Opinion & Articles

The Perfect Storm

Lyndon Lloyd

Starting with the ill-advised appointment of Rafael Benitez, a confluence of factors almost dragged this grand old club out of the top flight before Everton's terrific fans stepped in. A review of season 2021-22.

Summer Targets 2022

Sam Hoare

Sam's look at what's out there by way of new players we might buy.

The Future Role of Fans and the Involvement of Farhad Moshiri

Paul The Esk

Now the season is over, it's time to look at how fans use the impetus and positive experience regarding atmosphere in influencing Everton's owner and Board of Directors

Bernard Gamble – Everton’s Second Boy Mascot

Rob Sawyer

The story of a lad who hopped the wall at Goodison Park to meet Everton's players prior to a match and became the club's unofficial mascot for three years in the mid-1960s

Shopping at M&S

Robert Tressell

Everton looking for new playing talent in the Premier League is akin to ordinary folk doing their weekly shopping at M&S

Getting All Philosophical, Lad

Eugene Ruane

A talk — ok, ramble — about 'philosophy’. Specifically, football philosophy at Everton.

Blues humbled in all-too-familiar fashion on final day

Michael Kenrick

Everton reverted to type in the final match of a mostly tortuous Premier League campaign knowing they were safe from relegation, with a dreadful display that showed little resistance at Arsenal.

Salvation Achieved on a Night for the Ages

Lyndon Lloyd

Just like that “That Game” in 1994, Everton refused to lie down and over 45 minutes that are now irrevocably woven into Goodison folklore, amid an atmosphere that somehow surpassed those that have stunned neutral observers in recent weeks, they dug deep and pulled off a thrilling comeback victory.

Indescribable

Dave Williams

There was the fear that there would be a sting in the tail with a Palace equaliser but we managed added time very well and the scenes at the end really had to be seen and heard to be believed

What a Night!

Paul Traill

SAFE!!!

Michael Kenrick

Everton came back from a dreadful 2-0 deficit against Crystal Palace to win an incredible second half and secure Premier League survival, with tremendous scenes of celebration all over the field.

'Cos Everton

Adam McCulloch

Dazzle

Peter Jones

A bit of history on the front of the current Everton home shirt

One More Win For The Best Supporters In The World!

Jim Wilson

One of the main feelings I get supporting Everton is 'Déjà Vu'. Whatever happens this week, Evertonians are the best in the world and can walk proud.

The most miserable coach trip ever

Dave Williams

A long trip from the South West to witness the Brentford game at Goodison Park

We were never going to do it the easy way, were we?

Paul Traill

We really didn’t get the rub from this one, either with officiating decisions or with luck. Things could have been so different.

Blues hopes mangled in unmitigated red card disaster

Michael Kenrick

Everton went ahead early through a flukey goal claimed by Calvert-Lewin, only to have Branthwaite and then Rindon dismissed as they twice gave up the lead to Eriksen's brilliant orchestration.

Toffees inch closer to safety with tepid draw at Watford

Lyndon Lloyd

Everton didn't allow a disappointingly flat display to turn into disaster but this goalless draw did reek of an opportunity missed

A good away point from an absolutely lousy game

Michael Kenrick

Tentative, nervy, pragmatic... or just utterly lacking in the required desire, effort, guile and quality to beat a crap team who were already relegated? A sadly typical very winnable Everton game that only Everton would be incapable of winning.

High Spirits – Travelling Blues' devotion finally rewarded with big result at Leicester

Lyndon Lloyd

Ask anyone who has travelled to watch the Toffees in any era of living memory and they will no doubt say they have never seen anything like the show of support put on by Everton's fans at the King Power Stadium and the players responded to lift the club out of the relegation zone

A tremendous win on the road underlines Everton's improving form

Michael Kenrick

The travelling Blues fans helped Everton to secure only their second win on the road this season as Frank Lampard's gameplans are finally having the desired effect.

Everton United

Paul Traill

With the way Saturday’s results went, you sensed Everton had an opportunity, and boy did they take it. What an effort. What a performance. What a day

Qualities of Lampard’s Everton Bode Well for the Future

Matthew Parry

Frank Lampard has shown more desire to be in this job than virtually everyone that’s gone before him, and that has to count for an awful lot.

Renewed hope amid the Blue smoke as Chelsea are vanquished at Goodison

Lyndon Lloyd

Heroics at either of the pitch gave the Blues the edge they needed to eke out a 1-0 victory over the reigning European Champions, one that brought them to within two points of Burnley and Leeds United above them in the table and kept survival in the hands of Frank Lampard and his players.

Goodison Park. You just can’t beat it.

Paul Traill

Savouring that win in the Gwladys Street was something else. You just can’t beat the Old Lady when she's anything like that. We’re going to miss this special place.

Meet Myra – Goodison's Unsuspecting Dog of War

Ell Bretland

Richarlison may have been the hero on the pitch in Everton’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday but there was another icon who announced herself to the Goodison faithful ahead of kick-off… Myra the dog!

Brilliant Pickford saves ensure a mammoth Everton win

Michael Kenrick

With games left getting fewer and the precipitous gap above the Bottom 3 getting wider, Everton produced a massive victory at Goodison Park against Frank Lampard's old club, Chelsea, thanks to some brilliant saves from Jordan Pickford.

Death By A Thousand Cuts

Steve Hogan

If the worst happens...

Sam Hoare

A brief assessment of what we might do with this squad in the Championship.

Everton fail to take key chances after frustrating Liverpool

Michael Kenrick

Everton took on Liverpool at Anfield looking to repeat the fine victory they secured under Carlo Ancelotti on their last visit, only for the scoreline to be reversed after holding out for more than an hour.

Never-say-die spirit earns Richarlison and Everton late reward

Lyndon Lloyd

Richarlison has scored far better goals for club and country but, in the final reckoning of this tortuous season, he might not score many more important ones than his 50th for Everton.

Bramley-Moore Stadium, financing options and costs?

Paul The Esk

A look at financing the new stadium a Bramley-Moore Dock, some unanswered questions and the cost of delay. In the absence of an AGM, these questions have to be asked publicly

Blues dig out a dramatic point from another dreadful display

Michael Kenrick

Everton are back at Goodison Park under the lights to host Leicester City with the Blues hoping to register successive victories for the first time since August.

Tom Robson – A Life too Short

Rob Sawyer

A highly-rated right-half, Tom was a victim of Everton's unsuccessful battle against relegation in the 1929-30 season. He ultimately moved on and later died of pneumonia during the Second World War

“Who Do You Support?”

Rhys Gartland

The trials and tribulations of being consigned to a life of loving football

Football Dugouts

Gerry Quinn

Everton built one of the first dugouts in England at Goodison Park after visiting Pittodrie.

“A Proper Glutton for Punishment”

Becky Tallentire

Another instalment of Real Footballers' Wives featuring Rosemary Hurst, wife of former Everton striker, John.

Everton Ride the Goodison Effect Once More to Bolster Survival Prospects

Lyndon Lloyd

Much has been made of the mentality of the Blues’ players as they have sunk like a stone to the depths of the table since making that fine start to the campaign way back in August but it is to their enormous credit that despite a short turnaround from the pain of a shock defeat at 9:30pm on Wednesday evening to a 12:30 kick-off today they managed to turn in a terrific performance and grind out three vital points.

Gordon's deflected goal gives Blues a very precious win

Michael Kenrick

It was a massive massive day at Goodison Park and a Gordon's deflected shot was the only goal in Everton's lethargic struggle to stay in the Premier League.

Richarlison Efforts in Vain as Everton Toss Away Vital Points

Lyndon Lloyd

If Frank Lampard had half a dozen more players with Richarlison and Gordon’s attitude, the club might not be staring at the very real threat of relegation. There again, you can have all the spirit in the world but if the players around you simply aren’t good and are making catastrophic mistakes on a weekly basis, it’s going to be very hard to win matches in the Premier League

Farcical defending sees Everton self-destruct

Michael Kenrick

Everton travel to Turf Moor for what is being widely billed as yet another "must-win' game, but it's really all about getting a result to turn the soul-destroying tide of successive defeats dragging the Blues down to the edge of the relegation zone.

A deeper delve into Everton’s 2020-21 accounts, new £100m shareholder loan plus Covid impact

Paul The Esk

The scale of our losses over the five complete years under Moshiri are staggering especially when compared to other Premier League teams. Equally, his financial commitment is staggering but the manner in which the club is being run threatens the club further financially.

Crucial mistakes from the usual suspects consign Everton to another away defeat

Michael Kenrick

Crucial mistakes undid what was a far better performance than we have seen of late on the road from Everton, but a soft Holgate free-kick, a dreadful Iwobi giveaway, and a foolish lunge by Keane for a second yellow tell the sorry story of yet another away defeat for Frank Lampard.

Unforgiven

John Daley

In modern culture, people in all walks of life seemingly believe they are deserving of more, of better, with barely any justification or semblance of self-reflection. Entitlement abounds and, in recent years, the bastard has been decked out in Everton blue.

Calvert-Lewin: Have you forgotten how good he is?

Robert  Tressell

We are really missing a fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the starting line-up. But Calvert-Lewin seems to have been downgraded by many of our fans to someone we can do without.

The Everton FC Attitude Problem

Colin D Ellis

Everton have the quality in the squad to get out of trouble. What will determine whether we do so or not is the attitude that the players demonstrate when they pull on that blue shirt (regardless of which ground they’re playing at) between now and the end of the season

Everton Report & Accounts – Wholly dependent on Moshiri’s financial support

Paul The Esk

Initial thoughts on the publication of Everton's 2020-21 accounts which reveal a heavy reliance on Farhad Moshiri

George Green – Illustrator Extraordinaire

Rob Sawyer

The Toffee Lady is an enduring and iconic image, intrinsically linked to Everton and for many, the definitive Toffee Lady image takes cartoon form. The creator was George Green, who entertained Merseyside newspaper and football programme readers for three decades.

Everton FC – A Strategic and Cultural Mess

Colin D Ellis

Two things that are missing in order for Farhad Moshiri to achieve what he set out to do in 2016; a clear unambiguous strategy, and a club culture to deliver it

The Bollocks to Play

Jacques Sandtonian

It’s with fearful curiosity now that I have observed Lampard’s shift in tone following the abysmal collapse at Crystal Palace

Trying to find some balance

Paul Traill

Away from Goodison Park, Everton need to find some character and not shrink when things don’t go to plan. They have to stick at it better. We know this, it’s nothing new.

Everton capitulate after high-energy start

Michael Kenrick

Everton tore into Crystal Palace with tremendous energy and intent for the first 15 minutes, but crucially failed to score in this FA Cup Quarter-Final before they lost Townsend and gave up 4 far too easy goals.

One of the classics

Paul Traill

An astonishing effort from Everton full of grit. And the scenes at the end of the game were incredible. You could have stayed there and sung and clapped all night. It was magical.

Goodison Reaches Peak Bear-Pit as Everton Triumph Against the Odds

Lyndon Lloyd

This famous old ground has played host to some raucous atmospheres but surely never has the Old Lady quaked to such a ferocious din and for as long as it did tonight.

An indescribable night of utter madness sees Everton finally win

Michael Kenrick

Everton ended a dismal four-match losing streak in dramatic style after they had been reduced to 10 men with Allan harshly dismissed after a protestor had delayed the game for 8 minutes, securing himself to the gaolpost against Newcastle United under the lights at Goodison Park.

Bobby Irvine - The Prince of Dribblers

Rob Sawyer

Hard as it is to imagine, forty years before George Best was thrilling football supporters up and down the land, Northern Ireland possessed a forward of similar talents - and he played for Everton.

Running Out of Road

Lyndon Lloyd

Goodison Park isn’t a fortress against fear, nor can it compensate for basic failings on the pitch. Evertonians have brought their passion and their voices but for this grand old team to be rescued from the catastrophe of relegation, it's now going to take the players digging deep themselves

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so much squandered

Michael Kenrick

Everton return to Goodison Park for a must-win game that they lost through abject negativity epitomized by Doucouré's incessant backward play.

“Football Makes You Quite Tough”

Becky Tallentire

This instalment of Real Footballers' Wives features Irene Lee, wife of former Everton manager, Gordon who passed away this past week at the age of 87

Capitulation

Lyndon Lloyd

From the standpoints of morale and goal difference alone, this has the potential to be a costly result. Frank Lampard's biggest job this week could simply be keeping morale up

Everton collapse in a gut-wrenching catastrophe

Michael Kenrick

Everton travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in the televised Monday night game.

Everton, USM, Moshiri and Bramley-Moore Dock

Paul The Esk

The financial events around Russia's invasion of Ukraine have altered the landscape for Everton forever. A look at where the club's new stadium project stands

Rondon goals carry Blues past stolid non-leaguers

Michael Kenrick

Two goals from Salomon Rondon saw Everton ultimately get past Boreham Wood into the FA Cup 6th Round at Goodison Park but it was hard work.

Diamond Jubilee

Jim Robinson

It is 60 years to the day since I became an Evertonian. I know this precisely because I can point to the moment it happened.

This Just isn't Football

Lyndon Lloyd

The spirit of the game is being eroded by meddling and incompetence amid poor implementation of supposed “technological advancements”

Everton and the De-coupling of USM

Paul The Esk

"It’s time to recognise that through no direct fault of their own, through the actions of Putin and the people closest to him, the club finds itself in an untenable position regarding its association with USM."

If that’s at the other end of the pitch…

Paul Traill

VAR adds insult to cruelty as spirited Blues fall to City

Lyndon Lloyd

Whether through incompetence or something more worryingly sinister, Chris Kavanagh was once again at the centre of bitter controversy at Goodison Park where Everton were denied the chance to snatch a deserved point for their efforts against League-leaders, Manchester City

When you're down at the bottom, you just don't get the breaks

Michael Kenrick

Frank Lampard's inconsistent side take on Premier League leaders Manchester City in the evening televised game at Goodison Park.

Ever Deeper Away-Day Blues

Lyndon Lloyd

Not for the first time in recent years, the root of Everton's ills lies in a void of a midfield that is cripplingly short on options and continues to be let down by one of its most high-profile signings.

Shocking lack of quality painfully exposed by Saints

Michael Kenrick

Everton started well against Southampton but the lack of quality from both sides in a poor first half was rectified by the home side while the visitors went from bad to worse, giving up two soft goals in a very painful defeat.

So what is our best eleven?

Martin Reppion

Just what is our best starting eleven at the moment, and who should be in the taxi?

You played your part

Paul Traill

"From minute one, right until the end, it was electric. Well done everyone."

This is Everton

Lyndon Lloyd

In a cauldron of noise, banners and flags, the Blues' players rose to the occasion to beat Leeds United in convincing fashion at Goodison Park

A sea of change follows an extra week from Lampard's team

Michael Kenrick

Everton returned to Goodison Park to secure an excellent win over Leeds United demonstrating the effect of Frank Lampard’s strong management to quickly atone for Tuesday’s disappointing performance against Newcastle.

Lampard’s Unfortunate Situation Plagued By Previous Failure

Matthew Parry

The baffling errors made by the board and previous managers still linger like a bad smell around this football club. We must put faith in one man now to inject his fresh ideas into the club and shift everything in one direction: forwards.

Lampard has the scale of his task laid bare

Lyndon Lloyd

A harrowing defeat on Tyneside will have left the new manager under no illusions as to how difficult this job might be in the short term

Everton cannot cope with aggressive Newcastle pressing game

Michael Kenrick

Everton took the lead at Newcastle United but the home side were back in it immediately and denied Everton any time and space on the ball, destroying any lingering confidence from the weekend win over Brentford.

Great to see our players expressing themselves

Paul Traill

Paul Traill on what was a fun afternoon at a much happier Goodison Park

An afternoon of raw emotion and a club re-born

Dave Williams

This was Goodison Park at its best – no-one has any great affinity with Frank apart from maybe thinking he was a great player – but the raw emotion, hope, faith which poured out for what was, let’s face it, otherwise a low-key 4th round cup-tie against a very ordinary Brentford, was quite remarkable – and it will stay with me forever.

Lampard sows hope and belief with brilliant debut win

Lyndon Lloyd

He may only have had five days with his new charges but Frank Lampard, imbued with an inner confidence of his own, has visibly restored an enormous amount of self-belief in Everton’s players and it coursed through this rousing FA Cup performance, one which ultimately overwhelmed Brentford and emphatically steered Everton into the fifth round.

Goals galore to open the Lampard Epoch

Michael Kenrick

Frank Lampard took charge of his first match as Everton manager, and oversaw a solid win against Brentford to put his new charges into the FA Cup 5th Round draw.

Tim Coleman: A Rebel, a Soldier and an Entertainer

Rob Sawyer

Long before Seamus became arguably the best-value player of the Premier League era, there was another Coleman who played for Everton, prolific goalscorer and WWI war veteran Tim who also played for Woolwich Arsenal, Fulham and Nottingham Forest at the peak of his career.

Look Ahead with Hope but Keep a Wary Eye on the Past

Lyndon Lloyd

"All’s well that ends well" might be premature but Everton certainly finished the winter window on an upbeat note. It would be naïve to simply sweep under the carpet the events of the past few weeks but some comfort should be taken from the fact that the hierarchy finally appear to be listening

A More Calculated Risk

Lyndon Lloyd

Picking managers is a fiendishly difficult task in the high-pressure, high-stakes environment of Europe’s top leagues. Sometimes you just need to assess the risks and go with the candidate that gives you the best chance of succeeding. Farhad Moshiri and the Board have done that with Frank Lampard, a man who will add youth and fresh ideas after six demoralising months at Goodison Park

Frankie Goes To Goodison

Martin O'Connor

Frank Lampard may have been the best of the candidates on Everton's shortlist but he has an awful lot to prove as he walks into a dysfunctional club. Hopefully, he has had time to reflect on where things went wrong at Chelsea and he will get the time to mould a side at Goodison Park

That's how the light gets in

Darren Hind

"There are many decent people working at Everton." Very decent people... That's how the light gets in.

Unpacking the Managerial Options

Jacques Sandtonian

The trouble we face is the short-term needs of getting this disparate group of mostly mediocre players organised and playing properly… fast. Whoever comes in now will have a very short space of time in which to do that.

Random acts of kindness

Paul Traill

At full-time, I was pretty dejected. I felt we had a good go and deserved better. It's pretty deflating to lose in that manner. I felt the players deserved more.

Ferguson gets fight but little finesse from struggling Everton

Lyndon Lloyd

A repeat of the passion and the high-octane football that delivered Duncan Ferguson a famous win against Chelsea two years ago wasn't enough today to earn a badly-needed win

No bounce for Ferguson as Everton are outplayed

Michael Kenrick

Duncan Ferguson's return to the dugout as caretaker manager got Everton playing a bit better but they were ultimately outplayed by a more tenacious Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

Profitability and Sustainability Rules – Everton’s Position

Paul The Esk

A look at how Everton's combined losses from previous years are impacting our transfer strategy

Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part IV – Moshiri's Mire

Lyndon Lloyd

As he approaches the sixth anniversary of his first investment in Everton, Farhad Moshiri finds his grandiose Everton project on track in terms of the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock but in considerable disarray on the pitch. His ambitions face multiple challenges after a series of failed managerial appointments and massive waste on unsuccessful signings but none of them are insurmountable with an incremental, considered plan of action. In the radio silence from the Monaco-based billionaire, however, it's impossible to know if that's likely to happen

Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part III — The Incurable Romantic

Lyndon Lloyd

Reports that Everton have made Roberto Martinez their first choice to succeed Rafael Benitez are crystallising the debate around Bill Kenwright, the long-time Everton Chairman who has made a habit of mining the Blues' past to resolve current problems

How You've Changed

Mike Owen

Are there some underlying, long-term attitudes and trends holding Everton back? Are our decades of mediocrity catching up with us in a way that may be starting to threaten the long-term future of the club?

The End of an Error

Lyndon Lloyd

As many predicted, Farhad Moshiri lost his high-stakes gamble with the appointment of Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard's removal arguably came too late but at least it's done.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Steve Shave

In order for our fortunes as a club to change, does a deep culture within the club fanbase have to shift? We have to stop seeing the club as what it was and start seeing it for what it is. Our expectations need to change, and we need to build up from that.

This Must Surely Be the End

Lyndon Lloyd

Benitez’s time at Everton has been up for a while now; that Farhad Moshiri has waited this long to end this farce has merely sacrificed precious points and prolonged the fans’ frustration. The former Liverpool boss surely cannot survive this.

Canaries Catastrophe the ultimate Benitez Humiliation

Michael Kenrick

A dreadful first half for Everton at Carrow Road made the second-half challenge ultimately impossible despite a brilliant Richarlison strike against the Premier League’s bottom club Norwich City.

“Our Lives Changed One Pancake Tuesday”

Becky Tallentire

The final instalment of Real Footballers' Wives features Eileen Stevens, wife of 1960s Everton forward Dennis

The Turbulent Times of Marco Materazzi

Danny Harvey

The whole game for which the one-time Everton defender became infamous epitomised the controversy that followed Materazzi throughout his entire career.

When the players start going through the motions…

Paul Traill

Blues make very hard work of the FA Cup 3rd Round

Michael Kenrick

It's the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and Everton are on the other side of the Pennines, up against Hull City at the MKM Stadium. 08/01/2022

The rambling of a middle-aged man

Z-Cars at 60

Rob Sawyer

This week marked the 60th anniversary of the first screening of the television show Z-Cars, the theme from which, of course, is dear to every Evertonian heart. From its origins as a maritime folk song to the Johnny Keating version we know today, the story of the song is fairly convoluted.

Why Benitez's Transfer Strategy Must Be Backed

Matthew Parry

hile I agree Benitez needs to do better, he cannot be blamed for the failures of previous bosses and the same problem will exist no matter who is in charge

When is Enough, Enough?

Paul Traill

This nightmare feels never-ending, doesn’t it?

Another dismal result despite Gordon's brace

Michael Kenrick

Everton gave up another priceless 3 points when finally back in action again after an enforced break for the last 2½ weeks and three matches postponed as they lost to Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park this afternoon.

Floundering Benitez oversees another shambolic Goodison defeat

Lyndon Lloyd

A shambles at the back due to an inexplicable team selection motivated by the manager's spite rather than pragmatism, Everton succumbed to another defeat under Rafael Benitez who appears to have no idea how to organise this side into a winning outfit.

The Smell of Football 2

Rob Sawyer

Rob reviews the follow-up to Mick 'Baz' Rathbone's candid memoir of his career in football as he returns to Everton following an eight-year hiatus

10 reasons to be cheerful in 2022

Robert Tressell

It is not all doom and gloom. Here are my 10 reasons to retain that hope that has shone fairly dimly for 30 years

Everton’s Ownership and Leadership, Part V: A Winning Strategy

Paul The Esk

What choices will Farhad Moshiri make to bring about a winning strategy at Everton Football Club?

A Long Drawn-Out Affair

Alasdair Jones

I continue to surprise myself that – despite not having attended a game at Goodison Park since the last knockings of the Roberto Martinez era – I remain to some extent emotionally wedded to the club.

Everton lambs defy the slaughter at Chelsea

Lyndon Lloyd

Amazingly, despite being thrown to the lions, a youthful Blues' team turned in one of the most pride-inspiring performances yet seen under Rafael Benitez and not only held the reigning European champions to a draw but with a bit more composure in the final third could have sprung the ultimate surprise and taken all three points

Everton youngsters hang tight for an excellent point at The Bridge

Michael Kenrick

Tonight Everton take on a title-chasing but Covid impacted Chelsea side while yet more injury problems could spell another difficult night for Rafael Benitez.

Open revolt against failing Benitez looms following yet another sorry defeat

Lyndon Lloyd

With another horrible defeat on the road, divisions opening up between the manager and some of the players and a widening disconnect between the fans and the club, Everton are sailing into some pretty treacherous waters under Rafael Benitez

A shocking defeat after it took Everton an hour to start playing

Michael Kenrick

Horrible tactics from Benitez saw Everton trying to defend from the off against a lively Palace side, conceding before halftime, and only playing forward after making subs on the hour mark; but they ended up gifting goals and throwing the game away.

27 Minutes for 27 Years

Paul The Esk

The start of the #27minutesfor27years campign saw huge media coverage. It's an embryonic campaign. This is why I believe, respectfully, it deserves your support

Goodison taps Everton DNA to drag Blues to stirring win over Arsenal

Lyndon Lloyd

This was the Grand Old Lady at her most raucous; seething with a sense of injustice, the “bear pit” driving Everton forward and the team battling out a win by sheer force of the collective will of almost everyone in the building

Blues spirit digs out a fabulous win

Michael Kenrick

After two astounding marginal offside calls that denied Richarlison a brace of excellent finishes, he finally got an equalizer and Gray finished things off with a brilliant strike to win the game in added time.

Full Circle

Lyndon Lloyd

The departure of Marcel Brands takes Everton away from the Director of Football model and back to the all-encompassing, hands-on manager with oversight of scouting and full control over player recruitment strategy. Given the control Rafael Benitez likes to have in that regard, it's likely to be a permanent reversion for as long as the Spaniard remains in charge.

Shopping in Sainsbury’s not Harrods

Phil (Kelsall) Roberts

If Farhad Moshiri is going to continue to invest, does the purchasing strategy need to change?

Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part II — The Enigma of Brands

Lyndon Lloyd

Amid calls for sweeping change from the top to the bottom of Everton Football Club, Marcel Brands is as much persona non grata as anyone else among the hierarchy but the exact nature of his brief and the extent of his culpability in bringing about the mess at the club is more than a little opaque.

Our Motto is Our Standard. Everton's Leadership is Falling Well Short

Ell Bretland

Farhad Moshiri talks of crisis and glory but Evertonians have had to put up with too much of the former without any of the latter. Once, the Champions League was the aim but we are swirling closer to the Championship 6 years into Moshiri’s disastrous reign.

Sleepwalking to Disaster, Part I — The Backfiring Gamble

Lyndon Lloyd

At a club increasingly bereft of direction, Rafael Benitez is not the biggest problem but he is rapidly becoming the most urgent.

Is it only the players?

Jacques Sandtonian

Brands discerned that this man wanted him out of the club, justifying his view with an accusatory “Did you recruit them?” Brands’s response was curious: “Is it only the players?”

The Deepening Gloom

Lyndon Lloyd

This painfully lopsided derby illustrated the extent to which these two clubs exist on different planes now but it also left the owner and the Board under no illusions of the frustration and fear that now exists among the fanbase

Blues' efforts humbled by Reds' quality

Michael Kenrick

A cold and windy night in Goodison Park but Everton go into the Goodison derby needing to turn up the heat a little on their local rivals... but they failed on the night pretty poorly to match their predatory goalscorers

The Shape We Are In

Martin O'Connor

"Under Moshiri, if we are not careful, it will be terminal."

Is Everton Football Club up for sale?

MIchael Kenrick

While the rantings and ravings of Richard Keys are probably best ignored, there is a certain logical pattern that can be perceived to support the claim that Farhad Moshiri and Alisher Usmanov have had enough of their Everton adventure and are seeking, or would agree, to sell the club.

That Sinking Feeling

Lyndon Lloyd

Depressingly, Brentford really were there for the taking had Everton been able to get their act together in the final third but with Rondon leading the line, Benitez's men were toothless

Blues sink to another simply atrocious defeat

Michael Kenrick

Everton head to the Capital for a fixture that has assumed enormous importance given the team's poor run of results that extended to no wins in six games with last weekend's defeat at Manchester City.

Everton’s Ownership and Leadership, Part IV: Finance and Funding

Paul The Esk

How have Everton financed the last 5 years, what Farhad Moshiri’s funding has enabled, and the impact of poor decisions on the club's finances

The Joe Mercer Plaque Ceremony

Rob Sawyer

Supporters from across the football spectrum, including members of Everton FC Heritage Society, came together in Ellesmere Port last Thursday, 18 November, to celebrate the life of Joe Mercer – one of the town’s greatest sons.

Pointless and Costly

Lyndon Lloyd

An utter formality of a match that ended up being little more than a training session for Guardiola’s attackers

Abysmal display totally lacking in Rafa's 'intensity'

Michael Kenrick

Everton traveled to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City without Yerry Mina, André Gomes, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucouré, the 2-0 loss being something of a foregone conclusion given their passive style of play.

Everton’s Ownership and Leadership, Part III: The Director of Football

Paul The Esk

What should this role entail and how should we use it?

Everton’s Ownership and Leadership, Part II: The Cost of Poor Recruitment

Paul The Esk

In this the second part, a focus on the club's finances from a different perspective – why have Everton not developed to the extent the investment made in us might warrant?

How can our academy improve?

Robert Tressell

There have been a few good articles and debates recently about the state of our academy. I thought it would be interesting to compare it to (a) other Premier League academies for output, and (b) other celebrated academies in Europe

Former player Ashley Williams attempts to Hammer Everton

Kevin Murray

Time is perhaps the most precious of commodities in the career of any Premier League manager in the modern era

Everton’s Ownership and Leadership, Part I: The Importance of Good Governance

Paul The Esk

There is an absolute and clear relationship between governance and corporate performance and in recent months there have been growing questions as to the performance of Everton Football Club on and off the pitch

Par for the course out in the middle

Martin O'Connor

Everton Football Club has no proper vision or strategy, and until the Board and leadership at the club is changed (and the majority shareholder as well), we will be forever at best “Out here in the Middle” of the Premier League. On that note, Benitez is, so far this season, on course to deliver the usual mid-table mediocrity.

John Bramley-Moore – Lord Mayor of Liverpool and Slave Trader

Stephen Ashton

The city of Liverpool's entanglement with the slave trade is well documented. Less well known, however, is the role played by former Lord Mayor, John Bramley-Moore after whom the site of Everton's new stadium is known.

The effort was there

Paul Traill

Despite the feeling that we should have won, we can’t ignore that we could have lost. Mason Holgate, who had a dreadful 10 minutes, ceded possession which eventually resulted in Giovani Lo Celso curling at goal.

Spicy ending sees Everton hold on for a point

Michael Kenrick

Everton host Tottenham this weekend with the pressure mounting on Rafael Benitez and a team struggling to cope with injuries in key areas of the team

Everton's soft centre exploited again

Lyndon Lloyd

Evertonians will have taken a measure of encouragement from their team's second-half display at Molineux when the fight returned along with a good deal more cohesiveness and purpose but the first period won’t be forgotten in a hurry

Blues almost come back from a dreadful first half

Michael Kenrick

Everton gave up another set-piece goal and a dreadful back-pass gift before they started playing properly and came very close to equalizing. But it is another loss that the Everton faithful will find hard to take.

Crisis, what Crisis?

Stephen Vincent

The hysteria since Saturday’s defeat, whilst predictable, has been way out of proportion to the actual event. Yes, we lost to a team that, on paper, we should comfortably defeat at home and which in 15 previous visits had never ever won at Goodison Park. But we are not the worst team in the Premier League and we are not going to get relegated, nor are we a laughing stock.

Benitez is right in calling for improvement across the board

Paul The Esk

Last Saturday's humiliation at the hands of Watford has brought into sharper focus comments made in the press by Rafael Benitez and his call for improvement 'in every department' at Everton. The Esk takes a look at where Farhad Moshiri might target those efforts

Crisis Point

Robert Tressell

Having managed to ship 4 goals in the last 15 minutes against very poor opposition in Watford, it is natural that we might feel like a crisis is upon us. After all, we are once again skint, once again shipping goals through zonal marking, and once again putting up with woeful individual displays.

Just Embarrassing

Lyndon Lloyd

Perhaps with a point to prove, Josh King ran riot for Watford, scoring on his return to Goodison Park to level things up in the first half and then completing his hat-trick as Everton utterly fell apart in the final quarter of an hour

A Sorry Tale of Two Substitutes?

Michael Kenrick

Or a tale of rank incompetence all over the field? Everton gifting Josh King (of all people) a ridiculous hat-trick that materialized immediately after Rafael Benitez had the barefaced audacity to bring on the utterly useless Iwobi, with Everton winning 2-1. You just could not make it up!

Early Train to Lime Street, Late Train from Marylebone

Danny O’Neill

Could bargain approach work for Everton in 2021-22 season?

Gary McCarty

If the club's recent frugality results in success either in ending their trophy drought or a Top 6 finish, a lesson will be laid down to the rest of the Premier League about efficiency in the transfer market

Handicapped by Iwobi and Rondon, Everton surrender their home record

Michael Kenrick

Everton welcome back David Moyes and his well-performing West Ham United team to Goodison Park for this afternoon's televised Premier League clash.

Compare and Contrast

Martin O'Connor

With nine games played, two being Carabao Cup games, it is possible, even at this early stage of his tenure, to compare and contrast the work Rafa Benitez has done vis-à-vis the so-called Magnifico, Carlo Ancelotti.

First away game for the little fella

Paul Traill

Benitez Effect Growing as Everton Claim Valuable Point

Lyndon Lloyd

Everton more than matched their much-fancied hosts and claimed a valuable draw at Old Trafford, a result that might have seemed beyond them on paper but which underlines the impressive work done by Benitez so far

Everton accept a draw in a game they should have won

Michael Kenrick

Everton travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United with three key players still sidelined.

“Boys from the Blue Stuff: Everton's Rise to 1980s Glory” by Gavin Buckland

Rob Sawyer

Gavin Buckland's new book picks up where Money Can't Buy Us Love left off, delivering again in spades. Despite the academic levels of research behind it, this is easy to read and reflects on the club under three managers, culminating in those heady days in the mid-80s

That's what Rafa is here for

Paul Traill

Second Gear Enough to Move Everton Past Struggling Canaries

Lyndon Lloyd

Everton did enough to get the job done in professional fashion without needing to move out of second gear to keep themselves up among the leaders

Blues not too troubled in poor game solidly won

Michael Kenrick

Everton's developing injury crisis at least had some good news ahead of today's Premier League game, with Lucas Digne back in training along with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Where are all the lorries? En route to Goodison – that’s where!

Dave Williams

Adios to the Part-Time Magician

Lyndon Lloyd

Detached and intangible, James Rodriguez was a fleeting part of Everton history and, perhaps, the last spasm of excess from a regime that seems to have put itself on a more pragmatic footing

They'll Cancel it Before We Ever Win it

Lyndon Lloyd

An Evertonian of any pedigree knows there was nothing shocking about this result which sees the club out of the League Cup before autumn has really even begun.

Everton out of the EFL Cup on Penalties

Michael Kenrick

Everton twice came from behind against Queens Park Rangers in the 3rd Round of the Carabao Cup only to lose after an epic penalty shoot-out

“The Forgotten Champions – 1986-87: Everton's Last Title” by Paul McParlan

Rob Sawyer

Everton, Howards Way, the wonderfully-executed and evocative documentary film about the Toffees’ mid-1980s resurgence, is far from unique in paying less attention to the Blues’ most recent League win. Paul McParlan seeks to redress the balance by documenting, analysing and celebrating the 1986-87 campaign.

James left at home as Bailey slaughters Everton

Michael Kenrick

Everton take their unbeaten start under Rafael Benitez to Villa Park for the late Saturday afternoon kick-off with a side that is devastated by further unexpected injuries but still with no James Rodriguez.

Key absentees highlight difficulties for Benitez's shallow squad

Lyndon Lloyd

The seeds of this defeat were sown in a summer transfer window that left key positions in the squad short on depth. Nevertheless, the margins in this match were a lot finer than the final score suggests

Demarai Gray Could End Up Being Signing of The Season

Gary McCarty

With the former Leicester man in such great form, Everton have made one of their best starts to a Premier League campaign in recent years and an England call-up might not be too far away

Everton keep the ghosts of Ancelotti's tenure at bay with another impressive comeback

Lyndon Lloyd

Credit Benitez, his players or the supporters — all three, probably — but there is a fire and a resilience about this version of Everton that has emerged in the face of adversity.

Benitez masterminds another stunning come-back win

Michael Kenrick

Everton’s 2021-22 season resumed under the lights at Goodison Park tonight with Rafael Benitez engineering a wonderful win after going behind to a difficult and belligerent Burnley side.

Home Awayday

Danny O’Neill

Keeping it in the Family – The Menhams between the Sticks

Rob Sawyer

Family links between players at Everton are not unheard of. Less known than the likes of the Rankins and the Whittle-Davies connection, perhaps, is that three decades apart, two Everton goalkeepers were from the same stock

James: He's Here. He's Ours. Let's Make it Work

Lyndon Lloyd

Circumstances have contrived to keep Everton and James Rodriguez together for another few months at least. Amid reports and rumour of non-plussed manager and disengaged star, all parties need to come together to ensure that this most gifted of players has a role in the team this season

Only a Small Club – ToffeeWeb Golf Day 2021

Jon Harding

A sunny Friday in August proved an excellent date for a motley bunch of Evertonians to gather at Aldersley Green Golf Club in rural Cheshire for the 2021 ToffeeWeb Golf Day

The Hard Work Starts Now

Paul The Esk

A look at the factors behind this transfer window and the preceding 5 years. A clear call for what must come next to resolve the position we are in

The Chickens Come Home to Roost

Lyndon Lloyd

The profligacy of the Moshiri years has slammed into the harsh realities of an imposed financial straitjacket from the outside and the need to fund a new stadium, resulting in a summer of unusually strict austerity

Poundland Special

Martin O'Connor

As the summer transfer window closes, what do we make of the Toffees’ business?

Is it Really That Bad?

Richard Parker

We needed a reset and a summer of taking a step back actually might not be the worst thing to happen to our club. We have to take the hit, plot the course for solving our current problems and move forwards.

“He Wouldn't Pull His Socks Up”

Becky Tallentire

Another instalment of Real Footballers' Wives by features Brenda Thomas, wife of 1970s Goodison favourite Dave

Oh We Do Like to Win Beside The Seaside

Danny O’Neill

Consummate predation steals the Seagulls' chips

Michael Kenrick

Everton pulled off a very fine win on the south coast to end Brighton & Hove Albion's tremendous start to the season.

Green shoots of optimism as Benitez's Blues comfortably see off Brighton

Lyndon Lloyd

This was as professional and comfortable an away performance as you could hope for and it extended Rafael Benitez's unbeaten start as the Blues’ boss to four matches

Back In Town

Paul Traill

Credit to Rafa Benitez who substituted pro-actively and carved out the opportunity which put us into the hat for Round 3

Gray Day

Paul Traill

Everton surrender a winning lead twice at Elland Road

Michael Kenrick

Everton played a difficult game very well to get ahead twice only to end up drawing at Elland Road.

Everton so close to passing first true away test in 18 months

Lyndon Lloyd

After 18 long months of almost exclusively empty stadia, away days are back, with all the challenges and that intimidation that come with it. Everton came close to passing the test at Leeds but will rue some slack defending and missed chances.

First Real Away Game in 18 Months

Rob Halligan

Seeing as this was the first away game in 18 months for the fans, because of Covid, I thought I would post an article on the day… but don’t be expecting one every away game, because there won’t be one!!

A Feeling You Just Can’t Buy

Paul Traill

And just like that, we’re back, almost as if we’ve never been away.

Richarlison's gold-plated heroics rescue a dreadful start

Michael Kenrick

Everton’s 2021-22 Premier League campaign kicked off with the visit of Southampton as Rafael Benitez took charge of his first competitive match at Goodison Park in front of a full house and produced a magnificent comeback win.

Toffee Soccer and Everton’s North American Trips of 1961

Rob Sawyer

As well as containing extensive player and coach profiles, the book Toffee Soccer documents the 10 previous occasions on which the club has ventured to the USA and Canada. 1961 was one of them.

On a Hiding to Nothing? 2021-22 Season Preview

Lyndon Lloyd

In many ways, a merely competent first season could be enough for Rafael Benitez to match Carlo Ancelotti's 10th-place finish; a better-than-hoped performance from the Spaniard would yield improvement. But with none of the much-needed quality additions materialising this summer, it's hard to see Everton troubling the top six places in 2021-22

The Luxury

Lyndon Lloyd

James Rodriguez is one of the best players of his generation; a Rolls Royce of a player at a club blighted by so much mediocrity in the modern era. Sadly, he looks to be a luxury Everton can no longer afford.

The Number One

Lyndon Lloyd

Jordan Pickford has come in for criticism at Everton for his past mistakes and apparent lack of focus and it wasn't that long ago that many were doubting his role as first-choice keeper. Fast forward past the hysterical media reaction to his part in the Van Dijk incident to today and you have a player who appears to have matured tremendously in the harshest of spotlights

Premier League Profitability & Sustainability Rules: What They Mean to Everton

Paul The Esk

A look at the financial regulations in the Premier League. Is it possible to forecast whether Everton are compliant and the impact if not?

The Young Ones – Part 1

Phill Thompson

At this time of the year, the new First Year Scholars are at Finch Farm and some are starting to appear in games. Their names are available, but we’re still waiting for the Club’s official “Meet the Scholars” video…

From Birkenhead to El Ballet Azul: The Billy Higgins Story

Rob Sawyer

Everton's meeting with Millonarios in the Florida Cup this coming week offers an intriguing link to the past and the storm over footballers being lured from British clubs to a so-called ‘renegade league’ in South America in 1950 which involved one Billy Higgins.

Assessing Toffee Transfer Targets Benítez is Already Eyeing

Gary McCarty

Here we take a look at some of the players that Everton have already been linked with this summer and run the rule over which ones would be the best additions to an already tasty squad.

Financial Warning Shot

Martin O'Connor

The warning shot about our financial position was given by Benitez himself at his press conference: players leaving will fund incoming transfers, probably for a number of seasons to come. It is then imperative that they take a good look at the Academy and try and get it fit for purpose. But more power has been given to one of the main impediments to a functioning academy in David Unsworth, instead of removing him and the good Old Blue Boy network beneath him.

Everton's Biggest Construction Project?

Paul The Esk

What needs to change at Everton moving forward? What does Farhad Moshiri, his board and executives have to do differently... not on Bramley-Moore Dock but on the more immediate issues concerning matters on the field?

'The Time Goes By So Fast'

Becky Tallentire

In light of the recent passing of Everton legend Jimmy Gabriel, the latest installment of Real Footballers' Wives by @bluestocking63 features his wife Pat

Three Bedsheets Outside Everton, Moshiri

John Daley

“This didn't put an end to shit, you fucking retard; this is just the fucking start. Why don't you put that on your Good Morning Missouri fucking wake-up broadcast, bitch?”

Time To Move On

James Lauwervine

I’ve come to realise over a period of time that I just don’t enjoy it anymore. I don’t feel that pride or affinity I once had; I just feel increasing alienation, disappointment and disillusionment. When the news was released that Benitez was to be our next manager, it hit me that I simply didn’t want to be part of this anymore.

Conservatism, Conspiracies and Counter-intuition

Paul Tran

I wouldn't put a penny on it, but it will be interesting to watch things unfold, probably more interesting than the football on offer. Talking of the football, it can't be worse than under the previous few mangers, can it? No, I wouldn't put a penny on that, either.

Jack Taylor – Everton’s Son of the Rock

Rob Sawyer

One of the true greats of Everton’s early decades, this moustachioed ‘Jack of all trades’ won silverware with the club in 1906 and remains Everton’s seventh highest appearance maker in all competitions

'There He is Behind Me. Ah, No... Shit!'

Ell Bretland

From headlocks from Big Dunc, to being booted by Tommy Gravesen and lapping Alex Nyarko, Alan Moogan enjoyed a proper Everton education in the early 2000s. An interview with the former Academy player.

Agent Rafa?

Mike Cheshire

I can’t help thinking that he believes he can be the ruthless bastard required to sweep away the structures and inertia that have crippled our beloved club and become the ultimate rarity – a manager beloved of our entire city.