allardyce or the way his teams play their football, I have watched some awful Everton teams but they all tried to ply the game the right way. I also think that the board have acted without thinking through who they wanted to take over from Koeman. But there failure to get the next man on board before sacking Koeman, has led to David Unsworth being asked to do the impossible. The step up from U23 is massive and I hope the crowd tonight let Rhino that we thank him for trying to right this ship. H e has shown great dignity while doing the job, and has a lot more class than the man taking over.

I sincerely hope that Allardyces stay is short and we get a manager who will try to play the game the right way. I love this club and were I sit with my Grandson its so nice to see so many youngsters at the games. As a club we do some things very well but in this case I think they are at odds with the majority of its supporters.

God help us all...

There are far too many closed minds. That's a world problem really and while your thinking is stable enough to make a fair point, there are far too many people/sheeple unwilling to reason with anybody they think they are smarter than.

Lets not delude ourselves into believing that the name is bigger than the team, we may be a big club but that doesn't mean we deserve anything. We have to fight the good fight, this time to stay in the money league.

Good luck to Big Sam, I hope you prove the negatives wrong. I'm looking forward to watching your brand of football.
COYB

Our main priority now is surviving relegation and that by far is our only goal this season. Whatever people think of him if he can do the job we have to back him.

What has come to light is how incompetent our new owner and the board have been in this Mickey Mouse debacle. These guys could not organise a piss up in a brewery. Let's hope they read the comments on TW and hopefully do not get us in this mess again.

Not happy if the news is true but we were looking at being in a battle we would have lost. He best do what he does best and keep us up.

Bringing Sammy Lee and Craig Shakespeare with him and he will be at the game tonight!!! He called TalkSport to tell them.

I was happy when Koeman was appointed (next barca manager etc) and that didn't work out too well so hopefully we are due some unexpected luck, karma, kismet whatever you want to call it.

You need to pump the water out of a sinking ship before it is fit to go forward again.

We have gone 180 and are now trying to squeeze the wrong man into the wrong squad of players. We do not have Fat Sam type players.

He retired, publicly criticised the Everton board, turned us down and then 2 weeks later we drop our pants and let him do what ever he wants. Some big balls and we are all over it.

I don't blame Fat Sam for taking the job. ٤M whatever happens is a nice retirement plan but when the poo hits the fan the board need to get rid of the many weakest links.

How do we improve the team and our club. NOT by keeping the same board, hiring worse managers.

Sack the board give ٤M to Fat Sam and tell him to do one thing – it ends in Off.

They've resisted the urge and clamour to opt for flavour of the month mangers like Silva and Dyche.

They've not been swayed by foreign names and managers who have an up and down history like Tuchel, Simeone and Fonseca.

No, the board have held out and fended off the pressure to make a quick decision until they could secure the services of a manager who has a 100% win rate while managing a Fifa top ten ranked international team.

We've got a twitter account and what not. Why should he take time out of a busy day to make sure some nitwit journalist not at all affiliated to the club can break the news???

Major shareholder Farhad Moshiri : "I really want to give him the support he needs. He can go as far as he wants." This is all according to Jim White's tweets.

We have no divine right to sit at the top table of the Premier League. In fact, our success over the last 20 years compares less favourably with clubs considered more lowly than ours.

I never wanted Everton to be just another club owned by foreign investors with an ambitious foreign manager lured by a huge salary with a team of foreign mercenary players being paid millions.

We've got what we deserved for chasing a dream that we thought could be bought.

We're in the shite and need to get out of it. We have Sam Allardyce and Craig Shakespeare – it could be worse. These guys know exactly how to survive in a relegation battle and in Shakespeare's case, a knowledge of how to win the Premier League and go far in the Champions League. Could be worse.

Just do as you've always done; support Everton.

I'd rather go down and rebuild with the kids, which is what'll happen anyway once him and his entourage fuck off (Blackburn, Sunderland, Bolton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace).

You've embarrassed the club and every fan.

Allardyce Out! Kenwright Out!! Walsh Out!!! Moshiri Out!!!!

For all those supporters approaching boiling point and beyond – I can't see any of you putting forward a viable alternative, unless I'm missing something oblivion appears to be the alternative.

Give Allardyce a chance otherwise???

Merson was right on the TV after the Southampton match. The Everton players have simply 'lied down'. This isn't the fault of Allardyce and he could just be the only person that can repair it.

If Allardyce keeps Everton up, the situation can be reviewed in the Summer. If that means paying Allardyce off then so be it. Better than the alternative.

John, please don't tell me you thought I was being serious?

For me however, there are more important things in life and unlike some on this thread, I do value my principles higher than EFC. And yes, there are more important things in life than football.

Whilst we know the sport has many shady characters, the (imminent) appointment of Allardyce just leaves me numb. The mans persona and character are highly dubious and for EFC to even think about appointing someone like him is unbelievable. Yes the likes of Green were rumoured to be involved and we had shady BVI loans and Kenwright is still there, but fucking Allardyce? Of all the potential managers available I honestly can't think of another I'd have had lower than him on my list, even Moyes!

If he is appointed then I'll be taking a sabbatical from EFC and the game in general, until the World Cup at least. Some will say I'm not a ‘true supporter' and need to follow the team regardless. That's your right to have that opinion just like it's mine to say Allardyce is a bridge too far.

Football just isn't what it used to be and EFC today is not the same club I started supporting 35-odd years ago. From Moyes's last contract, to Martinez, to this – almost 10 years of utter total bollocks from the club.

For those going tonight, please give Rhino a big cheer – he tried at least.

I await the announcement of the final nail in the coffin...

First & foremost, Allardyce sorts-out the snafu, keeps us safe and brings better organisation all round?

Then, having done that, he's then able to use Mosh's cash more sensibly than Koeman and bring some of the Okocha-era swagger back to the club?

At West. Ham, Sunderland and Palace, he never had a pot to piss in, so his recruitment had to be spot-on there...

(Clinging to hope here...)

Good luck to Big Sam and the boys. We desperately need 3 points tonight.

I'm fully behind him and his team, they have to stabilise the situation which may take a while but after that we may be pleasantly surprised.

Will we stay up? Probably. I personally believe we would have stayed up with another manager.

David Moyes has been vilified on this site – often correctly – yet his teams play like Brazil compared to Fat Sam's, and he has a better managerial record.

And that sentiment also goes (splutter) to Sammy Lee and anybody else that is brought in. I can't change it, I can't influence it any longer, so I will fully embrace it.

I can no more change my love for this club than I can change the colour of my skin, no matter what happens.

One of the usual favourites is that if a new shareholder decides to sell their shares, they must first offer them to the other shareholders at current market value.

However, Moshiri is an accountant and will be familiar with all this – so I would be amazed if he had accepted those terms.

It doesn't take a genius to work out the possibility of that scenario developing in the current predicament of Everton FC.

As I said in an earlier post, if Usmanov is really the power behind the throne here, he needs to pull his finger out and try to acquire an overall majority shareholding PDQ.

Can't pretend I'll cut the chord completely because I can't and I bet I'm not alone but this is a dark dark day for the Club.

Operation: Keep Us Up & Fuck Off! begins.

The twat dance will no doubt be repeated today after the contract is signed.

Lamb chop head has indeed found love in a hopeless place.

To be honest I'm not too fussed and kind of glad to have a more robust character in place. I admire him for his Okocha-era team and the job he did at West Ham whilst getting it in the neck from all quarters.

More palatable than Rafa – I really don't get that.

On the other hand, Sammy Lee is brave or stupid.

Cannot understand why the board feel the need to pay him more than Pochettino and Simeone.

Ludicrous really the whole thing. It's not even December, FFS.

And what makes anyone think that if those teams agreed to allow us to talk to their coaches that those promising coaches wanted to risk being associated with a club our size going down?

Further, Silva was relegated as recently as last year. Does anyone honestly believe our odds of being relegated are worse with Sam than they would have been with Silva?

Let's see what the board does in the summer. I suspect the reason we didn't get Sam earlier is because we didn't want to give him a long-term deal. I further suspect Moshiri has simply consigned himself to eating the contract in the summer and getting a more ambitious coach.

Sam Allardyce to Everton: How could his methods help them?

I'm happy as I remember the good football he played with Bolton. People talking about his win % need to consider he usually goes into teams that lose alot of games and are near the bottom. He has never had money before so I'm curious to see how he puts a team together with the resources he will have here.

Those questioning his integrity must have led whiter than white lives and can honestly say they have nothing in their lives considered dodgy by others.

Fuck it, he's out manager now so time to get behind him and the team.

We may not like him at the moment, but given time, who knows...

I said I would ‘rather' take the risk of it happening now, because I believe the decision will lead to it anyway. Not that I hope for it – you thick tit.

I admit to shedding a few tears that we have stooped so low but needs must take priority. With or without the two Sams,we will come through these dark times.

When do get clear of these troubling times I sincerely hope that Kenwright and Co would have disappeared.

He's not fit to be associated with Everton FC and Kenwright has finally succeeded in dragging us into the gutter. There will be empty seats.

Just read Sam's blueprint for survival. Wow. Rocket Science.

If this is confirmed, I am cancelling my Everton Membership and sending back my season ticket because they don't deserve my loyalty or my cash.

Have a feeling that Allardyce might be the most divisive manager we've had since Moyes's latter days.

Only if people choose to make it divisive. Nothing proven against him on the corruption front and the football style has been necessary given the situations at previous clubs. If he's in now, why not get behind him?

Cannot understand why the board feel the need to pay him more than Pochettino and Simeone.

Err..... keep up, Sam. It's because having blown 𧶀m, we're desperate because that investment has taken us backwards. Desperate! And so is the football, team morale etc.

That is why we have turned to someone who has a track record of retrieving desperate cases from the brink. You may well ask why we paid Koeman so much given the wreckage left behind.

Ludicrous really the whole thing. It's not even December FFS.

So you'd prefer for the situation to continue until we're really adrift half-way into the season? Where is the sign of any recovery? Oh yeah, in the last game we only conceded 4 whereas the time before it was 5. That means in your world we're improving?

Err.... keep up, Sam.

Evertonians can be so high and mighty at times its unreal.

Allardyce was never convicted of anything as far as I'm aware. We have an owner who's a friend of Alisher Usmanov, who's company also adorns our training ground and you're worried about Sam Allardyce!? Hahaha!

One of my saddest days in over 55 years of watching my beloved Everton Football Club. With the obvious threat of relegation looming, it is nothing more than a financially motivated panic stricken cynical exercise in survival at all costs.

As a lifelong blue, of course I hope that relegation is avoided, but the impending appointment of Allardyce, to my mind shows not only a complete lack of ambition, but a total disregard for the moral and footballing ethics, that are the foundations of our once great club. It serves to confirm the obvious, money rules.

Time for me to return to watching amateur football.

COYB...

If it's true that the red munchkin is coming with him, then I won't set foot in Goodison until they have gone. I will still support them but from afar.

I am disgusted by the way our club is run. I have had about 30 texts off fellow blues saying the same thing. We are a laughing stock. Just even thinking about that little red shithouse sitting on the bench makes me sick to my stomach.

Nothing more to say really.

Morality and Everton is a myth.

Well I'll raise you Morrisey, Sheedy, and Beardsley.

All ToffeeWebbers coming on here telling us how broken-hearted they are and how they're going to rip up their season tickets, please think again.

It would be much better to put your season ticket on StubHub every week. That way a real fan can get a chance to watch a game at a sold-out Goodison Park, which will be a last chance for some people since we're moving out in a few years. Thanks and COYB

"Ashley Williams? Errrrrrm... next question."

Everton are not immune to this stuff, and I'll bet my house that there's been plenty of it behind the scenes over the years.

I couldn't give a damn what Allardyce has allegedly done in the past. I only care about what happens on the field.

Or will he just be there in the dug-out Saturday afternoon?

Priceless mate, ha ha.

What a mess Kenwwright, Moshiri, Elstone, Walsh (and of course, that useless Dutchman) have landed us in.

I am beginning to think that relegation might be the best thing that could happen to us now, as it might signal the end of Kenwright's dynasty of mediocrity, self-generated inferiority and surrender – and a whole new start for our once great club.

How on earth have we come to this?

This has to be the ultimate betrayal. I will be having an anger management session before the game in case I get within earshot of those responsible and those appointed.

It's really, really, really (really) simple folks... It's Big Sam, and his backroom staff – including Little Sam... or relegation.

There really aren't 3 teams worse than us at the moment. Breathe... remember the last 2 games. Honestly, have we seen worse?

I mean, last time I saw this was in Kendall Mk 3 days... staying up on the last day twice!

No, no... not with new investment, not with the new stadium on the horizon. It has to be the Sams; otherwise we go down.

And let's also be really honest: we don't do tik-tak football... we do blood, guts, speed, pressing, wingers/wing backs, target guys, set pieces and 100% energy... and right now I can't actually think of a better manager.

I'm going to swallow the puke in my throat – we are going to stay up, we are going to kick our squad up the arse, we are going to steady the ship – and we are going to rebuild Fortress Goodison.

Or we don't, and we go down... simple.

And all the history counts for nothing when you get battered 5-1 at home, and battered 4-1 away. Think about how many the RS will score against us... just think about it. Do you want Sam, or do you want to lose 7, 8 or 9-0 against the RS and get relegated?

ps: I'm not sure why Kenwright is receiving abuse – it was Koeman and Walsh who recruited poorly.

I believe Allardyce will get us organized and keep us up.

I firmly believe Moshiri will then bite the bullet and sack him at the end of the season after having sounded out the manager he wants to get in on a long-term basis.

I believe what's been done has been done because SOMETHING had to be done before it was too late.

He may not be our first choice, but with the club and squad in such a desperate shape, he may be just what we need, so let's get behind him.

Now just get behind him and see what he can do. That link from Sam (#256):

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11671/11116569/sam-allardyce-to-everton-how-could-his-methods-help-them is worth a read.

Fat Sam is bad enough but that fat little Lee is too far for me. I am gone.

I will get behind whoever is manager but after spending big on Koeman, Moshiri had better be prepared to be ruthless and move us forward should a better option be available.

Whoever the next manager is, I support Everton. I don't support managers or players or chairmen or majority shareholder with no clue. I support Everton. We all do.

65 or so unbroken years in the top flight and people say they would throw it away instead of appointing a manager they don't want is a joke.

Don't use this shit School of Science, People's Club and all thee other buzz words we use. Most weren't born when, for the very short time, we talked of School of Science.

If you don't want to support the Club fair enough... but don't use this high-horsed principles shit.

I am not laughing now.

Welcome Sam! I hope your festive greetings will win over some of the Grinch-types on here.

I certainly won't be watching while that fat, moronic, corrupt dickhead is in charge.

Moshiri hasn't a clue about Football and Everton. And this was apparently Walsh's idea – the man who laughs while Rome burns. And an owner shuffling off to Mephistopheles for succour. Remember Faustus.

We really have hit rock bottom and become a complete embarrassment. And we are 5 points off top ten.

I still blame Hibbert for all that has gone on lately though.

On the one hand, he's actually quite a good progressive manager and I don't think he is all long-ball football. Like a lot of great managers over the years, he mixes up his teams' games.

I share other people's concern over alleged corruption charges against him in whether we want someone like that at the club.

He will be trapped until the new year with this squad and I'm not sure what he can do about that. We can't rely on the injured players coming back to hit the ground running for obvious reasons.

Interesting to see what sort of reception he gets at tonight's game. I'll be there as usual. COYB!!!

When a club is as chronically run as EFC and when you have paid year-in & year-out for season tickets (as I have) and been served up non-stop dross, when you have players who don't give two fucks on the field, when you have owners with as much competence as Laurel and Hardy with a sledgehammer in a glass shop, then I and others have every fucking right in the world to come on here and say we're no longer supporting them.

Watch the shitbags who haven't put a shift in for Unsy run the plums off themselves tonight.

Seriously though, I am dumbfounded that it has actually happened, I thought it may have been a smoke screen, for the surprise appointment we have all craved.

Alas, it was not to be, and for 18 months by all accounts.

He has been quoted as saying, forget Champions League Football! Probably implying Championship Football is a more realistic destination.

I sincerely hope he proves us all wrong, but somehow fail to see it.

You got a shed load of cash by sitting in the pocket of a Russian billionaire.

With Kenwright, the pair of you have fucked the best set of supporters in the world. Like many, I've given my life, and virtually all my money to EFC and you serve me this shit.

You gang of fucking wankers.

The last away manager to win a Premier League game at Anfield was Big Sam last season. If he can get us 3 points there on 10 December, then all is forgiven.

The deed is now done. Get behind the team, give the new manager a chance.

Dummies out of prams and abandoning something you love and believe in, just because you don't get your way.

Well this is what it comes down to: they have brought this on themselves. I hope some of them are in for the shock of their lives.

Born a blue, always a blue.

However, like all football fans I like to feel that my team is morally superior... I know they're not, but I like to kid myself they are. Our forwards don't dive (Niasse was unfortunate), our defenders don't grab, our keeper doesn't step out of the area when he kicks out of his hands etc.

But, with Allardyce, I can't kid myself. There's no moral ambiguity. He's a loud-mouthed, money-grabbing, piece of work. He's about as unethical as you can get .

And as I said earlier, despite his unrivalled record in international football, I don't want him near my club.

There were alternatives, but our Board chose not to pursue them.

I pray you are right!

Usually when a new manager is brought in, be it Martinez, Koeman for us, Megson for West Brom, Moyes for West Ham, Hodgson, Pardew – whoever it is and whichever club, there is usually a feeling of ambition and optimism surrounding the announcement. This just feels like desperation.

Any flag waving, cheery "now watch us take off" type hype cannot happen because this just smacks of charging around the Supermarket late on Christmas Eve to snap up the last turkey at an overinflated price because you couldn't be arsed to get it sorted sooner.

However – as I, and others, have said – this is arguably the best position he has had in his managerial career (with no disrespect to any other teams or the FA), and of course he will want to make a good fist of it. He's a strong personality so shouldn't be pushed around by Kenwright or Moshiri and if he works efficiently with Walsh and his support team, we may just be pleasantly surprised.

I remain disappointed with the outcome of this shenanigans over the last 5/6 weeks, but they are one of us now so I will continue to be behind the team and the manager as always.

I simply couldn't do anything else. (As far as the board goes – I will abstain.)

Good luck, Big Sam, and let's get behind the team because what we surely all want is a winning Everton on the pitch.

I am from the 80s era – Sharp & Gray up front... that team weren't afraid to mix it up one of our most revered goals ever. Reid, back to Stevens... over the top to Sharp the rest is history.

Make Goodison a bear pit again... let's be the 12th Man for us and not the opposition. Come on, people... no man is bigger than the club... let's prove it!!!

But apparently it's me who should be accused of Treason. Liverpool fans now have the Christmas that dreams are made of.

Sack him just before the derby, put Rhino back in charge.

If Chelsea fans reacted the same way as to not supporting the club when Benitez was appointed, who denied them 2 Champions League titles and had bad vibes with Chelsea fans and openly said it he would never manage Chelsea during his Liverpool days, there would be no Chelsea fans today. But he came in and delivered the Europa League title and also Champions League spot by finishing 3rd after the team was struggling under Di Matteo.

Chelsea fans who hated him initially remember him fondly now and hate their most successful manger Mourinho.

Right now, safety is important and Sam Allardyce has a good track record of delivering that. All this sentiments need to be put aside and get behind the team and whoever.

I really wanted Koeman when his name was in the frame. I really thought he was the man to take us forward. How wrong can you be? I hope the reverse happens with Allardyce, and he surprises us all. I won't be holding my breath though.

It's the youngsters I'm concerned about, as Allardyce always prefers experienced older players. I hope he gives them a chance on merit not on age.

Also, please don't sign Carroll in January either.

Seriously... just fuck off.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME, RIGHT??!!

Fuming. Sold our soul.

I have been a Bluenose since 1963 and even though I don't manage to get to many games now (brought up in Wallasey but now living n the North of Scotland stops that!) and I hurt like hell at EVERY defeat but I too never thought I'd see the day when Big Fat Uncle Sam would be our manager, however can anyone realistically think we could have attracted any 'top class' manager considering the position we are in?

Going for unproven Foreign Managers would have been stupid and a receipt for Championship Football next season.

I think Moshiri has totally fucked up but we now have a manager who has saved worse clubs than us and at least he has half a season to sort it out. We know it took him a few weeks before Palace came good, but they did so the first few weeks will probably hurt, but long term he has the credentials to at least get top half position this season because we are not that far off it now pointwise.

There are a lot of comments about about giving up, not going to Goodison Park or following the team, that is crap it really is. You are showing the same attitude as some of the players who down tools as soon as they don't like whats going on! Whoever is the Manager of EFC needs our support because we support the Club, not the Manager.

Once thing Sam will do is sort those wage thieves out; he may well initially give them a chance but believe me, can you see him let the likes of Schneiderlin, Williams and Mirallas getting away with when they have so far? He'll more than likely rip them a new arsehole or simply get rid, I can't see him putting up with some of the shite we've seen this season from some of the players, that's for sure.

So, once all the hype has died down, we need to get behind the team to make sure we stay in the Premier League and then build on that.

As someone has already said, this is the biggest club he has been to and hopefully in January he will be able to bring in players who will stabilise the team and who knows, with more money behind him, he may well turn out better than we all think at the moment.

Today, it's about survival; tomorrow, we can rebuild the School of Science.

We live in hope. COYB!! (Whoever the manager is!!)

I was lucky to be at a Dinner in Honour of Kevin Sheedy last Friday evening – not just invited but actually helping with the evening and pleased to – Kevin Sheedy hey... mmmmmm.

But as someone who has followed the Blues since Catterick was a player (Wartime Northern League), including relegation and back, I can't believe that nowadays supporters may give up because of a poor choice of manager.

Any club and its supporters that can survive and recover from the lugubrious Lee and the woeful Walker can similarly cope with an arrogant Allardyce?

I am in no position to judge Allardyce, and I do not warm to the charisma (or lack of) of the man but what if he achieves the following:-

Gets Schneiderlin to play or leave; takes no interfering phone calls from Kenwright, convinces Keane to play as a solid defender, brings in some tough bastards, and generally gets Everton to develop a solid run of results? Would he keep quiet if Niasse is banned for falling over whereas Lukaku gets nothing for kicking out at an opponent? Will Mirallas grow a pair, and will Gana rediscover his ability to get the ball off the opposition? Will Ross come back into the fold (good question)...

I have an open mind on all the above. We might be in for a surprise. Expectations? Mid table possibly top 10. Tough times ahead undoubtedly, but why start thinking of jumping off a cliff before a ball has been kicked under his charge?

Unsy has been fantastic for the Under-23s, and still could be so. I hope he stays and recaptures the magic around that role quickly. However I have been shocked, no horrified, over his team selections and it is fair to say he lost the plot.

Moshiri? Why on earth are we picking on him. He has invested heavily and got his wallet burned, but not many could have predicted the snake oil salesman that Koeman turned out to be, and at least we know Mosh is here for the log run.

We should cut Allardyce some slack. Give the man and his team a chance, see how it goes and be mindful it could not have got much worse. In fact I think the decision, however belated and delayed, is a sign that the management have finally woken up to the seriousness of the situation. Unsy (respect etc) was still blissfully sure Premier League survival was not a real concern. Yes, it fucking well is. Allardyce knows that, and I believe we will survive, if not better....

As a now 80-year-old lifetime Blue, I have never felt so deflated and depressed, not only by years of no success and criminal mismanagement from 'above' but by this unbelievable insult to the fans who have suffered but stayed loyal.

Dixie and Howie will be turning in their graves.

Your version of being a true blue seems odd. You have an owner who announces managerial appointments in Twitter posts to his Sky chum, a chairman who has become the epitome of weepy eyed, cynical incompetence, a CEO with the commercial savvy of Kodak executive, a simpering DoF who blew 𧵓 million but keeps his job, and now the King of the Bungs as manager.

But unless you are still willing to trudge along to Goodison with your rattle and scarf to eat a pie, sing along to 'Here We Go' and condone this disgrace with your cash, then you are a plastic blue??? Servile and simple-minded.

I honestly think getting Moyes back would be a better option.

That's how bad this is.

I'd prefer to finish 12th under Martínez blowing two-goal leads 8 times a year but at least watching a team try to play the game in an entertaining way.

My Saturday and Sunday just got Fat Sam ass-fucked. It's like the fucking Twighlight Zone.

My Son and I have got our rattles and scarves ready for tonight's game... we will get our pies then try our best to motivate the players on the pitch.

What else would you expect from true lifelong blues? If you don't like it, find another club. It wont be the first time. But not for us thanks.

We have a habit of bucking the trend, that's Everton that is. Allardyce's Crystal Palace results at end of last season were not too impressive. He resigned from Crystal Palace at the beginning of this season, stating on TalkSport he didn't want the pressures of Premier League management, suffered from sleepless nights, worried about his health.

I hope I am wrong but I have a horrible feeling that we could become his first failure in relegation rescue. I look at him and see an old guy in a young guys profession. I HOPE I AM WRONG.

• would rather see us relegated than hire big Sam;
• will be hurling themselves in to the inviting freezing blue waters of the Mersey during the next few days;
• believe people with season tickets are members of the aristocracy;
• fail to understand that Moshiri and the board believed (as many of us did) and, as Lyndon pointed out in a recent article, that David Unsworth would manage sufficient wins to buy us time to decide on the best long term managerial option;
• enjoy being keyboard warriors but can never quite get to games;

To most Evertonians, the single most important issue is that this club (apparently at this moment in time a beacon of honour, light and the only true way in an otherwise horrible world) remains in the Premier League. Right now, everything is secondary to that aim. If Sam Allardyce and his team can ensure that and maybe even a bit more, we will all (or nearly all) be eternally grateful. Maybe not quite grateful enough to want him to outstay his welcome but that debate is for another day.

I'm grateful to David Unsworth who has done his very best but unfortunately it didn't happen for him.

Ray Motta (#289) – nice to hear from you again, mate. Don't leave it so long next time.

Don't go because everything you say is legitimate. Read my post. I said don't use all this high-horse principle shit as an excuse for not going.

I will be there because I choose to be; you won't. Your choice for football reasons – not because of School of Science.

As I mentioned on another thread, principle at Everton went out the door with Carey. I go because I support Everton – not the fucking People's Club.

"Only if people choose to make it divisive."

Errrr, yeah. Obviously. And maybe read what's happening on this thread. Snore...

"It's because having blown 𧶀m we're desperate because that investment has taken us backwards. Desperate! And so is the football, team morale etc."

So, by that logic should West Ham be paying Moyes that much? Or West Brom to Pardew. Clearly we are overpaying a middle-rung manager at world-class rates. Not really sure why you would even bother to argue that. Snore...

"So you'd prefer for the situation to continue until we're really adrift half way into the season?"

Possibly your most asinine comment yet. Though there is mighty competition! Obviously I think that things could yet better. We have two very winnable games coming up. They may or may not. Neither of us know.

I stated that is it not even December. This is a fact, Mike. Yet you take issue with it because I called you on some nonsense you posted on another thread. Wake me up if you have a real argument. Snore....

Well, that is whilst he's still in the post before he gets the sack or simply walks out. But don't look too far into his record because you might find that most of the clubs he manages survive by the skin of their teeth only to find themselves in deep shit a year or two later!

But if there was any fear of that happening to Everton, Moshiri the Magician will have done his homework this time and have a ready made successor lined up who goes one better. He actually guarantees promotion back to the Premier in no time flat.

Evertonians all, I give you our manager apres Sam, let's hear it now for Mr Neil Warnock!

All top or at least decent players or coaches for Everton having been associated with Liverpool first.

Of those you mentioned, only Beardsley was really a major player at the RS. But he is a Geordie.

Sammy Lee was RS born and bred and a regular for them during their best era. Also, he was a tough tackler which is no way to endear Everton fans when you play for their rival.

Say you are a Beatles fan but they start playing Mud tracks at their concerts. Or you are a Jim'll Fixit fan and then you hear about Saville's antics.

Supporters have a right to choose When and How to spend their money and time. I am not going to abandon Everton but I think it is unreasonable to condemn those Who may.

I am not a betting man for a reason and I hope I am proved wrong but I despair at what has happened at this club.

Didn't Leicester win the Premier League with Craig Shakespeare and Steve Walsh in the background?

Where is Ranieri now?

Who put the Lard in Allardyce?

Not what many of us wanted but it's done.

Good luck, Sam, you'll need it.

To Moishiri, this is all just Monopoly Money he has said that before when dealing with single digit millions so he will just pay the buyout clause and send Sam on his way in the Summer.

Moshiri and Kenwright are doing what all of us would do at this time, try and stay in the Premier League because we are that bad. Allardyce should keep us up with money to spend in January.

Blame Koeman, Walsh and the shit players we have before Moshiri and Kenwright, as they backed the management with money for players. How do you think Huddersfield, Brighton, Burnley would feel if Moshiri gave them £140 million to buy players... exactly!

The blame lies with Koeman and Walsh and the shit players we have.

Interesting theory and probably sums up the different mentality at both clubs.

We are an absolute mess, the mighty Atalanta and Southampton put NINE past us in three days. We had to do something and surely he will make us harder to beat.

The season is already a write-off, just get to safety and start again in the summer.

As always, despite my present concerns, I will back any Everton manager who delivers even relative success to the club.

Someone had a dig at Silva due to what a Watford fan has said about the possible downside of having a good go at the top sides. If that exciting football got you wins against the majority and the occasional upset triumph, you'd take a few wallopings if you were Watford wouldn't you?

I have no issue with Lee myself but that is the mentality and yes, I agree, it makes us seem small minded.

Whilst I am firmly one of the latter, the split in opinion has unfortunately the potential to be as divisive as Brexit!

Where did it all go wrong eh?

All that board need offing.

Villas-Boas is doing the Dakir road race next year. Maybe Allardyce is manager for just this season with Villas-Boas taking over next summer?

He has an eye for a good player and will ship out any not putting in the effort but looks a better man-manager than Koeman. He managed to entice Jay-Jay over in his prime!

My concern now is that he doesn't have the energy for the role

He needs to come out and say this isn't a smash and grab mission but he sees this as the pinnacle of his career and is looking up to the Champions League.

Sam would not have been my choice – not because I don't think he his good enough but the stigma from England. I just hope he can get us back to the best of the rest, flirt with the domestic cups and get us excited when we think we can get close to another Europa League place.

Sam has a big big job on his hands... getting us competitive again will be an achievement with this group of players. 18-month contract, then back to the name-dropping again? Hope not.

I'm not blind to problems and get irritated by players that don't seem to care... but my team means so much to me, I could never turn my back on them

NSNO 💙

I didn't want it to happen but, now it has, we have to give him and the team the best support we can, starting with tonight's game against West Ham. We also need to get behind the team to try to get Unsworth a win before he goes back to the U23s.

I wouldn't bet against a big improvement in the defensive set-up now Uncle Sam is in charge and would hope, with the players we have, there will be a big change in the organisation.

Good luck tonight, boys.
COYB

I don't understand the concept of not supporting the club when we have a relegation-based team and relegation-fighting manager.

I hope all the kids get to put themselves in the shop window tonight and get us the 3 points, despite the 'efforts' of some so-called experienced professionals aka human polyfiller occupying spaces alongside them out of necessity.

To our wonderful Chairman, board, Director of Football and Koeman who are responsible for this shambles, I hope you eventually get everything you really deserve, but I somehow doubt it.

When his name was first talked about, I laughed it off thinking “Surely not”! I desperately wanted Unsworth to succeed. However, as results and performances turned sour, I realised that an experienced coach was needed to sort out the mess left behind by Koeman and Walsh.

I was hoping it would be someone more ‘sexy' – Silva, Dyche (yes, in my mind) and more recently, Fonseca. However, it became clear that we were not going to land those targets, and Sam's name was getting louder and now, that's who we have.

I will support him and his team and hope that he can turn things around for us quickly. Who knows, he could be the messiah that Evertonians have long been praying for. In a big club, with relatively better resources, he could turn out to be a success.

I don't care about his name and relatively poor reputation as an uninspiring coach. Apart from turning around the results and performances, I only hope for two more things:

1.He continues to give opportunities to our youth-team players.

2. He can get Barkley to sign as an Everton player.

Oh, and one more thing, I hope he turns out to be a lucky manager.

And to all saying they won't be going to any matches until Sam Allardyce is no longer the manager at EFC, I can see your point of view, but please don't turn your backs on the club, when it needs your support the most. “United we stand, divided we fall”. Cheers

I actually tipped some Irish cream into my 5:30 am coffee. I feel better already. You might try it.

And he's, what, third choice? I don't really understand the logic of not being prepared to pay sufficient compensation to Watford or Shaktar to allow an approach for their managers, yet being willing to shell out millions in salary for Allardyce's contract.

We are stuck between a rock and a hard place, though. To make a genuine step forward, we need to take a risk on the kind of manager we hire. When we're struggling so badly, the downside of such a risk is a clear danger of relegation.

He's underwhelming. But honestly, he's left pretty much every club he's managed in a better position when he left than when he arrived (and they've all pretty much nosedived afterwards).

I'm not exactly overjoyed at his appointment but it's obvious David Unsworth hasn't got what it takes as yet. Get behind him and the team, for Christ's sake, as we all need to pull together. You never know – he might just be the man we've been waiting for.

One thing's for certain – the man certainly knows how to get under opposing managers' skins. Something we've lacked for decades.

Is this bunch of wasters we've got up to the job? I'm not sure... as most are piss-poor footballers. We will just have to wait and see... COYB

Sam Allardyce would definitely not have been my first choice as an Everton manager but on the same hand I am not sure that he has been at a club that will give him the financial backing that Everton are capable of, and hopefully he will surprise us.

As far as Sammy Lee goes, what's the problem? We have had players from Liverpool before and a lot of their success was from the work of the backroom staff and if he is capable of bringing in their winning desire he is welcome. If anyone thinks this feeling is because I am a newcomer to Everton supporters, I started supporting Everton in the late 50s and have experienced the highs and lows.

Meanwhile back on planet earth I will continue to support the club as before (going back to the old second division days) and giving our new manager a chance to succeed based of the reality of our current situation.
I've never spoken to any of the above executives but it seems only fair to see how things develop and hope for the best.

What I can't stomach is the likelihood that Sammy Lee will darken the halls of 'The Old Lady'. He epitomises what every Blue Nose despises. Hang your head in shame, Bill Kenwright, if you allow this pariah to come to 'Our Club'.

I'll stay focused on the positives, though, now that we know where we stand. At least he has no 'blame' for any of the players present, and he seems unsentimental enough to give kicks up those backsides that are deserving of it.

Look, he's at Everton and I'll support him because he's our manager. There is no choice guys – if you really support Everton FC.

Whilst he wouldn't have been my pick, he's going to be better than what's been in charge of team affairs so far this season.

Let's all make sure that some of the demented comments posted on this thread are not taken into the ground tonight or any time further in the near future.
COYB.

The football, performances and results have been getting worse since the first game of the season and we will be relegated if we continue. We all agreed we needed change and now we have got it. We are just going to suck it up and support the team and the staff as best we can in each of our own ways, like we have always done.

So, here's to a proper farewell win for Rhino tonight with a crappy 2-1 win and then a shake up of the overpaid and underachieving squad starting tomorrow!

Come on, get over it... COYB

As for Sammy Lee. Couldn't stand the little fucker, but I do have the ability to turn a negative into a positive. If Koppites bring it up, I'll counter with the fact that it would devastate me to see Tim Cahill with a Liver bird on his chest. What's that on fat little Sam's chest?

COYB

Premier League win percentage of 33.8%.

Negotiated a fee of £400,000 to represent an overseas firm that was hoping to profit from Premier League transfers, before he had even named his first England squad.

I am furious about this appointment. Unbelievable.

Allardyce was never my first choice, nor my hundredth choice, but we are now stuck with him, hopefully not for long, so everyone, and I mean everyone, must now get behind the team 100% and we can pull this shit of a season round.

COYB. FTRS.

Let me start by saying Congratulations on getting the keys to one of the greatest, prestigious, historic and "richest" (which I am sure caught your eye) clubs in the land.

I am sure you will knuckle down to the job in hand and, once the transfer window is open, you will use your vast knowledge to get the right players in and to get around those pesky rules about player ownership. And of course it goes without saying a nice cheeky brown envelope now and then to iron out any loose ends – know what I mean, Big Sam (finger to nose, wink wink)!

Now to I have been chatting to some good friends of mine in London some of them are West Ham supporters and a few support Crystal Palace. They have passed their genuine heartfelt congratulations on your appointment and have informed me the best way to follow your style of football is to invest in a neck cushion like the ones you use on a plane and also a good pair of Ray Bans. I do find this rather strange; however, I am sure I will understand within a couple of games of exciting tenure at my beloved club .

Finally, Sam, you may hear some whispers that some us Toffee fans don't want you here... well, a lot actually, but don't let that put you off. You and your right-hand midget will be most welcome if you can do the business and keep us in the richest league in the world so our owners – good old Bill "Boys Pen" Kenwright and Farhad "I don't have a clue about football" Moshiri can keep the Moneyball rolling and you 4 guys can pop off to Monaco and dine on Moshiri's yacht, drink the finest champagne and have a good laugh at the most gullible, mediocre fans in the country.

Regards

ToffeeWebber

Colin Metcalfe

Ha ha, nice one Phil.

The only guarantee with fat Sam is that he will do as little work as he can for as much wonga as he can escape with. So an 18-month contract means ٧ million already in his account.

I see the cut-off point being end of season if he keeps the blues up, and then getting in a preferred candidate. Alternatively, fired between now and then if making a pig's ear of the job. Either way, he'll be off to the Costa Ale-adyce were he can get back to what he does best. Spending ill-gotten plunderings from clubs various with his cronies.

Of course that might be a tad judgemental, and he could be a roaring success and help Everton back on track long term.

Pigs might fly also. But there is one guarantee to warm the cockles of blue hearts this winter. A pig will be sitting beside big boy Sam in the dugout every game for the foreseeable future.

First and foremost, this is Everton, this is my team. players, coaches, owners managers all come and go but there is only one team I will support for as long as I live.

WE ARE EVERTON

Welcome to Goodison, Sam, I hope it works out, for obvious reasons.

Last game of the season we play West Ham Utd. That could be winner takes all and loser gets relegated fixture.

If big Sam was approached by the owners of West Ham with whom he has previously had a working relationship, with the offer of a £20 million backhander to the throw the game, do we have faith that he would say no?

We're run by a bunch of fucking clowns with Moshiri as the ringmaster to the whole circus

What has a Pelican, North West Water and Everton Football Cub got in common? They can all stick their bills up their arse... in Everton's case bullshit Bill.

‘Safe pair of hands' my ring piece... fuck you, Kenwright. Under your ownership you've took a Top Flight club and turned us into a national joke.

Well this is the final straw for me, you shithouse...

Tommy Bowman - season ticket holder 1971 - 2017.

I don't know anything about Big Sam, but surely a good manager should be able to take over, lift the team out of the bottom half of the table and push on to take us to the Champions League. This appointment feels like desperation – to barely achieve safety.

We seem to have many puritanical fans. Besides, I'm a supporter – not a fan. My love for Everton is greater than my hatred for either Sam.

We have no choice at present, appointed five weeks too late, and at an inflated salary. I will still go each home game and support the Manager and the Team.

Hello Everton

It is with great sadness that I feel I have to contact you. I've supported Everton passionately since 1979 and even moved from my native Denmark to Merseyside to be close to my beloved club. I had a season ticket for two seasons in the mid-nineties.

Unfortunately with the appointment of Sam Allardyce, a man who is a disgraced embodiment of corruption, Everton and I will have to part ways for the time being. I can no longer throw any support behind Everton as long as the club is intent on showing a complete lack of ethical judgement in the choice of manager to lead Everton.

I will advise any other person in any capacity associated with Everton to stop their support at every level in order to send a clear signal to Mr Moshiri and Mr Kenwright that this is completely unacceptable and totally at odds with everything the club used to stand for.

Allan Hounsgaard

I'm more embarrassed by the negative barrage aimed at Allardyce. Wake up... we are in deep shit and need the right man for now. I think he might be it.

He will be no-nonsense... and my god he'll kick the ass of some of the overpaid nonces currently flouncing around in the blue shirt I love.

He'll bring in a beast of a centre-half and a big striker. We will be tighter and work harder. We'll have shape and togetherness. He won't accept shite performances.

He is the gaffer as of today... he wants to win football matches as much as I want us to. He will have my full support regardless of whether he was my first choice.

We are Evertonians... we are better than this. I really hope (and I really think) a huge serving of humble pie will be served up to many on here come the end of the summer!

We are Everton... always have been... always will be. COYB

Exactly what I've been saying. You never know how many of these managers have their bread buttered on both sides.

Allan @422, really. Oh dear.

I'm hoping this chancer will be gone at the end of the season, having trousered yet another fat pay-off and / or saying how he needs to spend time with his family. I have no doubt we will stay up, but then I never doubted that anyway – even with Koeman or Unsworth in charge.

People slating people such as myself for being high minded and sanctimonious are missing the point. I suspect very few fans wanted this appointment and many are now engaging in some kind of mass exercise in cognitive dissonance to convince themselves that everything they know about Allardyce as manager (quality of football and dodgy dealings) is now false because he has been appointed Everton manager for a king's ransom.

We are quite rightly a laughing stock because of the way we have conducted this business.

Money for players to keep us in the Premier league in January is badly needed as sell to buy wont wash, as who would buy the dross we have for decent money?

Keep us up then rebuild and we should all be getting behind him and giving Sam are support as we did with Koeman and Martinez.

Sams tactics and systems of play have been based on the players he has had available to him and if he can mould the crap handed to him into any kind of team then that will do for me.

He does have a propensity to offer to slap women reporters though.

Moral compass and all that bullshit.

In fact, I wouldn't trust any of the players, directors or staff for that kind of money. Remember, players, managers and coaches are working for a living at the club, they can go and will go to work somewhere else.The Board are generally investing in the club for prestige or even possibly money. Only the fans are truly emotionally tied to the club.

At least the board have made a decision, eventually.

It's up to Sam to win the fans over. Get some results.

It doesn't have to improve much to be better than the worst Everton football in a generation that we have been forced to watch of late.

I will continue supporting and hope for the best.

While no fan of Allardyce, the fact of the matter is we are deep in the shit. Sunday League defences do not stay in the Premier League very long and we need someone to fix ours which we know he can do.

It's not going to be pretty but to be honest I don't care as long as we stay up. He'll probably sign a 2-year contract but we'll get rid of him at the end of the season if he keeps us up and get in a young, up and coming manager.

It's time to get behind the team and salvage what's left of this season.

It's something that is a serious worry given his history.

Maybe 㿀m was unrealistic and may tempt those with higher moral standards than Allardyce. But without any proof I don't think you can cast the same level of doubt on the integrity of the likes of Kenwright.

The fact is that the evidence shows us that Allardyce could be tempted to sell our club down the river for personal gain.

To make myself, and anyone else, feel better when ruing the 'might-have-beens', consider this – we have scored more league goals than Burnley and conceded just 3 more than Watford. If Sam can prove to be an amalgam of Dyche's defence and Silva's offence the future may be bright.

My hope never dies.

You can say I'm not a true supporter and you're probably right, but to my mind no-one is a true supporter. We watch for ourselves, because we enjoy it. When we don't enjoy it, we still watch because we think we will.

A smart fan will not watch a team they don't enjoy, don't like anymore.

Link

Sam Allardyce will get my support, just like Koeman did, until he becomes a proper bellend, just like Koeman did, and then and only then will I ask for him to be shown the door.

Sam Allardyce could just prove to be exactly what this club needs at this time in its history. We are at an all-time low but, by the New Year, things could be very different.

All those saying goodbye, trust me when I say, Mike Walker and Walter Smith were appalling days, just give the man a chance and support him and your club.

I mean Koeman must have taken brown paper bags under the table – how else could anyone explain buying Klaassen and Co?

The good Lord gave me eyes, ears and intelligence so I could follow the world around me. Those in it and charlatans with an eye on the green back like fat Sam.

#415 Tommy

What a good imaginary question that is you have posed about the 㿀 million, prospective biggest brown envelope in history.

Blackpool fans still talk about the infamous play off match with Bradford City back in the 90's. The legendary Sam was at the helm of strange events, before a disastrous defeat, at home, after winning the first leg away easily. Bizarre team selections and tactics were employed under the command instructions of the new manager of Everton football club. Or so the story goes.

Of course these are tales from another age and things are much different now. Ha. To paraphrase a popular Hollywood actor of many moons past "The Hell they are."

I called for Sam to be appointed, even though the very thought repulsed me and still does. It's a must needs scenario, an exigency that requires pragmatism over aspiration, presided over by an artisan of escape rather than a visionary.

The only niggle that lingers now – for me – is this: what if even Allardyce can't make anything out of this gaggle of circus escapees we call our squad?

A mercenary ex-manager who couldn't bring himself to say 'We' when talking about the club. A team full of expensive, useless mercenaries who don't give a toss about the club and don't want to know about the fans (Schneiderlin, Williams, Mirallas, Martina, Klaassen – in this order this means you – get out of my club).

An Everton man being hung out to dry by those same players. A minority but major shareholder, who doesn't even have a seat on the board, having Jim White announce a new Everton manager and backroom staff on Twitter before Everton make an announcement, and now a man whose appointment has made us a laughing stock because everyone knows it's short-term firefighting.

There are no guarantee of survival with him and if we do go down, we are not coming back for at least a decade because everyone of these people – from the major shareholder to the manager and those mercenary players – will disappear. We look like QPR from a few years ago, loads of cash but no class, and look what happened to them.

I can't watch this happening to my club anymore and I certainly don't want to watch the team while they still have those same players, who I believe have intentionally not tried for the team or the fans, still at the club.

However, he isn't going to do much over the next month or two. It doesn't work that way.

Everton need strength in all departments but mainly in striking which has been a problem since day one and without it you cannot win games.

What Everton have at the moment will not cut it.

Calvert-Lewin, Niasse, Sandro, Mirallas, Lennon, Lookman and Rooney have not shown enough to convince anyone they can scare opposing defences.

That may seem unfair to say at the moment because what has been coming from midfield has been almost non-existaent which has in turn reflected on the defensive side of things.

Without a strong ''engine room'' most teams will be also-rans and will not be good enough to compete.

The next month will still be difficult but if they can scrape out results in the next 7 days then we all may be able to look forward to the second half of the season with a little more optimism.

"Okay, Mr Allardyce. ٤m if you keep us up, ٤.00 if you don't.

Don't agree? Well that tells us all we need to know."

I would do it on those terms of course...

"No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need"

Everton need a reality enema and Sam is it. Brown shoes Martinez blew it. Stuck up himself Koeman blew it big time along with 𧶀 million quid of Moshiri's cash.

The only good player we have bought since Moyes left was Lukaku. He carried us for four years and, now he's gone, we are right back to square one. We need to get our collective heads out of the clouds and our feet back on the ground.

We are not going to be Real Barca on the Mersey any time soon. We have to get hard to beat and start picking up points and hopefully Sam will be the man to get us back on the rails and if we have to do it ugly that doesn't bother me at all.

The Everton fans responded in turn, "You've got Sam Allardyce, You've got Sam Allardyce..."

Today, Everton play West Ham at home, 29 November 2017 – 4½years later.

David Moyes will follow his West Ham players out of the Goodison Park tunnel. He'll shake hands with David Unsworth, the man keeping the managerial seat warm for a certain, newly-appointed Everton manager

Huh!

Then there's the players. How will the luvvies like him, Shakespeare and Lee? Hope he doesn't expect them to come all over professional for once, fit, and brave, and that sort of thing.

Hopefully Sam can do the job he's been brought in for – to finish 17th or better; maybe then we can look at other options. I doubt if he himself is looking beyond the summer, but obviously negotiating a longer deal ensures a big pay-off if, for whatever reason, his services are no longer required once we get to the end of the season.

Make no mistake: we are quite, quite dire on the field, and even Unsworth stepping in failed to give the expected lift; Koeman buying a right load of shite will burn us for a long time yet. Perhaps Allardyce's appointment is a fair reflection of who we are right now – a club picking up the last turkey in the shop. We do need to dig ourselves out of this hole, and soon, and as such I can accept this appointment: but, even at its best, it's one for the head, not the heart.

This man cannot be trusted. Rumours I've heard are that he demands his 26-strong support staff are employed too.

Is it beyond the realms of possibility that this proven crook takes a percentages of their pay check for fixing them up with their job. 26 x 20% soon adds up.

Tactics and team selection are ways someone could achieve the contrived poor performance required to buy a result. I'm sure there are other methods.

Link

It's hard to believe we could have managed to fall to such depths in the space 3 months, unbelievable.

He will take the longest contract he can with Everton on as much money as he can screw out of you and will either see out his contract providing well defended hoofball or be sacked and take a massive payout. Either way Fat Sham is the winner.

The only bright spot though is that he will definitely save you from relegation.

I do hope you can survive the Allardyce effect.

Unsworth was given an opportunity but sadly found it hard to motivate players. Let's see what Sam can do. I do believe with ample cash, Sam can do what Koeman failed to do, find players who can do the business on the pitch once the transfer window opens at the beginning of January.

If we couldn't get a Simeone, Ancelotti, Mancini, Pellegrini, a proven winner, then why not big Sam? He's got a half-decent track record and is a big and strong enough personality not just to deal with our lacklustre but talented players but also kick the board's arse a bit.

I also think it will spell the end of Walsh which is just as good as sacking Koeman. I expect a few inspirational signings from Sam, look at what he brought in at Bolton: Okocha, Campo, Djourkaef, shows a bit of ambition and thinking out of the box!!

Evertonians just won't recognize we are at rock bottom, and that as such we actually might need Allardyce's sour medicine!

I was one of those saying 'no' on the poll a while back, just because of that! And I really hoped Unsy would be able to get some backbone into the team. But now that he's been making the same puzzling line-ups that Koeman did...

We just might the need the new brush totally out of touch with "how Everton works"!

"No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get Sammy Lee!"

Seen a post about "keyboard warriors" and "I go the game with 38,000 other people" ripping those of us who can't actually attend a game without crossing an ocean! Please....

So my disappointment in this hire is invalid or diminished because I can't get to the game from America and it costs a fucking ton of money and I have 5 sons and a wife equating to some pretty hefty financial responsibility?

I'll "keyboard warrior" all I want if my club (yep, it's mine – ya jerks who think otherwise because I'm not a season ticket holder in the greater Liverpool area, too fucking bad...) hire an unethical man who basically plays the worst brand of football I've ever seen.

Who's to say this guy will actually save us from relegation??!! Do you have a crystal ball?

Seriously, leave the "my credentials are better than yours, Yank" crap out of this. I've every right to be surly and pissed off when my Club (said "my" again please notice) is run so fucking terribly they've sunk to this level.

Minimally, let me vent. Thank you very much.

If we start winning and finish top half then everyone on here will be happy (happier anyway)

At that point, and with the stadium plans hopefully progressing, the club needs to get a proper plan together for turning the club into a challenger for the top 6. Wise investment in players, and a top manager who knows what to do with them. (Just sack Sam)

Can they do that? I have doubts.

Or we can express our love of Everton, unite behind the common goal of staying in the Premier League, because in simple terms, that's all that matters to me. .

But seriously, I've become resigned to the idea. The length of the contract is being reported to be 18 months, which at least lends credence to the "best case scenario" many are hoping for – that Allardyce steadies the ship, then rides off into the sunset with a fat payday while Moshiri brings in his preferred choice (given that the overall payout would be more or less equal to what he was willing to pay Watford to extract Silva, it makes sense).

I mean, that has to be the plan, right? There's no way the board can actually think he's the right man for the job, long-term, right? It's the only explanation for why they wouldn't entertain the idea of going after someone like Sean Dyche... right??

The players will get a rude awakening, Sam will take no nonsense, and we are in dire straits. The only consolation: I prefer him to O'Neill any day.

Why? Each win this fella gets will be that little less sweeter, each loss much easier to fault.

He starts with no credit in the bank at all, no good will, no optimism. Just the hope he can keep us were we are; 17th and be grateful for it too.

He knows even if he loses 8 of his first 10 nobody at the club will challenge him. We as a club have given up. In this situation Sam has all the power, and he knows it. The owner whoever that is has ceded everything to a guy who has played us for a fools even before he starts.

Utter bullshit he was walking away two weeks ago. This is his biggest ever job, he was gagging for it. He linked himself with it, and we fell for it.

And we have to suck this shit up? Nah, not me. The day he vacates his post will be a day to grateful.

Never Allardyce.

Let's give him the chance – he can be no worse than Koeman or Martinez. I'm afraid we haven't got top managers queuing up for the job, so let's support this shower til the end.

I mean, Sammy fucking Lee at our place? Moshiri, you twat. Do you have any idea what you've done? And that fat fucker, Bill. Where's he hiding right now?

All of us are sick to our stomachs and with the prospect of RS coming up and possible relegation, having any optimism is far removed.

Another manager halfway through the season is not what we envisaged but needs must and we have to accept what is available.

Here's hoping for results to improve soon.

If by some miracle they can beat RS then all this criticism of Allardyce will be forgotten.

Link

You follow and support our club that should be enough. I am pleased we have an American following. You are all part of the pain we go trough; enjoy, buddy!

First time round as Everton manager, Howard Kendall drove thousands away from Goodison; many never came back. Even when he won his first title, the club wasn't massively supported, but some came back.

So it will be with those saying that they will not come back. If / when Allardyce wins a few games and gets us up the league, quite a few will change their minds.

Sammy Lee, if he comes, gives me some more assurance hat we can beat the drop; a very good coach, Sammy can only aid us in our fight.

I hope we win tonight but will be happy with a point, such is our terrible form along with the injuries picked up on Saturday. I'll be backing the team tonight under the very much used and abused David Unsworth, as I will be backing Allardyce and the team versus Huddersfield and for the rest of the season.

I guess you aren't on Bill's crimbo card list, right? But, unlike most things, the stench around Goodison doesn't smell like one of Bill's making?

Different stink this time? The irony being this might make him walk away??

“I decided it was probably better it wasn't me. It would have been a fabulous job but it just didn't feel right. I think when you're in my position, you want people to be decisive & feel like they want you. I didn't get that feeling overall.”

I'm guessing a £6mill deal made it feel just about right...

We are a laughing stock and those running our club should hang their heads in total shame. An absolute embarrassment. From the optimism of five months ago to this – fucking hell.

Don't be so sure Allardyce has already proven he will field a weakened cup side (whatever that is at Everton these days) in favour of Premier League points, so I wouldn't go booking any Wembley hotels around May.

Hope to God I'm wrong...

I'm just despondent. When I saw the rumors I thought surely it was tabloid crap.

Now it's reality and well clearly I'm not a fan of Big Sam or the decision.

It's fucking bad .

As you say, Sammy Lee is a first class coach (and a first class bloke by the way) with international pedigree. Let's move on and get behind the whole team for goodness sake. COYBB!!!

We have Peter Reid, and he's still an Evertonian, even if he played his heart out for some other club(s)... Even Shankly was personally friendly with Evertonians, unless official quotes were needed, or seemed appropriate. As I've read the stories...

Look at it in 12 games – I bet we're doing a hell of a lot better than now. Get behind them!

Blue for over 50 years – back the team!!!!

Doesn't mean you have to shit gold bars and be happy with this managerial appointment!

I have had enough disappointments in my life, I don't need the humiliation of the Championship. Goodbye dear friend. Once great, but now an embarrassment.

Spare a thought for him if he is in post when we go to Anfield. An Owen-esque reception awaits no doubt.

But seriously, if we had been sitting in a pub, before the season started, and someone had said: "In a hypothetical relegation scrap, which manager would you want?" I suspect a good chunk of people would have said: 'Sam Allardyce'.

Well, the relegation scrap isn't hypothetical any more, and neither is the man to deal with it.

It's all talk mate. They'll be there. They won't be able to keep away.

It's going to get a little hairy tonight; I was thinking of taking a flask, but the way my nerves are, I would probably be better taking the bottle!

COYB

Grow up, some of you, what has he done to make you so rabid? Oh yeah... he played for the RedShite 30 years ago and was very successful at it.

So what if Allardyce has been implicated in some shady dealings in the past – I have as well... does that mean I can't support Everton anymore?

Stick with the team through thick & thin, that's what we do – lifelong.

He has my full support – for what it's worth.

Without doubt, this is one of the most depressing things I can recall in over 40 years of watching Everton. My feeling is he'll exceed the already lowered expectations – relegation is now more rather than less likely and we could easily end up with another manager before the end of the season.

One of the primary reasons he left Palace was the failure to win round the fans and it will be far, far harder at Everton. Moshiri doesn't understand Everton – both his appointments have failed to find someone suitable for the role and this one shames the club.

We employ convicted drink drivers and class a drug users. >Everton sold its soul years ago. Go and ask the former employees of BHS!!

The bit I can't get my head around is Koeman was on ٤M per year, (٣M too much imo) so why does Sam get offered the same, over a shorter period?

In less than two hours we will be trying (hopefully) to pull something from the ashes of this once great club. If those coming to our rescue are to be the two Sams I can only wish them the best of luck and hope for their success.

When making their appointment the board should do the decent thing by adding an apology to its statement.

Kenwright in particular should beg forgiveness for overseeing the gradual destruction of the hopes and dreams of supporters.

Park progression at this point, that stadium will simply not be built from the Championship.

Now we are onto Sam and I don't particularly like the idea of him either. You know who really doesn't get Everton, who brought mediocrity into the club? It's person who claims to be the biggest blue of all, Bill Kenwright.

And a message to all the blues who are feeling totally despondent with the appointment of Sam Allardyce... DONT GIVE UP!

Ok, I'll give Sammy Lee some slack and wish him all the best but what next? How much more shite will we accept from the board in the hope that they really know what they're doing, that they really have the clubs best interest at heart?

At some point Everton fans are going to have to face up to the fact that our board is completely shameless and incompetent. We've spent thirty years on a slow, downward spiral and I for one cannot see anything positive changing in the foreseeable future.

I would hope the fans get behind the team tonight but also show these fools that enough is enough and this shambles and lack of accountability will no longer be accepted.

They were also relegated with him at the helm, didn't win an away game for about 12 months, and are doing okay, no more, 13 games into this season. This is what loads here believe makes him a better manager than Allardyce?

The upper management of the club is a complete shambles. No other Premier League club would've done this.

We concede early. We lack fight, effort and guts. We lack physicality

We lose all 50:50 balls. We are not fit enough. We are poor positionally.

We don't play to a system

Who do we need?? Big Sam. The job is tailor made for him. He will drill the defensive side until it is automatic. He will get us fit and competitive and will confront players who are not applying themselves. He knows English football, he will know most of our players and I doubt he will have any fear going to the top 6 grounds.

Forget the murky stories – talk to anyone who works in football and they will say it goes on everywhere.

Would I have chosen him when Moyes and then Martinez left? No, but this situation needs him and if he does well then keep him on.

A foreign coach wouldn't have a clue where to start with a lack of knowledge of English football and possibly poor language skills too.

As for Sammy Lee, okay, he played for them and I hated him, not as a person cos I didn't know him. Now he works for us and I am all for it. This guy is a born winner and we need some of them. Imagine the RS fans – they won't be too happy!

A good sensible decision – give them a chance because we need this to work but it will take time because he has been bequeathed an awful mess.

There is some seriously appalling moralising on this thread. I would suggest that post (#415) is libellous as well as cretinous.

He would not have been my choice but I will not pick and choose between who is the least corrupt in a corrupt industry. Welcome, Sam, and good luck.

Mike, get NBC Sports Gold. $50 and you can stream all games not shown on the NBC family of networks on TV.

Game starts streaming at 3 pm EST.

https://www.nbcsports.com/gold

But hey, that was yesterday's view. When he is appointed, he will have my full support for as long as he delivers the success we all crave. This is not about an individual, good or bad. The Club is bigger than that, so it's our duty to get behind him and the players.
Onward and upward.

COYB

He knows the Premier League inside out and his approach to science, fitness and analytics was and is pioneering.

As well as his adoption of efficient football, defending well, clean sheets, passing forward early (not hoofing), maximising interceptions in opposing half, practicing defence, using the class room to educate the players individually and together, his analysis if opposition their strengths and weaknesses and his professionalism on defending and attacking set pieces, preparing meticulously for each opponent etc etc is exactly wheat we need.

Welcome, Big Sam – hope you dig us out of the hole, re-balance the squad in January and then surprise everyone by bringing some of those highly technical players you have bought in the past and then really push EFC into the top 6 and 4!

COYB's

Roast in hell, Koeman!

Now let's teach Everton how to play football again. Welcome Big Sam. One big fella Unsy for another big fella.

Even the most optimistic fan can't see where our next win is coming from, surely! Unsworth has a great affinity for our club, that has done us absolutely no favours.

I am not expecting miracles, but I am expecting us to start turning up, playing a style of "do not concede" football and counter attacking when we can.

Who knows what January will bring, we will have to wait and see but I'm sure Allardyce will have seen what is needed by then.

I'm an Everton supporter so the manager will have my support to get things right. What more can we do? It's not my money, but if true that Moshiri is willing to pay Allardyce nearly ٤ million a year, I think Allardyce and his agents have played a blinder.

It's safety first for us once again, let's hope Allardyce can get us going.

COYB

like the idea of Shakespeare coming as his deputy and if Sammy Lee does a good job with the players I will welcome him with open arms. I don't give s flying fuck that he's ex redshite.

Priority is getting the blues playing with some belief and I think Sam will bring that and get them up the table.

I'm sure that every man and woman on this site will heave a sigh of relief. COYB

We as Fans can get behind the team and give them all the support they need to do it fir us.

We need to get behind Big Sam and hope he transforms our fortunes - that is the one contribution we can make as true blue brothers!!

COYB's

For Everton to compete again, I really think this new stadium is needed. Sam is prob our best chance of staying up, as we wont attract the manager we want at the moment.

Anyone who thinks Marco Silva would be a better alternative at this current moment, well wake up and smell the coffee. We are in dire straights and nailed on for relegation; needs must!

You can put up with the phoney who has destroyed the Club from within but are walking away from Everton because they've sunk so low appointing Allardyce... and as for ripping into Sammy Lee because he he's ex RS, well that's pathetic.

Allardyce is a mercenary, fuck me, Moyes, Martinez and Koeman were all fucking philanthropists weren't they!

Kenwright Out!

Guys, please don't boycott matches. Get behind the team and roar them on.

A sound bloke! (he played for Liverpool years ago, not a problem). Both Manchester clubs love Matt Busby, Dennis Law and Peter Schmeichel.

Moshiri was naive to pay off Koeman without clear options available.

I honestly would rather have given Koeman the season. It's a right off now anyway.

And if Koeman did have to go then so should the DoF.

We need to begin to grind out some results quickly and there are a couple of players that have shown no effort need to be shown the door. Let's keep an open mind if he can tighten this defense who knows what will happen?

Let's turn this thing around starting today.

It is certainly not libellous. It is a hypothetical question themed by Allardyce's questionable integrity and proven issues around financial incentives he has courted (for himself and family members) that exist outside of his salary and other expected revenue streams that are offered naturally through his role as a football manager of a particular club or football association.

Time to jump off of your moral high horse and realise that our football club have chosen to employ a man with appealing judgement and/or moral fibre.

Under him, The People's Club we most certainly are not!

Oh, but he's a mercenary, how shocking that a club as perfect as ours can stoop so low. Grow up! They are all mercenaries!

So welcome Sam and I hope you can save our Premier League existence.

Welcome also Sammy Lee. The comments here have been pathetic and embarrassing. So what if he played for Liverpool? We signed Peter Beardsley, Kevin Sheedy and Gary Ablett, didn't we? He is a good coach, which is all that interests me. So let's stop whingeing and get behind the lads.

The squad we have is turning out to be overrated. Unsworth has struggled, but not done any worse than Koeman, who did good things at Southampton.

Allardyce will get the players doing the basics, but so could a lot of other managers.

Moyes is apparently getting West Ham back to basics and we are currently beating them with the terrible Unsworth at the helm.

If Allardyce is getting anything like £6 million per year, with no pressure to sign good players then the world of football has lost its collective mind.

Anyway, who cares, after tonight. This lot have been saving it. Shameless is what they are.

People are give credit to Allardyce for turning up flashing his grotesque watch and perspiration. We're paying him a fortune and I believe again we've made a massive mistake.

Everton first, for me every day come what mate, managers and coaches come and go... Time will prove now but surely the bottom of the seemingly endless pit has been reached.. .?

Now for the same vs Huddersfield and made up for Unsworth in his last game in charge. Now to build up some focus on the next game and hopefully no injuries.

Over the moon for you, mate, with that ٟ wager I hope you made! Well-deserved, if only for your lovely post up there.

In any case, don't spend it all in one place brother. Or do! ;-)

I have never even met George, but he always cheers me up with his words and his lyrics, and also his POSSO WAVES, so I was actually praying we never scored another near the end!

"Roast in hell Koeman"?

Fuck me. What a dumb arse comment. Read Gary Goodman #535 and get things into perspective man.

We won one did we? Well let's see where we are in January under this clueless wonder, let's see how long the honeymoon lasts shall we, before we are shouting at him.

You haven't got a clue! I'm sure he's heard that one before today. Kenwright and Moshiri, you should be fucking ashamed of yourselves!

The two biggest criticisms of hiring Fat Sam on here it seems is his morals and tactics. It seems that lots of people have got very pious when talking about the lack of morals and ethics of the new manager. Is he an angel, no but is he really different than other managers out there? He's a vocal person and his downfall as England boss was that he was honest about the underhanded actions that go on in the game. As someone else said about what David Conn said when he compares football it to a cesspool of corruption. But some could say the way the media had duped him with the 'fake sheikh' ploy was just as underhanded. He's also come under scrutiny before regarding the ethics of his son as an agent, but didn't Moyes have the same issue with his brother?

While many criticise his morals a due to rumours of dodgy deals, the bung culture is still widespread throughout the game. Image rights and other 'agent fee's' have basically taken the place of the tradition bung. With the increase of the superstar foreign managers in the English game, how many of them are squeaky clean from the time they've worked out of the country in locations where bribes and backhanders are commonplace?

It's interesting to see people's disgust at the lack of Fat Sam's morals, but are forgiving of some of our former players and managers. We idolize a striker who was convicted of assaulting a player on the field (along with numerous others, including an off-duty policeman). Our greatest ever manager was a raging alcoholic who turned up to training and matches drunk. Also, anyone remember the standing ovation that was given to our former captain, Tony Kay who was banned due to the betting scandal back in the 60's, when he came back for the 100 year top flight celebration? Even now with Rooney coming back home, his personal life has featured in the papers pretty much his whole career.

Other complaints that people have is the perceived negative anti-football style he implements. Have people watched us for the last 15 years? Other than the 6-8 months of Martinez's first season and maybe 4-5 games of Moyes's tenure, the stuff we've put up with is the same brand of football supposedly Allardyce plays. When he's had skillful players, he's utilized them. That Bolton team of Jay Jay, Anelka and Youri Djorkaeff were superb at times.

This is his final chance in his career and finally he's come to a 'big' team with money. After the England debacle, he has something to prove, even though he did a good job in saving Palace. That being said, it looks like he's only signed an 18-month contract so I can see him staying to the end of the season and then reassessing his future at the club. Depending on how well things are going, I could see him retiring again on hopefully a relative high.

I was riding the last 15 minutes pretty hard hoping the scoreline would hold for you.

Thanks for the added excitement!

He came across as a decent bloke. He felt he had been unfairly pigeon-holded by the media (Southern dominated media) as a long-ball crash-and-bash proponent/bluff Northerner. However not all his teams are like that and he only uses that when needs must (and he has not managed a top team before so I think his point is fair).

Let's give him a chance. He may have us playing decent football after all. I'd rather have had someone like Silva who is a bit less known and might have been a messiah – we know Allardyce isn't that... but let's give him a chance.

Below that and the knives will be out.

If it wasn't for our heritage and our fantastically loyal supporters, we would have no standing in the game at all.

Bill Kenwright has run this club like a corner shop, whilst the six we aspire to compete with have grown into megastores.

Allardyce may well 'save us from relegation', but what happens next? Is that it? And is that all the board expect nowadays?

I am grateful to Unsworth for the seven points in last five league games (three away):

P5, W2, D1, L2, Goals For 10, Against 10.

In the circumstances he inherited, he did well. Now if he'd had a full pre-season in charge, who knows...

Gary (#535), I hope you can make a game some time. Carers unpaid and paid are very under-valued, I know of several. More and more people will be doing it. Regards to you and your wife.

As for Allardyce, he'll piss me off if he doesn't play a full-strength team in the Cup. The club badly needs a trophy and we are capable of winning the FA Cup.

The most likely scenario is continuing the way we've seen for the last decade and more, being mid to high in the table with the occasional visit near the bottom. The best scenario is top-6 and Champions League, plus trophies, but is less likely. Getting relegated is the least likely scenario.

That's not accepting mediocrity, it's just accepting reality and the likelihoods that go with it, and at the end of the day it's a game involving 22 millionaires kicking a sphere of leather around a patch of turf.

You would now hope that once stabilised we would be looking for a Manager/coach to takeover in a seamless switch at the end of Allardyce's contract and that such managers are being monitored over the next 12 months.

Interestingly Silva's contract ends in 18 months and (I think) Fonseca in 12 months. Hopefully also, within that period the Board will have some changes as this whole debacle cannot ever be repeated.

Where I sit in The Park end everyone around me knows of my weekly bet and once the 2nd or 3rd goes in are all willing for the 4th and also when it gets to 4 - 0 are shouting for it to "go back to the goalie" or "miss" - - it's a bit of Match-day fun - - when I get back to The Dark House the gang are waiting and the round is about 𧷤 (joking) - - so as I said earlier (post 66 on this thread) I am not allowing anybody to ruin my Everton Match day routine or destroy all the fun we have around where we sit and in TDH.

If you stop going or stop watching - - which is your choice of course - - all of these Bluetiful Memories stop with you - - Not for Me:

And we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
And we all shine on
And on and on and on

Cosmic Blue Posso Waves To All Blues Practicing and Lapsed - - And God Bless Father Winder.

Then we had the likes of Tuchel, who was always going to be a risk in the Premier League and he probably wants a Champions League side. The Premier League can chew managers up and spit them out, as Frank de Boer found to his cost. If the players are not on side from the very beginning, you are toast. Look what Chelsea did to Mourinho after a title win, same with players at Leicester who hung out Ranieri to swing in the wind. They expressed their dissatisfaction through their agents, lovely touch.

Quite simply, I believe it's more important that the players WANT to play for you these days, rather than being some tactical genius.

Our bunch of shitbags have got rid of two managers in Martinez & Koeman, and from what I was told last night by an ex-player, they didn't want Unsworth either.

Let's hope these pricks start playing for Allardyce, maybe he's just the type of character who will put some fear back into these piss-taking bastards who pull on the shirt every week.

Corinthians, all of them.

Or are we waiting for Moshiri's mouthpiece to announce it?

Perhaps they aren't going 'announce' it - just let it happen. After all it is not going to be a flag waving, all singing, all dancing moment of triumph, razzmatazz and optimism, is it? thanks to the nature and circumstances.

It has to be pretty low key. Maybe it will just come from Jim Talkshite.

Maybe you are right; no announcement.

It may be Moshiri is a bit embarrassed and I notice Boys Pen Bill has as usual gone to ground.

Or maybe he has been gaffer taped up in the Chairman's leather bound chair in the boardroom.
😂😂

I know you wouldn't want me to say it but carers like yourself are saints and so are plenty of carers on very low paid jobs. I know a few and I am indebted to them. I hope you get to see a game very soon.

Best wishes to you and your wife.

Agreed.

Agreed.,Turned on,sfblue,1,17:33:54,,110.23.11.243,probation,18950,11/30/2017 17:33:54,EFC_Fan,probation,, 877743,35880,toffeeweb,30/11/2017,Steavey Buckley,events_1998@yahoo.com,"Last night's match has turned into an anti-climax, because of the resounding victory. Did David Unsworth finally come to grips with an Everton squad that has many failings but has players who can make an impact?

Then there are players who will make an impact once they are fit and healthy, such as Barkley, Coleman, Bolasie and McCarthy.

Instead, will Big Sam go back to square one and make the same mistakes as Unsworth did until he becomes aware of them or will he take Everton to a better level? Time will only tell.

What will be will be.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments, they brought some cheer on this freezing cold day!

Brent, good shout that mate, and if you want to go to a second game Gary, I will give you my ticket to get in.

The glory years, sorry year of 1995, when our precision football was practiced by the "Dogs of War". The heritage of Parkinson, Ebbrell, Mitch Ward, Danny Williamson... all being thrown away. Where's me dummy? Where's me pram?