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EVERTON face a desperate battle to land their number one transfer target, Stephane Mbia, before next Monday's transfer deadline.

The player spoke to the Blues again last night and confirmed his eagerness to move to Goodison.

But Rennes are digging their heels in and refuse to budge.

The French club do not want to lose the Cameroon international and general manager Pierre Dreossi said: "We remain determined to retain Stephane Mbia. I repeat this decision is firm and final."

Blues chairman Bill Kenwright, however, will not take 'no' for an answer and is continuing to push the Championnat side.

EVERTON will discover in the next few days whether they have been successful in luring Shaun Wright-Phillips to Goodison.

The winger is expected to leave Chelsea before the transfer window closes on Monday after accepting he is not part of Luiz Felipe Scolari's long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.

And Wright-Phillips is facing a straight choice between either Everton or former club Manchester City.

Goodison officials have been in contact with Chelsea over the possibility of taking Wright-Phillips on a year-long loan with a view to a permanent move, while City have made an offer believed to be in the region of £9m for the 26-year-old.

Wright-Phillips is expected to make a decision by the end of the week having conceded he must find a new club to improve his chances of first-team football, with his opportunities at Chelsea set to be lessened further by the arrival of Real Madrid's Robinho.

IT'S clear that one of the many barriers in Everton's way during this transfer window is the commitment to only recruiting players of the required quality.

It proves that you can set the bar so high, you hit the ceiling and run the risk of crashing back to the floor.

A problem today's opponents Albion don't have - their required standard of player is on the shop shelf marked 'good enough to stay up' and inevitably gives clubs with that aim a greater pool to choose from.

FORMER Everton defender Alan Stubbs's knee injury has forced him to hang up his boots.

Stubbs, a passionate Evertonian who fulfilled his lifetime's ambition of playing for the club over two spells left Goodison Park for a second time during the January transfer window to join Derby County.

Kirkby-born Stubbs, who turns 37 next month, limped off in the Rams' opening-day defeat to Doncaster Rovers with a recurrence of a problem in his right knee.

He underwent an operation to tidy up the same knee at the end of last season and further surgery to repair the latest damage would keep him out for between six and nine months.

Derby chairman of football Adam Pearson, pictured below, described the situation as a "great shame" and saluted the professionalism of Stubbs whose contract was due to expire next summer.

OLYMPIC medallist Victor Anichebe thinks Everton's youngsters will reap the long-term benefit of their early first team involvement.

Both 17-year-old Jack Rodwell and Jose Baxter, 16, featured in the opening day defeat to Blackburn Rovers - with a further five teenagers included on the bench.

For most of the youngsters, their elevation to the senior squad is due to the crisis of numbers manager David Moyes faces - and something he is working to put right by closing in on his first summer signings this week.

But with seven substitutes now able to be named for Premier League games, a number of novices are certain to again be named for the first Premier League away game of the season at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

PHIL JAGIELKA believes Everton have only themselves to blame for making a losing start to the Premier League campaign.

The Goodison outfit frittered away a 2-1 lead at home to Blackburn Rovers before going down to an injury-time goal on Saturday.

With no new arrivals so far at the club this transfer window, manager David Moyes was forced to select a makeshift side.

But Jagielka, who played in central midfield, admits Everton should not have surrendered their winning position, particularly having fought back from going behind early on.

"We weren't really worried going into the game, given everything that's been happening," he said.

YOU can follow all the fan reaction and comment from Everton's match this afternoon on our Live Blog.

The blog, which will run from 2.45pm until shortly after the final whistle, is your chance to join in the live discussion about tactics, team selection or any other talking points.

We'll also keep you updated with news of goals, bookings or substitutions.

ON the eve of the new football season, chief feature writer Paddy Shennan takes a less-than-serious look at what the 2008/2009 campaign may bring.

Saturday Aug 16

THE natives are restless . . . and, despite the predictable hype and hysteria, a bit bored.

Hours after the new Premier League season kicks off, a new group is launched called We Want Our Football Back.

Made up of thousands of fed-up fans, it will campaign for lower ticket prices, more kicks offs at 3pm on a Saturday and a series of measures aimed at reducing the strangehold of the Premier League's top four clubs.

They will also call for an investigation into the ownership of football clubs and Sky's influence on the game - and for the microphones of many media pundits, including BBC Five Live's Alan Green, to be switched off.

EVERTON goalkeeper Tim Howard has called for a return to the siege mentality which characterised Everton's unlikely charge to fourth three years ago.

The Blues have been rocked by a series of off-field crises this summer.

New stadium plans have been cast into doubt, the chief executive has quit and departing players have not been replaced.

But Howard insists the fans and players can pull together at Goodison Park tomorrow and give the club some vital breathing space by beating Blackburn.

"Pulling together is part of the club mentality here," he rapped. "It's my third season and it seems as if that's always been the mentality. It's almost better when our backs are against the wall. We kind of invite that.