Royal Blue Mersey: FanPosts

Possible Everton fan, with some questions...

2013-06-03T01:08:16Z

Hey everyone. I am looking for a little information about Everton. However, before I get to what I’m looking for, I figured a little background would be appreciated. I am an avid fan of all sports, but especially baseball and boxing. I grew up about 15 miles northwest of Detroit, so naturally, I am a huge Tigers fan. When I was younger I also really enjoyed hockey (the Wings), but the 2004 NHL lockout occurred when I was 22 and really bothered me. To make a long story short, I returned to hockey in 2009, only to suffer through the 2013 lockout. I have a 5 year old son now, who loves hockey, but couldn’t figure out why hockey was "cancelled", quite possibly because of this, I just can’t get back into the Wings or hockey (I also hate salary caps, but that story is for another day). Sports have always been a very important part of my life and I love to follow my teams. When my wife and I moved from Detroit for a job opportunity, I ordered center ice and extra innings, simply so I could see the Tigers and Wings and follow them.

Now to the important part…

I have always enjoyed the European version of football much more than the American version, but could never get into it, because I couldn’t properly follow a team. This has changed now as Fox Soccer (soon to be FS1) has been offered by Comcast in my area, and with me having Comcast’s triple play (I am in the Philadelphia market, where Comcast headquarters are), I will be able to check out all of Premier League matches in the coming season. This put me in an interesting situation, as I was not "born" into a team, and could pick one. I have done my due diligence and understand the sport well enough. I researched how Europa League and Champions League qualification works, how the FA Cup, Carling/Capital One/League Cup works, certain strategies, etc. I also checked out the history of all the clubs who are currently in the Premier League as well as one’s who are currently in the Championship League, but frequent the Premier League. I had to have a club I could really follow, so I cut many teams immediately (teams that could go down often and go yo-yo on me), I’m not a bandwagon guy, so I cut the Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs clubs from the list. I narrowed my list, and am now down to 2… both Liverpool clubs. I really like Everton, but have a couple of questions I hope you guys can answer…

1) Quality ownership has always been important to the Tigers. Even in 2003 when they finished 43-119, they had a good owner (Mr. I) who has since built the club into a consistent winner. One of my concerns about following Everton is their financial state. Bill Kenwright seems like an interesting character. I have read about the clubs debt issues, as well as the problem with Goodison. My question is… How bad is it? And… Could this turn into a Leeds like situation? This would be a disaster for me as I have said, I like the sport and want a club I can watch every week, not one that will end up in Championship.

2) Less important, but still relevant, How is Everton’s youth program today? I know it has been great in the past, but I am wondering how the U-21s, U-17s, etc. perform today. Does the club put significant funds into their youth programs? Developing talent has always been integral to the Tigers success, from Justin Verlander to Alex Avila to Rick Porcello, etc. Obviously, these players need to be supplemented with help from outside the club, but is emphasis still placed upon Everton’s youth program?

Now to the important part…

I need help picking an EPL team...

2013-03-02T18:37:23Z

Hello everyone!! Hope some of you can help me, I've spent the last couple of years trying to pick a team to support in the EPL, I grew up watching La Liga, particularly Barca but last few years have been quite uneventful. Don't get me wrong obviously Barca plays exquisite football but the league as a whole has been boring to say the least. Naturally the first team that caught my eye was Arsenal because of their style of play. Another plus is their philosophy on and off the pitch, transfer dealings, scouting, player development etc. all aspects attracted me. Tried to follow them for a couple of years watched their games, learned more about the club, bought the kit (lol) and all that sort of stuff but in the end I still couldn't get myself to stick to them. Nothing wrong about them per se but I felt Arsenal just wasn't for me. Recently I've been quite interested in Everton. What I like about the club is their consistency, scouting, player development and shrewdness in the transfer market. The fact that they can compete with the best of them is truly remarkable. Plus I love the fact that they are also called "The Peoples Club". Whats else can any of you tell me about Everton? Really interested in supporting the club...Thank you!

The January Transfer Window: A Month of Failure for Everton?

2013-02-05T03:44:26Z

With the recent close of the January transfer window, I can't help but look back and admonish at what a poor showing it was for Everton. Granted, manager David Moyes did say that funds would be limited and at best they would be looking at a few loan signings. However, those expectations quickly changed on January 28th when Everton made a surprise bid for FC Twente midfielder Leroy Fer for an agreed transfer fee of €10 million. Fer, a Dutch international, was flown into Merseyside to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms ahead of making the deal final.

Leroy Fer with agent Rob Jansen and girlfriend Xenia

The deal took an unexpectedly sour turn when questions arose over the results of the medical. Fer sustained a knee injury while playing in an international friendly for Holland last September, but had fully recovered and was back to playing regularly with Twente in the Eredivisie. None-the-less, the status of his knee was enough of a concern for Everton to request a renegotiation of the terms. However, FC Twente were unrelenting in their position that Everton not renege on their agreed deal so the transfer was called off.

"Today they started up the negotiations once again. During the day they came with all sorts of additional conditions about the payment terms and also the transfer fee. We won't deal with that. Then there won't be a transfer. We don't play that game at Twente. They can come up with any demand they wish but we're not playing along with their demands." -FC Twente chairman Joop Munsterman on Everton's attempt to reopen transfer negotiations

It is understandable that complications often arise during a transfer and, in many ways, the Everton board should be commended for safeguarding the club's small transfer budget from a player with high risk of reinjury. However, it is difficult to overlook the fact that Everton waited until so late in January to make a move in the market and, when the Fer deal fell through, it proved difficult to find a suitable replacement in the limited time remaining.

One glaring alternative prospect Everton missed out on was 22-year-old German international, Lewis Holtby. When Holtby declined to renew his contract with bundesliga side Schalke it sparked a number of rumors linking the midfielder with a host of Premiership clubs including Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, and Everton. Perhaps no team had more reason for optimism in securing his signature than Everton.

Lewis Holtby pictured in his bedroom at his parents' house

Lewis Holtby was born in Erkelenz, Germany to a British father and German mother. His father, a British soldier stationed in Germany, is an avid Everton fan and instilled in Lewis a love for the Blues from a very young age.

"My father was born in England and has been an Everton fan since the age of five. He immediately infected me with the Everton virus! Since then I have been an Everton fan and have always followed their games." -Lewis Holtby

Despite the obvious interest Holtby showed in Everton, the race for his signature was won by Tottenham Hotspur when they annouced his signing for the meager transfer fee of €1.75 million. It marked a real coup for Spurs, who are already gifted with a deep and talented midfield. Arguably more so than Everton; a team they happen to be challenging for the fourth and final Champions League qualification position.

With the transfer window quickly closing, Everton did manage one signing: 18-year-old defender John Stones from Championship side Barnsley for €3.5 million. Stones, along with Leeds' Sam Byram, was closely watched in recent months by Toffee boss David Moyes and was thought to be an ideal long-term replacement for Tony Hibbert and Phil Neville at right-back. A swoop for either Byram or Stones was planned for the summer, but the hard pursuit of Stones by Wigan Athletic in the January window forced Everton into action sooner than they planned.

Barnsley's John Stones was Everton's lone January signing

Although Stones is a highly-rated talent who has already represented England as a youth international, his arrival will do little to help an Everton side in need of reinforcements that can make an impact now. As Moyes said, "Stones is one for the future". Everton are well within striking distance of a fourth place Premier League finish, but their failure to bolster their squad this past month while their close competitors did so in droves will make the challenge that much more difficult.

Leroy Fer with agent Rob Jansen and girlfriend Xenia

"Today they started up the negotiations once again. During the day they came with all sorts of additional conditions about the payment terms and also the transfer fee. We won't deal with that. Then there won't be a transfer. We don't play that game at Twente. They can come up with any demand they wish but we're not playing along with their demands." -FC Twente chairman Joop Munsterman on Everton's attempt to reopen transfer negotiations

Lewis Holtby pictured in his bedroom at his parents' house

"My father was born in England and has been an Everton fan since the age of five. He immediately infected me with the Everton virus! Since then I have been an Everton fan and have always followed their games." -Lewis Holtby

Barnsley's John Stones was Everton's lone January signing

Everton Fandom - why do you support the Toffees?

2013-01-28T09:45:00Z

I remember being one of those die hard American football fans that would scoff every time someone brought up soccer. "Never" was a word I would say when a friend or a sportswriter would try to coax me into watching it. Then something magical happened in 2009. I started dating a girl whose mother emigrated to the US from Portugal and whose father did the same from Italy. Soccer was the family sport and it only took them a few months to get me hooked.

When the World Cup rolled around in 2010 I was rabid. I was on the edge of my seat watching the US national team and their journey in South Africa. As the tournament winded down, I realized I still didn't have a club to root for. I started following a lot of the US players on twitter and one stuck out: Landon Donovan. The passion he had for Everton: the fans, the city, and the game was incredible. So started my love affair with the Toffees.

A few years later here I am, posting on this blog about my love of Everton.

How did your love affair with Everton start?

A few years later here I am, posting on this blog about my love of Everton.

How did your love affair with Everton start?

Some Friendly Fantasy Smack Talk

2013-01-17T20:27:56Z

Let's get some chatter going here.

So, who else on this lovely blog is playing a team in the 'Royal Blue Mersey League Shenanigans' classic fantasy league? I want to know who you are and why you refuse to give me any decent competition. It's lonely at the top and starting to get BOR-R-R-R-R-ING ...

Only 16 weeks left in the season and I suggest you all get your ish together, because when I win first place and do my Shiva blast, I want it to mean something.

Yours Truly,

Brixton FC

P.S. If you don't watch The League, you should.

Let's get some chatter going here.

Only 16 weeks left in the season and I suggest you all get your ish together, because when I win first place and do my Shiva blast, I want it to mean something.

Yours Truly,

Brixton FC

P.S. If you don't watch The League, you should.

Poll

Do you think I will win the Shiva?

Yes.

0 votes

No.

1 votes

You're an ass.

3 votes

4 votes | Poll has closed

The Cash Will Not Flow: Why Fellani will Stay at Everton

2012-12-28T18:08:53Z

As the January transfer window approaches, their have been two rumors in which Evertonians have took interest. The first of which, was an ill fated rumor that Everton had interest in Falcao. Then Falcao went into this season, and almost single handily lifted Athletico Madrid to 2nd in La Liga. With such performances Falcao was deemed to high of a stock for the "small" Merseyside club. The primary rumor though, and one which carries a considerable more amount of weight involves perhaps the best hair in all of football. Fellaini, the play making, and may I say clutch man of Evertons midfield has been linked to the likes of rich clubs such as Zenit, Chelsea, and even PSG. With such interest then, shouldn't we as supporters be worried. The answer is a big fat NO. Why? Well their are 2 very good reasons. The first and most important is that the Belgian has stated that he is happy at Everton and would like to stay. This is of the greatest interest to me as I feel that Fellini thinks that Everton is headed towards a future of competitive play in the EPL, and perhaps Europe. The second, and far more logical reason is of disciplinary reason. Headbutt... whether you like it or not, Fellaini's thrust of his head a Shawcross may keep him at Everton. This has already been seen, as Zenit has questioned his disipline. Finally, I see one more reason that Fellaini will don the royal blue come February. Simply, it's Moyes running this club not Wenger.

via u.goal.com

Poll

Do you think Fellini will be sold in January

Yes

4 votes

No

15 votes

19 votes | Poll has closed

The secret behind our annual early-season swoon?

2012-05-02T12:39:00Z

I just read a very interesting article by Jen Chang at SI.com regarding the use of analytics to prepare for matches. Everton's extensive use of analytics might not be news to some fans of the Blues, but I had no idea how vital it was to Moyes' game strategy planning.

We have seen many times across many sports that the effective use of analytics can give one team an advantage over its opponent by being better prepared to anticipate their strategies and tactics, most famously in baseball with Bill James' Sabermetrics. I'm wondering, though, if this isn't a contributory part of the reason the Toffees have typically started so slowly and then come on strong at the end of the season under Moyes.

Certainly, there is a limited set of data from which to draw early in the season, which could theoretically give a less accurate prediction of teams' tendencies (especially since rosters tend to change significantly in the offseason), leading to the use of less effective tactics in a match environment. Conversely, as the season marches on, the sample size grows ever larger, which would presumably provide a much more accurate prediction of a given team's tendencies.

I'm not faulting Moyes or Everton for using analytics at all... quite the opposite, in fact. If this is his secret behind "doing more with less," I think it's a magnificent use of technology to get more out of the game, and I'd love to know if more players besides just Landon Donovan and Tim Howard have been extensively using the information available to their advantage. Now, if we could just figure out how to make it through the first 10 or 15 weeks of lean data... then we'd really be on to something!

Fulham vs. Everton Preview Show On Cottage Talk

2012-04-27T18:34:44Z

We first looked back at the Fulham victory against Wigan last Saturday. We were then joined by Zach Woosley who is a writer for SBNation.com soccer. Finally, we did our preview of match on Saturday for Fulham against Everton at Goodison Park. Co-hosting with me was Lorcan O'Connor and Chris Gilbertson of Hammyend.com. Please do take a listen to the latest edition of Cottage Talk.

Listen to internet radio with cottagetalk on Blog Talk Radio

Everton U-19s In The Dallas Cup

2012-04-04T21:46:39Z

I live in the northern suburbs of Dallas, so I've had a great opportunity to watch the Everton U-19 team compete in this weeks' Dallas Cup, arguably the most prestigious youth football tournament in the word.

The Everton squad features Ross Barkley, who has of course already played several games at the EPL level this year. On several occasions watching Barkley this week, I marveled at the skills of one who truly seemed to be a man amongst boys.

I can't really provide too much of an in-depth analysis of the players I saw this week, as I'm just a silly Yank and since I had my two-year-old with me one game (which meant my eyes were just as frequently on him as the game) and, as evidenced below, I had my camera with me for the other, as, being a professional photographer, I wanted to take advantage of the incredible access -- the same as one would have at any youth soccer game -- to these amazing athletes.

I have a gallery of some of my favorite images from today's (Wednesday's) game, in which Everton defeated Club Bolivar (of Bolivia) 6-0. Unfortunately, it appears as though I can't insert images directly into a FanPost, so I'll link directly to a few in particular below to share with my fellow RBM readers.

Ross Barkley battles the Bolivian keeper.

Hallam Hope prepares to pass to Barkley, who scores.

Hope, again.

Conor Grant takes a corner.

Anton Forrester (also very impressive today) battles for the ball.

And, finally, an unhappy Barkley reacts to being fouled.

Enjoy!

(And as a nice PS, it appears that Everton FC will be using some of my photos on its website!)

Ross Barkley battles the Bolivian keeper.

Hallam Hope prepares to pass to Barkley, who scores.

Hope, again.

Conor Grant takes a corner.

Anton Forrester (also very impressive today) battles for the ball.

And, finally, an unhappy Barkley reacts to being fouled.

Enjoy!

(And as a nice PS, it appears that Everton FC will be using some of my photos on its website!)

Blue Union......R.I.P

2012-03-09T13:56:41Z

As if the majority didnt know it already, the 'statement' from the Blue Union on the 9th March finally confirmed they are a complete non entity amongst the majority of Evertonians.

At no stage during their mouthing off have they claimed that the protests had anything to do with on field activity yet we find ourselves looking at a statement which quite clearly is the opposite of that. To now claim they are not protesting against Spurs because the team is now playing well smacks of hypocrisy amongst the deluded ranks of the Blue Union and suggests they were indeed trying to ride on the back of a typical disappointing start from the team. 6 months on from when they have started they have gained little support, even relocating from a prominent city centre pub for the meetings to a back street dockers pub, this hardly smack on a continued confidence in their ability to gain support.

From the ill fated 'taped' meeting to the ludricous clown with a cake in their 1st protest, the Blue Union have showed time and again they are incompetent in gaining any support or to make a significant impact against the board. What little support they did have will truly disappear after they have showed a total lack of backbone with this decision, knowing full well their numbers are dwindling to the deluded few idiots who think its professional to shout through a gate at the chairmen. Time to go lads, its been fun watching the train wreck that is the Blue Union but like all comedy you got to know when it gets beyond a joke, THE TIME IS NOW!

As if the majority didnt know it already, the 'statement' from the Blue Union on the 9th March finally confirmed they are a complete non entity amongst the majority of Evertonians.

David Moyes

2012-02-01T11:24:28Z

Disclaimer: this could be a very subjective post

Seeing some people complaining about the work of David Moyes has not been pleasant and has made me want to put up a post dedicated to how this team is only what it is due to his efforts. What irks me most is how people seem to complain that our team's lack of goals stems from how he plays a 4-5-1 formation instead of a 4-4-2(mainly seen in comments on the everton fb page). Well, a 4-4-2 with an extra striker does not guarantee more goals and i think everton is more fluid when playing the 4-5-1(except for the last match against man city where we mainly just cleared high balls away and an extra striker might have helped collected those). Moreover, the 4-5-1 formation we play involves both the central midfielders(now Fellaini and Gibson) advancing forward, which can arguably be said to be better than a 4-4-2 where there could be 2 defensive midfielders left behind. The only gripe i can have of our tactics is that there is a lack of initiative on counter attacks, when the players are content to slowly work the ball up. Credit to Moyes for everything else.

Another point in Moyes favour is his record in players. Players he identified and developed like Baines, Lescott and arguably Arteta have contributed a lot(both to our finances and results). He also has a great track record in recruiting players, namely Distin, Howard and Jagielka. The recruitment of Distin has been particularly rewarding in my opinion. Bilyaletdinov might be one exception though and i haven't been particularly convinced by Gibson despite his goal. And for strikers. Beckford seemed to be a good buy(at least i liked him) and we'll see about Jelavic.The biggest value i think Moyes gives us though, is his ability to get through to the players. Just look at the team spirit he forged in the team. Or look at Fellaini(whom i really think is appreciated for his heading but his tackling is even more awesome). Last season he was basically a liability despite his obvious abilities, with him being liable to attack other players any time and get sent off. Obviously Moyes got through to him, and he has not been so tempermental(look at him not beating up Dzeko yesterday despite lookng like me really want to).

So, to all those who's saying Moyes has taken us the furthest we can go, we need him and he's as good as any other manager and we'll be able to move up only with him.

Disclaimer: this could be a very subjective post

So, to all those who's saying Moyes has taken us the furthest we can go, we need him and he's as good as any other manager and we'll be able to move up only with him.

To B.U or not To B.U

2012-01-29T10:23:00Z

If you go one the various Everton forums, there is one topic of conversation which dominates the discussion nowadays and it’s not which player we are signing (we don’t make that many of them anyway!). It’s unfortunately what I would describe as that little bit of shit on your shoe you just can’t get rid of no matter how hard you scrub, yes ladies and gentleman we are talking about everyone’s super supporters group the Blue Union.

Now from the off let me say, I and the majority of blues know we need change, we know Bill just doesn’t have the finances to compete nowadays and we know he needs to sell, Bill knows this as well but apparently this isn’t good enough for a bunch of blues who have took it upon themselves to pretend they know better than a guy who has built up a small fortune in a highly competitive business. A question, how many shares do the BU leaders own between them? A pertinent question given the guy they think is incompetent has managed to somehow through his incompetence and mismanagement acquired 25% of the clubs shares. Not bad for an alleged idiot if you ask me!

So what exactly are we supporting if we join the band of merry men that is Blue Union, free cake is the obvious and goes without saying. The chance to go to various bars around the city centre and sit cramped with a bunch of sweaty men, you may even get the chance to listen to a guy who compares Everton to Spurs, a London based, billionaire owned club with 120 boxes compared to our 6. Not what I would call a fair comparison but eh it keeps him off the street while his mate runs Blue Union.

So what have the BU brought to the table? Answer nothing. They have ruined what little communication fans had when they shit on the club through taping a conversation with Mr Kenwright then have the cheek and stupidity to say the club don’t talk to them. They are so professional they organised a private meeting at the clubs Park End parking lot and asked the Chairman some great questions like “How much you selling for Bill?”, do you mean to tell me he hasn’t told a bunch of scallies shouting through a gate how much the club is going for? What is the business world coming to when we can’t conduct private company information through a steel fence…shocking!

Which brings me on to my final point, apparently if you don’t kiss their arse and think everything BU does then you get subjected to a level of abuse normally only reserved for that lot across the park, as far as am concerned were all Everton fans, and this type of abuse will never win them support. The Blue Union have brought nothing positive to the table and never will, mainly due to being run by a bunch of wannabee media whores and 2nd because they have attracted little support from the match going Everton fans who don’t want to hear an amateur clueless organisation pipe up every time the club release an official statement.

Blue Union either bring something positive to the table or crawl back under the rock you emerged from, either way you’re getting tiresome.

(A troubled Blue)

Blue Union either bring something positive to the table or crawl back under the rock you emerged from, either way you’re getting tiresome.

(A troubled Blue)

Kipper Mac Playing Football

2012-01-29T02:12:30Z

If you wish to see some good football, a player with close dribbling skills, the ability to turn quickly, and also a great header of the ball, have a gander at Kipper Mac. He lives in Cleveland Ohio and has been training for fouryears. I come home as often as possible to catch a couple of games; however, the transport costs kill me!

Kipper Mac the Dog Playing Football

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBrtaM_6Txo

Kipper Mac the Dog Playing Football

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBrtaM_6Txo

Adrian Heath talks to Everton TV, drops gigantic MLS expansion hint

2011-12-30T21:10:27Z

Adrian Heath, who contributed to the great Everton teams of the mid-1980s, talked to Everton TV in a video released yesterday. He reminisced a bit about the Boys of '85 and touring the newer facilities, talked about Landon Donovan's return, but ended up saying a mouthful about the team he is currently managing, U.S. third-tier club Orlando City.

He said the team's move from Austin to Orlando was necessary for the owner's ambition to own a team in Major League Soccer. The result in Orlando was the highest attendance for a minor-league soccer team in the U.S. Orlando is receiving a meeting from MLS officials in late February (they are holding a classic at Walt Disney World around that time, too), and Adrian made it clear that Orlando City desires to be playing in MLS in 2014. This would most likely mean they want to be team #20.

This could certainly make 2012 an interesting year.

David Moyes linked with Atletico Madrid

2011-12-19T12:53:20Z

Reports in the Spanish media here and here - found by Everton forum Grand Old Team - are suggesting that Spanish side Atletico Madrid are keen on appointing David Moyes as their manager next season.

Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol claims the club have contacted Moyes about the position, with current manager Gregorio Manzano under severe pressure following a stuttering start to the season.

The side are currently 10th in La Liga but fans and board alike showed their displeasure following a recent defeat to Espanyol, and Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero admits Manzano's position will be reviewed during the winter break.

What do we think of that? It is certainly a bit left-field to say the least, would Moyes want to manage in Spain? would Madrid want a manager like David Moyes? And what the heck are we going to do if he goes and there is no investment forthcoming???

This season is getting worse and worse!!

Reports in the Spanish media here and here - found by Everton forum Grand Old Team - are suggesting that Spanish side Atletico Madrid are keen on appointing David Moyes as their manager next season.

Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol claims the club have contacted Moyes about the position, with current manager Gregorio Manzano under severe pressure following a stuttering start to the season.

This season is getting worse and worse!!