Ancelotti: The European Super League cannot happen

Sadly, we're already there, as the last two games against them showed. I'm obviously not going to turn to Man City vs Barcelona for my entertainment instead (I rarely watch the Champions League anyway) but, as an Evertonian, the PL and FA Cup defeats to Guardiola's side were pretty depressing.

If the mooted relaxation in FFP allows us more leeway to spend then I'm hopeful we can close the gap a little but the longer we go without CL revenue, the more that gap will feel insurmountable.

It can be depressing and in an age where Everton have seemingly slipped so far, it is easy to understand those who think we have simply slipped too far behind to ever recover.

As you say though Lyndon, there has to be hope and hopefully that comes from the potential realisation that FFP is actually flawed, which allows us to invest.

Using the example of Manchester City, who are rightfully called out as being light years ahead of us. 20 years ago this season they were relegated. They came back up a year or 2 later and were champions of England within 10 years of that.

We all know the Leicester story, again, on the back of almost being relegated.

I'm not an absolute dreamer and I do have a sense of realism. But those 2 clubs alone and the fact we have evolved from the big four to the top six in Sky speak should give us hope.

It does me anyway.

The footy that enchanted me and generations has gone the hyped up tv version for global wallahs has little relevance to dyed in the wool locals and more importantly club owners. The entire edifice rests on broadcasters recalling days gone by shoehorning references of historical passion to create faux jeopardy and disguise how many match goers are more concerned about the internet signal. Gotta be able to watch a movie or text amidst the yawn fest plodding along in front of them

Liverpool, Utd et al could move lock stock and barrel to Hong Kong, Dubai and similar "better" locations change their names to "minge rovers and fanny albion" and it wouldn't make a bit of difference to those holding levers of footballing power.

In-form Everton Under-18s forward Charlie Whitaker says his confidence is “through the roof” and is targeting another match-defining role in the young Blues' FA Youth Cup fourth-round tie at Manchester City on Saturday (2pm BST).

The game at City's Academy Stadium is one of two Blues fixtures being streamed live on evertonfc.com this weekend - with Everton Women's home game against Aston Villa on Sunday (1pm BST) also set to be broadcast.

Saturday's FA Youth Cup match will be available to Season Ticket and Official Members, while Sunday's WSL encounter will be free for all Digital Members. To sign up for a free Digital Membership, click here.

I honestly don't think Everton recovered from the European ban, and as much as I like watching the Champions league, because it is definitely a much higher standard, I honestly don't watch/enjoy it, until the tournament reaches the knockout stages.

Agree It's all about money, and hopefully Everton have got a very powerful money-man waiting in the shadows, but honestly, I'm not sure I'd have much time for a European Super league, even if Everton were involved.

Writing this has made me think about the debt the Spanish giants are both in, so maybe this does make a money league a certainty, who knows?

Clubs of “Historical Significance “ my fucking hairy arsehole. Fuck them, if they finish fifth sixth or whatever, tough fucking shit. If over 38 games Leicester, Villa or Everton have played better they should reap their reward. The “Historically Significant” club will just have to play better fucking football the next season and become “Currently Significant “ ! The greedy bastards are killing the great game, to the pits of hell with the lot of them, they are fucking shameless.

PS, to the Irish Whiskey TW connoisseurs, thanks for the heads up on the Bushmills. Enjoying a bottle of Black Bush.

The ship has never sailed. It leaves the port and comes home to dock again.

Easy Decision - Do some work on my model railway or some admin for our charity.

Choice of Bayern v Barca or Everton v Any Team you care to name.

Tougher Decision. If watching Everton was not going to raise my blood pressure too much or cause me to be depressed by the end of the game, I'll watch Everton. Otherwise, I'll work on my model railway or do some admin for our charity.

What was the one about "What would you do If Liverpool/City/United/any other team were practicing in your garden?" "I'd draw the curtains"

Ask yourselves Blues,how many Gaffers have been 3-0 up in a C.L final...only to lose it!

Methinks Mr Hind will be proven right about our Carlo,as for Monday's game...

God only knows!.

In the vast majority a team having a man sent off before the half hour mark will get beat

Twist it the other way, how many times has Ancelotti managed a team in the cl final? More than anyone in our entire history.

We are lucky to have him at the club. Who else do people want? Maybe we can poach Pep, Klopp or Zidane as they would be able to turn the players into world beaters and we would win everything in sight!!

Ultimately the league tells you where you are. West Brom are 19th and still 7 points from safety with 8 games to go. A precarious position. If we beat Palace, we are 2 points off Chelsea who currently sit 4th.

The entire world is allowing the big to eat the small. Banks, corporations, and now, seemingly, footy.

In a sports competition, isn't the idea to EARN your way into a tournament through victory? Isn't the concept of if you lose you're out kind of the point?

I'm getting old, and I'm the grumpy 80 year old plus dude at the tender age of 51. The direction of society concerns me, and it's permeating sports.

And it's crap.

Two teams automatically in because of historical involvement? Just please fucking knock it off.

The "historical significance" thing is money-driven idiocy. Guess we should save spots for Steaua, Marseille, Forest, Monchengladbach and Hamburger because they were juggernauts within living memory? Geez, let's go all the way back and give Ajax and Benfica and Reims and Celtic free passes because they were so awesome just 50 or 60 years ago.

Moronic.

Alan J, that's easy. Neither.

Are there any Blues hopeful of a win on Monday?.

Ancelotti will either get sacked or move on. People wanted Kendall, Ferguson, Clough and Wenger out despite winning things.

I see improvement in results and performance when everyone is fit. No doubt others see the opposite.

If we passed it forward quicker to our fantastic midfielders would that be better? Maybe miss the midfield out all together to our strikers but maybe that would upset the purists of the game?

Whatever the label we are still in with a shout of qualifying for Europe.

I have got to the stage where I really don't care about how, I care about putting points on the board.

I would love to win 5 - 4 like we did against Spurs or even the away victory against them. I would even settle for a 2-0 grind it out Derby type victory every week like we used to have under Moyes, Martinez, Koeman and Silva...oh hang on a minute they never did that did they!

£11M per year?

Yes I expect to win

It's all about intent for me; we just seem to show up and wing it for 90+ minutes, regardless of how many men were playing against. There's never a clear playing style, a collective swagger so to speak; our play always looks haphazard and sloppy and very easily countered.

Surely this is the death of football ?... like whats the point ?

Those who leave their respective leagues lose affiliation and history is wiped from the history books. Time to protect our leagues.