Conor Grant caught in aborted loan fiasco

You really couldn't make this stuff up. What, on earth, does our very highly paid Director of Football actually do?

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/everton-criticised-role-bizarre-transfer-14212597

Absolutely bizarre to consider representing the U23s in a tin-pot trophy counts as an appearance for 'the first team' but surely the club should have been aware of the rules.

As I recall, there was a big stink kicked up by the Football League sides in the first year of this competition last season. I need to root around and find some links, as I can't remember the details.

In a way it's a pity because it goes to the heart of the efforts to make the old 'reserves' football – now called "Development" football – more competitive for the up-and-coming mostly English young players on the books of clubs like Everton. This was meant to pit them against real first-team professionals in a full-blown first-team competition – think Barcelona B team.

Obviously up for debate as to how successful that is, especially with so many of our U23s going out on loan anyway... to supposedly play in lower-league first teams.

Sites such as Soccerbase and Transfermarkt both count up these appearances, and when our players are on the field, it's the only time I believe that they wear their full squad numbers, as we list on our Squad page.

Seems farcical; are Notts County now claiming the Everton scalp?

I hope he didn't also appear in the Liverpool Senior Cup or FIFA will come down on us like a ton of bricks.

However, given that Gosling was allowed to exploit a contract loophole some years ago and now this happens, one must wonder if, whoever is responsible for these matters at EFC, is truly up to the job?

Surely, someone knows and understands these rules, if not, I am sure the members of this board will be more than happy to develop a flow chart for them.

However, and I have seen it in companies I have worked in, people have to justify their position/job and salaries by changing things that do not need changing.

We pay too much for players because we have no idea how to negotiate. The players we do end up buying have been, by and large a disaster, especially given the fees involved.

Any other board would have sacked Walsh for gross incompetence but not us. No, we even asked Walsh who he would recommend as Manager. I wouldn't have asked him to recruit a cleaner for Finch Farms toilets as he'd fuck that up as well.

Then there's the Stadium Saga. As any self respecting Norwegian RS fan would tell you Sagas are long drawn out stories with an ending. This saga has never had an ending. Arsenal have a new stadium; Spurs are getting one built as we speak; United have added extra capacity and so have the RS. Sunderland ffs have a new stadium!

We don't have a brick laid yet and how long have EFC said they wanted a new stadium? Too bloody long without getting one built. I remember voting eons ago for a new stadium. I'm not going to hold my breath on it being built in the near future as I can't hold my breath that long.

Then there's marketing – it's a joke. Recruitment of a manager, again a joke. I imagined Unsworth's missus saying to him, after every game "Are you doing it again next week, David?" and him replying, "How the fuck would I know?"

EFC – Everton Forever Crap (at everything).

I appeal to all season ticket holders –don't renew your tickets until something is done to rid us of the ineptitude ruining the club we all love.

Are you not going to renew yours?

Admittedly, there were cock-ups before he arrived, but they seem to have multiplied since his appointment, and when we at last got every Club supporter's wish, the money has been mainly proliferated.

Surely the Plymouth Argyle team must take 50% of the blame, if not more?

It's them who have asked for the player on loan (unless we have put his name out there for loan deals) and haven't done their homework correctly.

Really? Did you not bother to actually read what happened? Plymouth knew he had been on loan, but weren't aware that he had played a match in the Checkatrade Trophy. In what world do you expect another club to know every detail about one of Everton's youngsters? Also, Plymouth said they accept some of the blame, but Everton should be more aware of whether one of their players is eligible before offering him to another club.

Here is how that conversation should have gone if Everton weren't run like a third rate business.

Plymouth: “We'd be interested in taking Connor Grant on loan for the second half of the season after his loan spell is up.”

Everton : “Sorry, he's not eligible to go to another club for the rest of the season after playing in the Checkatrade Trophy and then being out on loan.”

Plymouth: “Oh, didn't know he had played in the Checkatrade, that's too bad. Thanks.”

With any successful organization or person, it's not how you do the big things that is all that matters. It's the little details, how you do the little things. How much attention you pay to every detail is what adds up to being successful at the difficult things. This fiasco isn't irrelevant when analyzing how this club is run.

I would have thought the Club Secretary is the one who should know each and every player's availability.

Next, our Manager will be telling us we don't need a new left-back.