July 2011 Archives

Everton FC's Tim Cahill tips EFC youngsters to shine this season

TIM CAHILL says he is not concerned by speculation linking some of Everton's best players with moves away from Goodison Park and has tipped the club's young starlets to shine through this season.

Everton FC's Victor Anichebe vows to put injury nightmare behind him as he prepares to be EFC wing-man once again

VICTOR ANICHEBE has vowed to put his injury nightmare behind him as he prepares to be David Moyes' wing-man once again.

Everton FC Ladies call on Toffees to be 12th man as they take on Liverpool in derby

EVERTON Ladies are calling on Blues fans to be their 12th 'woman' as they take on Liverpool in a tense Merseyside derby tonight.

Everton FC's minimum aim should be European qualification says Phil Neville

PHIL NEVILLE believes European qualification is Everton's minimum aim this season and believes David Moyes' side has the quality to achieve it.

Everton FC in the USA: Neil Jones' diary

SAY what you like about me - and someone who misses their flight deserves all they get, quite frankly (even though the airport staff at Paris did apologise for the long delay) - but one accusation that can't be levelled is that I don't make an impression.

David Moyes: USA provides best possible preparation for Everton FC

PHILADELPHIA'S PPL Park is not the most luxurious place in American football by any stretch of the imagination.

For years now, Everton fans have been dumbfounded as to why no investor has come forward to purchase the club. This is not simply a case of blind favour or bias, but a view which incorporates the club's history, huge fanbase, international appeal, current staff and ability to progress. Last night's Dispatches documentary on Channel 4 may now finally shed light on the issue.

The documentary showed England legend Bryan Robson wheeling and dealing with, at best, delusional, at worst, corrupt and powerful Joe Sim, describing in harrowing detail the ease with which a football club can be bought and sold for profit.

The clubs mentioned as potential investment opportunities - Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United for example - all represent teams that have slumped through relegation to a lower league not representative of the clubs' stature. In business terms, if these clubs can be returned to their former states ie the Premiership, they have a large potential for profit.

The question Evertonians ought to ask themselves in light of this is can the same be said of Everton?

To explain what I mean, it is best to contextualise Everton's status relative to other Premiership clubs. If the top six (Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool) are taken out of the equation for a second and 14 Premiership clubs are left in a hypothetical mini-league, Everton would represent the best performing side in this league over the last 5/6 years.

Past Europa League campaigns have indubitably taught Everton fans that in order for Everton to progress in both football and financial terms, Everton need to be qualifying for the Champions League at least, and ultimately challenging for the Premiership title.

Put simply, this is completely implausible such is the inability of a team like Everton to compete with the financial muscle of teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and recently Liverpool and Manchester City.

Everton cannot be bought cheaply in the way that a Sheffield Wednesday can, and even if investment were to come, Everton could not offer anything like the same potential for profit that a team like Wednesday can.

Since money was heavily injected into football to revolutionize the game, Everton have been at their highest peak during the Moyes era, their top market value you could say.

The cruel irony of this all is that if Everton and David Moyes weren't doing as well as they are, they would be a more attractive proposition for a potential buyer. As they slipped down the league table, their value would fall and their potential for profit would rise.

This means that the club are truly stagnant: bereft of the investment needed to progress, and needing to fail to become investable.

Everton FC captain Phil Neville reckons youngsters will be given their chance by David Moyes

EVERTON skipper Phil Neville believes that David Moyes will give the Blues' youngsters the opportunity to showcase their talents as he prepares to face his hometown club Bury.

Everton FC's USA tour is a homecoming for Tim Howard

EVERTON may be returning to a tried and tested formula by playing two pre-season friendlies in the USA but for goalkeeper Tim Howard, next week's tour is almost like coming home.

Young Everton FC fans from club's Kickz initiative sport new home kit before players

A GROUP of fortunate Evertonians can claim to have put the club's new home strip through the rigours of a kick-about before their heroes even get the chance.

Joseph Yobo back at Everton FC after Fenerbahce fail to seal deal

JOSEPH YOBO made a surprise return to Finch Farm yesterday - putting David Moyes' hopes of banking some much needed transfer cash in the balance.

Early days for Everton FC v Liverpool FC TV derby

THE first Merseyside derby of the new season will be a lunchtime kick-off after satellite television announced a batch of their live fixtures.