Seasons 2020-21
Opinion & Articles
Contributions from our editorial team, featured columnists and readers.
My favourite European away games: #1
Rob Halligan
10/04/2021Rob reveals the pinnacle of his European sojourns with his favourite #1 continental jaunt while following the Blues in those all-too-rare Uefa Cup moments.
My favourite European away games: #2
Rob Halligan
06/04/2021Rob continues the countdown of his favourite away-day memories of continental jaunts following Everton in the Europa League: #2, BSC Young Boys in Bern, Switzerland.
Everton squander more points in the agonizing slog for European football
Michael Kenrick
05/04/2021After an utterly dreadful first half of incredible missed chances, Rodriguez gave Everton the win they needed... until Palace sub Batshuayi equalized.
Succession Planning
Robert Tressell
02/04/2021The upcoming close season transfer window looks likely to be another hugely important time for Everton but it remains to be seen whether or not it makes us really genuinely competitive beyond next season
Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper
Rob Sawyer
01/04/2021The least celebrated of the nine Football League titles won by Everton was that in 1914/15 which was a disservice to the likes of Tom Fern who amassed over 200 outings for the Toffees despite the five-year interruption caused by the war
My favourite European away games, #3
Rob Halligan
31/03/2021After much consideration, I've decided to go ahead and give a detailed description of my favourite European away games
My Top Three Favourite European Away Games
Rob Halligan
29/03/2021I've decided to list, and give feedback on my favourite top three away games in Europe.
Memories of the Old Lady
Alasdair Jones
26/03/2021Alasdair Jones provides a unique personal perspective on his impressions and memories of Goodison Park.
Magic
Tony McDonald
25/03/2021There have been many heroes in Royal Blue and it doesn’t need me to give a list as we all have our favourites. For me, it will always be Duncan McKenzie.
Everton have improved under Ancelotti but there's still a long way to go
Gary McCarty
22/03/2021Is major success finally on the horizon for the club?
How Will Brexit Impact the Transfer Market Moving Forward?
Darryl Rigby
22/03/2021The pandemic has a significant effect on the transfer market and where English clubs are concerned, Brexit threatens to have its own impact on clubs dealings
How Everton can upset Man City in FA Cup
Gary McCarty
18/03/2021Everton have the unenvious task of facing Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend but here are a few things that may work in our favour this time
Question Time
Martin O'Connor
15/03/2021As we move into the final quarter of the season, Carlo Ancelotti has been in charge for 14½ months. So where are we under the leadership of Carlo “Magnifico”?
Sloppy moments cost Everton dearly as they lose at home yet again
Michael Kenrick
13/03/2021Everton lost to Burnley at Goodison Park in another one of these games against lower opposition that should have been a home banker. But there are no such games in this crazy Covid season – at least not for Everton
Singleton & Paterson – The Everton Mariners
Tony Onslow
10/03/2021Two Scots who had brief a association with Everton in 1901-02 before moving on to Grimsby Town
A Tough Ask and an Unsurprising Outcome
Lyndon Lloyd
08/03/2021This was always going to be a tall order and, ultimately, it felt like a stretch too far for the players. In that context, the result wasn’t the end of the world; it’s the run of four games coming up that will be more important
Everton can't lay a glove on a Chelsea side in full control
Michael Kenrick
08/03/2021Without James Rodriguez out for a third successive game with a calf injury, and Doucouré rumoured to be out for the season, Everton had nothing meaningful to offer against a dominant Chelsea side.
Alex Birnie – The Scotsman from East London
Tony Onslow
05/03/2021Signed as an amateur playing for Sittingbourne, Birnie would make three Football League appearances for Everton in 1905 before returning to the southeast and then finishing his career with Bury
Razor-Thin Margins But Ancelotti's Men Forge On
Lyndon Lloyd
04/03/2021In terms of statistics, almost nothing separated these two sides at opposite ends of the table but once again Everton ground out a win with maximum efficiency thanks to a Richarlison winner and a key Jordan Pickford save
Blues grind out another low-key away win
Michael Kenrick
04/03/2021Everton ground out another low-key away win at West Brom thanks to a great header by Richarlison for his 4th goal in 4 games after Sigurdsson came on.
Not that pretty but ultimately effective
Lyndon Lloyd
01/03/2021From an entertainment perspective, this game won’t live long in the memory at all but if the result does indeed end up being the catalyst that turns around the Blues’ home form and helps propel them into Europe, Evertonians may look back on it as a vital game in the season.
Five Years of Farhad
Paul The Esk
26/02/2021As Everton have found out under Farhad Moshiri, just being better resourced financially does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. Are fans right to be frustrated that we’ve not made the progress we ought to have after five years under his stewardship?
Blues finally win at home thanks to Richarlison
Michael Kenrick
01/03/2021Everton return to Premier League action tonight when they take on Southampton at Goodison Park, with Calvert-Lewin back in the starting line-up.
Ted Surely Was Good for Everton
Tony Onslow
27/02/2021Ted Shaw had a successful amateur career with Great Marlow in Buckinghamshire but he turned out for Everton as a guest player in a couple of pre-season matches in 1891 and might have been good enough to join them full-time that year
Things Are Happening. Enjoy This Storied Everton Era
Ell Bretland
23/02/2021The Toffees are on a good track. This could just be the start and you’ll have a story to tell
Mentality Shift: Derby Milestone Can Define Everton's Season in the Right Way
Lyndon Lloyd
23/02/2021As momentous as it was, the triumph over Liverpool can't be the be-all and end-all of the Blues' season. Rather it should be used as the catalyst for a decisive change in the players’ belief against lesser sides, particularly at home
What Might Still Happen Going Forward...
Alasdair Jones
23/02/2021A look at the hurdles still facing Everton's plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock
Resurgence of Richarlison and Rodriguez Gives Everton Hope of Stellar End to the Season
Matt Jones
22/02/2021Providing attacking variety, steel and silk to the team, the South American pair helped put an end to one of the most painful chapters of results in Everton’s history on Saturday. And they look ready to go and make a few more vivid memories.
It's Finally Over!
Lyndon Lloyd
20/02/2021This time it was different. It’s finally bloody over. 21 years and five months since Everton last won at Anfield, the most depressing sequence of results in the club’s 143-year history was shattered as Carlo Ancelotti’s team beat Liverpool 2-0
Everton finally beat Liverpool at Anfield
Michael Kenrick
20/02/2021After years of unmitigated disappointment and depression in derby games, Everton finally win one, at Anfield, against the fading Champions, much to the credit and delight of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Gylfi - Icelandic Genius
Robert Tressell
19/02/2021Gylfi Sigurdsson is a genius. Okay, not quite... but if he is to leave Everton in the next 18 months, what do the club go for in terms of a replacement?
''Unique And Special'': Kevin Campbell On Netting Everton's Last Winner At Liverpool
Ell Bretland
19/02/2021Kevin Campbell scored the only goal in September 1999 and Everton haven't won at Anfield since. In an article originally published by The Sportsman, the prolific striker describes what has become a famous goal on Merseyside and how eager he is to hand off the record of being the last Everton player to score the winner across Stanley Park.
How Can Everton win the derby?
Matthew Parry
18/02/2021I’m slightly more optimistic about this clash than I have been in recent years as this season has been so unorthodox, but I still expect it’ll take a mighty performance to take three points here.
A Depressing Gulf in Class
Lyndon Lloyd
17/02/2021Guardiola’s side are pretty irresistible when they’re at their best but even in second or third gear they were too much for the Toffees who have a long way to go in terms of quality and sheer footballing ability before they can even hope to match them.
City's unrelenting quality and workrate win out
Michael Kenrick
17/02/2021Everton started without Allan and Dominic Calvert-Lewin and played reasonably well but were no match for the quality and workrate of the Champions elect
Everton's Double Dichotomy
Jay Wood
16/02/2021Jay Wood analyses the seeming contradictions of Everton's record against the Sky 6 and the rest of the Premier League, and their perplexing home form contrasted with their impressive results away from home in this topsy turvy season.
Just Dire
Lyndon Lloyd
14/02/2021The sense after the cup win over Tottenham was that, perhaps, Carlo Ancelotti’s gradual shift in the mentality of this squad had finally reached a tipping point where the psychological block of “Everton, that” might finally be consigned to history. But, no — collectively, this group of players remains prone to shooting itself in the foot. Champions League? For now, you’re definitely having a laugh.
Lifeless Everton seemed totally uninterested
Michael Kenrick
14/02/2021A dreadful performance by Everton completely lacking in desire or intensity saw them lose a league game at home to Fulham for the first time ever
John Dewar
Tony Onslow
13/02/2021The Scot played briefly for Everton in 1892 just as Goodison Park was being opened.
Everton v Spurs – A Passing of the Baton?
Thomas Cairns
11/02/2021The 5-4 win over Tottenham was the latest in a series of games in which Everton sides of the past might well have capitulated at the first sign of adversity. Was this victory a milestone signifying that we can now emulate Spurs and mount our own Top 4 challenge?
Everton dig deep to vanquish Spurs in nine-goal Goodison thriller
Lyndon Lloyd
10/02/2021A sumptuous goal by Bernard settled this sprawling odyssey of a cup tie in extra-time with Everton triumphing over Tottenham by a score of 5-4
Everton finally prevail in classic FA Cup ding-dong goalfest
Michael Kenrick
10/02/2021Everton and Tottenham went head-to-head in a real ding-dong FA Cup tie at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening in the FA Cup Fifth Round, 4-4 going into Extra Time.
Ancelotti Teaching Everton a New Language
Dave Downie
09/02/2021Everton's comeback at Old Trafford was illustrative of a change in mindset that is underway under Carlo Ancelotti
Tom Davies: Our Serviceable Number Six
Gabriel Ricci
08/02/2021Tom Davies, an honest look at our serviceable 22-year-old Premier League player as he is performing today... along with a quick glimpse into what might hopefully be his Everton future.
'Music Was My Heartbeat'
Becky Tallentire
08/02/2021The latest installment of Real Footballers' Wives features Ann West, wife of one of Everton's most popular ever players, goalkeeping star Gordon West.
When a Draw Feels Like a Win
Lyndon Lloyd
06/02/2021Sometimes, it’s all about taking your chances. It's also about tempo, belief and courage, qualities that are going to be vital if Carlo Ancelotti’s team is to achieve its European dream this season
A Momentous Few Weeks (On and Off the Pitch)
Paul The Esk
07/02/2021The short, medium and long term future of Everton Football Club will be much clearer on and off the pitch in the coming weeks.
Blues steal a dramatic draw with the last kick
Michael Kenrick
06/02/2021Everton take their excellent record away from home to Old Trafford where they have only won twice in the Premier League era when they face title-chasing Manchester United.
Life on the road continues to suit erratic Everton
Lyndon Lloyd
03/02/2021Everton held on through the second half to ensure they beat Leeds at Elland Road for only the second time in 40 years as goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were enough to earn the points
Everton hold on for a great win at Elland Road
Michael Kenrick
03/02/2021Everton held on through a second-half onslaught from Leeds after going into what should have been a commanding 2-goal lead in the first half.
January Days
Martin O'Connor
02/02/2021With thoughts already firmly looking forward to the Summer transfer window, what is to be made of the January Days just past and the Blues’ transfer business?
Telling you what we all know after going through the last 7 days
Phil Roberts
02/02/2021"I would contend that our optimism this season was not founded on solid ground."
Evolution of a Top-4 Side
Robert Tressell
02/02/2021A good manager can give you a big club feel. That’s one for Ancelotti. But, you have to back that up with the style of your recruitment and the way you play the game.
Insipid Blues never really got going against belligerent Barcodes
Michael Kenrick
30/01/2021Everton are back at Goodison Park to face Newcastle United in today's lunchtime game as they look to get back to winning ways by atoning for what was one of the season’s most disappointing results in the reverse fixture in early November.
The Stanley Park Three
Tony Onslow
29/01/2021Thomas Marriott, Richard Morris and John Pickering played together at Everton in the 1880s
James strikes a beauty but Everton otherwise disappoint
Lyndon Lloyd
27/01/2021This was a potentially massive game for Everton, one in which a win would have been another “statement” result but the Blues often lacked fluidity and cohesion going forward
Defensive gameplan surrenders two vital points
Michael Kenrick
27/01/2021A game plan that required Everton to hold onto an early lead from the brilliant Rodriguez was destined never to work against a strong Leicester side.
A Grand Day Out - 25th January 1975
Stephen Ashton
26/01/2021"For me, Plymouth away was definitely the highlight of an ultimately disappointing season."
James the Maestro Sets the Tone for Handsome Everton Win
Lyndon Lloyd
24/01/2021The Colombian looked right at home on a frigid Merseyside night against lower-division opposition, putting in an excellent display as the Toffees beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup Fourth Round
James Rodriguez inspires a fine Everton win
Michael Kenrick
24/01/2021Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoriing with a fine goal against Sheffield Wednesday, two excellent corners from James Rodriguez making the winning goals.
Thoughts on the 2021 Annual General Meeting
Paul The Esk
15/01/2021Paul argues that last night’s AGM wasn't an objective analysis of how the club is performing and the presentations didn't offer much in terms of future strategy
Harold Hardman – An Everton and Manchester United Hero
Rob Sawyer
14/01/2021An enterprising winger in the early years of the 20th Century and a key part of Everton's first FA Cup-winning team, Harold Hardman helped steer Man Utd to greatness nearly 50 years later
Wind of Change
Santosh Benjamin
13/01/2021As I think of the song by The Scorpions, I cannot help but feel a real sense of joy from deep within that comes from knowing that we are headed in the right direction
Ancelotti employs a very different attacking masterplan
Lyndon Lloyd
13/01/2021Shorn of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison from the starting XI and with Ancelotti opting to leave Tosun on the bench, this called for a more fluid and considered type of performance and the Blues came through with an unexpected victory
Staying the Course: Three Signings Everton Should Make
Gary McCarty
13/01/2021Things are still looking good at Goodison Park but, fighting for a Champions League spot, everyone at Everton is surely aware of the opportunity that faces them.
Have Faith Like Carlo Fantastico
Gabriel Ricci
13/01/2021Carlo Ancelotti is a man of faith and Everton were once again able to snag three surprising away points against Nuno Santo’s technically gifted Wolverhampton side, through belief and team-spirit.
Strikerless masterclass as The Don schools Nuno Espirito Santo
Michael Kenrick
12/01/2021Everton returned to Premier League action this evening with a very important win for a weakened team at Molineux over one of their rivals for European qualification in the form of Wolves.
The significance of Everton's Annual General Meeting and why it can’t be an opportunity lost….
Paul The Esk
11/01/2021The significance of Everton's Annual General Meeting and why it can’t be an opportunity lost.
Quality rescues Everton from complacency
Lyndon Lloyd
09/01/2021The 70 minutes that preceded extra-time in this tie were pretty grim but James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucouré combined to send the Blues through against Rotherham
Everton scrape through in extra time
Michael Kenrick
09/01/2021Everton’s FA Cup campaign begin in laboured fashion this weekend with a home tie against Championship side Rotherham United at Goodison Park which dragged on into extra time before the Blues finally won it.
Brands’s value to date and the scale of the challenges facing him
Paul The Esk
05/01/2021A look at the challenge Marcel Brands faced when he arrived at Everton, what he's done to resolve it and the big issues ahead in the summer
Edward Turner – The Carpenter from Lancaster
Tony Onslow
05/01/2021Discovered in Kendal, Turner made two Football League appearances for Everton at the end of the 19th Century before joining Portsmouth
Another New Year’s Day Hangover
Lyndon Lloyd
01/01/2021Having won four straight and with the chance to pull within one point of the top of the table, Everton go and lose at home to a David Moyes team for the first time. It’s absolutely maddening and it also didn’t help that it was New Year’s Day — the Blues have now lost their last five matches played on the first of the year
Call a Doctor; Surgery is Required!
Dylan Joseph
02/01/2021Surgery can be painful and it can be intrusive but very often it is essential. I believe that, for Everton to get to the top, it is more imperative than ever.
It's Time to Talk about Marcel Brands
Martin O'Connor
02/01/2021As the Winter transfer window opens, one thing which now has become very urgent, and which Everton need to sort out very quickly, is the position of Director of Football, Marcel Brands, who is in the last 6 months of his contract.
Moyes wins battle of the master defenders
Michael Kenrick
01/01/2021With both sides set on defending to the end, it took something of a freak goal for David Moyes to sneak his first win as a visiting manager.
January Reinforcements
Sam Hoare
31/12/2020Sam Hoare provides musings on his chosen Mastermind subject: “Unsubstantiated Transfer Speculation”.
Cash flow, Moshiri’s capital injections & the potential placement of new shares
Paul The Esk
28/12/2020What factors influence cash flow, how do clubs deal with negative cash flow and what is the situation at Everton under Farhad Moshiri, particularly in view of the mooted issue of new shares?
George Sharples Remembered
Rob Sawyer
28/12/2020George Sharples, who passed away on 14 December 2020, aged 77, had been one of nine surviving players to have played a part in Everton’s title-winning season of 1962-63
Depleted but not to be denied
Lyndon Lloyd
26/12/2020There were plenty of “Everton, that” omens about this game just waiting to trip to the Toffees up but they negotiated them all and won their fourth successive League game
Blues do enough to secure the win
Michael Kenrick
26/12/2020Everton look to recover from the disappointment of Wednesday's cup defeat to Manchester United by advancing their claims for European qualification with victory at Sheffield United.
Cup dreams crash headlong into brutal reality
Lyndon Lloyd
25/12/2020While the result was depressing, it wasn't entirely unexpected and merely underscored the work that is still required to get this squad strong enough to compete for honours.
Everton defence finally crumbles in abysmal cup exit
Michael Kenrick
23/12/2020It's a big night at Goodison Park as Everton take on Manchester United in the last quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.
Efficiency and Resilience
Lyndon Lloyd
19/12/2020The performance may have betrayed some fatigue and a lack of depth of quality in midfield but Carlo Ancelotti will be toasting a third victory on the spin as his defence dug in to shut Arsenal out in the second half
Everton scrape a narrow win over tricky Arsenal
Michael Kenrick
19/12/2020Everton were back at Goodison Park to complete a narrow win over struggling Arsenal, taking them back up to 2nd in the Premier League table.
Another tactical success has Everton looking up once again
Lyndon Lloyd
16/12/2020Two games against teams sitting in the top four with aspirations of moving back to the top of the table, two wins, and six valuable points – the complexion of Everton’s season has changed again
Tremendous solidity underlies fine Everton win
Michael Kenrick
16/12/2020Everton took the lead against Leicester thanks to an excellent opportunist strike from Richarlison.
“Nothing Really Daunted Us”
Becky Tallentire
15/12/2020This chapter from Becky Tallentire's 2004 book featuring the stories of the women behind some of Everton's greatest ever players features Carole Dobson, wife of 1970s favourite Martin
Fans inspire solid Blues defence of Sigurdsson's penalty
Michael Kenrick
12/12/2020Carlo Ancelotti faces his old team as manager of the Blues at Goodison Park with 2,000 fans allowed to attend for the first time since the start of the coronavirus lockdown in March
Blues gut it out to claim important Chelsea scalp
Lyndon Lloyd
12/12/2020Gylfi Sigurdsson and Ben Godfrey shone in an all-round impressive team performance that saw Chelsea's much-vaunted attack shut down at Goodison Park
Record losses, partly attributed to Covid, Moshiri’s funding plans & stadium finance update
Paul The Esk
12/11/2020An assessment of Everton's accounts for 2019-20
Money? No Issue
Dylan Joseph
11/12/2020With the news that Mr Moshiri is due to increase his investment to circa £400m, can we say that financial wealth is no longer a problem at Everton?
Goodison Park, a Greyhound Stadium and Walton Hall Park
Rob Sawyer
11/12/2020This December marks a centenary of one of the most significant football matches played at Goodison Park – but it did not involve Everton FC.
Allan Could Prove to Be A Player Ancelotti Builds His Team Around
Gary McCarty
11/12/2020A lot of plaudits so far this season have gone to James Rodriguez and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. but arguably Everton's most important player has been Allan
Passion Play – Can Carlo Provide the Spark to Ignite Languid Blues?
Lyndon Lloyd
09/12/2020Coming close to a year to day since Chelsea's last visit to Goodison Park, this weekend's clash with Frank Lampard's team offers an interesting contrast between the personalities in charge of Everton and, perhaps, the performance from the team
A Fair Assessment of Marcel Brands
Dylan Joseph
09/12/2020A look at the performance and role of Everton's Director of Football as he enters the last 6 months of his 3-year contract
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, the governance and cultural changes required for it to become a reality at Everton
Paul The Esk
08/12/2020"Corporate culture eats strategy for breakfast". A look at the governance and cultural changes required at Everton for NSNO to ever become a reality once more:
David Henry Williams – A Lad From Shropshire
Tony Onslow
08/12/2020He was to play a major role in the development of Everton Football Club before they established a permanent home at Anfield.
The Three Best Results of 2020
Gary McCarty
07/12/2020Here is a look back at what have been Everton’s best three results over the last 12 months.
Round pegs, square holes and a general lack of desire
Lyndon Lloyd
05/12/2020Carlo Ancelotti's selection decisions continue to mystify but are his players also taking too much of a cue from the manager's laid-back air?
Boring Winter Snoozefest as Blues spurn important win
Michael Kenrick
05/12/2020Everton travel up the road to Burnley this lunchtime looking to rebound from the defeat to Leeds last time out and keep pace with the pack of clubs above them in the Premier League table.
How to go from nowhere to Champions League in no time at all
Robert Tressell
04/12/2020Does the RB Leipzig model provide the template for Everton to finally break into the top four and regularly secure qualification for Europe's elite competition?
Can My 9-Month Old American Daughter Love Everton?
Brian Gabriel Canever
03/12/2020An American Toffee since 2009, Brian's love for Everton has only intensified since the birth of his daughter, Alba, earlier this year. Already saving for his first trip over with her to see both the men's and women's teams, he dreams that one day she could wear the club's colours in a professional capacity
How will Everton fare in December?
Gary McCarty
01/12/2020Everton are aiming to finish in the top four of the Premier League table this season, and the fixtures in December are going to be key.
Muddled and Unconvincing
Lyndon Lloyd
30/11/2020Individually, Leeds aren't any great shakes but they're superbly coached. Everton are a team of individuals with questionable fitness, playing on this occasion in a dubious lineup who lacked conviction and that clinical edge
The improved Everton star who is ready to perform at the highest level
Gary McCarty
23/11/2020There is always a player that surprises fans and pundits in the Premier League as the season progresses. In this campaign, it’s been Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Everton hang on as they almost let Fulham back in
Michael Kenrick
22/11/2020Everton stormed into an early lead to get their Premier League campaign back on the rails following three straight defeats that wrecked their 100% start to the season.
James Morris – A Shropshire Lad
Tony Onslow
18/11/2020The Trefonen-born player represented Everton during the inaugural Football League season in 1888
‘Tosh’ – The Tommy Johnson Story
Rob Sawyer
16/11/2020Tommy Johnson's most memorable goalscoring feat may have come as a Manchester City player at Goodison Park but he would go on to help Everton back into the top flight in 1931 and lift both the title and FA Cup in successive years
William Wilson – The Last of the Originals
Tony Onslow
14/11/2020At the time of his death, Billy Wilson was the last surviving member of the Everton team that had taken part in the first season of the Football League
Richarlison: Growing into One of the League’s Best Wingers
Gary McCarty
04/11/2020Few can argue that Richarlison doesn’t have the right environment around him to become world class. Throughout his managerial career, Ancelotti has coached and developed some of football's biggest stars, and there’s no reason that he can’t do the same with the Brazilian
Beneath the Blue Veneer
Martin O'Connor
10/11/2020Beneath the blue veneer of the first eleven, nothing much exists, as with Ancelotti: once you strip away the veneer of his past successes, nothing much exists anymore.
Spirit Crushed
Lyndon Lloyd
08/11/2020Everton go into the latest international break without a win in four games and having to pick the pieces up following three straight defeats, with very little to draw from any of them by way of optimism
Has anyone else seen enough?
Paul Traill
08/11/2020The level of play-acting involved in today’s game has been building for many a year. I think I’ve about had it with watching these con artists run around in soulless empty stadiums, while the powers-that-be don’t seem remotely interested in curbing this behaviour
A spineless surrender to Ole's under-fire Reds
Michael Kenrick
07/11/2020Everton were back at Goodison Park after successive fixtures on the road to host Manchester United and their under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the early Saturday kick-off. But, despite leading through a nice Bernard goal, the absence of Richarlison was a crucial factor in the end.
It's Jam Today, Not Tomorrow
Dylan Joseph
07/11/2020If you wish to be successful, you need to be the sort of club where, when a top player becomes available, you are the club he wants to join.
Walter Brown, the Kirkcudbrightshire Blue
Tony Onslow
03/11/2020Another of the Scots who played for Everton in the inaugural 1888-98 season, although he is believed to arrived on Merseyside with no knowledge whatsoever of the association game
Dire Blues can't escape the ghosts of Everton past
Lyndon Lloyd
01/11/2020This was Marco Silva’s Everton and the worst of “Project Restart” reborn… from the team that began this round of matches sitting on top of the table.
Tricky Dick Forshaw: From Goal King to Outlaw
Jamie Yates
30/10/2020The only player thus far to win the League title with both Everton and Liverpool, the inside forward scored a hatful of goals before making a surprise move across Stanley Park. Quite the character, he fell into a life of crime after his career ended.
Lewis the Fire Bobby
Tony Onslow
29/10/2020Bangor-born and a regular Wales international, Billy Lewis joined Everton for their inaugural Football League season in 1888 but his time with the club was short-lived
Review: A Grand Old Team To Report
Lyndon Lloyd
29/10/2020As a slice of Everton history, David Prentice's new book is a fascinating and frequently humourous skip down memory lane; an insider’s insight into the way football used to be recounted with the enthusiasm and love of a devoted Blue.
A simple but fair redistribution of football revenues
Paul The Esk
29/10/2020A look at a possible solution to the massive imbalances that exist in the professional football game in England and a simple solution
Saints defeat and selection problems throw up early-season issues for Ancelotti
Lyndon Lloyd
27/10/2020Injuries, suspensions and, perhaps, an emerging dilemma over how best to accommodate James Rodriguez are some of the things that will be on the manager's mind as he prepares for Newcastle
Everton given bracing reality check as Saints burst early-season bubble
Lyndon Lloyd
25/10/2020Richarlison’s unnecessary sending off against Liverpool last week felt like it was going to be costly and, in combination with the loss to injury of Seamus Coleman and fitness concerns over James Rodriguez, that proved to be the case as the Toffees put in their worst performance since the final day of last season
Ponderous green-shirted dross of old too easily defeated
Michael Kenrick
25/10/2020An Everton side well below par, wearing a hideous green and grey kit, rocked up at Saint Mary's seemingly determined to surrender all the good work so far this season
Can Dominic Calvert-Lewin Become Everton’s Harry Kane?
Gary McCarty
23/10/2020The striker is fortunate to be working with both Ancelotti and Ferguson who, between them, will positively refine elements of his game. Should the 23-year-old surpass the 20-goal mark this season, then he’ll have undoubtedly put himself in the frame for a Euro 2020 call-up, as well as being in with a shout of winning the sought-after Golden Boot.
Red Myopia and An Embarrassing National Outcry
Lyndon Lloyd
21/10/2020The levels of pearl-clutching and near hysteria that has dominated the aftermath of Saturday’s controversial Merseyside derby really have been something to behold
Keane’s Emergence from his Comfort Zone One of Ancelotti’s Early Everton Triumphs
Matt Jones
21/10/2020It didn't always look as though Michael Keane would become one of the first names on the Everton team sheet but the England international is emerging as a consistent and dependable presence in Carlo Ancelotti's defence.
The Development of Ellis Simms
Phill Thompson
21/10/2020Everybody has heard of Ellis Simms... not everybody has seen him but everybody will have an opinion; he’s potentially next in line to become an Everton Academy graduate playing in the Premier League. So I thought I’d look back at his development. As ever, most of the facts are accurate, but opinions of course are just my opinions.
The Loosening of the Devil's Red Pact
Lyndon Lloyd
17/10/2020Despite being well below the best of what they’ve shown this season and never seeming to get out of second gear, Everton managed to grab a draw against what Klopp described as his side’s best away performance of his tenure, even it needed an intervention from VAR in the final reckoning.
VAR saves off-colour Blues after Richarlison madness
Michael Kenrick
17/10/2020Exactly 10 years to the day since their last Merseyside derby victory, Premier League leaders Everton face local rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park with a full-strength side looking to extend their 100% start to the season.
Big Picture proposals put the emphasis on Everton’s international development
Paul The Esk
15/10/2020Despite the initiative being rightly canned, the issue of international broadcast rights will be back. It is almost certain that the largest clubs will want to see an element of selling exclusive rights off their own platforms in this next round and those with the greatest numbers of overseas supporters are going to be the initial winners.
Short-sighted and hubristic, the Cabal's grand plan would kill the goose that lays the golden egg
Lyndon Lloyd
13/10/2020The "Project Big Picture" proposals cooked up by two of the big six and their Trojan Horse in the EFL, Rick Parry, would slowly and ironically erode what has made the Premier League the exciting competition it so often is today
The Battle of Edgware Road
Stephen Vincent
13/10/2020Recounting the events of 12 October 1985, which were no minor skirmish!
'Project Big Picture' exposing the self serving interests of MUFC and Liverpool
Paul The Esk
12/10/2020The proposals have exposed the these two clubs' seek to secure their current economic advantage and protect their future revenues.
Richard Williams – An Everton Goalkeeper
Tony Onslow
12/10/2020The Bromborough Pool-born player played over 70 times for Everton after joining them when they were reigning Football League Champions in 1881
The Finnis Family – An Enduring Everton Love Affair
Rob Sawyer
09/10/2020Harold Finnis is one of 90 players, to date, to make a solitary first team appearance for the Blues in peacetime football.
Window Dressing
Martin O'Connor
09/10/2020As the long Covid-impacted transfer window has closed (with a few days of the domestic EFL window still open), how have the Blues performed?
Everton’s Midfield Revamp: What Counts as Success for the Toffees?
Gary McCarty
09/10/2020The recent additions of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan, and James Rodriguez have sparked something of a competitive revival at Goodison Park.
Shrewd moves and decisive action: Everton can view summer window as a big success
Lyndon Lloyd
08/10/2020Everton have emerged from the close season with an impressively upgraded squad and go into the international break sitting on top of the pile having far exceeded expectations and infused long-suffering Toffees with overdue optimism
‘Football Is Simple’: Ancelotti Can Be Everton’s Anchor to Calm in a Chaotic Premier League
Matt Jones
07/10/2020Although the circumstances are undesirable, Carlo Ancelotti feels like a man who will come into his own in them and Everton’s high-class performances indicate he’s doing just that.
The 2020 Summer transfer window from a financial perspective
Paul The Esk
07/10/2020Analysing the business done across the Premier League and a nod to the turn-around in the overall levels of the squad at EFC with such relatively small increase in costs
Lean, Mean and Young
Jay Wood
07/10/2020With the transfer window now officially closed (other than signings of free agents or players from the Football League), let's take a look at the first-team squad...
Everton press on with another goal glut
Lyndon Lloyd
03/10/2020Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James will have grabbed the headlines but this was another game that featured strong performances in almost every part of the team
Brilliant James is the star of Everton's 4th win
Michael Kenrick
03/10/2020Everton took on a very lively Brighton side at Goodison Park but Calvert-Lewin set them on their way with a fine far-post header for his 9th goal
Opposition View: We Are Brighton
We Are Brighton
02/10/2020Speaking with Scott from We Are Brighton to see get their fans' take on their start to the season and this weekend's clash at Goodison.
A second Calvert-Lewin hat-trick seals Blues win
Michael Kenrick
30/09/2020Everton’s Carabao Cup journey continued with their most difficult assignment in the competition thus far in 2020-21 as West Ham United come to Goodison Park.
The James Rodriguez Effect
Matthew Parry
29/09/2020The Colombian superstar is already proving skeptical pundits wrong by settling straight into the Premier League and, in concert with Carlo Ancelotti and Everton's other new signings, transforming the club's prospects this season
Jordan Pickford: The Diamond Getting Rougher
Matthew Parry
28/09/2020As each game passes, it seems the debate over whether Jordan Pickford is good enough to play between the sticks for Everton only gathers momentum. Since Pickford’s arrival from Sunderland in 2017, he has not been able to offer that consistently. What, then, has gone wrong for what was once an exciting young prospect?
Eddie Wainwright – A Bright Light in Dark Days
Rob Sawyer
28/09/2020The immediate post-war era for Everton was one of austerity which made it hard for local youngsters to through the ranks to develop to near their full potential. Eddie Wainwright was, perhaps the sole exception.
Everton Show Grit to Maintain Winning Start to 2020-21
Lyndon Lloyd
26/09/2020The decision for the penalty that ultimately proved to be the difference in terms of the scoreline has dominated the post-match discussion among pundits but there is no question that the better team won on the day
Football Shorts – Part V: The Reality of Reducing Income and Fixed Costs
Paul The Esk
23/09/2020A look at the impact of virtually no crowds in the Premier League this season, the impact Covid-19 is having on broadcasting revenues and the volume of transfer business
Dazzling Richarlison sets the required tone
Michael Kenrick
23/09/2020Everton saw another slew of goals in their latest Carabao Cup venture to Fleetwood Town on a wet Wednesday evening, two brilliant ones from Richarlison in a scintillating first half.
Graft to Goals: Calvert-Lewin’s Changing Tastes Offer Everton a Fresh Edge
Matt Jones
21/09/2020Saturday against West Brom it felt like another significant step forward for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who fired in his first hat-trick for the club which felt like a rubber stamp on this section of his development at Everton.
Photographing a Rhino
Martin O'Connor
21/09/2020Are the recent changes at Everton's Academy involving David Unsworth and Leighton Baines the right ones to foster a more productive farm system for the Blues' first-team?
A Knight of the Round Table at Inside-Left?
Jamie Yates
21/09/2020Did you know that Everton once employed a player with the Christian name of a mythical legend?
Calvert-Lewin treble ensures Everton pass Baggies test
Lyndon Lloyd
19/09/2020Dominic Calvert-Lewin may have flown under the radar a bit despite scoring the winning goal against Tottenham but he grabbed the lion’s share of the limelight with his first hat-trick to bury a spirited West Brom
Calvert-Lewin hat-trick beats a brace of red cards!
Michael Kenrick
19/09/2020Everton eventually built on their impressive start to the new season when newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion were well beaten at Goodison Park in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
Don't Be Fooled... This Season Could Be Very Tough
Matthew Parry
17/09/2020The win at Tottenham was one very small step on a deceptively lengthy road and the high-calibre signings only tape over the cracks until they prove they can improve our dynamic on a weekly basis
Second string see off Salford City
Michael Kenrick
16/09/2020Everton continue their busy start to the new season with the first step of what they hope will be a long journey in the Carabao Cup as they host Salford City
Toffee Soccer – Everton and North America
Lyndon Lloyd
14/09/2020Lyndon Lloyd chats with David France ahead of the release of his new book
Transformed Everton Deliver a Statement of Intent
Lyndon Lloyd
14/09/2020A trio of unwanted statistics tumbled in North London with a victory founded on a completely revamped midfield and an eye-opening team performance.
Bill Kenwright – Everton Legend
Kevin Prytherch
11/09/2020Since 1999, Bill Kenwright has overseen the second most consistent period in Everton's history. The record of consecutive 8th-place finishes or better between 2006 and 2014 has only ever been bettered once.
Vastly improved Blues hold on for great opening-day win
Michael Kenrick
13/09/2020Everton open the season at Tottenham where three new players make their debuts after signing last week.
The Man Who Created Merseyside Football
David Kennedy
10/09/2020In his new book, David Kennedy recounts the sporting legacy of John Houlding, the former Lord Mayor of Liverpool who was responsible for the rise of two of English football’s biggest and most successful football clubs — Everton and Liverpool.
Summer 'Evolution' Primes Everton for Better Things
Lyndon Lloyd
10/09/2020After last season, Evertonians have been understandably cautious in their optimism and outlook for the new campaign but with a significantly strengthened midfield and Ancelotti at the helm, there is hope that 2020-21 will be a season of marked progress
Will James Rodriguez & Co Be Successes At Everton?
Richard Coleman
09/09/2020Could this be the dawn of an era of genuine quality recruitment under Ancelotti or simply a continuation of the trend of expensive acquisitions who fail to gel and live up to expectations?
Opposition View: Spurs For Life
Ryan Curtis
09/09/2020Everton kick off the new season at Tottenham, another club managed by a high-profile boss looking for a much better campaign than the one that just ended. We got the thoughts of Spurs For Life on Sunday and the season as a whole
Ancelotti Sprinkles Some Colombian Stardust with a Point to Prove
Lyndon Lloyd
07/09/2020As signings go, James Rodriguez is arguably the most high-profile and glamorous acquisition Everton have ever made. He arrives on the back of a frustrating season at Real Madrid looking to revitalise his career under the man who has now managed him at three different clubs
Brazilian dynamo Allan promises to be Ancelotti's midfield linchpin
Lyndon Lloyd
05/09/2020Allan Marques was unveiled as part of an anticipated £70m worth of incoming midfield talent today, with James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucouré expected to follow shortly — a trio of moves that promises to radically overhaul the Blues’ massively under-performing mid-section
Who Is Steering the Ship?
Martin O'Connor
04/09/2020Have Everton scrapped Marcel Brands's plan to rebuild the squad with younger players in favour of a return to Steve Walsh's modus operandi, with Carlo Ancelotti and Farhad Moshiri having taken the helm?
You Can’t Always Get What You Want…
Dylan Joseph
31/08/2020You don’t need the billions, you just need a good culture amongst the club and the players and standards that are adhered to. We can get what we need, we just need to reset our club ethos and standards and don’t allow anyone who doesn’t meet them to wear the Royal Blue
How do we fund squad improvements this summer?
Paul The Esk
30/08/2020An over-sized, over-priced, mostly under-achieving squad, financial constraints, and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis pose significant challenges to Everton this summer. Where is the money coming from for new signings?
The Short Life of an Everton Blue
Tony Onslow
29/08/2020Isaac Roberts would play just once for Everton in February 1889
Brands's Challenges Make for Slow-Motion Summer
Lyndon Lloyd
26/08/2020Where recruitment is concerned, the buck stops with Marcel Brands but, ultimately, his efforts will continue to be hindered by a number of factors, some of them beyond his control
Marcel Brands and the Missing Transfer Doctrine
Jacques Sandtonian
14/08/2020Marcel Brands has just learned the first rule of Everton transfer business: We are the scouting arm of Tottenham Hotspur.
Can Richarlison and DCL Get the Goals That Fire Everton Into the Top Six Conversation?
Gary McCarty
14/08/2020If Everton are to achieve any hopes of a top ten….eight….six finish, clearly there is a need to bring in a more prolific goal-grabber.
“Van Den Hauwe – One Last Throw Of The Dice…”
Pete Jones
13/08/2020Without the benefit of the visual image, the unique medium of radio means that live football commentary comes to life in an entirely different way than television. Pete Jones recalls some of his most memorable moments experienced that way
The First Six Months: Unacceptable
Darren Hind
12/08/2020Everton's midfield was an obvious cause for concern last season, particularly down the home stretch but was the main problem the players or a failure of management on the part of Carlo Ancelotti?
Another Season Wasted Amid Continuing Instability at Goodison
Lyndon Lloyd
08/08/2020Marco Silva became the latest casualty of Everton's managerial merry-go-round, Carlo Ancelotti arrived before historic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic ensured that fans just wanted 2019-20 to be over as quickly as possible
The Financing and Accounting of Transfers and How We Operate in this Window
Paul The Esk
04/08/2020A detailed look at the financial implications behind the transfer options open to us, how it's financed and what it means for Everton
Our Future Is Alternative
Robert Bresnan
18/08/2020We're all expecting 2020-21 to be full of crippling mediocrity and the obligatory bad defeat to the gobshites but what about a different future in which things are rather rosy by the end of next season?
Away Day Blues: Tottenham Hotspur
Patrick McFarlane
07/09/2020Since Everton gained promotion to the top flight, way back in 1954, Everton’s visits - to the original White Hart Lane, Wembley or the newly lavishly upgraded White Hart Lane - haven’t produced many victories for the Toffees.
The Project – Next Chapter
Paul Tran
08/09/2020With Farhad Moshiri backing his new manager with an overhaul of Everton's midfield, The Project is back on the rails and there are fewer excuses to stop it hurtling forwards. It’s time for manager and players to deliver; time for us to be less cautiously optimistic!
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