Chermiti undergoes minor foot surgery

No one better than Dyche though to bring him back at the right time; he managed Calvert-Lewin well.

Minor surgery might mean something like metatarsals? I've done that myself, but the stupid idiot I am, I played on!!

Who knows.

Especially as athletes, it could be anything and the amount of time is usually anytime also because you can't take a chance on a metatarsal injury, for instance.

Injuries already a concern and season hasn't even started yet.

Still no sign of a right-back… Patterson out until late September by all accounts.

Rodriguez would never have got off the fitness table under this policy, he would have disclosed his injury(?) five seconds or sooner after it began———mostly in his bleedin’ head!

Branthwaite isn’t injured. He’s not playing because he will be moving to Manchester United.

Clearly he and Man Utd have agreed their terms and it is now just between Everton and Man Utd to settle and agree the terms of the sale and transfer fee.

It’s no coincidence that we have signed a player that is of the same profile as Branthwaite. Similar age, have played and performed in a top foreign league. Have lower league experience in England. Similar physical stature and both with pace.

Clearly Dyche has recognised that the strength of his team last season was the defence and hence why he is seeking to replicate the partnership that Tarks and Branthwaite had last season.

We will keep Keane and I even suspect that Dyche will try and do what he did last season which was to start with Tarks and Keane. Dyche thought that 12 months ago that this was a partnership that worked and I think he’ll persevere again until the lack of form from Keane forces him to play O’Brien.

Look, this is not what I would like to happen but all the hallmarks are there unfortunately.

I suspect Holgate may move on and therefore Dyche will seek to bring in one more for defensive cover. It wouldn’t surprise me if he moves for a player that can play a full back position as well as centre back.

Anything else going on that you can tell us about?

Certainty trailed off because the club has to identify a versatile full back / centre back and then get the deal done.

That’s quite a complex proposition with many moving parts. That’s what Everton will try and do, whether they can achieve it is a different thing.

Branthwaite going may be unpalatable to you and others Shane, but it is what it is.

Holgate will be gone before Jarrad.

I'm just surprised how certain you are.

I don't recall many slating Jagielka when he played well into his 30s.

Are you prepared for that? Because we are all set to pile on come the end of the window. We don't like fake news and right now, that's what you're pushing.

Dave @8 is referencing a piece in the Echo that included quotes from Mark Howard, the club's Head of Performance:

“When the gaffer says there are no heroes, he really means it because, if you do just feel something we have got a big group [so can deal with players being absent].

"So, when we're pushing reasonably hard, we know the lads are going to get sore. The challenge is just differentiating between soreness and the edge of an injury.

"We have got a great collection of staff that are all working together for that – that is through the medical staff, the insights guys, the analysis staff, and the sports science staff.

"We are talking together every day at the start and at the end, so communication and organisation is absolutely critical so that we're all aware of the things that are going on and looking at scenarios where we do maybe just need to pull someone out of part of a session or a full session so that we know they're ready for the next one.

“It is critical the players are involved in the conversation. They are the athletes – we can't feel what they can feel. That trust is what we're trying to build.

"If you've got a successful team, you really want that tight trust as a group where it's very open, it's very honest. Honest doesn't mean easy conversations all of the time. Sometimes the conversations are difficult – a player might be wanting to do a little bit more.

"We've got lots of information from all the different departments that will inform our decision-making process, and the manager and the players and the coach and the staff are all involved in that.

"And then we use it wisely to make a decision on whether someone does a little bit more or does a little bit less. We're a group of people trying to be successful, and sometimes it's difficult conversations that are needed to do that. But generally speaking, that is what we're trying to create here.

"That really strong work ethic and that real feeling of togetherness where people are very comfortable talking to each other about how they are and what they might think. And then we make a decision together rather than just telling people what they are doing.”

Basically sounds like common sense and hopefully explains what appears to be an extra-cautious approach to protecting the players from injury — that's of course right after busting their balls good and proper during Gaffer's Day!

Many variables as previously stated. A football deal is never done until it’s very much signed and sealed. It also exists that the Branthwaite deal might not get over the line by the end of August in which case the situation changes again and Branthwaite remains an Everton player for the period until the deal can be done.

Again. Lots of moving parts - he’s available for section again until the January and will be a player Dyche will want to select. Then the club have to consider, the longer the deal remains incomplete, the risk of Branthwaite losing form / getting a bad injury etc and the transfer never getting done.

Therefore I think Everton will be keen to get it done as quickly as possible as soon as the minumum valuation is met.

As for succession planning for Tarks. I doubt Dyche is thinking that far ahead.

@16 Danny makes the valuable and obvious point. For a robust player, very rarely injured with all the qualities Dyche looks for in a player, a leader and a phenomenal statistics base in winning aerial duels - my guess is that Dyche will be looking at Tarks being the automatic starter for the next two years, and Dyche will be hoping he is still in the job at that point. He is not a player at his age who will be taken from us by a bigger club.

Quite surprising how many people claim to be repeating reliable information, but can’t pass on where said information originated from

1. utd have made a bid

2. Branthwaite isn't being selected

3. We've bought what looks like a replacement

There is no such thing as a reliable source when it comes to football transfers. On a spectrum, some will be more reliable than others. But nobody will ever be able to give guarantees or predictions. Not even spouses or family members of those directly involved. Even sometimes those directly involved themselves.

A football transfer is so complex that it should be viewed as a massive achievement for any club to get a deal that they want done over the line and complete.

Simple things like what the player actually wants through to the complexities of the finances - absolutely nothing is straightforward

O’Brian is a ready made replacement but also means we don’t need to panic buy if we sell Branthwaite and also could sell him next year instead.

I’d like him to stay but given our predicament if we sell for a decent fee then so be it.

That is the nub of the issue.

Furthermore he may have a slight injury which may not stop him playing in usual circumstances but is proving very useful in the present situation.

Everton drive me to cynicism

The big question is what is he worth, its a difficult one, I suppose its a case who is the highest bidder.
Then does he want to go there and what his pay checks will look like.
Its got a bit messy.

I would much prefer for him to be playing for us, but if wants to go get the most you can.

It may be a condition of a transfer. United have asked that the surgery be done whilst he is at everton.

The other thing is, if expectation is that O’Brien is as good as Branthwaite then this may be very unrealistic and leave many disappointed.

The performances from Branthwaite last season, save for a poor spell of form just after the new year - were exceptional. To produce that level at such a young age in such a struggling team, exceptional.

Tarkowski is great but nowhere near as good of a footballer as Jagielka.

Both top players. Jags achieved a level of performance and consistency that made him international class.

A very underrated player Jags. Seemed to me to lack a bit of self-belief that may have propelled him to the very top of the game.

When he first arrived, Moyes quite obviously signed him as a defensive midfielder / right back. It was another case of Moyes stumbling upon putting a player in their best position and then they flourished.

Very few signings under Moyes hit the ground running.

I read an interesting piece about Leeds Utd and when Howard (Sgt. Bilko) Wilkinson took charge he got rid of all the old photos as he felt the club were living in the last and should make their own history.

As much as Goodison Park has provided us with the glory days, it’s also been there the host of some of the darkest times of being an Evertonian and some of them very recent / current.

I say move on. This is our new home and a spectacular one. Let’s start writing history now

Link

I would prefer to spend my time infuriated by the BBC coverage of the Olympics and constant race reruns, biopics, homages and analysis and interviews of neighbours, teachers, classmates, etc of Keely Hodgkinson. Perhaps the away end of BMD should be " the Keely End". Fantastic performance by her, but for goodness sake, give it a rest.

Eurosports channel 412 and Discovery + the channel of choice.

Sick of these constant re-runs of certain races, interviews, gatherings in athletic clubs social bars etc. The channels you mention do show continuous live coverage but who likes gymnastics, equestrian, wall climbing, skateboarding, BMX racing, clay shooting… the list of boring events goes on.

All just my opinion of course. And yet I like events such as the rowing and cycling, events which some might find boring. I think we all love the athletics though.

There is no football ground in England sponsored by them, why not encourage them to do the same with our new ground?

The " Keely Allianz Stadium". Does have a certain ring to it. 😁

My son loves Everton but, when I spoke to him after Luton knocked us out the FA Cup, he said to me "Why do I want to bring my soon-to-be-born son, into being an Evertonian, dad, when alls I've had in my 24 years of being a crazy Evertonian is heartache?"

I felt his pain and said to him, "I can see the floodlights of Goodison now, lad, and I think the sooner we get out of that ground the better, because I think it's been cursed by Kenwright."

And his reply was that he had actually started hating going to Goodison, and sometimes he felt he was only going because Everton are in his blood.

Booing the team off at half time. Lambasting players such as Stones and Lukaku in Everton shirts etc – this kind of culture can stay at Goodison as far as I'm concerned. I would much rather BMD be a place of support and positivity.

Yes, players may not always perform. And yes, the team may not always be doing what we hope it will and the club may not always be where we want it to be. But just some simple support and encouragement will make the new stadium a greater place to be.

Flares, greeting team buses etc isn't required. Create the atmosphere in the fan park for the 2 hours before kick-off as one united support and then get in the stadium and let the good feeling permeate onto the pitch. We have a manager who will not settle for less than 100% from the players on the pitch so we don't need to contribute towards that.

The board that many hated is gone or is going.

Yes, we may not want Ashley Young starting games or the next player we don't prefer. But if they have a jersey and are on the pitch, we are with them.

Leaving Goodison will be emotional for those of a certain age, Tony, but we've got something special to look forward to in the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Sort the ownership out and it's a new dawn.

My poor son, who had a season ticket during his 3 years at John Moores, has had nothing, like many of his generation and younger. But they keep going.

Carsley led England Under-21s as they won the European Championship in 2023 for the first time in 39 years.

Gareth Southgate resigned as England manager two days after defeat by Spain in the 2024 Euros final last month.

The path from under-21s manager to caretaker boss of the senior team is well trodden, with Howard Wilkinson, Stuart Pearce and Southgate all stepping up after taking charge of the Young Lions.
BBC sports.

We are all talking about Goodison Park being demolished and what to do with the remaining area. Why don't we keep Goodison as a football ground, used for the WSL and all the Under-21s games and a training facility. Reduce the capacity to say 10,000.

The whole community benefits, fans, shops, businesses and Everton. We and future fans get to see the history of Everton and where all the greats played.

I'm sure we as fans would support a reduced refurbished Goodison Park. What do you think, any ideas? Shouldn't Goodison be a grade-listed building protected from a flash-in-the-pan money-making idea from some housing property speculator?

How about putting the keeping of Goodison to the new owners, because once it's gone will soon come, and it's no good saying we should have kept it, do it now.

Goodison is going to be demolished.

I'd like to have seen a new, down scaled stadium down at the Gwladys Street end. It probably only needed to have been a single deck, with a capacity of no more than 6,000 and used by the U21s and U18s.

There would still be room for the social housing up near the Park End side. There is plenty of land.

Or let my brother Barry do it for you.

I would like to know what the cost would be to demolish Goodison and how much will be recycled.

One likes to give a helping hand sir, as the actress said to the bishop etc!

Danny O'Neil has already posted the link, and managed to actually post it as a link, which I have failed to do, despite being reasonably tech savvy! My link just went back to this page, despite it being the correct web address! Hey ho!

Someone did instruct me on how to do the link thing but, with a memory like mine, the ability was soon gone.

Nothing like forward thinking.

How about some sort of fans cinema that shows the Everton home games live at the redevelopment of Goodison Park.

I'm sure you would get 5,000 in every home game.

Two questions: Are people heading to the Harlech Castle before the game? And second question: Do any of the locals know any pubs with other than horse racing on tv that show Betfred Super League Rugby live games?

Got Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors at 3 pm, I know I will only catch the first half of the game but any heads-up on a pub that might have it on?