Is European football taking its toll?

I’m sure we’re all enjoying the European football we fill our Thursday night’s with but is it having a negative impact on our domestic games?

I took a quick look at the fixture history following a European game, it was interesting to see it in this context –

Thursday 18th September – Wolfsburg – won 4-1

Sunday 21st September – Crystal Palace – lost 2-3

Thursday 2nd October – Krasnodar – drew 1-1

Sunday 5th October – Man United – lost 2-1

Thursday 23rd October – Lille – drew 0-0

Sunday 26th October – Burnley – won 3-1

Thursday 6th November – Lille – won 3-0

Sunday 9th November – Sunderland – drew 1-1

So following these games in Europe our form is, L,L,W,D – which speaks for itself really. Not awful but out of a possible 12 points we’ve only picked up 4 from those games. But I don’t think it’s all down to the ‘Thursday night hangover’, we’ve had plenty of injuries and some tough, tough games following our European escapades.

So what do you guys think? Over at the Everton Page, we posed the question and had some great responses!

Ciaran Canavan Rogan –  Everton aren’t we. We shouldn’t be scared of any team but we can’t blame being in Europe on our injuries, it’s what the players want and the fans. It’s football injuries come on, let’s get on with it.

Chris Sheehy –  Think it’s been good probably our best chance at getting into the champions league we shouldn’t fear most teams in it but we should invest in a midfielder or centre half and striker and we will be fine.

Kornelius Mork – Honestly I’m a bit scared before every European games because of injuries, and how badly it could affect us in the league.. but on the other hand, we are Everton, and we should have our hands on that Trophies!

Daniel Peters – Professional players with the best strength and conditioning. European football shouldn’t be a problem for the lads.

Col Davies – Can’t blame Europe on league form as we don’t play the same team every game we are just slow this season plus other teams have sussed us out so can combat our playing style.

Oliver Chapman – I think it’s great that our great club is in Europe, where we deserve to be! We aren’t in the league cup and the FA cup hasn’t started yet so the players shouldn’t be that tired. Some of them need to man up!

I can see both sides, they are players in their prime and should be able to cope with the added strain of mid week football. Col is right we don’t play the same team each game and that is their job at the end of the day and it’s not like we’ve really heard them complaining! We all desperately want a trophy and this is just another competition we can be proud to be a part of and hopefully win some much needed silverware! It is putting Everton on the map in Europe and can hopefully attract some new, exciting players .

For me personally, I love the European games and to get our players experiencing a different kind of football can only be a good thing. I do worry before a Sunday game and from speaking to friends at the ground, they say it is a lot of games, it shouldn’t need to be quite so many games. I can see it does take its toll on the players but they are fit and it is what they’re paid to do, so only so much sympathy can be given! 😉

Following the international break, the players are hopefully raring to go and with a tough set of fixtures ahead, the rest would have done them good – well the players who got a rest! Let’s look forward to West Ham on Saturday and then Thursday the away trip to Wolfsburg.

Until next time Blues…

Injury Woes

Hello Blues,

Before I start to ramble on with my next post, I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my blog over the last few months, your support really helps and I would like to thank Si at the Everton page for the wonderful platform he has given me to promote this blog. What started off as a Uni project has turned into something really exciting and it is all down to you, the readers. So thank you. Now soppiness aside, let’s get to it –

We’ve been hit with some injury blows of late, most recently the excellent John Stones has been ruled out for “at least 10 weeks” according to Roberto . This has come as another heavy blow to our growing list of injuries.

This was our injury list from a few days ago –

Injury List from The Official Everton Website

I’m a big fan of John Stones and he really seemed to be coming in to a good run of form and getting more and more confident in his game, so it’s a big shame to lose him at this time, we can only hope he comes back stronger than before!!

We’ve been missing the experience and dominance that so many of the players out injured bring. Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy in particular provide so much experience and dominance and we’ve really missed their presence. While there have been many rumours circling on social media about his whereabouts, Disitin is set to return for Saturday’s game against Villa. Mirallas is due to be out for another few weeks, with a “typical sprinter’s injury” however Oviedo is likely to return by Saturday, although Coleman and McCarthy are still no no’s and are likely to miss up to the next six games. I think they are vital and once they are back to fitness, things should look better. I hope the international break has served the players well too, some of them played for their countries but I’m hoping it means come Saturday they are ready and raring  to go!

With all the injuries, it has opened up a debate amongst us blues, should Martinez have prepared us for the likelihood of injuries and brought in some more players? So as always, we posed the question to the wonderful Everton Page on Facebook and here are some of your thoughts –

The views of Blues from the Everton Page

The views from The Everton Page

I agree with a lot of you, the injuries have really put a dent in our season and with so many other teams doing really well, I think we will struggle now to come back from our poor form, or maybe I’m being pessimistic!! I think it is harsh to blame Martinez, he wasn’t to know we would have this many injuries, but we really don’t have the quality we need in reserve. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the fact we have so many of our best players out, if it was the odd one or two we could manage but so many of the players injured, Barkley, Coleman, McCarthy, Mirallas, are all big names for us that provide for us game in game out. Once they are back, let’s hope there is no stopping us!

Until next time Blues…

Defensive Worries

Hello Blues,

Now we all know our defence hasn’t been great of late and we haven’t had the best of starts to the season.

The guys over at the Everton page  have asked me to delve into this and see where we’re going wrong!

My initial thoughts were that maybe captain Phil Jagielka is still suffering from a ‘world cup hangover’, or that Sylvain Distin isn’t exactly getting any younger. We also seem to be giving the ball away far too easily and not playing Osman and Pienaar has meant we’re not keeping the ball well at all, leading to the opposition taking the opportunity to get ahead.

With injuries our defensive line up is changing regularly, so compared to last season we had a pretty consistent back four that were used to playing with each other whereas this term we’ve had a changeable back four that are maybe not quite as used to playing with each other, leading to holes in the defence.

So let’s delve a little deeper.

Distin is 36 and will turn 37 in December, he’s getting on a bit now for a footballer I think it’s fair to say. I think we’ve all noticed his pace isn’t what it used to be, no criticism of him personally, it’s just one of those things! Jags is also 32 and he played in the world cup this summer, surely leading to fatigue! The centre back duo are the stalwarts of our defence, or at least were until this new season. We have now conceded 13 goals in the Premiership – let’s not count Tuesday night… meaning we’ve gone from being in the top three in the league in terms of the strongest defence to now having the worst.

Not all blame can be landed on the pair, Tim Howard has also not had the greatest of starts to the season, that said he was phenomenal in last Thursday’s Wolfsburg victory. However he then had the one of the worst games I’ve seen against Crystal Palace, he didn’t have much to do, but what he did, he got it all wrong.

I think the world cup has knocked Jags in particular and to then be the only player who was both a regular at the World Cup and available for the opening Euro qualifier game in Basel to suffer demotion to the bench is bound to knock his confidence, it’d be weird if it didn’t knock your confidence! I’ve always been a fan of Jags, but he’s become very inconsistent lately.

It feels like we are playing catch up at moment, we have a busy fixture schedule and we seem to be constantly trying to pick ourselves up and get ready for the next game but we’re still tired from the previous game and the whole game suffers.

One alarming statistic is that against Crystal Palace we had a massive 76% of the possession and yet we lost all three points. There is no excuse to have that kind of possession and not come away with a victory. We now have the second worst home record in the premier league, Goodison was once a fortress!

All this said, Distin was quoted telling Everton fans not to worry yet –

“I don`t see what huge changes you can make. We`ve been solid for five or six years. Over the past three or four season we`re the third best defence in the league. “It depends how you want to look at it; you can start panicking and thinking “What`s going on?” but I don`t think that`s the right thing to do.’ “We`ve conceded a lot of goals. It`s the Premier League and you get punished. “Maybe we`ve missed a bit of luck, a bit of communication. I don`t think it`s one thing, maybe a few little things together. “If you look at the chances they created it wasn`t that many. We just need to eradicate the mistakes and sort out that miscommunication.”

But what do you guys think is to blame?

Views from the ‘Everton Page’

Totally agree with Lee, Martinez is all about pushing forward whereas the defence often gets forgotten about. Interesting points all round, thanks guys!

I’m already nervous ahead of Saturday’s match, who knows what will happen!

 

Until next time Blues…

 

So long Gerry!

Hello Blues!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, I have had all my deadlines for University work and other work commitments that I won’t bore you with!

Anywho, I’m back! And the topic for today involves a short lived love affair with a particular Spaniard!

Image courtesy of BBC Sport

He has tweeted his thanks to the fans and the Club in an open letter published on his Twitter account.

Deulofeu’s open letter

In July of last year we signed Deulofeu on a season long loan. He scored on his debut against Stevenage. One of his most memorable goals was an 85th minute strike earning us a point away at Arsenal. Remember it? And who can forget his special celebration!!

 

He may have only made 25 appearances for us, but I think he gave us an edge, he was young, quick and creative. Sometimes he was selfish with the ball but who can blame him for trying to impress and he is still learning after all!

I for one will miss him, I think under Martinez he could have been moulded into a fine young footballer – not that he isn’t already! Martinez was already building him a pivotal role in the starting team but some more experience abroad will do him no harm and I don’t doubt he will be back on the Premier League’s turf again soon!!

Here are some of your thoughts on Gerry!

Views from The Everton page on Facebook

Agreed Dan, he did just run and run, in the face of defenders he carried on, like you say – he was fearless!! Know what you mean Harry, he was a bit up and down but I guess it can be put down to his age, Barkley can be the same.

Views from The Everton page on Facebook

Matt, I couldn’t agree more! In a few years, he’ll burst onto the scene and will be wanted by so many top clubs! He did have a good sense of humour, I’d forgotten about that incident Josh! Agreed that his goal against Arsenal was a biggun for our Gerry!

Views from The Everton page on Facebook

Definitely Patrick, he does need to learn to pass more, I think we’re all agreed on that!! Thanks Eddie for your comment, he does sound like a hit with the younger generation! Charismatic and cheeky!!

I think we will miss him but I have no doubt that Martinez will bring in other players to fill that void. We are all agreed that he could be very selfish with the ball but I do think he just wanted to show off his skill and impress! His goal against Arsenal was superb and carried on our unbeaten run. I appreciate him writing the farewell letter, goes to show what an impact us Evertonians can have on a player!!

 

Until next time Blues…

VOTE! Saturday’s game: win or lose?

Ok, so I’ve seen a lot comments floating around on social media sites about this Saturday’s game with Man City.

Some of you would prefer us to ‘throw the game’ or just lose, to prevent Liverpool from winning the Premiership title, whereas others think this is madness and we should always want Everton to win.

So I have another vote here! Cast your votes and we’ll see what opinion comes out on top! Tweet me your thoughts also, I’m @TheToffeeLady94 or comment and I’ll feature your thoughts in the results!!

 

 

Until next time Blues…

Will We Miss Mirallas’ Midas Touch?

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Kevin Mirallas will miss the remaining three games of the season with a groin injury.

In an interview with Everton TV, Martinez  said: “Kevin’s scans came back and they have revealed a small tear in his groin. He is going to be out for the season which is a real disappointment and a shame because he was in a phenomenal moment of form. “But the memory we have of his performance against Manchester United is a terrific image. The way he took his goal and how he was a dynamic force throughout the game – it was an outstanding performance. “It’s a great way to finish the season if it’s the last game he is going to be involved in this campaign.”

“It is not a major injury. It could be anything up to five or six weeks, and that’s looking at the worst-case scenario. Kevin is a quick healer and I would be surprised if he is not available after three or four weeks. “It’s a shame because we had three really important games and Kevin has always been really influential this campaign. But the most important aspect now is that we get him fully fit and ready to participate with Belgium in the World Cup.”

As Martinez touched upon, Mirallas played really well in the 2-0 win against Manchester United and it is a shame he will miss the remaining games of the season – away to Southampton, the last home game of the season against Man City and the conclusion of the season away to Hull City. He seemed to be coming into a run of form, so for that to be cut short, I think, will hit the squad, but we have always come up with alternatives. When we lost captain Phil Jagielka to injury, John Stones stepped up massively!

Kevin Mirallas seems to be in good spirit, taking to his Instagram account to share his thoughts.

The 26 year old Belgian international has scored 9 times for us this season and has set up 10, his work up and down the pitch has been vital to each game. He does appear to have somewhat of a ‘Midas touch’, his ability to turn games around and weave his way down the pitch to set up goal scoring opportunities is something that will be missed. In a way the silver lining is perhaps that it has happened with only three games left, I think it would have been more of a blow, had he sustained the injury a few games prior to the United game.

The Everton Page on Facebook asked for your thoughts on how much of a loss Mirallas will be. Thanks for getting in touch and here are some of your views.

Comments from ‘The Everton Page’

Comments from ‘The Everton Page’

Comments from ‘The Everton Page’

Comments from ‘The Everton Page’

I agree with what a lot of you are saying, in that there are plenty of people available to ‘step up’. Aiden McGeady and Gerard Deulofeu have looked impressive lately and both can provide the impact we need in Mirallas’ absence. I particularly agree with the first comment from Steve Nelson, Mirallas has been inconsistent this season, but he did seem to be coming into his own and as everyone seems to be saying, he is going to be a loss. As we all know we are missing a lot of players through injury at the moment and it is another blow to have yet another strong player out.

Saturday’s game away to Southampton will be a big test. Against a team that has been very good this season and with the number of absences we have, everyone needs to work together and go out fighting once more. The race for 4th is still on, it is ours for the taking.

In Martinez we trust.

 

Until next time Blues…

Post Match Musings – Manchester United

Following Wednesday’s defeat to Crystal Palace, I was nervous as to how we would respond against Manchester United. Arsenal had done us no favours by beating both of their opponents since they played us, so we had to win to keep the pressure on them for 4th spot.

It was surprising to see goal keeper Tim Howard named captain. While he has been a constant outstanding player for us this season and deserves an accolade of that proportion, I think it is difficult to have a goal keeper in that role, when he is bound to the goal area, as often the captain needs to step in and be near the centre of the action. There was an incident early on that meant Distin ended up having to step in and have a word with the ref, whereas as captain, it should have been Howard.

In the opening stages of the first half, I think it was pretty even, United had a lot of the possession, but didn’t find a way through our defence. Our midfield however seemed to have big gaps, they needed to push up a lot more. There is a fine line between midfielders keeping a defensive role and pushing forward to play in the shots to attacking players and I think we weren’t quite getting it right to begin with.

I was astounded to see Clattenburg give us a penalty! Never thought I’d see that happen! Deservingly so however, as we had quite a few penalty shouts leading up to the one which was given, and it gave us the break through we needed. Baines was as always, calm in the face of goal, and netted the penalty, carrying on his 100% record.

 

Our second goal came just before half time on 43 minutes. Seamus Coleman had been causing the United defence all sorts of problems all half and he continued to do so leading up to the second goal, when his swinging ball found the feet of Kevin Mirallas to knock the ball home.

At the end of the half, we noticed Sylvain Distin clutching his hamstring, not a good sign, he had been incredible in the first half and the thought of him being substituted with Alcaraz was making us all rather nervous. This was confirmed when we saw him warming up during half time. However my somewhat negative opinions of him were shattered within minutes. He, in my opinion, was amazing. Tall and strong, he won the headers, cleared the ball calmly and even played a pivotal role upfront and came close to scoring on a number of occasions. He’s got a mean left foot on him too!

Lukaku did well in the game, he seemed to be winning more and more headers, it doesn’t take a genius to work out why – his new coach? None other than Duncan Ferguson! So he must be sharing some of his tricks! I felt bad for the Rom, he really deserved a goal, and had so many opportunities to score but it just wasn’t his day.

Ross Barkley seemed to struggle playing on the left, he was replaced by Leon Osman with 20 minutes to go. He made a careless foul leading up to his replacement, earning him a yellow card. There was a shirt pull and no need for it, I think it shows while he is an outstanding talent who will go far, he still has a lot to learn in certain aspects of his game.

The closing stages of the game were nervy, United were pressing a lot, but the whole team were back and kept out any threat of goal! It was a great performance and Martinez got it bang on again.

The atmosphere was electric throughout and I know I certainly went home with a sore throat, but a happy heart!!

The race for 4th spot may no longer be in our hands, but we’re certainly not going without a fight!

 

Until next time Blues…

Post Match Musings – Crystal Palace

I had pretty high expectations ahead of tonight’s game.

On the back of a gritty performance away against Sunderland, we were back on our own turf so surely we would get all three points.

As you may remember from my previous post, I am quite superstitious when it comes to heading to the games.

With it being a mid week game, the routine is always different anyway, my dad works in Crewe, so he had to come home to pick us up, to then head over to Goodison. The route normally takes us around 35 minutes, but not tonight.

The tunnel traffic was merciless and we parked up at the ground with just 20 minutes to go ahead of the 7.45pm kick-off. We missed the opening minute of the game, the first time that has happened in my football-watching experience. From then on I was uneasy, I could just sense things were not going to go our way. Everything leading up to the game had gone awry, so surely the game would too.

When the team news was announced, I was surprised but thought, yeah let’s try something new and as followers of this blog will know, I am a fan of Martinez, and in him we trust.

We heard Sharpy say on the radio that his main concern tonight was the height in Crystal Palace’s team and how we always seem to struggle against teams with big players and I agree, I think this played a part in tonight’s 3-2 defeat. We don’t have a tall squad by any means and in the set pieces tonight, that really went against us.

I felt Baines was very off kilter tonight, not his usual self at all.

John Stones, for me, was outstanding, he battled on all game and just didn’t stop. For a player as young as him, he just seems to improve game on game, he made some excellent passes and his ability to pick out players is exceptional.

Although Ross Barkley had a few dodgy moments, overall, I thought he showed some great stamina, he just carried on powering through the tall Palace defence and created chances as much as possible.

When the double substitution was made, all around me in the stands were raised eyebrows.

Gareth Barry for Leon Osman?

I’m a fan of Osman and all, don’t get me wrong, but taking off Barry,  one of the strongest, tallest players to replace him with tiny little Leon? It didn’t make sense to me, however he did inject some life into the game and managed to zip in and out of the Palace defence!

Tonight also proved why James McCarthy may well deserve Player of the Season ! We started without him, Martinez confirmed he had a muscle problem, but then introduced him to the game and again he proved pivotal. I think we missed his presence in the first half, though I’m glad Martinez rested him at the start.

No matter what we did we just didn’t take our chances.

I don’t know how many times this season I have thought, what if that had gone in or what if he had passed the ball instead of skying it?!

But that’s just part of the crazy world of football. To me, our passing didn’t seem to flow, it felt very out of sync and so many passes seemed to fall to Palace players.

Match Stats – Crystal Palace – BBC Sport

 

I think these stats speak for themselves, ok so we had the majority of the possession, but 17 shots, only 5 on target, 13 corners and we couldn’t convert them into winning goals? I think it was a very frustrating night all round for the Goodison faithful.

From the 86th minute that Mirallas scored, there was hope, I was personally convinced we had an equaliser in us, clearly I was proved wrong but for the last 4 minutes and 6 minutes of stoppage time (which was thoroughly deserved, thanks to Palace’s time-wasting keeper) the action was in and around the penalty area but it just wasn’t happening for us. The ball just didn’t find the back of the net.

I’m disappointed and deflated, but there is still hope for a Champions League spot.

It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.

We’ve got Sunday to focus on now and we need to put tonight behind us and look ahead to the visit of the Red Devils.

 

Until next time Blues….

Match Day Superstitions

When it comes to heading to a match we all have our own little routines and superstitions we have to follow. I am no different!

Over the years my routine has changed, from where we park, to where we eat or what route we take to the ground.

I go to every home game with my older sister and my Dad. We travel by car from Chester and leave our house two and a half hours before kick-off. I always wear some form of royal blue, right down to my earrings, eye shadow and jewellery! Sad I know but has to be done, I could never wear red on a match day!

We usually head to The Thomas Frost Spoons for something to eat and a cheeky tipple! Then just after team news is announced and we have mulled it over, we head over to the megastore and the ground.

Here is where my first weird superstition kicks in! Crossing the road from the Spoons to the other side (near the Aldi and the Maccies – know it?) I always have to walk round the outside of the lamp post, I know it sounds mental! I don’t know where it came from I’ve just always done it and refuse go any other way round it. If I did, we would lose! And the one time I didn’t, we did lose!!

Wonder if I have lost any readers to that admission? ….. Ooops – you must all think I’m crazy!

Next we walk over to the ground, have a quick nose in the megastore, then it is to our turnstile and in we go!

And here is my next little superstition; when the game is in play the three of us have this thing called ‘hands’. Again I can’t remember where it came from I can just remember having always done it!! Even now if I am watching an away game or listening on the radio I always do it, it’s become instinct to do it! If we have a set piece, we have to do ‘good hands’ which involves your hands being clasped together, palms pressed together, tips of your fingers facing upwards! Ok so basically like you’re praying!

‘Good Hands’
Photo courtesy of ‘automobilein.com’

Then if the opposition has a set piece or is on a break, we clasp our fingers together still, but fold our fingers down! I usually squeeze like mad, willing for someone to stop the other team in their tracks!

‘Bad Hands’
Photo courtesy of ‘bethel-clydach.co.uk’

 

You may have seen me over various social media outlets asking for your match day superstitions, here are some of the responses.

Answers from @TheToffeeLady94

Thanks guys for your responses, I love hearing from other fans and what their routines are!

Answer from ‘The Everton Page’

Thanks Steven for your thoughts! Your poor brother! Suffering for the team he loves!! I might have to try out this ‘lucky chippy’, let’s hope it keeps on working!! I like that you walk round the ground, take in the atmosphere and mull over your thoughts ahead of the game!!

Answers from ‘The Everton Page’

That’s the way to do it Karl! Once you’ve found a routine that works, stick to it! Michael, how could you!? But again at least now you know what  you need to do. Love your dedication to the ritual! That’s why I always have to walk round the lamp post, one time I didn’t we lost! We’re all nuts Gary! That’s what makes us Blues so special!!

 

Thanks again for all your answers, they have made me feel a bit more sane!!

Give me a follow on Twitter for all the latest updates on my blog!

 

Until next time Blues…

 

Who will make the plane?

At the time of posting it is 65 days to the World Cup 2014 in Rio. I for one am really looking forward to it! I have some great memories of the last world cup in 2010, I had just finished high school and was on holiday with my family in Portugal. I can remember going to lots of the ‘English bars’ and watching a lot of the games as well as singing along very loudly to Shakria’s official World Cup song, ‘Waka Waka’.

 

I distinctly remember the sad moment Heitinga was sent off for Netherlands and missed the rest of the game, but it was brilliant not just to watch England but to see the whole array of teams playing and get caught up in footy fever that always takes over the country!

So ahead of this exciting time, I got thinking about who would ‘make the plane’ ? And has leaving Everton harmed any English players chances at making the plane to Rio?

Picture from The Guardian

 

Let’s take Joleon Lescott as example uno, he joined us in the 2006-07 season. In his first start of the season away to Tottenham, he was named man of the match, so an instant hit among blue fans I think it’s fair to say. As well as being voted as player of the season in the same season by his team mates.

 

The problems began when Man City started sniffing around, they attempted to sign Lescott at the end of 2009, but we rejected two offers. However in August, Lescott submitted a formal transfer request, which Moyes rejected. He then refused to omit him from the side on the first game of the season (the 6-1 defeat to Arsenal – yeah still hurts me too).

Moyes then took him out of the squad for a mid week Europa game claiming he had ‘bad attitude’ and that ‘his head had been turned’ – didn’t we all know it!! Lescott was then eventually signed to City for a cushy £24 million. From then on he has received abuse from fans. I can remember that was the first proper time I was really annoyed and upset with a player for leaving. In my mind, all players loved Everton as much as I do, so how could they contemplate leaving?! But karma’s a babe! And he has paid his comeuppance!

 

Picture from The Telegraph

Next I’ll move on to Jack Rodwell, remember him? He was with Everton from the age of seven and made his way through the ranks. He made his senior debut when he was just 16, coming on as a sub in the Europa league in 2008. In 2009 he signed a 5 year deal with us and became a regular feature in the side. Then in August 2012, Rodwell had his head turned once more by the money of the Mancs. Since signing for City in 2012, he has made just 14 appearances. Was it really worth it Rodders?

 

 

 

Picture from Sky Sports

Do you remember when Pienaar left us for Tottenham? Once again a player has been lured away to the bright lights of a big club with European football, they are only human, but once again it didn’t quite go according to plan. In the January transfer window of 2011, Chelsea and Tottenham had their eye on Pienaar, but it was Tottenham who signed Peanuts on a four year contract. His time at Tottenham was plagued with injury, he rarely featured in the team, making just 10 appearances. Only a year later, Pienaar returned to us on loan, (having seen the error of his ways!) before singing again that summer.

 

I think it is fair to say that leaving Everton and going to play for a club in who has European football and has money to pay mega wages, doesn’t always pan out that way. At least at Everton you play week in week out, and can attract the attention of international managers, whereas playing on the odd occasion when squads rotate as much as they do in the bigger clubs, isn’t really enough. Most of the time the players end up just sat watching on from the subs bench.

 

I think it isn’t too late for Jack Rodwell, he is young enough to turn it around and make his name in international football, but Lescott has had his day now.

Look at Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Ross Barkley, all players that have (so far) stayed loyal to Everton, and have reaped the rewards in playing for England. They get to play regular Premiership football and get to showcase their talent to Roy!

Even Gareth Barry has had mentions of playing for England again and that is only since joining Everton, previous to this, he would never have dreamed of having talks surrounding an international career.

 

 

The conclusion? Just stick with us Blues or you’ll be sat warming the bench in Rio.

Until next time Blues…