Allardyce talks ambition and unity

But seriously he is probably what this club needs at this time.

After last night I believe that our players can play when they put their minds to it.

I think that Allardyce will keep them focused. Keep them fresh. Keep them interested. Because with past managers a number of our players went very stale. They lost interest. They dropped heads. They stopped playing. I somehow don't see that happening with Allardyce. And it will be interesting to see how he deals with Schneiderlin and Mirallas. That will tell me a lot about his approach.

And on another topic. Notice that we looked a lot more solid (if not a little lucky) without Baines last night. Interesting to see what Allardyce does concerning that LB position.

He sees Everton as the biggest job he has had, except England of course. I'm willing to stick my neck out and say Sam will be signing a new extended contract next year.

Next , I would like to see him using his Fatherly charms on Ross. Get Ross signed up and he will have gone some way to earning a lot of fans' respect.

He is saying that this is a new start for all and any bitching that has gone on ( and there has been a lot apparently) should be in the past.

This is Allardyce's biggest job yet with a club that should be challenging for honours. I think he gets that. My first choice if Unsy didn't get the job. No other option in my view. Another win on Saturday... coyb

Guys watch this. Tell me what you make of this. One thing that stood out for me is the comment: "he uses what he has".

Now, does this mean until January. Or is Moshiri telling us, Allardyce will not be spending a load of money in January?

Do you remember Moshiri calling up Jim White on transfer deadline day to shut down any talk of a striker saying that Koeman had the players he needs?

We better not get through January without a new striker. Worrying comments or am I reading to much into his words?

Furthermore, I will be interested to see his activity in the next two transfer windows and whether or not he will allow Walsh to have any influence.

Life's full of bumps, dips , highs and lows.. as is for every human being. Now to unite as Evertonians, and support the club.

The life and times of Sam And Little Sam has been done so now to the next game, and to build on last nights victory. Made up for Unsworth and hopefully he can martial the U23s, and get them back on keel, and now to move on and the Dutch Kloggs seem a long time ago, as it has been.

What a crazy year in The Life And Times of Evertonians. It can only get better..

Lots of references to bringing out the best in the players and team. A sort of broad "you're better than this" arm around the players. I'm certain he has a bollocking or two in him too.

As Hunter S Thompson famously said of Jimmy Carter "An endorsment, with fear and loathing".

I was also baffled about the comment regarding Jonjoe Kenny needing replacing. This is a kid who has stepped up to the plate, overcome an initial shaky start and has progressed with his start against West Ham culminating in a near man of the match performance.

For a young lad Kenny has shown courage and maturity beyond his years. He has also put to shame some of the senior pro's such as Mirallas and Schneiderlin to shame. Qualities that I would hope Allardyce recognised in the forthcoming weeks and months.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/4933404/Sam-Allardyce-believes-Evertons-Tim-Cahill-needs-more-attention-from-referees.html

Our Ranieri - maybe

Wasn't my first choice but I'm softening to him.

Cummon Sam, give us a win across the park and your a hero for life.

Hate to admit it but I'm not as appalled as I was when we first approached him. His enthusiasm in the stands yesterday did warm me to him. Just a little bit.

He is coming in at a good time with 3 of the next 4 at home and on the back of last night's win. If he could somehow get a result over the dark side he will get fans on his side quicker. He will also have the injured players coming back soon.

My fears are what style of football we are going to see but hopefully a few wins will ease the fear we're playing with.

Also what I took from that is Moshiri believes stability will come and once that's achieved a younger ambitious manager will come in.

I suspect that manager will be identified over the next 12 months or so ( unless it already hasn't been done so) and plans put in place for Allardyce's replacement.

No trophy for 22-23 years and counting.
No win at Anfield for 18 years (Think about that!!!!!! But not for too long.)
The lack of investment excuse was no longer there.
Treading water on the pitch then beginning to sink.
Players with their heads stuck firmly up their arses.
Awful performances on the pitch.

I'm sitting here in the Blue Room of my house (Goodison) writing this with my dog, Dixie, sitting in an armchair across the way. (Her Indoors is called Gwladys). On the wall above me is a set of Everton gold-rimmed porcelain plates. One of them has a painting of Catterick, Kendall, Royle and Moyes (!) on it.

It's hard to envisage Sam on there at this point but I, for one, hope he can earn his place in our history for all the right reasons. The chances of him doing that will improve – even marginally – with a bit of unity amongst the supporters.

We need to give Allardyce a chance at the very least.

(Anyway, whining like a bunch of spoilt, twatty teenagers in tight jeans belongs across the park.)

To get results on the pitch, we need the players fully focussed, disciplined and eager to give of their best each and every time they are chosen. Funnily enough I believe that if Unsworth had have been given until Christmas he would have been able to have produced those things but I also understand that Moshiri didn't think he could afford to take that risk.

I wonder how much money we can spend in the window given the FFP rules, perhaps you or someone else can answer that question, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't too much wriggle room and therefore won't be expecting another 'spree'. However, I would expect that those players deemed surplus to requirements can be traded for the types of players that we are short of and that too could be in Moshiri's mind.

Moshiri may think that he purchased a number of expensive motor-cars and rather than sell all or some of them at a loss or add more to his collection, he would be better off hiring a mechanic who can get as many of them in working order as possible. Allardyce is the chief mechanic who has been given that responsibility. We'll see how things pan out in the coming months.

As for the answer to the question you pose, no one can know. You would need to be a bloody accountant! It comes down to what Everton declare as turnover for the year, and what they declare as transfer spend for the year. Roughly,we spent around 𧵎m and brought in around 𧴜m. But how much of the 𧵎m are we paying upfront? How much is spread out? How much requires clauses to be met (England caps, Champions League places, Europa League Semi-Finals, goals scored etc etc). This is why FFP is so complicated.

Take Neymar, that €200m deal is more likely to be €40m a year, over 5 years, and so PSG can work with that. Put it all in one year and they fall foul.

So with creative accounting, I don't think we do need to hold back, we just probably have to pay a bit more to spread the cost over a longer period.

My own late great Pomeranian had a favorite spot in the back yard to do his business. I had a name for the place that he learned to recognize, and he would perk up and wag when I said, "C'mon, Rambo, let's go to Old Trafford!"

Nice one! (A Pomeranian – about the friendliest dogs you could meet – called Rambo – brilliant!)

I think it would be "Let's go to Anfield" for me but Old Trafford will do.

I don't feel the same antagonism towards Man Utd as the RedShite – though I have softened a little with age. I still hope we stuff them on the pitch. And the Seville come back brought a smile of joy. Well, more of a snigger really.

We had our backs firmly against the wall for a while yesterday. We won because of Rooney and a stronger desire all over the pitch. In the long run I'm not so sure we can count on the full backs we have, the strikers we don't have, or that extra class we need. We shall see...

I reckon Sam will bring him back in the frame.

Obviously others touted in the media and by some in this column were just not interested or available.

With some decent lads possibly back by January there is some cause for cautious optimism.

Obviously others touted in the media and by some in this column were just not interested or available.

With some decent lads possibly back by January there is some cause for cautious optimism.

He's always spoken highly of our club and its history in the past so I'm not really surprised at that.

I think we finally have a manager who "gets us".

Perhaps we should give him the chance to use these qualities on Everton before we judge him. Fair Go!!

Too many players drifting around, too many players not caring. Will this change straight away? More than likely not, but I believe some players are in for a nasty wake up call. Which I fully agree with, because I would have had every one of them down Formby beach running up and down the sand dunes after the Southampton game .

WELCOME TO EVERTON, MR ALLARDYCE!

I hope it works out well for all of us and that whilst we are winning you make the most of the opportunity to show the media there is more to your footballing pedigree than the ability to motivate a team of under-performers (mind you do need we need that).

If Sammy Lee is your choice then that's OK if he is a professional and decent person I don't care about his Redshite past (same as with Benitez).

Although he was not given a long enough period to make it work, I think it was a step too soon and / or a bit too far for Unsy, but I trust you will have the nouse to keep him as an integral part of the Everton backroom team, or if not assist him to catch a manager role elsewhere which would be the next logical step. I like most Evertonians really appreciate the professionalism and dignity he displayed during a very difficult time.

Enjoy the facilities at Finch Farm and I trust you will have the chance to make the most use of the hi-tech approach you are acknowledged with, and I hope you can integrate Ross and bring one or two misfiring players back into the frame.–

A win at Anfield would be nice... and upset Lawro and his red-eyed ramblings.

Keep the spirit and involvement with EITC. It gives the club and community a unique connection and that really is what football should be about.

If the current players on payroll were playing well and available my recommendation would be...

Second thoughts, no, I'll leave that up to you.

COYB

Don Hutchinson, Kevin Campbell, Richard Gough, David Weir, Kevin Sheedy, Peter Reid, Andy Gray, Arteta, Pienaar.

If he delivers a top 10 finish, a win against RS and a cup that won't be too bad will it. Hope he sorts out a creaking defence and sorts a focal point up front.

Was having a moan over supper about all things Everton with the missus last night, and she suggested maybe now was finally a decent time to have a look into some "other interests" (her words) and take a step back from obsessing over Our Club for once in my life, as it's all been such a long and winding road of misery recently.

As I dejectedly muttered a half-thought-out "yeah..." my brain clicked into gear. No. No, no, no. I can't; I'm not capable of it - not wired like that, to just shut off and take a break when it's all too much. I'm in too deep.

What are the five stages of Everton grief? I suppose today I'm coming out of depression and into acceptance. Sam is our manager, there's eff all I can do about it, so I'm simply going to give him and Our Club my full support and hope and believe we'll make a decent fist of it with him at the helm. I've no other option, dammit.

So, to paraphrase Otis Rush and Zeppelin, EFC, I can't quit you baby. But you certainly do not make things easy sometimes. Onward and upward, my Blue mates.

As others have pointed out, I hope he continues to give opportunities to the superb line of youth players that we have at all levels of the club – Davies, Kenny, Holgate, Baningime, Dowell, Walsh, Connolly, Pennington, Browning, Galloway, Joe Williams, Onyekuru.

If he can get Barkley to sign and nurse players like Bolasie, Coleman, McCarthy, Funes Mori to full fitness, he will find that he really doesn't need to spend shed loads of money for reinforcements. All the best, Sam!

Gary (#39) I would go with that, whenever Sam has done the odd punditry job at our games he has talked positively about the club and enthused about our great tradition and what we should be achieving so he does “get us”.

I also fully expect Ross to come back into the fold with Sam Allardycce. He's a big fan of Ross and probably knows exactly how he will get him back to playing at his best.

I'm very curious and somewhat excited to see how he is going to play this, how he is going to set us up. Surely he will be desperate to prove once and for all that he has more to his armoury than 'hoofball'.

I suspect he will want very much to get Everton playing decent football. At some point. Or will the need to get points on the board see him resort to the direct tactics he knows best?

Should be interesting.

And i'm fascinated to see who we target (if anyone!) in January. Is it fair to imagine that Allardyce is more likely to trust in and agree with Walsh (who supposedly advocated him for the job) than Koeman did. Will we be getting clever, hard working technical players that Walsh seems to admire or the big strong brutes that Allardyce traditionally favours?

Whatever the style I think most of us would agree that we need a striker, centre back and perhaps most pressingly of all a left back, though both Robinson (Bolton) and Connolly (Ipswich) have been doing well on their championship loans recently.

Curious and exciting (sort of) times.

Kenny's tackling was marvellous and he moved around with such energy and vision to help out in attack. Tom had by far his best game of the season and was greatly helped by the fact that we kept our shape so there was always Rooney, Sigurdsson or Gana available to pass to.

By the time Seamus is fit I think he will find it difficult to replace Kenny and may have to look at reverting to his old wide right midfield role playing ahead of Jonjoe.

Our midfield has to include Tom and he will learn so much playing alongside Rooney. I thought Wayne played exactly like he did in the semi final against us a couple of years ago – he ran the game then too.

Sam will do a good job- he will sort out the good from the bad and sure as hell won't be scared going to Anfield etc.

As far as the striking reinforcement is concerned that cannot happen.

I am expecting Walsh / Moshiri to be doing the striker deal over the next 2 weeks, so he can give us much needed options from January 1st.

No messing about this time, I hope lessons have been learned. We'll see.

Ha ha - I'll Probably have to move house! But I hope Sam Allardyce is successful and wish him the best of luck. Glad to see the back of Robitic Ron.

You're dead right there, Sam.

One, thing, though... maybe we'll all be better with him sitting up looming like a big dark shadow in the Directors Box rather than in the dugout if that [West Ham game] is the effect his presence up there has on the team!!!

Feeling much more hopeful anyway... at fucking last. (I just hope it does last!) Now let's see what he, we, can really do!!!

The manager that comes in has to get results with what he has in the inventory right now. Not make wonderful plans for total football in 6 or 7 weeks time.

Koemans legacy is a bunch of players that he couldnt make a team out of. Sam is here to fix that, if it can be done, and build the platform, in 18 months or so, that a younger, more dynamic, man can take over and build on.

I still think the jury is going to be out for a while with this appointment since it has polarised the supporters but couple of things to consider... Allardyce didn't get us in this mess and he was one of the very few who has stepped up and offered to help get us out of it. (Subject to £££ obviously) so I think he deserves a go.

Coyb.

I very much hope that Seamus comes back at full steam but chances are it will take him a while to get back to his best. Once at his best then i'm sure he will retake the spot, but we can't know how long that may take, hence the idea that he may struggle is not so ludicrous.

I'm now prepared to back him fully and give him time. Is he gonna be worse than the last two? We just don't know and he has as much a chance as anyone else to be a success. You never know, he might just be successful!

Mirallas
Schneiderlin
McCarthy
Barkley (He doesn't want to play for us, or sign a new contract)

That could raise 㿲-80m right there – spend it all on a striker please.

Kenny seems to have unlimited potential. For me he is better than Seamus was at 22/23, certainly until just after he came back from Blackpool, and certainly in terms of his defensive ability at that age.

I wonder if Kenny will be eased out of the right back slot for Seamus, and into the left back slot. Because if Coleman was fit and ready and back to his best for Saturday, I'd play both and move one to the left.

We have been very lucky to have Seamus Coleman, and just as lucky that we have another player who looks able to replace him in the long term. Replacing the players of the quality of Coleman has been something Everton have just not been able to do for a long time now. I'm thinking, Lukaku, Cahill, Arteta, Distin, and now it seems Baines.

Mirallas – 㾶m
Schneiderlin – 㾶m
McCarthy – ٣m
Barkley – 㾶m

I reckon that's 㿏m. I wonder what prices you think?

Mirallas is old at 31, he's fading. No one wants him. Olympiacos won't spend more than 㾶m on him.

Schneiderlin is so badly out of form you want to offload him, fair enough, but you have to take half price, you cannot expect more than half what we paid for him.

McCarthy is crocked. No one (well maybe Sunderland but they are skint) would pay for him.

Ross Barkley can sign a mega-deal on a Bosman from March to Spurs or Chelsea, or a month from today, to a European Club, why would they pay more than 㾶m to get him now.

Best thing to do is to play Barkley until his contract expires and beg him to sign a new one or wait until the end of the season to decide.

Refreshing after the simple-minded bollocks we've had to put up with from so many of his critics on here.

He knows the time of day, does Sam, he's very experienced and calls a spade a spade, he's just what we need to shake up some of our slackers. We are the biggest club he's managed and I think he will be looking forward to show what he can achieve with potentially better players. If I was him, as he's only just arrived, I'd put the same team out on Saturday that beat West Ham. They will be confident after that win.

What I would say is we cant expect miracles in the short term, we still have weaknesses in certain positions with the left back position an obvious one. Niasse has been our saviour in a few games now, I hope he gets some playing time from Sam on Saturday.

It would be great to come away with something from Anfield the following week, and it may be defeatist to say, but they still look to have too much fire power for us. Here's hoping for some success before too long, I'm not too fussed what it is.

Experienced PL players usually go for a premium. West Brom were reportedly happy to pay 㿀m for Schneiderlin when we bought him.

I reckon:

Mirallas – 㾶m-15m
Schneiderlin – 㾻-20m
McCarthy – 㾶-15m
Barkley – 㾻-20m

㿞-70m by my reckoning. Personally, I hope the top 2 go and the bottom 2 stay (so long as they get fit).

With the right backing we could be hard to beat and easy on the eye under his leadership. He always likes a target man too so that would suit Sigurdsson down to the ground. Let's hope we pull a rabbit out of the hat in January like a Dzeko etc though it may be clutching at straws.

Welcome, and good luck Mr Allardyce.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11706/10909835/ryland-morgans-interview-how-crystal-palace-training-changes-helped-premier-league-survival

Saying all of the right things and I like the way he keeps saying 'us' and 'we'.

Got to make Goodison Park a fortress where everyone fears to come. Not too bothered about how we win games so long as we just win. It's been a very very long time since we played good football on a regular basis. For me it was in the 80s when Kendall was manager.

We had a few games with Moyes and Martinez where I thought we played really good football but it never lasted. Looking forward to Saturday now for the first time in quite a while. Good luck lads.
COYB

Thanks for that link. A really good read. Further affirmation of how thorough and professional Allardyce is in his work.

But then of course, Ryland Morgans like Sammy Lee is tainted by his prior association with t'neighbours.

Boooooo!!! Hissssssss!!!

Best to list and condemn a few other Blues down the years for those inclined to exorcise their wrath at such heresy:

David Hickson
Johnny Morrisey
Alan Harper
Kevin Sheedy
Dave Watson
Peter Beardsley
David Johnson
John Gidman
Don Hutchison

There's more, but that's enough to be going on with, doncha think?

Have been impressed with his comments following Wednesday's games and importantly with his comments about Barkley today. No pressure just telling the lad to get fit and start playing and to forget about contracts for now. Sounds like he is a better man manager than Koeman already.

The telling part of this will be how the next six weeks go with Christmas and New Year schedule congestion. If we are still out of the relegation zone then he will be doing what I expected. But I also hope that the board are looking longer term at someone to replace him in 18 months when he will be 69/70. We need a solid performing manager to pick up from him at that point.

As for Sammy Lee – Jay 's list of players who crossed the park includes one of my all time favourite players Johnny Morrissey.

Lee has pulled out of the Liverpool Legends night on the eve of the derby. He has picked a side – He knows what's at stake.

If he does well he'll get my wholehearted support. If he mucks up I will remind him that he was 18th on my list of candidates. You've been warned Sam lad.

Agree about Kenny. What I really like about him is his attitude. He's really full-on and gives the other (and mostly older) players a mouthful (with passion) if they're not putting in the effort.

Still young and rough around the edges, hopefully he will be not prone to injury and will become a firm regular in the side for many years to come... perhaps a future captain, too!

It's beyond amateurish. A lot of the fans to could do with a free transfer as well the rubbish they come out with.