I just hope that under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti, young Kean will flourish and not prove to be another "flash in the pan" signing.

I forgot to add a link to the feature credited to Paul McNamara on the Everton website, for those who may have missed it:

Link

I'm sure I'm not alone, amongst TWebbers, in this thought, but I wish to thank you, Lyndon, Paul and others for providing us with topics to discuss during this difficult time of isolation.

Thank you from me and, I'm sure, thank you from the TW family across the board.

Yes, he scored a great goal against Manchester United and goals stick in supporters minds. He did have flashes of brilliance, very, very quick ones.

But he played for himself not the team. One game at Wigan, a night game, Moyes put him on the right wing; the lad wasn't interested... sulked and hardly did a tap.

"Fuck you, mate," I thought, "you can do one as soon as you're ready." Saved ourselves a few million there, I think, and a load of bother.

A big thank you from me too, ToffeeWeb makes life a little bit better for all us isolating Evertonians. It really is appreciated.

But my God – what a terrible feeling to lose that game!

Am I right in remembering the end of that game where Rooney taunted one of our defenders in front of the Man Utd fans? That still annoys me just thinking about it!

Going back to Manny, he turned out to be an average player, not really fulfilling his potential... we've had a few of them!

He lobbied hard for Fernandes, I extolled the many, MANY virtues of Moutinho.

We came very, very close to landing Moutinho in his prime. IMHO he could have lifted that Moyes team in the same way that Bruno Fernandes has immediately lifted Man Utd. He was in the same category of the Holy Trinity and Reid, Bracewell & Sheedy.

Manuel Fernandes would – didn't! – not have done that for Everton.

This piece has reminded me to drop my mate a line later!

As a comment, we should never have lost that game – we were well in command (Howard was not in goal as he was on loan at the time) and a combination of dithering defenders and wobbly goalkeeper, and managerial instructions to protect what we had, gave Man Utd the initiative back.

Jay (10), there was a massive difference in those two players, Mourinho could play, very well, Fernandes thought he could!!

But, oh ye feint of heart, don't watch the last 30 seconds!!!

In the lobby of the best hotel in Tripoli, Libya, in the company of the Ugandan Ambassador to Ghaddafi-land, a United supporter. The Ambassador that is, not Ghaddafi (he was probably a RS).

The Ambassador was a good lad. Even moved to dancing a little jig as the 3rd and 4th goals went in.

I didn't!

The messy ownership structure may have been detrimental to the young Manny Fernandes. Getting treated like a piece of meat and hawked around for the best deal must have been a bit unsettling.

He never had stability at the right time in his development. Another player whose potential wasn't fully realised .

Most of us thought we'd found another gem like Pienaar but the two players were chalk and cheese.

Went on to do very little which tells its own story.

Whatever happened in the interim period before his return is a mystery. Injuries, mental attitude, overall fitness? Who knows. But the sad fact is that he wasn't a fraction of the player. He suddenly looked totally lost in a blue shirt.

I don't believe players lose their natural ability, but I've always been at a loss to understand the rapid demise of Fernandes. From potential superstar to flop in such a short space of time. Most odd.

I think it's correct that Howard did not play as he was on loan from Man Utd then. Ian Turner was in goal and at 2-0 he dropped an innocuous corner kick under no pressure which led to their first goal and we know what happened after that.

May I also use this opportunity to pay respect to two Blues who have passed away in the past couple of days?

Brian Boggild, an attendant at Blundellsands and Crosby railway station. I did not know he was a Blue, but it turns out he was, and there is an Everton flag hanging at the station pay-kiosk. I just knew him as a lovely guy who always had a smile, was always helpful, and always had a good or funny word with you.

And Len Norman of Crosby. Len was the last survivor of the men of SS Peter and Paul's parish who included my dad Charlie, Terry White's dad Dick, Jack Fleming, Archie Downie and others, who organised wonderful trips to Maine Road, Burnden Park, Old Trafford, Villa Park, Filbert Street, in the 60s. They would never forget their lads, except for a few hours on the way home when they would stop for refreshment, leaving boys stoked on lemo and crisps to play footy in pub car parks.

Most memorably we all went to Wembley on 14 May 1966 for the day of a lifetime. Len, the last of the Corinthians.

May they rest in peace.

Another enigma to add to decades of enigmas at Goodison Park.

Then again, Ferguson might have wanted Tim to play, knowing the cock-ups he was always likely to make, but I'll accept that I've got this wrong.

Commiserations on the loss of a family friend and to all the family and friends of those departed – it is always good to revisit comments from the past and I enjoyed immensely the anecdotes and periodic comments attributed to Charles Mills and Dick White in James Corbett's excellent book "Everton - The School of Science" – clearly Len was part of the gang of such true Blues. RIP.

As you say, excellent source and very well written – regularly pulled from the bookshelf to re-read the odd chapter and get misty-eyed!!

You should have got him involved. Your ambassador wouldn't have been so cocky then.

Guess who I think the man is who's responsible?

The match against Man Utd occurred in April and he was dropped as part of a 'gentleman's agreement' to keep the spirit of the loan deal alive when the Man Utd fixture came around.

This is massively unacceptable for obvious reasons: one club cannot dictate another's team selection and it brings the question of match-fixing into play (not exactly helped by the final result and the performance of Turner in particular).

Man Utd argued that they were in no rush to sell Howard, so he could have been dropped legitimately had they kept to the terms of the loan, but the fact is, at Everton's insistence, they sold him mid-loan – but still both clubs acted according to the terms of the loan. I've not known a situation like it and it was a frankly embarrassing act of subservience from Everton to Man Utd, from Moyes to Ferguson, and not for the last time.

Everton and Man Utd's 'little pals' agreement was tantamount to match-rigging. The only mitigating technicality was that Turner wasn't trying to be so bad.

Sure, he loses the ball needlessly on the edge of his own box... but the next bit was pretty special.

https://youtu.be/62dZ8nkeGmA

I believe he claimed he was never made an offer by Everton and therefore decided his future lay elsewhere. Nevertheless, why he was wined and dined by Bill Kenwright and never had a contract put in front of him to sign, I will never know.

Another indictment of the amateurish way the club was run.

Well Manny, it didn't take you long to suss out what all us supporters already knew.

Last game against Newcastle remember saying all we need were a few top players. Oh well. Another wasted opportunity!

Then we realised how close we were to actual success and promptly bottled it!

Typical.

The internal machinations that go on behind the scenes are mind-blowing.