Neil

This would be so much better with Chris Morris hosting. "Gareth, your thoughts?" "Well I" "Shut up Gareth, time for some NEWS."

It's hard to take him seriously really. Another bit of excellent ITV editing there. Next up, highlights of Wimbledon v Liverpool *Shows highlights of Wimbledon v Liverpool* That coming up, next.

At another FA Cup final no less. A grand stage for a grand wanker.

Wait, what? The final's at 5.15? What an utter mess they've made of the competition.

I think the answer involves Aston Villa and Wigan and in particular, the fixture on the last day between said establishments.

So, anyone bothered about this cup final?

1 measly place above us in the league yet a completely different universe of transfer targets. Annoying.

Concur! As do I, very well put brummie. Especially the last line.

:lol:

Only just realised the games are on Sunday this weekend.

6 year deal.

I think if any Everton fan expects Laudrup to move to us no questions asked, then they're demonstrating some unjustified arrogance. I'd like him here but whether we'd be able to get him is very questionable. He seems to have a nice gig at Swansea, just won them a trophy and has them playing good football. We're a bigger club, yeah, but that doesn't mean he'll suddenly jump ships.

Of course. As I say, it's a big, big reason why we've been limited, but it does overshadow some of Moyes' own deficiencies. As it happens, I have a feeling January of this year was the final straw. We had a chance to really give the top 4 a good run for their money and what did we do? Square root of fuck all. Would not be surprised at all if he thought, well, if they're not going to back me now, when the hell are they going to back me?

Gutted, unsurprised, excited and many more emotions all in one. In 11 years, everything and nothing has changed. From when David Unsworth twatted in a piledriver against Fulham after 30 seconds of Moyes' first game, to this very day - what has actually changed at Everton? We're still a big club with plenty of history, and we still haven't won a trophy since Paul Rideout. You could argue very little's changed. But everything has, and that's been predominantly the work of one man: Moyes. He has transformed us from regular relegation candidates (and I mean regular) to just as regular top 6 challengers. Cahill, Arteta, Lescott, Pienaar, Fellaini, Jagielka, Baines. Just some of the obscenely good deals he's made over the years. He's fostered a team spirit second to none IMO. Just for some contrast, go back to our team when Moyes took over: the likes of Weir, Stubbs, Li Tie, Carsley, Gravesen, Kevin Campell, Marcus fucking Bent. Big Dunc. How the hell he got most of those players into 4th I still don't know to this day. So yeah, for me, the praise he gets is entirely justified in terms of the job he's done and where we are now compared to where we were. But this is the paradox IMO, and this may not be a universally popular opinion among Everton fans: the same guy who has worked wonders in getting us to where we are is the same guy who doesn't have what it takes to bring us to the next level. It's very easy to point at the lack of money and yeah, it's been a massive stumbling block. But the finances shouldn't (but they do) overshadow the holes in Moyes' blueprint. Far, far too many times in big games, we choked. Missed a few chances? Sometimes. Poor refereeing performance? On occasion you can claim this. But the recurring theme has been our negativity when it mattered. Under Moyes, we've become hard to beat, which is obviously a great asset. But being hard to beat is not the same as winning games, and this IMO is where Moyes has fallen down with us. The FA Cup final vs Chelsea, the FA Cup semi final vs Liverpool, the horror show in Lisbon and many more decisive games can all be characterised by us looking frankly scared. The problem of course is who do we get in who CAN take us to the next level? The romantic in me would like Laudrup, but whether that's realistic I don't know. This is the issue - how attractive are we? I think fairly; a regular top 6 team with a rich tradition in the self-dubbed "best league in the world" should be a fairly attractive proposition to most managers. But you could just as equally point to us and say that we're not that attractive at all. I fear we'll settle for an average manager, and if we get someone like O'Neill then fuck this shit. I think reports of our demise will, as they usually are season after season, be greatly exaggerated. I personally think Moyes has fostered enough of a team spirit, togetherness and flat-out professionalism at the club that we won't suddenly collapse. I just can't see it at all. Is it a blow? Of course it is, losing your manager of 11 years is always going to be a blow because by the very fact he's there for 11 years, he'll have done a good job. But I'm just as much as seeing this as an opportunity and I don't think we should look at the future like it's the end of the world, providing we get the right man in. New manager, then. What's one of them?

Oh come on, some other moderator could have been around to edit out that question mark.

Moyes tucking into a sausage sarnie, he's whacked tomato sauce on it. White bread. Red. White. Fuck.

I am told that an announcement will be made before the weekend. And while Jose Mourinho's latest posturing suggests he could swap Madrid for Manchester, the smart money seems to be on Everton manager David Moyes. United want a manager who understands United's special tradition and place in the game. A manager who has a track record in developing young players. And a manager who has a commitment to playing attractive, attacking football. Those qualities would all point to Moyes." David Bond - BBC Sports Editor ------------------------------ Interesting. Now he's likely to go to Man Utd, Moyes is suddenly well-known for this style of football. News to me.

Am I right in thinking Giggs and Scholes signed 1 year contract extensions recently? I wonder if they knew about this and part of the reason behind them extending their contract was to not cause any added change this summer.

Yeah, Moyes sued Rooney. Yet conversely by all accounts they have a decent enough relationship. Rooney has on numerous times said how much he respected Moyes for the way he handled the start of his career, and Moyes has said within the past year or so that he expects Rooney to head back to Everton at some point. I don't think they'd have any problem whatsoever working together.

Think it's set up for Mourinho. Said on numerous occasions how much he respects Man Utd, gets along with Ferguson very well and I think it's perfect timing for him after going on so much about how he wants to come back to England. Entirely plausible it could be Moyes, admittedly. Next season will be odd, first season in my lifetime where Man Utd won't have Ferguson in charge. One of the greatest of all time and by all accounts a thoroughly pleasant bloke out of the game, but also with the ability to be a twat in it. I guess it'll go down as competitiveness.

No bets for me tonight. Your fate is in the hands of the gods or, at least, the right boot of Shaun Maloney.

My bet currently is going obscenely badly. Have PSG and Barca both to be the first to score twice. Both went behind in home games they should be coasting, Barca are now 1-1 and Villa's just blazed it over from 6 yards out. Don't know why I bother.