Michael Ball: Everton investment can bring best out of Blues players - it did for me at Man City
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Michael Ball
Former Everton defender talks Moshiri, a new stadium and his Capital One Cup final regret
Everton FC owner Bill Kenwright, left with manager Roberto Martinez. Picture by Gareth Jones
Manchester City have never been the same again.
They’ve certainly not looked back.
I was at the club when the landscape changed - dramatically.
Thaksin Shinawatra bought City in 2007, Stuart Pearce who had brought me to the club was sacked and Sven Goran Erikson was appointed. Sven sat us all down one day, he told us that we were all good players but that the club was looking to push onto the next level. He told us not to take it personally, and he would give us the opportunity, but the message was clear: he could now start buying whoever he wanted. It immediately put pressure on us players but it was no different to any other job: if we weren’t good enough then we would be replaced. Elano arrived, Sven was sacked and replaced by Mark Hughes and not long after we signed Robinho from Real Madrid. Soon there was serious talk that Kaka would be the next star to join. I know it made me want to up my game and prove to people that I was good enough to be part of this new era and the hope, should Everton see the arrival of new players now Farhad Moshiri is on board, is that it will do the same to them. Everton's Andrei Kanchelskis gets the ball past Newcastle's Shaka Hislop Maybe if the Blues go out and buy a new world class striker then it can take Romelu Lukaku to another level. Striving to prove yourself like that was a theme throughout my career, from training with the Everton first-team when I was just 16, to getting called up by England.
As a young lad, if I tackled Andrei Kanchelskis in training, I was happy. It had become pretty evident that investment was heading in Everton's direction. But from who - and from where - nobody was quite sure. It felt like it was dragging and dragging so the speed - and surprise - of Moshiri’s arrival at Goodison on Saturday was refreshing. And it appears a very positive move as well.
Moshiri has taken a big chunk of the football club and he knows football, he comes from a football background and the hope is that he can take us to the next level. Like any businessman, he will invest money to try and make money but the better the team and the club become, the better his return will be. The two main areas that I’m sure will be the focus for fans are the squad and the stadium.
I hope the arrival of Mr Moshiri can see Everton develop and progress on both.
As a player, you’re not so fussed on a new stadium, you just want to play and train with the best players possible but modern football dictates that clubs need to be the whole package.
And part of that is for Everton to have a stadium that helps attract the top players as well.
Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson at Ashton Gate for a League Cup second round tie with Bristol City
So important that Bill Kenwright stays on
A few weeks ago, in this column, I wrote about why I hoped Bill Kenwright would stay on at Everton in the event of a takeover. This was at the time when we believed the Blues were in line to be bought by an American consortium, and I said why I felt it important that the chairman remained at Goodison, in the short-term at least. That has obviously changed. On Saturday evening it was announced that the club had acquired a new major shareholder in Farhad Moshiri. So there would be no takeover, just the promise of investment, and Moshiri comes to the club from a football background, having been a shareholder at Arsenal.
But I feel it's still important that Bill stays on.
He will be there to show Mr Moshiri what Everton is all about and I'm sure he will value being able to speak to Bill, at any time, about the Blues. Bill remains at Everton's heart and hopefully how much the chairman loves the club ends up rubbing off on our new majority shareholder.
Villa Park trip is a must-win
The trip to Aston Villa tonight is a must-win game for Everton.
They look like they’re down but teams like that have the potential to be dangerous.
Villa have some good players and if they decide to click then it could be a tricky game for the Blues and they could catch the lads by surprise. As I say, they look like they are basically relegated but there will be players in that side hoping to get a move at the end of the season so, for many, these final stretch of games will be a chance to put themselves in the shop window.
I don't like Anfield!
I don’t like going to Anfield.
And so it is why I booked a short break to Dubai last week.
The derby was scheduled for Sunday afternoon and though I considered cancelling it when it looked as though Everton were going to make the Capital One Cup final, getting away proved the right call.
While I was out there, I ended up having a night out with the Dubai Everton Supporters Club which was great. The Blues out there were disappointed to learn that Roberto Martinez and the team were staying at a private residence, so chances to see the players were thin on the ground while they were in Dubai for a warm weather training camp.
Wembley should have been us
I watched the Capital One Cup final on Sunday and couldn’t shake the feeling: it should have been us.
I still consider it an opportunity missed for Everton that we were unable to hold our 3-1 lead in the tie.
The Blues were 20 minutes from Wembley, as the second leg of the semi-final would down against Man City, but it wasn’t to be. It was painful to take and so Sunday’s final was tough to watch.

Michael Ball: Everton investment can bring best out of Blues players - it did for me at Man City
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Michael Ball
Former Everton defender talks Moshiri, a new stadium and his Capital One Cup final regret
Manchester City have never been the same again.
They’ve certainly not looked back.
I was at the club when the landscape changed - dramatically. Thaksin Shinawatra bought City in 2007, Stuart Pearce who had brought me to the club was sacked and Sven Goran Erikson was appointed.
Sven sat us all down one day, he told us that we were all good players but that the club was looking to push onto the next level. He told us not to take it personally, and he would give us the opportunity, but the message was clear: he could now start buying whoever he wanted. It immediately put pressure on us players but it was no different to any other job: if we weren’t good enough then we would be replaced. Elano arrived, Sven was sacked and replaced by Mark Hughes and not long after we signed Robinho from Real Madrid. Soon there was serious talk that Kaka would be the next star to join.
I know it made me want to up my game and prove to people that I was good enough to be part of this new era and the hope, should Everton see the arrival of new players now Farhad Moshiri is on board, is that it will do the same to them. Everton's Andrei Kanchelskis gets the ball past Newcastle's Shaka Hislop Maybe if the Blues go out and buy a new world class striker then it can take Romelu Lukaku to another level. Striving to prove yourself like that was a theme throughout my career, from training with the Everton first-team when I was just 16, to getting called up by England.
As a young lad, if I tackled Andrei Kanchelskis in training, I was happy.
It had become pretty evident that investment was heading in Everton's direction.
But from who - and from where - nobody was quite sure.
It felt like it was dragging and dragging so the speed - and surprise - of Moshiri’s arrival at Goodison on Saturday was refreshing. And it appears a very positive move as well. Moshiri has taken a big chunk of the football club and he knows football, he comes from a football background and the hope is that he can take us to the next level. Like any businessman, he will invest money to try and make money but the better the team and the club become, the better his return will be. The two main areas that I’m sure will be the focus for fans are the squad and the stadium. I hope the arrival of Mr Moshiri can see Everton develop and progress on both. As a player, you’re not so fussed on a new stadium, you just want to play and train with the best players possible but modern football dictates that clubs need to be the whole package. And part of that is for Everton to have a stadium that helps attract the top players as well. Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson at Ashton Gate for a League Cup second round tie with Bristol City
So important that Bill Kenwright stays on
A few weeks ago, in this column, I wrote about why I hoped Bill Kenwright would stay on at Everton in the event of a takeover. This was at the time when we believed the Blues were in line to be bought by an American consortium, and I said why I felt it important that the chairman remained at Goodison, in the short-term at least.
That has obviously changed.
On Saturday evening it was announced that the club had acquired a new major shareholder in Farhad Moshiri. So there would be no takeover, just the promise of investment, and Moshiri comes to the club from a football background, having been a shareholder at Arsenal.
But I feel it's still important that Bill stays on.
He will be there to show Mr Moshiri what Everton is all about and I'm sure he will value being able to speak to Bill, at any time, about the Blues. Bill remains at Everton's heart and hopefully how much the chairman loves the club ends up rubbing off on our new majority shareholder. (Left to right) Moshiri, Kenwright and Woods - what is the balance of power at Everton now?
Villa Park trip is a must-win
The trip to Aston Villa tonight is a must-win game for Everton.
They look like they’re down but teams like that have the potential to be dangerous.
Villa have some good players and if they decide to click then it could be a tricky game for the Blues and they could catch the lads by surprise. As I say, they look like they are basically relegated but there will be players in that side hoping to get a move at the end of the season so, for many, these final stretch of games will be a chance to put themselves in the shop window.
And so it is why I booked a short break to Dubai last week.
The derby was scheduled for Sunday afternoon and though I considered cancelling it when it looked as though Everton were going to make the Capital One Cup final, getting away proved the right call.
While I was out there, I ended up having a night out with the Dubai Everton Supporters Club which was great. The Blues out there were disappointed to learn that Roberto Martinez and the team were staying at a private residence, so chances to see the players were thin on the ground while they were in Dubai for a warm weather training camp.
Wembley should have been us
I watched the Capital One Cup final on Sunday and couldn’t shake the feeling: it should have been us.
I still consider it an opportunity missed for Everton that we were unable to hold our 3-1 lead in the tie.
The Blues were 20 minutes from Wembley, as the second leg of the semi-final would down against Man City, but it wasn’t to be. It was painful to take and so Sunday’s final was tough to watch.

Llandudno Under 7s set for their own Match of the Day at Everton FC this weekend
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Blake Welton
The North Wales youngsters will have a day to remember at Goodison Park on Saturday as the Blues take on West Ham
Although Everton FC will be unveiling their new investors during their game against West Ham at the weekend – all eyes will be firmly on nine North Wales youngsters at half-time.
During the interval of the March 5 Premier League encounter, Llandudno FC Under 7s will be taking part in a special training session on the hallowed turf of Goodison Park. The day, organised by Conwy County Everton FC Supporters Club, will also see two of the youngsters mascots for the Blues – leading the team out before kick-off to an expectant 40,000 crowd. READ: Watch Conwy Everton FC supporter Margaret Thomas surprised by Tony Hibbert The lucky pair, Jack Clague and Sam Glenon, will get the chance to be photographed with the players, have a pre-match meal and be presented with new Everton kits.
Llandudno FC U7s are a new junior team, only formed last summer, playing under the umbrella of Welsh Premier League side Llandudno FC. The youngsters have had a good first half of the season and are also looking to take part in a number of tournaments over the summer. Speaking about the day, manager Paul “Robbo” Roberts said: “On behalf of everyone at Llandudno U7s I would like to thank everyone at Conwy Everton Supporters Club for giving them a day to remember.” READ: North Wales rapper enjoying new role as Fan Zone presenter of his beloved Everton FC Bob Roberts, secretary of Conwy County Everton FC Supporters Club added: “It's been a privilege to do this for the team and is our way of saying thank you to them. “Also have to thank Everton Football Club for the great support they have shown in helping us do this.” Llandudno FC Under 7s are: Max Guinn (Goalkeeper), Shea Midgeley (Defender), Dylan Ellis (Defender), Jack Clague (Defender/Midfield), Archie Johnson (Midfield), Charlie McIlvouge (Midfield), Sam Glenon (Forward), Taylor Roberts (Forward) and Shea Pita (Forward).

Who is Farhad Moshiri's wife Nazenin Ansari?
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Tina Miles
What we know about the Iranian billionaire's successful other half
Nazenin Ansari, who is married to Farhad Moshiri
Everton ’s new investor Farhad Moshiri hasn’t been out of the headlines after he bought a 49.9% stake in the Blues. But they say behind every successful man there is a great woman - and that’s certainly the case when it comes to the Iranian billionaire. In fact the 60-year-old’s other half is hugely successful in her own right. Nazenin Ansari is an Iranian journalist who is based in London. She is managing editor of Kayhan London, a weekly Persian-language newspaper. Nazenin is also series producer at Manoto, an international free-to-air Persian language entertainment channel.
Education
She carved out her well-respected career in journalism after being educated in America.
After studying a BA in Public Affairs and Government at George Washington University, she went on to do a master’s degree in the USA. Nazenin received her MA in International Relations and Comparative Politics from Georgetown University in Washington in 1983. She was a London correspondent for Voice of America’s Persian News Network until July 2009. She was also president of the Foreign Press Association in London from 2007 to 2009.
First elected to the governing committee in 2002, she also served as the association’s vice president from 2009 to 2012.
Ex Arsenal investor Moshiri stepped into the Merseyside spotlight after pledging to bring success to the Toffees. And like her husband Nazenin is no stranger to being in front of the camera, making regular TV appearances as a panelist. She has appeared on BBC News’s Dateline London programme, and provides news analysis about Iran on BBC Radio 4, CNN International, Sky News and Al-Jazeera. Nazenin has also worked with a number of Iranian educational and charitable foundations, and is a member of Chatham House and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. In addition, she has been an invited guest speaker to many Iran-related events and conferences.

Aston Villa v Everton team selector - Four Echo writers pick their teams, now pick yours
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Put yourself in Bobby's brown brogues for tonight's match
Phil Kirkbride
4-2-3-1: Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Mori, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Cleverley, Lukaku.
They say you shouldn't change a winning team, that continuity is important and consistent selections breed consistency on the pitch. But still, there is one change Roberto Martinez should make for tonight's game at rock-bottom Aston Villa and that is at left-back. It's time to bring Leighton Baines back in from the cold.
Dave Prentice
4-2-3-1: Robles; Coleman, Jagielka, Mori, Baines; Lennon, McCarthy, Barry, Cleverley; Barkley; Lukaku.
The more you leave John Stones out in the cold the more you fear for his long-term Goodison future. But neither Mori nor Jagielka deserves to be rotated. There's also no way Leighton Baines deserves to be left on the bench any longer either. He must be recalled.
Adam Jones
4-2-3-1: Joel; Coleman, Funes Mori, Jagielka, Oviedo; Barry, McCarthy; Deulofeu, Barkley, Lennon; Lukaku
I know the saying is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", but in all honesty I think it's time for a bit of a shake-up in the Everton line-up.
Don't worry, not in goal, Joel should start every game from now on.
But across the rest of the pitch, especially after the last league game against West Brom, there's room for improvement after a bit of a flat performance.
That being said, I wouldn't change the defence. All of them are playing easily well enough to keep their places (even though Leighton Baines might have something to say about that).
In midfield, Gareth Barry is honestly the first name on my teamsheet these days. Play him with McCarthy in the centre as usual. Lennon was arguably the player of the month from Februrary and keeps his place on the right. On the left, I think it's time to see Gerard Deulofeu back, he'll be raring to go again. Barkley and Lukaku are both shoe-ins, Niasse will make a good option from the bench later on.
Kristian Walsh
4-2-3-1: Joel, Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Baines; Cleverley, McCarthy; Deulofeu, Barkley, Niasse, Lukaku
The Blues should be nice and fresh for this game, having not played this weekend, meaning they've had 10 days off. Aston Villa, on the other hand, went down 2-1 at Stoke at the weekend.
So a bit of a dilemma for Roberto Martinez, given West Ham awaits on Saturday. Do you play your strongest team here, given how fresh they are? Or do you allow them another couple of days off, given Villa is the less daunting prospect of the week?
For me, it's a mixture of the two. Let's get some of the lads refreshed and warm for the Hammers - the spine of the team, if you will. So that's starts for Joel, Jagielka, Coleman, McCarthy, Barkley and Lukaku, for starters.
Let's fill in around them. I would give Baines a chance over Oviedo, and also bring Stones back into the fold to regain a bit of confidence.
Barry would usually be a part of the spine, but he deserves an extra few days off, so we'll put Cleverley into the middle. Out wide, I'm giving Niasse a full debut on the left, and Deulofeu a chance to impress on the right.

Aston Villa v Everton team news: Kevin Mirallas handed start but ill Tom Cleverley absent
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Belgian handed rare place in first XI as midfiedler misses out on return to Villa Park
Kevin Mirallas will make only his fifth Premier League start of the season as Everton take on Aston Villa tonight. Otherwise, the Blues are unchanged from the side that saw off Bournemouth 2-0 in the FA Cup last month. Tom Cleverley drops out of the squad altogether through illness while Arouna Kone returns to the matchday set-up after missing the Cup win on the south coast due to illness.
Joel Robles remains in goal, Seamus Coleman continues at right-back, Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes Mori are at centre-half and Bryan Oviedo is once again preferred over Leighton Baines at left-back.
James McCarthy and Gareth Barry are Everton's two holding midfielders with Aaron Lennon, Ross Barkley and Mirallas in behind Romelu Lukaku, who has five goals in his last four league games against Villa. Mirallas last started a league game against Swansea City at the end of January but last just 28 minutes after picking up a heel injury. EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Funes Mori, Oviedo, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku. Subs: Howard, Baines, Stones, Kone, Niasse, Deulofeu, Osman.

Aston Villa fans in walkout protest as Everton stroll increases dissent
Aston Villa 1 - 3 Everton
Stuart James at Villa Park
Tuesday 1 March 2016 Guardian
For some Aston Villa supporters the thought of waiting until the 74th minute to walk out in protest against the club’s board was too much to bear. The sight of Romelu Lukaku scoring Everton’s third, on the hour mark, had prompted many to make for the exits even earlier than planned on another chastening evening for the club. It was not exactly a mass exodus later in the game, when a couple of thousand left their seats as part of the Out the Door on 74 campaign, but there was no escaping the hostility in the air, with the mood close to mutinous at times as the supporters made their feelings known. Tom Fox, the chief executive, was subjected to some abusive chants as he looked on from the directors’ box and moments later “We want Lerner out” reverberated around the stadium. Randy Lerner, of course, is nowhere to be seen, with the Villa owner more detached than ever from a club that remain eight points adrift of safety with only 10 games remaining. It is a case of when, not if, Villa will be relegated. Rudy Gestede, a substitute for the anonymous Gabriel Agbonlahor, pulled a goal back but by that stage Everton were coasting to a routine victory in a match when Lukaku wrote his name into their record books and the visiting supporters basked in anticipation of their club’s expected new wealth.
Ramiro Funes Mori set them on their way and later claimed an assist, Aaron Lennon added the second following a fine counterattack and Rémi Garde’s side were in damage-limitation mode by the time Lukaku scored his 17th league goal of the season – the best return for an Everton player in the Premier League era. The result lifts Roberto Martínez’s team to 10th in the table and completes a highly satisfactory few days for Everton, coming on the back of the news that Farhad Moshiri, a British-Iranian billionaire, is to become their major shareholder and, in sharp contrast to the dismal state of affairs at Aston Villa, herald what promises to be a bright new era at Goodison Park.
“It’s been a significant week,” Martínez said. “I know we’ve been talking about it a lot but it is important. I think you could see that sense of excitement throughout the fans, throughout everyone at [the training ground] Finch Farm and it’s great to welcome our new partner at the football club with a win and a positive feeling, and I’m sure he’ll be delighted with the performance.”
As for Lukaku, Martínez expects the club’s record signing to push on now. “I thought his overall contribution was very important and I’m delighted for him to reach that level,” he said. “But I know from now until the end of the season he’s got an incredible focus to increase that figure as much as he can. He’s a man that, at 22, clearly has the world at his feet.” Everton could not have wished for a better start as Villa’s woeful defending at set pieces was again exposed. Micah Richards had the straightforward task of marking Funes Mori but lost his man to the point the Everton defender had a free header from Kevin Mirallas’s corner. There were only five minutes on the clock and a familiar story was already unfolding. Although Joel Robles made a decent save to tip Ashley Westwood’s raking drive around a post, Everton were comfortable and it was no surprise when they added a second. Ross Barkley picked up possession from Phil Jagielka inside his own half and carried the ball 30 yards before releasing Mirallas in the inside-left channel. The Belgian looked up and squared perfectly into the path of Lennon, who slotted the ball through the legs of both Joleon Lescott and the goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
Lescott later cleared a Bryan Oviedo shot off the line and Guzan produced a point-blank stop to keep out a header from Lukaku, but the inevitable third goal soon arrived. Funes Mori, in so much space on the Everton right after a corner was only half-cleared, crossed for Lukaku to turn the ball home with a thigh. By the time Gestede headed home Jordan Veretout’s centre, in the 79th minute, Villa Park had started to empty. “I’m not been here for a long time enough to assess the behaviour of everybody,” said Garde, when asked about the Villa supporters’ protest. “I respect the fans because they are totally part of the club but I have to respect as well my position and the people who put me in this position.
“I concentrate my energy on what I am asked to do, which is to try to win games with this squad of players.” A thankless task if ever there was one.

Aston Villa 1 Everton 3: Fans stage walkout as Villa surrender once again
Aston Villa vs Everton, Premier League - Romelu Lukaku nets club-record 17th Premier League goal of the season
By John Percy, Villa Park
01 Mar 2016 Telegrapgh
The only surprise was that some Aston Villa supporters waited until the 74th minute to stage their walk-out protest. After five years of painful decline under owner Randy Lerner, Villa fans are now voting with their feet and around 2,000 streamed out 16 minutes from time as relegation to the Championship inched closer to reality. Lerner and chief executive Tom Fox were both subjected to abusive chants and this will have been a grim experience for Villa’s American owner watching on his TV feed over in New York. The protest, in recognition of Villa’s formation in 1874, was more severe than expected and came shortly after Romelu Lukaku had added Everton’s third, with the Belgian striker setting a new club record for the most goals in a Premier League season. Everton were irresistible at times and if this is new pressure for Roberto Martinez, after the club’s decade-long search for investment was ended over the weekend, all that was missing was a cigar on the touchline for the Spaniard. Yet this was another demoralising defeat for Villa manager Rémi Garde and the mood is likely to get even uglier over the final weeks of this sorry season. Garde said: “I don’t want to spend energy commenting on that [the protest]. I’m not in a position where I can blame someone. “It’s still possible mathematically to stay up but the less games we have to play the more difficult it will be.” Villa have now conceded nine goals in two games against the Merseyside clubs and this defeat leaves them still anchored to the bottom, eight points adrift of safety. The Championship awaits, but Everton are approaching an exciting new era, after Iranian businessman Farhad Moshiri bought a 49.9 per cent stake in the club.
They were ahead after just five minutes, with the walk-out extending to the Villa defence. This time it was Micah Richards who completely lost Ramiro Funes Mori in the penalty area and the Everton defender rose unopposed to head home Kevin Mirallas’s corner. Villa did briefly respond, with Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles twice called into action, repelling a crazy clearance from Funes Mori and diving to his right to keep out a low shot from Ashley Westwood. But Everton increased their lead on the half-hour after another alarmingly simple goal. Ross Barkley was allowed to advance 30 yards before releasing Mirallas inside the area and his low cross was turned in by Aaron Lennon. Everton were in control for large portions of the second half and a third goal was inevitable, coming on the hour. Funes Mori was given far too much space to cross, after Villa failed to adequately clear, and Lukaku bundled the ball over the line for his 17th of the season. It ensured the £28 million record signing now has more goals in a Premier League campaign than Tony Cottee and Andrei Kanchelskis. The goal sparked a mini-exodus of home fans and the bile began to rain down from the terraces. Then, in the 74th minute, thousands headed for the nearest exit as chants were directed at the hierarchy. Rudy Gestede, a substitute, did restore some pride with a towering header but there was nothing to get the fans that remained excited. A successful start to a new chapter for Martinez, who was effusive about his record-breaking striker. “It was a really pleasing moment and it means a lot but I’m more pleased about the development Rom is showing,” he said. “Hes got an incredible focus to extend that figure for the rest of the season – the world is at his feet.”

Aston Villa vs Everton match report: Romelu Lukaku seals Toffees romp as home fans turn on woeful side
Aston Villa 1 Everton 3
Jon Culley Villa Park
March 1 2016 Independent
Aston Villa slipped a little closer to the seemingly inevitable conclusion to this dreadful season as Everton strolled to an easy victory here at Villa Park, where it took patience on the part of Villa fans to stay long enough to participate in a staged walk-out. A protest group urged supporters to leave the stadium after 74 minutes – 1874 is the year the club was founded – and while the number who heeded the call in a crowd of just under 30,000 was probably smaller than the organisers hoped, the point was made. Those who remained preferred to express their displeasure by word rather than action, shouting themselves hoarse in letting owner Randy Lerner, chief executive Tom Fox and new chairman Steve Hollis how they feel as relegation beckons for the first time since 1987. Humiliated 6-0 by Liverpool in their last home match, Villa were brushed aside by the other Merseyside club with Everton, who had won only three of their previous 13 Premier League matches, barely needing to break sweat as Villa simply gifted them goals, two in the first half-hour through Ramiro Funes Mori and Aaron Lennon and a third from Romelu Lukaku early in the second half, the striker setting a club record with his 17th of the season, the most by an Everton player in a Premier League season. After the chastening experience of that Liverpool defeat, the last thing Villa needed was to concede an early goal yet were unable to prevent Everton going ahead from the first corner of the night as Ramiro Funes Mori managed to slip away from Micah Richards to head home unchallenged from a Kevin Mirallas delivery. A gaunt Remi Garde stayed motionless in his seat, yet Villa’s response to the setback at least gave Everton some defending to do. Goalkeeper Joel Robles, called into action when an attempted clearance by Funes Mori cannoned goalwards off Gabriel Agbonlahor, was stretched to push a decent attempt by Ashley Westwood wide of his right-hand post. The significance of that moment was that it gave Villa a corner, their first in 235 minutes of football, a statistic that tells its own story. Moments later they won another, from which Richards attempted a scissors volley that was spectacular, if always going wide. Villa kept up the pressure, Robles required again to deal with Leandro Bacuna’s shot. Yet just as it appeared a way back into the game might be within their capability, Villa conceded a second goal. Again, they were found wanting at the back, pushed on their heels by Ross Barkley’s burst through the middle and then stretched when the midfielder’s pass found Mirallas on the left. When the Belgian sent the ball low across the penalty area, no one picked up Aaron Lennon, who deftly guided the ball wide of Brad Guzan and into the net. By this stage, to compound what was already threatening to become another awful night, Villa already had three players in referee Roger East’s book, Ciaran Clark and Idrissa Gana for fouls, Bacuna for a cynical handball. Lukaku joined them when he caught Clark with an elbow.
Everton’s third goal came after an hour as Lukaku punished more woeful Villa defending, turning the ball home from close range, again without a defender for company. It was all too easy for Everton. Villa tried to summon the spirit for a fight in the later stages and substitute Rudy Gestede scored with a header, but by then the damage was beyond repair.

Aston Villa 1-3 Everton player ratings: Mori the merrier as Lennon and Barry also impress
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
Joe Rimmer was at Villa Park to see the Blues cruise and his ratings reflect this impressive display
Romelu Lukaku scored but wasn't at his absolute best
Joel Robles 7
Has made the number one shirt his own, and he knows it. Composed when the ball was in his box and alert to danger. Made two impressive stops.
Seamus Coleman 6
Didn’t put a foot wrong in the 73 minutes he was on the pitch, but not looking the threat Everton fans know he can be. Substituted for John Stones.
Phil Jagielka 7
Steady, if unspectacular, alongside Funes Mori. The skipper was quietly effective.
Ramiro Funes Mori did well at both ends of the pitch
Ramiro Funes Mori 9
Excellent in both boxes. The Argentinian was Everton’s best player defensively and was also their biggest threat. Nodded in an easy enough opener and set up Romelu Lukaku to score. Superb.
Bryan Oviedo 7
Looked fit, strong and sharp and defended well when needed. Will be frustrated to have had to come off with an injury just as he seems to have made the left-back slot his own. Replaced by Leighton Baines.
Gareth Barry 8
Quite simply makes Everton tick. Positionally excellent and astute on the ball, Barry ran proceedings against the club where he made his name.
James McCarthy 7
Ran his socks off, as always, and effective enough on the ball, but went missing as Villa started to mount a late fightback.
Ross Barkley 7
Worked hard but didn’t get a lot of joy in-between the lines. Followed everywhere by Villa’s Idrissa Gana, who nullified the 22-year-old.
Kevin Mirallas 7
Like many others in the Everton team, was fairly unspectacular. However, showed good delivery from set-pieces. Replaced by Oumar Niasse.
Kevin Mirallas delivered some impressive set-pieces
Aaron Lennon 8
Always an outlet for the Toffees with his pace and forward running. Got himself a goal and had a hand in most of Everton’s best moments.
Romelu Lukaku 7
Frustrated during the first half, but came to life in the second, especially after scoring. Got himself a goal but could have had a couple more.
John Stones (for Coleman 73) 6
Came on just in time for Villa’s late push and was beaten in the air for Rudy Gestede’s consolation. Almost played himself into trouble later on.
Leighton Baines (for Oviedo 81)
Wasn't on long enough for a rating.
Oumar Niasse (for Mirallas 88)
Ran around more than he did during the warm-up.

Aston Villa 1 Everton 3 - Report
March 1 2016 Express and Star
Aston Villa fans made their feelings about the club's desperate predicament known with their feet as many staged a walk-out in protest during the 3-1 home defeat to Everton.
Some had chosen to leave following Lukaku's strike on the hour and many of those who remained joined them after 74 minutes, angry at the club's lack of direction as Villa look certain to drop into the Sky Bet Championship. They missed substitute Rudy Gestede head a reply shortly afterwards but it was far too little, too late and, with the same protest planned for the home games against Tottenham (March 13) and Chelsea (April 2), Villa, still eight points adrift at the bottom of the table, and their fans could have seen their fate already sealed by the time the reigning champions come to town. Remi Garde's side made the worst possible start as Everton scored with their first chance of the game when the unmarked Funes Mori powerfully headed Kevin Mirallas' corner past Brad Guzan from inside the six-yard box.
Villa struggled to get a foothold in the game until midway through the first half as Everton dominated possession, but then had a flurry of chances. A nicely-weighted pass from Leandro Bacuna put Gabby Agbonlahor through on goal but Funes Mori's challenge saw the ball ricochet off the Villa forward, forcing a reaction save from Joel Robles, who was fortunate the deflection went straight at him.
Funes Mori frustrated Villa again shortly afterwards by getting across Agbonlahor at the near post to slide in and deny him a certain tap-in. Then from a Bacuna corner, Micah Richards' acrobatic volley from just inside the penalty area sailed just over the crossbar and brought roars of approval from the home fans at their team's endeavour. So it was deflating in the extreme when Villa were caught on the counter-attack after half an hour. Ross Barkley led the raid before releasing Mirallas down the left and he played a square pass for Lennon to steer home a low shot. Everton nearly had a third goal three minutes later. Guzan parried Mirallas' shot and Joleon Lescott was on hand to clear Bryan Oviedo's follow-up from just in front of the goal-line. Guzan made a terrific save to push wide a header from Lukaku, who arrived quickly, timing his run perfectly to meet Lennon's cross with a powerful effort.
It was 3-0 after an hour from the resulting corner as the big Everton striker turned home Funes Mori's cross from point-blank range. It was the cue for some Villa fans to depart. For those who remained, as at Stoke on Saturday, there was more self-mocking, further chants against owner Randy Lerner and a defiant rendition of "Aston Villa....by far the greatest team the world has ever seen."

Everton boss Roberto Martinez revels in Ramiro Funes Mori surprise factor
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
'Ramiro is an infectious winner' says Blues boss after Argentina international impresses in win at Villa Park
Roberto Martinez admits he takes satisfaction from Ramiro Funes Mori 's surprise factor in the Premier League this season. The Argentina international has hit the ground running during his first season in England after becoming the club's record signing for a defender in the summer. Some questioned the Everton manager's decision to pay £9.5million for a player with no experience of European football when he arrived from River Plate in September, but the 24-year-old has confounded his critics.
He scored and created a goal in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa and continues to look more at ease with each outing. Martinez said: "The most impressive aspect is how quickly he’s adapted to the British game. You sign players because you think they can adapt to our play and to our team.
"Whatever they say on the outside sometimes it’s a good sign when people get a bit surprised.
"Otherwise everyone could sign the same players, (and I) don’t think they’d have a big impact."
Mori has three goals already this term and remains a major threat at set-pieces. But it is alongside skipper Phil Jagielka where he has built a strong partnership in recent weeks. "I think what impresses me the most is that Ramiro is an infectious winner, and nothing phases him," said the Catalan.

"He takes responsibility and I think he’s adapted quicker than I expected him to, with the tempo and the physicality of the Premier League. "He’s an out-and-out defender and he’s got a meaning in the box, considering the amount of goals he’s scored already. And he’s only 24, he’s starting a really exciting career with the national team, with Argentina. "It’s great to see him enjoying his football, growing in confidence, growing in stature and that’s what you want when a foreign signing arrives and settles in so quickly. It’s very, very pleasing."

Everton investor Farhad Moshiri will be delighted with victory, says Roberto Martinez
1 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
Blues boss believes impressive win at Villa as perfect way to cap off 'significant week' for club
Everton boss Roberto Martinez chats with Aston Villa counterpart Remi Garde
Roberto Martinez says Everton ’s performance in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa was the perfect way to cap off a “significant week” for the club and mark the arrival of Farhad Moshiri.
And the Blues boss says that Moshiri, who wasn’t at Villa Park, will be delighted with the performance of the team. He said: “It’s been a significant week. We have been talking about it a lot, but it is important.
“I think you could see that sense of excitement throughout the fans, throughout everyone at Finch Farm. “It’s great to welcome our new partner at the football club with a win and a really positive feeling and I’m sure he will be delighted with the performance.”
Martinez says that Everton now have a squad capable of taking advantage of their final 11 Premier League fixtures, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Chelsea. He added: “We’ve got a really strong squad. If you look at the bench today and the players that missed out, it’s got a real focus of performing for each other. “The next 11 games is a unique opportunity to get as many good performances as we can and try to get as many points of the final 33. That attitude was clear today.
“From the outside you expect an easy game but I can guarantee that wasn’t the case at all.”

Why Everton must embrace the power of positivity - but beware the sad tale of Aston Villa
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
Joe Rimmer was at Villa Park to consider how gaining an investor doesn't always guarantee success
Everton supporters enjoyed their evening at Villa Park last night - Aston Villa's fans didn't, though
It took just minutes for Everton fans to invent a song for their new found investment. “We’re f***ing rich,” belted out the away end. It was simple, but effective. Moments later and the Toffees were ahead, Kevin Mirallas’s corner finding the unmarked Ramiro Funes Mori to nod home. Aston Villa may as well have raised the white flag there and then. The contest was effectively over. The contrast between the mood in the home and away camps couldn’t be clearer. Everton are a club brimming with positivity. Villa, meanwhile, are a club on their knees. A proud club, but nonetheless a broken one. They offer a cautionary tale to all others. When Randy Lerner bought Doug Ellis’ shares in 2006 he gave fans hope of fresh investment, fresh impetus to wake a sleeping giant. It would take him just a month to take full control of the club and, initially, it looked as though he was ready to help Villa rejoin the elite.
Money was spent, ‘marquee’ transfers arrived and Lerner was even lauded for his charitable nature, with Villa sporting the logo of Acorns’ Children's Hospice on their shirts.
Fast forward a few years and the club is in crisis. Lerner has lost interest. The players seem to have followed suit. 29,755 supporters turned up to see them take on the Toffees, more than 10,000 off of the capacity at Villa Park. A planned walkout fell flat because many fans didn’t bother turning up in the first place. It’s a sorry state of affairs. Now, this all may seem so negative after what has been a thrilling, and long-awaited, week at Goodison. It isn’t meant to be so. But it might be a reason why Bill Kenwright and the Everton board took their time in finding investors. It might be the reason why the club is not now owned by two of Lerner’s countrymen. Often questioned for what has been called a lack of ambition, nobody can question Kenwright’s intentions. He has always ensured the Toffees don't go the way of Villa. And Kenwright’s presence is a reason why Everton fans can sleep easy knowing Farhad Moshiri will be well briefed on what is needed at Goodison. Moshiri may be the major owner of shares at Everton, but anything he does do he will have to do it under the watchful eye of Kenwright and co. They will ensure his heart remains in the right place and the investment in Everton is no passing interest. The dawning of a new era is what Roberto Martinez called it, but it needn’t be so drastic on the pitch.
How different Everton look to Villa. What is traditionally a hard-fought fixture for the Blues turned into nothing but a cakewalk.
Here, Martinez’s men looked hungry, intelligent, effective. They looked like a team. Their opponents couldn’t have been less so. Major surgery isn’t what’s needed on the pitch this summer. Fresh contracts for Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku and John Stones will suffice. Fresh resolve to keep star players and not bow down to the so-called elite. Add one or two of those ‘marquee’ signings and who knows where Everton could be heading? The up-and-up, it seems. The power of positivity can work wonders, the fans now have it, the players too. The manager has never lacked it. Embrace it, enjoy it and never let it go. But beware the sad tale of the Villa, for they are a warning to all others.

Pete Barrow column: Everton join the rich and turn up the heat
2 Mar 2016 The Huddersfield Daily Examiner
by PeteBarrow
Here's hoping Roberto Martinez gets the chance to show his worth under the new regime
So it will be Roberto Martinez who will be the next manager to feel the pressure turned up more than a notch in the Premier League. With the additional investment of Farhad Moshiri will come additional pain of trying to break into the top four next season – because what the men who put the money in want is a place on the big stage of the Champions League. In many ways having a grand old club like Everton be the next heavily-financed pretenders to the throne is quite fitting. Everton have produced many a successful and entertaining team through their history and to have them potentially among the top tier of clubs is certainly an interesting prospect – and it will be intriguing what kind of a reaction there is from the other side of Stanley Park.
However, money is no guarantee of success.
Despite being turned into the world’s richest council tenants back in 2008, it took Manchester City time to create the right squad and that elusive winning attitude to start putting silverware in a trophy cabinet that had been gathering dust for decades. Equally this season has shown that you don’t have to have billions to make a challenge in the Premier League. While I know that neither Leicester City or Tottenham are not short of a bob or two, they have both shown this season that judicious work in the transfer market and on the training field can produce both successful and attractive teams who are well capable of taking on some of their richer rivals. Like all new investors Moshiri has suggested that it will be a ‘new era’ for the club and Everton boss Martinez has admitted he and his side need to “show we are ready to take the football club to the next level”. Perhaps as football followers in England we should just be happy that Everton’s good fortune should up the ante once more and bring increased quality to the Premier League. Now you can argue all day as to whether the Premier League is the best in the world, but it is certainly the most competitive. In fact it is surprising that these investors seeking success with a soccer club carry on choosing the Premier League as the place to be. While La Liga can argue they have the world’s top players the competition continues to be dominated by Barcelona and Madrids Atletico and Real and purchasing a stake in a club such as Villareal, Sevilla or Celta Vigo could almost ensure a Champions League place instantly. Bayern Munich’s dominance of the Bundesliga, currently leading second placed Borussia Dortmund by eight points, and with four qualification places up for grabs surely makes Germany a market to gain quicker rewards. But why they don’t go shopping in France is perhaps the most puzzling situation. Paris SG are 13 points clear of the chasing and with two other Champions League qualifiers to come from Ligue 1, the purchase of a club with history like St Ettienne would seem a tidy move and I am led to believe that Nice can be quite a nice little spot to spend your time most of the year round. So the progress of Everton nest season will be one to watch next term.
I just hope for Martinez sake that there is enough patience around Goodison Park to allow him to have a decent shot at showing how good a manager he can be.

What now for John Stones at Everton?
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
The dilemma facing Everton manager Roberto Martinez
CHELSEA bid £45m for John Stones last summer. Barcelona, it has been reported, are prepared to offer even more. Yet the effortlessly elegant 21-year-old is being kept out of Everton’s starting line up by a raw South American still finding his feet in a new League and a new country. What’s more - Ramiro Funes Mori’s place in the team is fully deserved. It is a dilemma which must be exercising Roberto Martinez’s mind more than any other selection issue. When he was left out of the starting line up for the trip to Carlisle Stones had just endured his Swansea mix up and an uncomfortable evening spent at right-back against Manchester City.
Everton’s defending immediately improved.
Clean sheets against Carlisle, Newcastle, Stoke and Bournemouth were punctuated by a solitary set-piece goal conceded against West Brom.
Stones’ asbence was not the only common denominator.
The return after injury of Tom Cleverley and the recall of Aaron Lennon brought a much more resilient look to the side than it had been with Kevin Mirallas and Gerard Deulofeu in those roles.
But the fact remained that Everton looked more solid without Stones. Not as easy on the eye, perhaps a little more direct - possession figures will almost certainly have slipped too. But definitely more solid.
Everton were heading for another clean sheet on Tuesday at Villa Park, but conceded after Stones had come on as part of three at the back.
That maybe Martinez’s ultimate solution.
Unless Stones can bring the element of risk-free doggedness Mori already possesses to his game - because in possession the younger player is clearly superior. There was one moment midway through the first half, with the match at the time still finely poised at 1-0, that summed up their differing philosophies. A diagonal ball was punted towards Everton’s goal, 35 yards out towards the left-back position. Mori had just about enough time to take a touch and retain possession, provided his control was sure. He didn’t. He cleared the ball instantly upfield. Everton lost possession, but Villa weren’t given even a sniff of an opening. Stones would almost certainly have taken that touch. He would almost certainly have controlled it perfectly too, kept possession and looked good doing so.
But there would also have been a small element of risk.
It is those risks that Stones needs to iron out of his game.
Alan Hansen, a peerless Liverpool defender of the 1980s whose style was remarkably similar to Stones’, spoke of his development this week. “It looks like Stones is the real deal,” he said. “The boy is 21, and the most important thing for him to learn is to play the percentages. “That means if he is on the edge of his own box and someone is throwing themselves into a tackle, one-on-one, it’s not taking a chance if you stay on your feet and your opponent goes to ground. You are going to go past him, 100 per cent.
“But if there are three of them bearing down on you fast, and you try to be a bit too clever by going past them with a Cruyff turn, that’s taking a chance. “You’ve got to weigh up the risks and not be afraid to put your foot through it - but knowing when to play comes with age. “I know I got hammered for saying you win nothing with kids on Match of the Day, but Bob Paisley once told me experience is everything, and you can’t tell a 21-year-old, ‘I know how to play this game’. Everton boss Roberto Martinez revels in Ramiro Funes Mori surprise factor “My first two games for Liverpool were a clean sheet against Derby and at Old Trafford, where we got beat – I had to learn quickly when I started, and I was still learning in my final season at 35 years old.” Stones is still learning, too.
But he needs to complete that education on a football pitch, not a substitutes’ bench.
The longer he spends out of the Everton starting line-up - and it’s now six matches he’s missed - the longer you fear a successful swoop from an eager suitor this summer. And if Everton are as ambitious as they ought to be under their incoming owner, they can’t afford to lose players of the calibre and quality of John Stones. It’s a dilemma - and one which does not have an easy answer.

Joey Barton says Roberto Martinez needs strong Everton finish to save his job
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Boyhood Blue believes new owner will want results fast
Is Joey Barton's fear for the Toffees warranted?
Joey Barton believes Roberto Martinez must prove his worth quickly to Everton’s new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri - or be sacked.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5Live Barton, a boyhood Blue, believes that Moshiri will want to see results quickly. And a faliure to deliver could prove significant. Barton said: “The issue for me, and it hasn’t really been noted, is that usually when owners come in, big investors, 49.9% investors, they want their own man in charge and I think there is going to be an enormous pressure. “There is already an internal pressure in the City of Liverpool on Roberto Martinez – I knew that from the show we did, the feedback from it (Barton spoke to 5Live a fortnight ago when he admitted toi being ‘petrified’ for Everton’s future), and the amount of Evertonians I’ve met in the street who’ve said ‘I absolutely agree with what you’re saying.’ “Actually, they’re more worried than what I was.
“New owners come to a football club, and we’ve seen it many, many times – they have their own man in charge. If Everton don’t finish this season strongly, who knows? “I don’t wish to speak ill, but Bill Kenwright is not in the best of health and he’s been a huge advocate and huge admirer of Roberto Martinez, and Martinez has managed the relationship upwards very well at the football club. “But if Everton don’t finish strongly, then before they get significant investment, if that’s to come, I think we could see him (Roberto) leave the football club.” Everton have underachieved this season but victory at Villa Park on Tuesday lifted the Blues into the top half of the table while they have an FA Cup quarter-final to come against Chelsea. Moshiri’s 49.9% investment still needs ratification from the Premier League, but when the move is rubber-stamped Barton believes the first priority must be to persuade players like Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and Ross Barkley that their long-term future is at Goodison. “The most important thing for Everton is to secure the players they have there,” he added. “We’ve got some good, young, talented players at Everton - that is going to be priority no.1. Obviously if you can add quality to that, it will be great for the football club. It won’t be a case of Everton bidding for players Real Madrid could bid for, it’s going to be a case of securing what they’ve got in terms of the infrastructure of the football club and the players they have there.”

Everton can benefit from Farhad Moshiri's business savvy
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Bill Gleeson , Bill Gleeson
“My guess is a new stadium has moved from being a very unlikely prospect to very likely," Tom Cannon
Farhad Moshiri, the Iranian who this week became Everton’s biggest shareholder, brings a wealth of top-level international business experience to Goodison Park. It’s the sort of business savvy that could help improve the on-and-off field fortunes of the club. Just this week, Forbes Magazine, which tracks the wealth of the world’s richest people, ranked Mr Moshiri, who now owns 49.9% of Everton, as the world’s 1,011th richest person in the world and the 29th richest British citizen. Mr Moshiri, 60, made his £1.3bn fortune through his close association over more than two decades with Russia’s third richest man, Alisher Usmanov, who Forbes says is worth more than $12bn. Mr Moshiri first came to Britain in the 1970s after his family fled his homeland just before the Iranian revolution when the country’s religious leaders overthrew Iran’s secular monarchy. As a young man in London, Mr Moshiri studied eonomics and statistics at university. He then qualified as an accountant.
It was while working for accountancy firm Deloitte & Touche that he met Mr Usmanov, who was a client of the firm. The Russian entrepreneur was so impressed by Mr Moshiri’s grasp of business affairs that he recruited him to be executive director of his British-based firm, Middlesex Holdings, where former British foreign secretary Lord Owen was chairman.
Investments in Facebook, Twitter and Alibaba
Business went well and Mr Usmanov rewarded Mr Moshiri with a stake in the shares of the firm.
Over the intervening years, Mr Moshiri has overseen the Russian’s investments in iron ore mining and steel production, investments that helped the pair earn a small fortune. However, it was more recent investments in mobile phones and social media that turned that small fortune into a very big one for both men. Today, Everton’s new investor still owns a 10% stake in Mr Usmanov’s multi-billion pound business empire, said to be worth around $20bn. Over the years, the pair have invested in Russian steel mill, Oskolskiy, Russian mobile phone firm Megafon, British steel maker, Corus, and Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, and Alibaba, China’s equivalent to Amazon.
Indeed, Mr Usmanov made a tenfold return from his investment in Facebook.
Other business interests include a Russian social media network and broadcaster.
Mr. Moshiri was appointed chairman of the board of directors of Mr Usmanov’s Metalloinvest in 2006, and has since served as a member of the board of directors of MegaFon, Mail.Ru Group, Nautilus Minerals, Strike Resources, and USM Steel and Mining Group. He was also an independent director and a member of the board of directors of Norilsk Nickel from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2012. Mr. Moshiri invested in Arsenal in 2007 alongside Mr. Usmanov through Red & White Holdings, a company in which the two business partners each held 50%. Red & White Holdings initially acquired 14.58% of the football club and gradually increased their stake to 30.04%, though Mr Moshiri has since sold his shares to his friend and co-investor. Not all of Mr Moshiri’s investments have involved Mr Usmanov. “Bill has always said he wants a serious long term investor."
Mr Moshiri owns a 4.99% stake in British stockbroker Panmure Gordon.
He is now settled in Monaco.
Football finance expert Professor Tom Cannon, himself an Everton season ticket holder, believes Mr Moshiri is a long term investor who will want to see the club develop a new stadium. Referring to club chairman Bill Kenwright, Prof Cannon, who is based at The University of Liverpool Management School, said: “Bill has always said he wants a serious long term investor.
“Mr Moshiri has been around a long time and knows football.
“He is investing in Everton because he got frustrated with Arsenal. He wants to be seriously involved in football. If he has invested nearly 50% in Everton it’s because he wants to do something with the club. “My guess is a new stadium has moved from being a very unlikely prospect to very likely.”

Bill Gleeson: New Everton shareholder's ultimate goal must be Silverware in the trophy cabinet
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
by BillGleeson
Farhad Moshiri has spent tens of millions of pounds buying almost half the club’s shares from some of its principal shareholders
Everton FC shareholder Farhad Moshiri
It’s good news that Everton has a new major shareholder.
Farhad Moshiri has spent tens of millions of pounds buying almost half the club’s shares from some of its principal shareholders. We know that Mr Moshiri has bought out Robert Earl’s shareholding completely and he has bought part of the shareholdings of Bill Kenwright and Jon Woods, but we are still in the dark about the exact quantities of Kenwright’s and Woods’ shares that have changed hands. While we are promised full disclosure about the share transactions once the deal has been ratified by the Premier League, it is mystifying why we haven’t been told already. Team manager Roberto Martinez has revealed there is a plan for Mr Moshiri’s stake to rise beyond 50% at some unspecified point in the future. This two-phase acquisition process is a little puzzling. Why didn’t Mr Moshiri buy a controlling stake from the outset? Nor will these share transactions be the end of the story. Another move by Mr Moshiri can be expected shortly. That’s because he needs to invest fresh money to bolster the playing squad and to build a badly needed new stadium – or at the very least to improve Goodison Park. Mr Moshiri has two options about how to proceed from here. He may try to buy more shares from any of the club’s shareholders to take his own holding to more than 50%, which would give him control of the club. Alternatively, he might consider a rights issue, which would allow him to increase his holding in the club and, crucially, would result in fresh capital reaching the club’s coffers. What is for sure is that he has the business know-how to make a big difference to Everton. Mr Moshiri’s investment is well timed, coming ahead of an anticipated influx of large sums of television cash that will bolster the finances of all Premier League clubs. The combination of new TV cash and Mr Moshri’s millions may be just what is needed to take the club forward. As for Bill Kenwright’s tenure as club owner, it has been a period of steady progress, but not sufficient progress to win a single trophy. Winning trophies is, of course, the ultimate aim of any football club. That will be the proof of the pudding for Mr Moshiri. Fans will want to see fresh silverware adorning the club’s trophy room sometime in the next few seasons.

Everton FC: On-song Romelu Lukaku eyes top 20 goals hit
2 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Blues striker closing in on another landmark
Romelu Lukaku has eclipsed Tony Cottee’s sweet 16 - but now he has his sights set firmly on a twentysomething landmark. Lukaku’s 17th league goal of the season at Villa Park on Tuesday was Everton’s highest in a Premier League season. The last Toffees targetman to pass the 20-goal mark was Gary Lineker in 1986, who was the top flight’s top scorer with 30 that campaign, before he headed to Mexico to top score at the World Cup finals! And with 11 league games remaining Lukaku is on target to bury that 20-goal figure and maybe even get closer to Lineker’s mammoth haul.
Still only 22, Lukaku said: “I’m growing as a player and I want to become a better player. I want to help the team and I’m glad I did it again. “I think we’ve rediscovered some momentum. We went on a warm weather training camp and it did us a lot of good - bonding with the team and working really hard. We know what we have to do and it is very exciting times for the team. “I think we started well and that was the plan. We saw the way Aston Villa set up with five defenders, three midfielders and we had to play at a higher tempo than them because they want to save themselves and we did really, really well. “We defended well, we attacked well so it’s promising. “Of course we could have been more clinical and we should have scored more , but getting a win away from home 3-1, playing good football, is good but we have another difficult game at the weekend so we have to focus on that.” Manager Roberto Martinez is delighted with how the striker has continued his development this season. “His goal was a really pleasing moment because it means a lot but I’m more pleased about the responsibility he’s developing this season,” he said. “Rom is still a very young man, we forget he’s still only 22, but I think the way he’s developed as an individual has been terrific and the responsibility he’s developed this season. “The goalscoring has always been one of the biggest strengths for Rom but to see him growing in terms of what he does for the team is very pleasing.
“I felt his overall contribution was very good and I’m delighted for him to reach that level and I know from now until the end of the season he has that incredible focus to get that figure bigger as much as he can. But at 22 the world is clearly at his feet.”

Bill Kenwright will sell half his Everton stake in Farhad Moshiri deal
• Robert Earl will offload his complete stake of 23%
• Kenwright and Woods make up most of the remaining 26.9%
By David Conn
Wednesday 2 March 2016 Guardian
The Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright, is selling half his 26% shareholding as part of the deal by which the investor Farhad Moshiri is buying 49.9% of the club. Agreed after a long search by Kenwright for a wealthy investor, the deal values Everton at £175m, which means Kenwright will be paid £22.75m for the approximate 13% stake he is selling now. Kenwright is staying on as chairman and Moshiri has an option to buy a majority stake in future circumstances which have not been publicly disclosed. The American Robert Earl, founder of the Planet Hollywood chain, is selling all his 23% Everton stake which he has owned since 2006 without playing an active role in the club, for which he will be paid £40.25m. The other approximate 13% Moshiri will buy is being sold by Jon Woods, a local director who founded the computer entertainment company Ocean Software, and another minority shareholder, the Guardian understands. Kenwright is believed to have paid around £9m for his shareholding and in his 16 years as the Everton chairman has never been paid a salary or expenses. While he has worked to maintain Everton as a solidly performing Premier League club and stabilise the finances, Kenwright has said for years that he was looking for the right financial backer to enable them to compete with England’s richer clubs. Their most recent accounts, for the year to 31 May 2015, show income of £126m, a small loss due to signing players, and a slight increase in net debt to £31.3m. Kenwright described Moshiri on Saturday as “the perfect partner,” saying he had got to know him over 18 months, during which other potential buyers, including American investors John Jay Moores and Charles Noell, considered making a purchase. The agreement with Moshiri includes a commitment to the manager, Roberto Martínez, to provide significant money for the playing squad this summer. Moshiri’s financial resources are also considered important to Everton’s long search for a modernised stadium, with a new site at nearby Walton Hall Park, or rebuilding Goodison Park, the two current possibilities. Moshiri is known in football for his alliance with the Uzbek-Russian investor Alisher Usmanov in the joint 30% ownership of Arsenal, which they began to accumulate in 2007. Last weekend the pair announced that Usmanov had bought Moshiri’s 15% stake outright, for a price thought to be around £146m. A source close to Usmanov and Moshiri said Usmanov is an Arsenal fan who wanted to own the stake himself, as he continues to covet a majority shareholding which is not on offer from the club’s majority shareholder, the US investor Stan Kroenke. Selling to Usmanov freed Moshiri to make his investment in Everton. Usmanov and Moshiri are long-term partners, a relationship which began when Moshiri, a chartered accountant, began to advise Usmanov as a client. Moshiri came to England when his family left Iran before the 1979 revolution; he worked as an accountant at Deloitte, then in 1993 moved to work full time for one of Usmanov’s investment companies, Middlesex Holdings. Usmanov has since amassed a multi-billion pound fortune rooted in Metalloinvest, Russia’s largest iron ore miner, and he is reported to have granted Moshiri a 10% stake in the holding company in 2008. Other noted investments by the pair include a stake in Facebook sold at a profit said to be in the billions, current stakes in Russian telecommunications, and digital companies including Spotify and Airbnb. The Premier League is expected to pass Moshiri under its fit-and-proper-person owners and directors test next week, clearing the 49.9% purchase.

Everton: Tony Cottee thrilled by prospect of new era with Farhad Moshiri
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Ex-Blues striker says he's fed up with people having a go at Bill Kenwright
Tony Cottee is thrilled that Farhad Moshiri is ready to usher in a new era at Everton.
And the man who made 241 appearances for the Toffees believes that Moshiri’s arrival vindicates chairman Bill Kenwright’s long search for investment. “I get really fed up with people having a go at Bill Kenwright and questioning him,” he said. “All he has ever wanted in his life is what’s best for Everton Football Club. “People say ‘Why has he done this?’ or ‘Why hasn’t he done that?’ but selling a football club to the right people takes time. “You have to work out who is the right person for the football club and you have to get that decision absolutely right. “You only have to look across the park for evidence of that. “Liverpool might have got things right now but under the two guys before they were heading for disaster. “Then you look at the situation at Aston Villa under their new owner. Things can very easily go wrong. “Bill deserves enormous credit for the job he has done at Everton and I have immense admiration for the way he has run things.” Moshiri’s shareholding has still to be ratified by the Premier League, but when it is Cottee believes that the stadium issue has to be a priority. “Hopefully Farhad Moshiri working with Bill will be a partnership which can blossom - but the first thing they have to sort out is the ground issue,” he added.
We love Goodison but we're in danger of being left behind

“As much as we all love Goodison Park, our inability to develop the stadium leaves us in danger of being left behind. “Arsenal have a new stadium, Tottenham are moving into a 60,000 capacity ground, Chelsea are knocking Stamford Bridge down and rebuilding and West Ham are moving into the Olympic Stadium. “That’s four big London clubs, while we already know about the Manchester clubs and our friends across the park. “If we are not careful Everton could quickly end up in a middle tier of Premier League clubs, when they should always be in a top seven or eight.
“Much as we all love Everton’s tradition and history, the bigger ground you have, the more corporate boxes you have, the better players you can afford to bring in. “And as much as it would hurt to say goodbye to Goodison Park we have to consider it. “When I signed for Everton they were part of a big five in English football of Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester United and Liverpool. The club needs an overall plan to try and get back there. “That’s what West Ham have done and while no-one wants to see Upton Park go, we are slowly coming round to the idea that it’s something we will have to do.” West Ham come to Goodison on Saturday - and are already counting down to their farewell appearance at the stadium they have graced since 1904. Cottee is hoping for a farewell fitting for such an historic, atmospheric venue. “With postponements for cup ties and such, it looks like our last game will be a midweek match against Manchester United which would be a great occasion. “At the moment it’s scheduled to be Swansea on a weekend, which doesn’t have the same appeal. “No-one wants to see us leave Upton Park but we accept it has to happen.”

Everton: Tony Cottee 'delighted' for Romelu Lukaku to break his record
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Tony Cottee saw a 22-year-record taken away from him on Tuesday night.
And the 17th league goal of Romelu Lukaku’s sparkling season at Villa Park marked double-trouble for the Everton hero. “I’ve had a bad season,” explained Cottee, now an analyst for Sky TV. “I lost the mantle of being Leicester’s top Premier League scorer in a season to a fella called Jamie Vardy! And now Romelu Lukaku has taken my Everton record! “I’ve lost two proud records and I haven’t played a match! “At least I’ve still got West Ham’s record. Dimitri Payet is their top scorer this season with six, so I think that’s safe for one more season.” Cottee scored 16 league goals for The Toffees in the 1993/94 campaign – a feat made all the more remarkable because that was a campaign Everton toiled through and almost suffered relegation. But that mark stood as Everton’s Premier League record until Lukaku finally eclipsed it at Villa Park on Tuesday. “To be honest, at the start of this season I was unaware I had the Leicester or the Everton record,” added Cottee.
“When I scored 16 goals in 1993 it never came into my mind. “When I signed for Everton in 1988 I knew Bob Latchford had scored 30 league goals in a season, I knew Gary Lineker had scored 30 and I knew Dixie Dean had once scored 60! So scoring 16 wasn’t something I really thought about.
“But I’m delighted for Romelu Lukaku. I was working for Sky that night and I turned to Jeff Stelling and said I’m pleased for him ... but he’s just broken my record! “I am surprised it’s taken so long to go. Everton have had some good goalscorers like Wayne Rooney, Yakubu and Andy Johnson in that time. “Perhaps it underlines how tough it is to score goals in the Premier League now.
“It’s been a strange season with a number of clubs underperforming, like Liverpool and Manchester United - and Everton are definitely one of them too. “But Lukaku has been very consistent.
“When you have a goalscorer who can get you 10 league goals you know you’ve got a good chance of avoiding relegation. if you have a goalscorer who can get 15 league goals you know you’ll have a better season and if you have someone who can score 20 you’re on target for a good season.
“With 11 league games left Lukaku has to be on target for that.”

Everton: Tony Cottee names his favourite goals for the Blues
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Ace marksman picks his most memorable strikes - and the most important
Tony Cottee managed 99 Everton goals in an era which spanned the old Football League and the Premier League. He cost a British record transfer fee in the summer of 1988, was an FA Cup finalist with the Blues in 1989 and scored twice at Wembley in the Simod Cup final of the same season.
But which was his favourite Everton goal? “Two stand out for me,” he said. “I scored plenty which were technically better, volleys and goals from outside the box. “But the first, against Newcastle on my debut after just 34 seconds, was a very special feeling. It took a lot of pressure off my shoulders and to see the faces of the fans when that goal went in was very special. “Then there was the first of the two I scored against Liverpool in the 4-4 draw. I can still remember Barry Davies’ commentary. ‘Tony Cottee hasn’t had a touch yet, but he might get one now!’ “That helped set up the famous 4-4 draw and is a special memory.” And the most important? Cottee’s answer is instant - and given the teams involved in this weekend’s Premier League fixture at Goodison Park, poignant.
“The most important I scored was at Upton Park in 1993/94,” he said.
It was a typically clinical finish - and the only goal of a tense relegation scuffle.
“That was the season of the famous Wimbledon match,” he added “but if, God forbid, that goal hadn’t gone in at West Ham just a month earlier we’d have been relegated even before we played Wimbledon. “It’s quite poignant when you think Everton and West Ham are playing again this weekend.”

Leighton Baines still not over ankle troubles admits Roberto Martinez
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Everton left-back Baines could still be fit to replace Oviedo on Saturday
Leighton Baines is still being troubled by the ankle complaint which has hampered him all season, admits Roberto Martinez. The England defender has been left out of the team for the Blues last six games, but replaced Bryan Oviedo in the closing stages at Villa Park, coming off the bench to make his first appearance in a over month. Baines, 30, is not yet over the problem which forced him to miss the start of the season, and Martinez said the left-back has suffered pain while on the pitch but could still feature against West Ham on Saturday. The Catalan said: “Since the surgery, it has been giving him a little bit of soreness and managing that pain at times has been a little bit difficult.
“When he came on against Villa, he felt he has to play through pain at times which is not ideal, so we have to make sure we solve that because it is not fair on Leighton to be feeling pain every time he steps on the football pitch. “We are going to be seeing the specialist but it shouldn’t stop him from training and being with the group. He’s just been carrying a little niggle, part of the injury that kept him away from the pitch. We need to make sure that final step is sorted and it clears him from pain from now until the end of the season. “He should be [available for the weekend].”
Oviedo, who was forced off with an injur at Villa, is a doubt for the weekend match against West Ham United due to the knock he sustained.
Bryan Oviedo
The Costa Rican will be assessed in the build-up to the visit of the Hammers after he was forced from the field in the closing stages of the 3-1 win against Aston Villa. Tom Cleverley, who missed the midweek game, will also be monitored as he continues to recover from illness. Martinez said however that he hopes to have Muhamed Besic and Darron Gibson back at the weekend.
He said: “Bryan is going to be assessed. He has got a little bit of a knock but it is not a major problem. I don’t think he will train today [Thursday] but we will look at him over the next 48 hours to see if he can make the squad or not. “There is a bit of a question mark over Bryan, as there is on Tom Cleverley who is coming back from illness. He had a bit of a chest infection. We’ll see if he can join the group today. “We are going to test Mo Besic and Darron Gibson but it looks like they will be available.”

Former Everton favourite Daniel Amokachi staying cool in Finland
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Chris Beesley
Ex-Everton striker takes up challenge as coach of amateur side
Daniel Amokachi celebrates scoring for Everton against Tottenham Hotspur in the 1995 FA Cup semi-final at Elland Road
Former Everton striker Daniel Amokachi has swapped the sweltering heat of his native Nigeria for temperatures of minus 30 degrees to take a job as a coach of an amateur team in Finland.
The ex-Blues favourite is the only salaried employee at newly-promoted Second Division outfit JS Hercules in the city of Oulu, just south of the Arctic Circle. With the town's pitches currently covered in snow, the 43-year-old has been taking training session on artificial turf under a heated dome with a clutch of players while the rest of his squad do their regular jobs. Amokachi is determined to see out his one-year contract though and told AFP: “I remember when I landed, it was minus 32 Celsius, after flying from a country that is 35 to 38 degrees.
Fútbol: Amokachi, el Super Águila que emigró al norte para entrenar https://t.co/BrusDNRYvv vía @laverdad_es pic.twitter.com/ah0fNJz9mR
— COLPISA Deportes (@ColpisaDeportes) February 29, 2016
“The most important thing (about this job) is the challenge. The challenge of being an African and you know why? Because we Africans, it’s very difficult to get jobs in Europe as coaches.
“Financially of course they cannot handle my wages [Hercules' annual budget is believed to be between 80,000 to 120,000 Euros] so you have to sacrifice a lot. “But at the same time they are giving me more in my coaching career also. It’s a platform and that’s what I need, that’s what we African coaches need. “This is an opportunity to showcase (me) as an African and if I do well, definitely there will be an open door not for me alone, not for Nigerian coaches but for African coaches as well.”

Everton skipper Phil Jagielka - Moshiri deal means Blues "wheeling and dealing" days are over
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Everton captain Jagielka thrilled at new investment but expects tweaks rather than wholesale change
Everton captain Phil Jagielka believes the club's days of "wheeling and dealing" are over now a billionaire is on board - but he doesn't expect the Blues to go mad in the transfer window.
Iranian investor Farhad Moshiri is expected to have his deal to buy a 49.9% stake at Goodison confirmed by the Premier League in the coming days. Blues boss Roberto Martinez said the arrival of the 60-year-old businessman can help take Everton to the "next level" and "accelerate" their top four hopes. Martinez will be given the funds by Moshiri this summer to bolster his squad with big-money signings and Jagielka believes the Blues are only an "exciting few tweaks" away from being regular contenders for Champions League qualification. But the Blues skipper insists there is no need for the club to go wild in the transfer market. "The fans can see the potential in this squad but if you can go and buy that one extra, special player then it will be nice," Jagielka told the ECHO.
"But let's be honest, we've spent pretty decent money in these last couple of seasons and the chairman has done well. "Other clubs have spent just as much with the TV money coming in and we have purchased expensive players but there is still Financial Fair Play to think about.
"We don't bring in a tremendous amount of money so wages have to be thought about. It's ok going and buying a £50m player but you can't pay him £500 a week.
"You need to take that all into consideration but it is nice that the fans can get excited, they have been patient over a number of years since I've been here. "We have had to wheel and deal for many years but, hopefully now the new man is in, he can structure the club. We don't need to go crazy but a few exciting tweaks could make the world of difference." He added: "If you look at our attacking options this season, then they have been frightening so it's probably our defensive side that has cost us. "There have been little reasons behind that and obviously we still have a young-ish squad, with a sprinkling of experience, but it is about getting the right balance. "Hopefully our young exciting players are getting better. I wouldn't say there is a particular position but I'm sure the manager has his eye on a couple of players he'd like to bring in and hopefully we can finish off the season well and look forward to next." But Jagielka says the current squad still have a part to play in helping the club attract big name signings this summer. "I don't think much will change between now and the end of the season," said the 33-year-old. "It is up to us to kick on and we keep saying that we need some momentum and to kick-on, and hopefully that will bode well for the start of next year.
"We want to get as high up the league as possible and hopefully attract new players in the summer when the manager is looking and sees what his transfer budget is. "So there are things to play for and their is the pride - look at the fans again who turned out and it was nice to send them home happy on Tuesday night - we have the FA Cup as well. "A couple more decent wins in the league should hopefully get us back to somewhere we should be in the league and give us something to go for in the last eight or nine games." Jagielka and the Blues squad have yet to meet Moshiri but the captain is looking forward to shaking hands with the Everton new investor. "We hope to see him in the next couple of weeks but I'm sure he knows there is not much he can do between now and the end of the season, other than sitting back and enjoying his new team performing well," he said.

Everton teenager Callum Connolly seals loan move
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Blues Academy product heading to League One with Barnsley
Everton Academy defender Callum Connolly has joined Barnsley on loan.
The 18-year-old will spend a month with the League One side and is in line to make his debut this weekend at Walsall. Connolly, with Everton since the age of nine, has been capped at under-18 level by England. And now the Bootle teenager is ready to experience senior football for the first time with Barnsley. “Callum is exactly the type of player we were looking for and I’m delighted Everton have allowed us to take him on board,” said Barnsley’s caretaker head Coach Paul Heckingbottom.
“We’re excited to have him here and I’m sure he will help our cause, just as I’m sure we can help his development as a player. “We have a good relationship with Everton and they have entrusted us with one of their highly-rated youngsters. We’re both confident this is the perfect environment for him to begin his professional career.”

Why Ramiro Funes Mori is Everton's best defender
3 Mar 2016 By Liverpool Echo
Matt Cheetham with the statistics on Everton's best centre back pairing
Form, injury and settling in periods have all contributed to allow each of Everton’s three centre-backs a share of the limelight this season. Ramiro Funes Mori and Phil Jagielka are currently the men in possession of the shirts, with John Stones biding his time on the bench. Measuring defensive ability via stats isn’t always the most reliable way of gauging success, but with these players all playing in the same system, in different pairings and with the same instructions, it gains added relevance in this case. First, here’s a look at what each player has done individually when playing at centre-back this season, purely from a defensive stance:
As well as locating the ball in opposing penalty areas, the stats suggest Funes Mori has been equally adept at finding it in his own box. The Argentine leads the way in every defensive action, tackling and intercepting, clearing and winning more in the air than any positional peer.
Jagielka is close behind in most categories, and, crucially, Everton have conceded fewer goals any time he’s in the team. Stones’ return isn’t quite as notable, however, and some of these numbers may help explain some of his struggles this season. As sublime as his touch, poise and confidence on the ball can seem, these traits occasionally mask how effective he is when not in possession. His stats suggest he hasn’t been in the right place to clear or to challenge his opposite man anywhere near as often as his colleagues.
Given the amount Everton have conceded in the air this season, and the difficulties had defending crosses, Stones’ current return of aerials won and clearances per 90 minutes appear surprisingly low. He’s yet to make more than five clearances in a game this season while Funes Mori and Jagielka regularly double that total (both made over nine in the recent win v Aston Villa).
Everton’s current pairing also lead the way when centre-back partnerships are examined:
Though they have the smallest sample size, it’s clear Everton have found far more joy with Jagielka and Funes Mori at the back. As the first numbers highlight, both have been far more proactive in and around their penalty area and, importantly, their partnership has left their goalkeeper far more protected, facing just over three shots on target as opposed to five. Statistically, it’s their partnership that Roberto Martinez must look to develop over the coming weeks of the season.

Everton hope to have bedrooms for players at Finch Farm by next season
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Exclusive: Everton's plan to build rooms is first phase of major training ground revamp
Everton hope to have the construction of players' sleeping quarters at Finch Farm completed in time for next season. The building of an accommodation block will be the first phase of a major revamp planned at the Blues' Halewood training complex. Everton's vision for Finch Farm , their home since 2007, also includes a new full-size indoor training pitch but the building of bedrooms for players, as well as an extension to the club's medical facilities, is expected first. Blues boss Roberto Martinez first talked about his ideas for a new-look training ground during his first season in charge and he is now hopeful work will get under-way soon. Martinez has taken inspiration from Real Madrid and insists that rest between training sessions - and after long trips for away games - is vital. "It should have been started. We have had some delays but that is all done now and the plans have been very, very good and it is something we need at the training ground," Martinez told the ECHO.
Martinez has taken inspiration from Real Madrid
"We will make sure that gets done before the start of next season, or at least be on the way."
"Finch Farm needs to be a place that becomes like a home for the younger players and for the senior players they need to have the opportunity of resting here and having eight hours sleep," the Blues boss went on to say. "Especially when we have been in Europe and arrive back really, really late, it will be a really important facility to have. "To have the bedrooms and extra area for our medical work at Finch Farm is important and it is always behind our thinking. "That group, the ones between 19-22, they sometimes need four sessions a day and sometimes you need to have your own resting area to make the training effective. Rest will be important at the newly revamped Finch Farm
"So it will help the developing players but it is also designed to help the preparation of the senior players. "For me, it is a must in modern day football." Real Madrid's players each have their own suite at a facility built at their La Residencia training base but Martinez says such thinking is not commonplace. And with new billionaire investor Farhad Moshiri ready to help improve Everton's "structure and facilities" the Blues hope to press ahead with their grand designs for Finch Farm.
"There are training grounds that have that facility, not a lot though," Martinez said.
"I just feel that when you prepare the day-to-day and the programmes of the players, it is something we miss. "Seeing a player just going home and coming back, just to get some rest, they are spending a lot of time on the road so there is a real need to have this facility in the players' programmes.
"I have seen it in Ukraine, they have got really good facilities, Real Madrid - on a different scale - they opened up a hotel for first-team needs. "For us, in what we need to do to develop our players, it is important the player can have their own space and get eight hours sleep."

Everton podcast: Can Farhad Moshiri help Blues challenge for title?
3 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
We discuss the Moshiri investment and what it means for Everton
At the weekend it finally happened - Everton got their billiionaire.
Shortly after his major investment was announced, Farhad Moshiri said this: “I am delighted to take this opportunity to become a shareholder in Everton, with its rich heritage as one of Europe’s leading football clubs. "There has never been a more level playing field in the Premier League than now. "Bill Kenwright has taught me what it means to be an Evertonian and I look forward with excitement to working with him to help deliver success for Everton in the future.” But what will this forthcoming influx of cash and new acumen mean for the Blues? Can they start looking up and then some? We discuss the biggest news to come from Goodison Park in a long time and look back at the Aston Villa win. Enjoy.

Prentice: Obscure Everton statistics show Lukaku's hunger and why the Merseyside derby could soon be even more prestigious
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By David Prentice
Rudy Gestede’s 79th minute goal for Aston Villa on Wednesday night wasn’t just a consolation.
It stopped Everton extending an all-time record. Yup. You read that right. An all-time record, a record previously unmatched in 138 years of football! Wait for it ...
Romelu Lukaku’s second half strike at Villa Park was Everton’s 11th away goal without reply, following shut-out successes at Carlisle, Stoke and Bournemouth. Everton’s previous best awayday run was 10 without reply, on six separate occasions. Thanks to the peerlessly exhaustive Gavin Buckland for another statistical nugget, a man who clearly consumes lots of coffee!
Derby to make history books
Their fans gave up weeks ago. Their players downed tools a fortnight back against Liverpool, while even the bookies have given up on Aston Villa finding enough fight to mount a relegation escape.
You’d need to place a £250 wager at some bookies to win a solitary pound on Aston Villa going down. And the bookies don’t often get things wrong – so we can safely say Villa are down – which will bring an end to the scheduling of the most played fixture in English football.
Aston Villa and Everton have done battle in league matches 202 times – from the opening season of the Football League in 1888 - Villa won 2-1 - to last Tuesday’s romp for the Toffees - Everton won 3-1. Depending on Villa’s response to relegation, that gives another fixture the opportunity to close the gap – and football historians in this part of the world will be satisfied to learn that the next most played fixture in English league football is the Merseyside derby. When the Anfield fixture is finally rescheduled and played this season it will be the 194th league clash between the old rivals – just eight behind Villa v Everton.
Arsenal and Manchester United will also have faced each other 194 times after this season, closely followed by Arsenal v Everton (188).
Everton or Liverpool feature in six of the top 10 most played fixtures in top flight football. The soccer capital of England?
Next most played fixtures ….
Arsenal v Liverpool 182
Aston Villa v Liverpool 180
Arsenal v Manchester City 174
Arsenal v Aston Villa 172
Everton v Manchester United 172
Aston Villa v Sunderland 166

Kevin Ratcliffe: Even the Moshiri money might not be enough to convince Romelu Lukaku and John Stones to stay at Everton
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
by KevinRatcliffe
Everton legend is eager to discover Farhad Moshiri's intentions for the club and hails the form of star players at either end of the field
Everton must be braced for another summer's worth of speculation over their key duo
I am a little bit sceptical of the takeover at Everton. I know it's another major shareholder and for half of the shares that he has bought, but I don't know where that money goes. I am sure it will clear the debt that we have had but hopefully the club are going in the right direction. Hopefully there is going to be a little bit more input. And I think the players that we have got want to be seeing that we are moving in the right direction. We don't want to be standing still but I honestly don't know what that will actually bring to the club. Everton fans are hoping for a new era at Goodison Park
I'd like to know, like every other supporter. If we don't qualify for Europe, then the speculation around John Stones and Romelu Lukaku is going to happen again in the summer. Especially with these players going off to the Euros in the summer, they are going to be under the spotlight and they need to know what the intentions are and who we are going to be bringing in. These are most probably questions that these players will be asking just as much as the supporters.
Is this an investment, or is this just someone who has bought some shares?
Funes Mori continues to defy supporters' expectations
Ramiro Funes Mori has exceeded what we expected; we weren't quite sure what to expect when he was brought in. He was a little bit of an unknown, not a massive fee for Premier League status but I think he has settled in really, really quickly. I think it helped that he spoke English - playing in the States for a while has helped that. He's settled in quicker than others would have and it's so important at the back that you have the communication. And he likes to defend, I said a couple of months back just after Christmas that the Everton fans love a good, old-fashioned tackle just as much as a 40-yard pass or a lovely bit of skill.
Ramiro Funes Mori has been in outstanding form for Everton lately
And within five minutes in the win at Aston Villa, he had made a crunching tackle - but a fair one!
The crowd applauded it, they stood up, they loved it. You want to see people with that sort of grittiness, you need people like him in the side. Don't take for granted that he's not bad on the ball, which you have to be, he likes the ball at his feet, he likes to pass the ball and he's reasonably quick.
And it's not as if he doesn't want to defend, I think some defenders these days don't want the ugly side of the game.
Rom is the right man, in the right place, at the right time
Sometimes the position he plays is a thankless one where you do a lot and other people seem to benefit. If things aren't working out after 80 minutes and someone else gets the chance and scores the goal but for Rom he looks to be the perfect match for that lone striker role. Not only do people feed off him, he is getting himself into the box to get goalscoring chances. If he continues to do that, he will be rewarded with goals. Lukaku has plundered 17 Premier League goals this season - a tally bettered only by Jamie Vardy (19) It is happening for him this year, he just seems to be in the right place at the right time. And he's scoring different types of goals, which is nice to see for a goalscorer. They are not just headers at the back post or little tap-ins, it's goals from the outside of the box, tap-ins, near post and far post. It's a real goalscorer's instinct of being in the right place at the right time.

Slaven Bilic reveals ‘big blow’ with seven defenders doubtful for Everton clash
04 March 2016 London24
The Hammers could be without up to seven senior defenders when they head to Everton on Saturday. James Collins is the latest casualty after suffering a hamstring injury, while Angelo Ogbonna had his ankle heavily strapped after limping through the second half. Already missing Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Joey O’Brien and Carl Jenkinson due to injury and Sam Byram through suspension, West Ham finished the 1-0 victory with a makeshift back three of Ogbonna, youngster Reece Oxford and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. Reid is the closest to returning following a hamstring problem but is short of match fitness, while Wales international Collins now faces a spell on the sidelines. “It’s his hamstring and it’s not a couple of days (out),” said Bilic. “We will wait until it settles down and assess it. The first information is that we should be happy if he only misses three games. “After three games there is an international break, Easter and all that. But it’s a big blow for us, the whole season he has been magnificent.” Michail Antonio’s seventh-minute header was enough to beat fierce rivals Spurs, denting their title hopes and catapulting West Ham back into the race for a top-four finish. The forward played at wing-back on Wednesday night and could find himself at right-back at Goodison with Byram completing a two-match ban. “We had some injuries to contend with but it shows we have got the squad to do it,” Antonio told the club website. “We keep losing players and we are still getting results. Our squad is unreal. “We lost our attacking players earlier in the season but we were still scoring goals and then we started losing our defenders and I have been playing right-back. We just want to work for each other and it shows on the pitch. “We believe we can go anywhere and get a result. We will now head to Everton and not go for a point, we will go for the three points and see what it happens.”

Everton transfer rumours: Toffees linked with a move for Iranian prospect
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
A round-up of transfer rumours and speculation from around the web
Well, this didn’t take long. After Farhad Moshiri’s investment, an Iranian striker has been linked with a move to Goodison Park . The press in Iran are claiming that international striker Sardar Azmoun, current at Russian side Rostov, could switch to Everton in the off-season. 21-year-old Azmoun has scored four goals in 15 games - and he's known as the "Iranian Messi", apparently.
Azmoun wouldn't cost a great deal, apparently, with £4.5m the fee mooted for the young foward.
Stoke City have also been linked with a move for the Rostov forward. Azmoun has scored eight goals in 14 international appearances. He joined Rubin Kazan in 2012 from his homeland.

Everton youngster Sam Byrne suffer leg break
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Blues Academy forward set for extended spell on sidelines after "freak" training ground accident
David Unsworth, Everton U21 manager
Everton Academy forward Sam Byrne has broken his leg.
The 20-year-old suffered the “freak” in training on Thursday and now faces an extended spell on the sidelines. Byrne has already undergone an operation will start his rehabilitation in the coming weeks. Under-21s coach David Unsworth said: “The boys are all gutted for Sam because they are a close group and he’s a popular member of the squad. “We will give him all the support he needs and I look forward to having him back amongst us as soon as possible.” Byrne arrived at Everton from Manchester United in 2014 and has been capped at u-21 level for Republic of Ireland.
The striker scored in the Blues’s second string’s win over Southampton last month and was producing the best form of his Everton career.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez to be handed "expanded" transfer war chest
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Everton boss says he can now "expand" his search for new signings
Everton manager Roberto Martinez confident he will have more to spend than ever this summer
Roberto Martinez has been given the green light to launch a summer spending spree.
The Everton boss will see his transfer kitty swell after the arrival of billionaire investor Farhad Moshiri to Goodison. Martinez had already started lining up his targets for the post-season but will now cast his net wider into Europe to find the players who can turn Everton into Champions League contenders. Andriy Yarmolenko remains on the wanted-list at Goodison and Everton’s new-found financial muscle could pave the way for a summer deal with Dynamo Kiev, after a failed bid last August. Martinez is keeping his plans close to his chest and though he insists the type of player Everton are chasing will stay the same, he admits the calibre of their targets has now changed.
Go get him: Everton may now have the financial muscle to make a deal for Andriy Yarmolenko happen “I wouldn’t say my transfer plans have changed, in the way we work,” Martinez said.
“The way we work is to identify the footballers who would fit in with the way we want to play and the way we want to be but, clearly, the new era means we will have to extend the amount of players we can fit in our project. “It hasn’t changed but what it has done is expanded the area we can look into.”

Everton plan new community hub with 3G pitch near Goodison Park
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Hub set to open in Autumn with teen and family zones along with offices for Everton in the Community
Aerial view of Everton's proposed new community hub in Walton
Everton are going ahead with plans to build a community hub next to their free school on Spellow Lane in the shadow of Goodison Park. The centre will have a 3G football pitch, offices for the club's award winning Everton in the Community (EITC) charity, a a social enterprise café and separate family and teen zones. Local young people will be invited to socialise at the teen zone, where they can access EITC programmes and facilities, and the hub will have an open-for-all studio for health and wellbeing sessions. This week Everton in the Community CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale MBE and charity staff gathered to celebrate ‘breaking ground’ on the project. With work set to be completed by autumn this year, the hub is hoped to be a hive of community activity by day and house many of the charity’s award-winning projects in evenings. Part funded by the Big Lottery and Football Foundation, the facilities will offer a safe and nurturing environment for local people to acquire new skills and qualifications as well as cultivating the ambitions of those aspiring to a career in sports coaching, activity leadership and early-years development. Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “We are delighted to now be at the stage to commence work on our new EitC Community Hub.
"This fantastic facility will allow us to offer members of our community a safe haven where they can socialise safely; access employment, training, and education and volunteering opportunities; receive support around physical health and provide access for isolated members of our community to engage with us via our programmes.” Almost the entire ward of Everton falls into the most deprived five percent of neighbourhoods nationally. Child poverty levels in the ward are also high with over half of the children living in poverty. The Everton ward also faces a number of challenges for issues such as unemployment, housing, crime, health and education as well as local residents facing health inequalities which, at the moment, there is no accessible and affordable community facility in the area which can address these challenges.
With such negative social problems to consider, EITC carried out a variety of consultations to establish the needs of the local community, highlight the challenges that people face and explore the solutions that may bring a significant impact to people’s lives. Various themes were identified as a result, and the club hopes that the hub will provide a diverse range of activities that will address the extensive areas of need within the L4 community. The design of the new facility was carried out by Condy Lofthouse Architects with the build contract awarded to Ashlar Construction (NW) Limited.

Francisco Junior - My Everton failure, Moyes, Leeds and losing my mum
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Exclusive: Talented but troubled star opens up on his time with Everton and looks to the future
Francisco Junior playing for Everton
Francisco Junior arrived at Everton with a reputation but left having built a completely different one.
Yet in this searingly honest interview with the ECHO, the troubled and talented 24-year-old hopes to set the record straight about his time at Goodison. Last month, Junior signed a permanent deal with Stromgodset in Norway, four years after joining Everton on a long-term contract and against a backdrop of excitement from expectant Blues fans. His pedigree, having been picked up from Guinea-Bissau by Benfica as a teenager, promised much but he leaves Everton having played just 45 minutes of first-team football. “I had been injured for four months but a week after coming back I was still injured but Moyes asked me if I was ready to play,” Junior said, of his appearance against Leeds United in September 2012’s League Cup tie at Elland Road. “I told him I wasn’t. He asked the physio to press me to go and play so when I was in the game, I was still having pain and playing with it. “It didn’t help me. I had a problem with my ankle. “So, basically, I was injured in that game but trying to do my best because it was an opportunity to show myself. “It didn’t work out that well. When I was fit, I was playing well in the second team and was waiting for my chance but it never came. “I don’t have to blame Moyes, I don’t have to blame Martinez, I don’t have to blame anyone, I just have to blame myself. “Because if I was professional 100%, it would’ve worked out better.”
And this is where the rumours, whispers and stories of a player going off the rails gathered pace.
Junior has refused to hide from the poor decisions he made, and why it contributed to his failure at Everton, but his life was turned upside down.
“Things happened,” he said.
“Most of them were my mistakes and my fault.
“When I came to the UK, I was in Manchester and it was one week before I lost my mum.
“Everything I was doing was for my mum, I was living for my mum. She is the only family I have, along with my sisters and brothers, and so when I lost my mum it was like I lost my world.
“Since the age of 15, when I left home, I have been alone. I didn’t have the support of anyone.
“There have been many things, but I lost my head.”
“It was the same when I moved to Portugal but the difference there was that I spoke the language,” he added. “When I came to England, I didn’t speak any of the language, I couldn’t even say ‘good morning’, so it was harder. “Now is different, I know many people but when I arrived, it was difficult. “You have to decide by yourself and when you do that, I had nobody to help me.”
Apart from his doomed run-out against Leeds, Junior was either playing for the under-21s or out on loan. He spent spells with Vitesse Arnhem, Stromgodset, he trained with Celtic, went to Port Vale before joining Wigan last summer.
Francisco Junior had a better time at Wigan
Injuries interrupted his time at the DW Stadium but he was happy there. He hopes, maybe, to one day return. “Training was the same as in Portugal, it was hard, but not that hard, my problem was off the pitch,” he said. “When I came to Everton I was doing very, very well and waiting for my chance. It didn’t depend on me, if the manager didn’t want to give me a chance then he was never going to give me it. “But for the manager it didn’t always matter what I was doing on the pitch, but what I was doing off it. “But I didn’t really care what I was doing outside the club because I didn’t have the support of anyone. “For me, they didn’t care about me and so if they didn’t care about me then I didn’t care as well. “I was doing whatever I wanted. Before this, I didn’t drink alcohol, I didn’t go out and when I lost my head I nobody to support me. “That is one of the things why I didn’t make it at Everton. “They were always trying to see what I was doing wrong but never why or trying to help me. “All the time I was thinking that nobody cared about me. But now I am fine and very, very happy. “It is not about money. As long as I am doing everything I can to help my family then I am happy.” “I felt much better when I was sent out on loan because I was going to play and enjoy myself,” he went on to say. “Money doesn’t matter, you can give me all the money in the world, that is never going to make me happy. As long as I get to see my family, that will make me happy.
“As long as I am playing football and trying to help my family then I am happy. It doesn’t matter where I am playing. Of course, I have my goals and know where I want to be and I can still get there because of all I have been through in my life. “This is the right moment, I’m not 18 anymore. I am 24 and I'm a man now.” Junior eventually realised that things needed to change off the pitch and he sought the help of G42 Studios in Garston, who helped transform his diet and fitness.
“The training I was doing at Everton, training with the second team, was not helping me,” he said.
“So I got help with my diet. The things I was eating were not the right things to eat if you are a professional footballer, so I was taught about eating and rest. “When I went to Wigan, I was flying.”
He added: “There were many clubs trying to get me to go on loan. The window is open in Norway now but when it opens again in England or Portugal, I will try and find something else. “I am looking forward to doing my best there because it is a club that likes me and I like the club as well. I will try and do what I can in these next five or six months and then come back to England. “I like Wigan as well, when I was there they treated me really well and in my time there they were amazing to me.
“I hope they get promoted to the Championship.”

Everton: Meet the man who got Francisco Junior in shape
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Joe Rimmer
Personal trainer John Clarke helped the Portuguese youngster secure move to Norway
For Francisco Junior, it appeared he was out of options.
22-years-old, the talented midfielder had all but missed the boat at Everton. He had been to Holland and to Norway without success. He was looking for a way of relaunching his football career.
In the end, the Portuguese midfielder looked off the beaten track. He turned to a personal trainer at an exclusive studio in the heart of Garston. G42 Studios. After suffering a number of injuries, he was seeking expert advice as he looked to return to fitness so he could finally kick on in his football career. That’s where John Clarke came in. The 31-year-old is the owner of the only five-star rated personal training studio in Liverpool. And he was the man Junior turned to as he aimed to get in shape in order to rescue his football career. “He got in touch with me,” Clarke explains. “I didn’t even know who he was. He messaged me saying he was a Premier League footballer with Everton. I don’t follow football, so I thought he was joking! I didn’t even ring him back! “In the end I got my wife, Rebecca, to call him back and she booked him in. He was with me ever since. “He was quite hard at first because there was a small language barrier, so I’d ask him what he wanted to do when we started. He needed to work on his core, but if I put him on a treadmill he would be able run all day. So we just worked on his weaknesses. “Footballers can be really bad with their diet. He didn’t have a clue about what to eat and what was healthy. His diet was not good at all. I think many of them don’t like to cook themselves, and that can be a problem. They eat out most nights. So the most important part was teaching him how to eat healthily and build his core to make him stronger, as you can't out train a bad diet. “When you’re training a footballer you try to repeat moves they do on the pitch, but he also needed to lose a bit of weight as well. Because we monitor our clients body fat with high-tech scales and skin callipers we were able to help get his body composition down to an athlete's percentage, so he said the next time the club weighed him he was at the perfect weight.
"With his training, he felt he was getting pushed off the ball a bit so we focused a lot on strengthening his upper body as well. "He was doing outside training at Finch Farm and they can use the gym facilities afterwards, but it’s not like they had specific gym routines to follow. So I personalised a gym routine that would benefit him as an individual to improve his weaknesses. If you look at the likes of (Wayne) Rooney and (Steven) Gerrard, they all have their own private PTs or strength and 'conditioning coaches'. Steven Gerrard has benefited from strength and conditioning coaches “He probably just felt like he wanted to do more and try to prove himself to get into the first team.” Junior isn’t the only footballer to turn to Clarke for help, he also trains players from Wigan and Liverpool, as well as reality TV stars and radio hosts. Clarke believes the chance to get professional help is the key to getting the right programme and diet. He added: “You need somebody who not only has the qualifications and knowledge, but I would say I have walked the walk. I’ve worked hard and got myself in the best physique to be able to compete in fitness model shows. "I think it's important for a personal trainer to be in shape themselves as it shows the client they have been in their boots before, and have experienced the hard work and challenges themselves. “Professional help is very, very important because you are cutting out the guesswork. That’s why I get annoyed when people pay me for my advice but they don’t follow it. John Clarke, personal trainer to former Everton star Francisco Junior “Most of the mainstream diet programs you find in the media work purely on calorie reduction, where people save theirs "sins" and just eat crap. For example, somebody my size who can have roughly 3000 calories would be able to have three McDonald’s burgers, and I would lose weight because I’m in a calorie deficit, but I wouldn’t be getting in the right nutrients. "If you don’t get enough protein and fats, your metabolism becomes slower and you deplete your hormones and lastly you crack because you’re starving. If you're successful you become at best a skinny fat person who is not healthy or if you don't succeed you then pile on more weight rebounding with a slower metabolism, making you worse then when you started. "What we try and do is have a sensible approach to dieting following your macros along with good training. This is why I provide and coach my clients to go by their personal macros so they are getting the right grams of protein, fats and carbs whilst eating a healthy amount of calories.
"We don't just stick you on a treadmill, besides maybe a five minute warm up, when you train in our studio. "We're helping you every step of the way and do resistance training with lots of compound movements to get girls and guys in shape with only minimal cardio. "I think our before and afters on my website are some of the best in Liverpool and speak well enough for the results we get our clients."

Everton: West Ham were wrong - James McCarthy's tackle on Payet was honest
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Roberto Martinez sympathised with West Ham United after Dimitri Payet was injured against Everton earlier in the season. But the Blues boss insists James McCarthy’s challenge on the French playmaker was an honest one - and not “nasty” as was claimed. McCarthy picked up a yellow card at Upton Park in November for a first-half foul on Payet. West Ham’s summer signing was forced off with an ankle injury soon after and went on to be sidelined until January. Slaven Billic called it a “nasty” tackle and that it “should not be allowed” but Martinez has defended McCarthy.
“We’ve moved on from that,” Martinez said. “It is great to see Dmitri Payet back fit and playing, you don’t want to see players out injured. West Ham United's Dimitri Payet celebrates scoring their fifth goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup, fifth round match at Ewood Park, Blackburn.

“But in the same way, James is an honest footballer, it was nothing malicious and those incidents happen, it happened to us with Tom Cleverley and Eric Dier at Spurs. “This is the nature of this league, it is a committed league and every ball is a challenge and everyone will fight for the ball but in an honest manner and that is the way I saw it. “That reaction was maybe down to the frustration of losing an important player, I think, deep down, everyone knew it was an honest challenge to get the ball.” Payet has been one of the Premier League’s stand-out players this season, scoring seven goals and making six assists. But Martinez insists West Ham have threats from all over the pitch.
Tottenham's Eric Dier tackles Everton's Tom Cleverley during the Barclays Premier League match at White Hart Lane. “Payet is one of the creative playmakers and he is an important footballer when they have good, long spells of possession. He has outstanding delivery in dead-ball situations but West Ham have pace, they are very dynamic, the new striker has brought a new focal point for them, Anotnio is enjoying a good moment of form. “This team can be resilient when they have to, they can be really tough to beat and really competitive off the ball, but on the ball they can produce dynamic play to hurt you and they have that final pass from Payet. They are a complete team, really.
“But it is about us looking at what we can do and how good we can be and using being at home as a real advantage. “We need to forget about the results we’ve had in the league so far at home and look at the next five games as a fresh start and over 90 minutes let’s help the players and let’s get behind every single action.” Eleventh-placed Everton start the day eight points behind West Ham, who are in sixth. Martinez is still targeting Europa League qualification this season and an extra place could open up, should Capital One Cup winners Man City finish in the top four.
But the Everton manager says it is impossible to know how many points will be good enough to take sixth position. “It is one of those seasons where it is going to be really, really tight,” he said.
“It is not one of those seasons where a points tally will guarantee you a specific place in the table.
“There are so many games, involving teams fighting for the same objectives, that it is going to be a really tight season. “I don’t think you can really guess what points tally would be good enough for sixth place but it will be a lot lower than what we achieved two seasons ago. That could easily put us in the Champions League positions this season but in this campaign, it will be very hard to tell and it could go down as close to goal difference. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. There are a lot of teams who still have opportunities and things are still open.”

Everton: Farhad Moshiri deal is exciting but things haven't changed yet says Barry Horne
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
by BarryHorne
We must wait to see what investor's plans are
Everton FC shareholder Farhad Moshiri
It's potentially something of a new era at Everton were Farhad Moshiri buying a stake in the club but while that’s exciting I think that we must wait until he’s dotted all the is and crossed all the ts before seeing what his next move is. It’s a big story and will remain a big story but as things stand, not much has changed. The money he has put in so far to obtain his shares has gone to Bill Kenwright, Robert Earl and Jon Woods rather than the club. The statements coming from Mr Moshiri to date have all been pretty standard and formulaic but nobody spends a reputed £100million - no matter how much they’ve got - without thinking it through properly. He seems to have all the right credentials in that he’s certainly wealthy enough to get involved and be a player in the Premier League and he’s experienced football at the highest level in this country with Arsenal so he knows what he’s letting himself in for. He’ll have done his own due diligence on the club when he had access to the books and very few people invest in the Premier League to lose money. Like most of them, Mr Moshiri is an astute businessman and while it remains to be seen just what kind of cash injection he might provide on the pitch, the big question of course is what is going to happen to Goodison Park? I’d heard suggestions this week that the club’s commercial department hadn’t been pulling its weight which seemed strange given that previous reports said they were pulling out all the stops. As excited as I am, I’m not getting carried away at this stage because things won’t change overnight. Blues aren’t alone in inconsistency
Returning to on-field matters, Everton go in search of a second successive Premier League victory against West Ham - something that has proven tricky so far this season. Everton aren’t the only team to have struggled for consistency by stringing a run of results together. Wednesday night’s games in the Premier League were one of the best examples as why it remains so popular.
However, given that some of the teams who you’d have down as 90% shots for the Champions League such as Chelsea, Manchester United and even Manchester City and Arsenal to some extent, have not played as well as they could have, the likes of Everton and Liverpool will have seen this season as a missed opportunity to break into the top four. I’ve been impressed with former Everton defender Slaven Bilic at West Ham though. I always thought that he would go somewhere in this country and do a good job. I’m sure that Bilic is incredibly popular with his players and he’s a creative coach who likes his team to express themselves - when they can.

Everton slash adult season ticket prices for next season
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Ian Doyle
Club announces reduction of more than 5% - and cuts for Juniors
It'll cost less for many season ticket holders to attend Goodison next season
Everton have announced a reduction in price of more than 5% for all Adult season tickets for the 2016-17 campaign. And the club has also slashed Junior season ticket prices and extended the upper limit from 16 to 18 as part of the club’s commitment to make football affordable. Everton chief executive Robert Elstone admits the Blues have acted in response to the imminent new lucrative television rights deal that begins next term. The move to reduce Adult season tickets represents a ‘free game’ when compared to this season’s prices. It means that, with Adult seats available for the 2016-17 term from £420 during the Early Bird window, they will be cheaper than a decade ago.
The drive to increase family attendance at Goodison means a quarter of current season ticket holders are under the age of 22. Junior season ticket prices for fans aged between 11 and 18 will be £149 throughout the stadium, less than £8 per game and a £50 price reduction for this age group in all stands with the exception of the Family Enclosure, where the price has been frozen at £149.
The club have also extended the age range for Young Adult season ticket to those from 18 up to 22 with a set price across all stands of £299. Previously, the top price for such a ticket was £382.
Kids’ season tickets (aged 11 and under) are frozen, remaining at £95 – just £5 per game – and are available in any stand across the stadium. Prices are also reduced in the Senior category (65 and over) with a season ticket in any stand in the stadium reduced to £299, representing a saving of between £29 and £86 for the 3,000 fans in this age group. Elstone said: “Throughout the current season, the Premier League has been challenged on pricing decisions. “As we have said repeatedly, we endorse such scrutiny. We have listened and we agree. “We believe our pricing plan for Season Tickets for 2016/17 clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing value for money and to making the game accessible to the widest possible cross-section of supporters. “We were conscious of the substantial uplift in the value of our media rights next season and reflecting how we operate at Everton, not only will we offer significant savings for the majority of our young and senior Evertonians, we will reward all Adult season ticket holders with a price reduction of one-nineteenth, one free game, and more than £27 off in the Lower Bullens.” The Early Bird window for season ticket sales opens on Monday, March 21 at 8am and will remain open until midnight on Wednesday, May 25. The Guarantee Your Seat Deadline for existing season ticket holders will be Tuesday, May 3.

Everton FC: We have to give our fans home comforts urges Martinez
4 Mar 2016 By Post Sport
'We want to show we can win games at home consistently, bringing the good form we have produced away from home in front of our supporters'
Everton boss Roberto Martinez is relishing the run of three straight home games his side have ahead - and the challenge they face of trying to replicate some of their away form at Goodison Park.
Everton have won five of their last six matches in all competitions, with four of those victories coming on the road. And that is in keeping with their entire season, their 2015-16 Barclays Premier League record so far showing only one defeat and five wins from 13 away games. The home statistics are far less impressive, with a 1-0 reverse against West Brom last time they played on their own turf taking Everton to six losses from 14 league matches at Goodison Park - only four of which have been wins. The next three fixtures see Martinez's men host West Ham on Saturday and then Arsenal in the league, either side of an FA Cup quarter-final visit from Chelsea. And the Spaniard said: "It's a period we have been looking forward to.
"We want to make Goodison a comfortable place (for Everton) and please our fans.
"We want to show we can win games at home consistently, bringing the good form we have produced away from home in front of our supporters. "You don't get a better challenge than doing that against teams like West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal. It is a really exciting period - and one where we need to be really strong. "Clearly we haven't had enough wins at home.
"Some of the football has been very good, but we have also been a little bit naive at times and left ourselves exposed. Sometimes we have been unfortunate, and sometimes we have had decisions that have cost us. "I think it's time to make sure Goodison becomes a really tough place for any opposition team to come to. "The margins are very small and I think we are getting very close to bringing that consistency we have away from home to Goodison. That is the challenge we are looking to embrace." Everton are currently 11th in the table, eight points behind West Ham, who are sixth and only a point worse off than fourth-placed Manchester City. Martinez has no doubt ex-Toffees defender Slaven Bilic has done a fine job since returning to the Hammers - the other English club the Croatian used to play for - to take over as boss last summer. "It has been remarkable, the way West Ham have been playing," Martinez said. "This team creates opportunities and shares goals. They play with intensity and defend as a group, and have a very well-balanced side.
"They have had very significant away results against the top teams. "And they are one point from fourth place and Champions League football with 10 games to go. I think that speaks for itself."

Everton transfers: Blues rejected the chance to sign Dimitri Payet
4 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Chris Beesley
Roberto Martinez looked to develop Ross Barkley as his number 10 instead
Everton manager Roberto Martinez rejected the chance to sign Dimitri Payet last summer before he joined West Ham United so could develop Ross Barkley in the number 10 role. The Mirror says that the Catalan jetted out to France to watch Payet in person playing for Marseille as he searched for a new playmaker but his interest cooled, enabling the Londoners to swoop in a £10.7million deal.
Payet, who turns 29 later this month, has been a revelation for the Hammers this season, netting nine times in all competitions but the Blues feel their decision has been vindicated because of Barkley's brilliance with their homegrown ace bagging 12 goals to date. The pair are set to go head to head in Saturday's Premier League clash at Goodison Park where a home win could take Everton to within five points of Slaven Bilic's sixth placed side with a game in hand. Martinez said: “I always felt that Ross would be our number 10 and he needed that space – definitely. “Ross has matured this season, no doubt. He has progressed and he needed that time to show what he can become.”

Royal Blue: Money talks - and transfer fees should never be silenced
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Phil Kirkbride on why clubs should always disclose fees, a Howard Kendall stand must happen and Sam Byrne's injury
Everton unveil new signing Oumar Niasse with manager Roberto Martinez at Finch Farm on February 1, 2016 They say money talks.
But when it comes to transfers in the Premier League, it often keeps its mouth shut. And is there a more frustrating phrase to football fans than ‘undisclosed fee’? Everton, to their credit, don’t always keep the price of their signings under wraps. Oumar Niasse’s £13.5m move from Lokomotiv Moscow in the last window was disclosed, so was Ramiro Funes Mori’s £9.5m deal in the summer and Romelu Lukaku’s club record-fee 12 months earlier. Others are known, not all of them publicised, but should they be? And should salaries, bonuses and contract clauses be known to supporters?
Everton will enter the summer with the real possibility that spending could reach record levels, where the club record transfer fee could be smashed and where new contracts are offered to John Stones, Ross Barkley and, maybe, Romelu Lukaku. But should fans be told the exact details?
This, of course, is not a question just for the Blues but for every football club and for every one of their fans. All clubs publish annual accounts, some not as thoroughly as Everton do, annual payments made to agents are released and the eye-watering sums from the TV deal are also made public. But do supporters deserve to know more? Surely we have the right to know, don’t we?
Everton unveiled new signing Ramiro Funes Mori at Finch Farm - and said how much they paid for him The paying punters have the right to know what each and every player, representing their football club, earns and how much they cost. If a player is earning £65k-a-week and not is not pulling his weight then it’s better we know. Right? The argument against that says revealing such figures can be counter-productive. A player’s weekly wages could be a stick to beat them with when they are going through a sticky patch. Making his salary public could create resentment, not just in the stands, but also in the dressing room and maybe it’s the right of every player to have their private financial matters remain just that, private. Or is football the exception? Would we like the world to know what we earn?
Tough isn’t it?
Transfer fees are different though.
No football club should hide what they pay for a player or what they receive, supporters should at least know that and, to their credit, Everton have been far more forthcoming than others in this area of late.
But money needs to speak up more.
New stadium simply must have Howard Kendall stand
During the course of his Everton history lessons delivered by Bill Kenwright, you would assume one man’s name stood out for Farhad Moshiri.
And it is why the great man has to be at the heart of any decision made over Everton’s stadium future. Whether Mr Moshiri believes it right for the Blues to stay put and redevelop Goodison or he backs a decision to find a new home, a lasting legacy to Howard has to be found. A new stadium could include a major naming rights deal, so a statue would be fitting, and at Goodison Park?
It has been said before, in this paper, that naming a stand after Howard would be a suitable way to recognise and remember the great man.
Get well soon Sam - we're all behind you
Not every Everton fan will be familiar with Academy striker Sam Byrne.
But all Blues will be united in wishing him a speedy recovery.
The 20-year-old forward suffered a broken leg in training on Thursday and now faces an extended spell on the sidelines. Sam was, arguably, in the form of his Everton career.
Sam Byrne, Everton.
He looked leaner and meaner in recent weeks than he had done before and deservedly scored in last month’s 3-1 win over Southampton at Finch Farm. Sam is said to be in good spirits, all things considered, and he only needs to look at the first-team for inspiration in the dark hours.

The progression of Ross Barkley, still only 22, is remarkable in its own right, given in 2010 he suffered a double leg break while on England duty.

Everton fan's song to be played at Goodison in emotional bid to help raise money for charity
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Musician Peter Fidler lost battle with cancer last year but will be remembered at half-time tomorrow
Fans pose for photographs with Everton's Leighton Baines
The family of an Evertonian are hoping his music can help raise money for charity after he lost his battle with cancer. Peter Fidler passed away on New Year’s Eve aged 18, after a three year fight with the illness and now his parents David and Kath are bringing together his two passions - music and the Blues - to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. One of the West Derby youngster’s songs, Yesterday, will be played during half-time at tomorrow’s match against West Ham, with fans urged to show their support by making a donation to the cancer charity that helped him during his treatment. Peter’s family say he would be honoured to know that one of his songs was to be played at the home of the Blues. Dad David said: “This means absolutely everything to us. The idea that Pete is going to be performing in front of 30-odd thousand at Goodison Park, he’ll be laughing, he’ll be having a blast. He’s still with us, looking down and he will enjoy the day, that’s for certain.
“Initially you might think that it must have been an awful three years, but it wasn’t. We had quite a good time, and that’s largely down to Teenage Cancer Trust. “They helped out enormously. They look after the whole family and the work they do is essential. “Their staff are skilful, thoughtful, loving, caring people, they put you at ease from day one and I can’t thank them enough. Any money we can raise will be Pete helping those who helped him.” Peter, a season ticket holder in the Gwladys Street, was well-known to the club after Leighton Baines paid a special visit to his home in early 2014. The Everton fan told music-mad Baines about his band, The Also Known As.
Baines followed Peter’s progress closely and the left-back invited him to Finch Farm to watch a training session.
Peter Fidler performing with his band
Peter and David were also special guests to Goodison Park for the home game against Manchester United in 2013/14 and spent time Roberto Martinez and the first-team squad when the Everton players visited Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. “Leighton Baines was an absolute superstar,” said David. “He came round to the house for a cup of tea and it was like he was just Pete’s mate. There were no airs and graces, he just sat down and had a chat. We had seen Leighton, Leon Osman, Tony Hibbert and Phil Jagielka at the hospital, too, and they were all superstars with Pete.
“Everton is just an amazing club. In those three years since he was diagnosed, he only missed four games and the club would do whatever they could to make sure Pete could see the game.
“Pete was a happy fella anyway but when you get a boost like that it can carry you for a few weeks and keep you going.” Teenage Cancer Trust also made sure Peter always had something to look forward to, be it through arranging concert tickets, getting him involved in the design of the new Alder Hey or even arranging for him to meet his idol, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher. Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the seven young people aged 13 to 24 diagnosed with cancer every day.
The charity funds and builds specialist units in NHS hospitals – including one at the new Alder Hey Children’s Hospital - and provides dedicated staff, bringing young people together so they can be treated by teenage cancer experts in the best place for them. To support Teenage Cancer Trust, simply text GIVE to 70500 to donate £5. Teenage Cancer Trust will receive 100 per cent of your donation. Teenage Cancer Trust will text you once to thank you and a second time to ask if you’d like to hear more news. They won’t contact you again if you don’t reply. This is a charity donation service for Teenage Cancer Trust. It costs £5 plus one standard message. Always ask the bill payer’s permission. The mobile payment helpline is 03306600425.

Everton v West Ham team news: John Stones returns as Blues experiment with three at the back
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Roberto Martinez rings the changes with fresh formation and fresh impetus for Hammers visit
John Stones is back in the starting line-up for Everton Everton will run out in a bold new formation against West Ham today, with Gareth Barry dropped to the bench and apparently three at the back.
Roberto Martinez has opted to go without his trusted midfield lieutenant and instead picked three centre backs to face the Hammers, as John Stones is restored to the starting line-up for the first time since the defeat by Swansea City in January. Bryan Oviedo has passed a fitness test and retains his place ahead of Leighton Baines, seemingly at left wing-back, as the Blues try a formation similar to the one that finished the game against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Fan favourite Kevin Mirallas also starts for the second consecutive game, and elsewhere midfielder Muhamed Besic is back on the bench as he recovers from a long-term hamstring complaint.
January signing Oumar Niasse will hope to make his home debut but must also contend with a place among the substitutes. EVERTON (3-4-2-1): Robles; Stones, Funes Mori, Jagielka; Coleman, Barkley, McCarthy, Oviedo; Lennon, Mirallas; Lukaku. Subs: Howard, Baines, Besic, Barry, Osman, Deulofeu, Niasse.

Everton vs West Ham match report: Hammers fight back from two goals down to beat 10-men Toffees
Everton 2 West Ham United 3
By Simon Hart Goodison Park
March 5 2018 Independent
West Ham hopes of a Champions League campaign in their inaugural season at the Olympic Stadium received a boost in the unlikeliest of places yesterday.
The Londoners had not won at Goodison Park in 10 years and a familiar tale looked to be unfolding when, with 10-man Everton two goals ahead, Romelu Lukaku stepped up to the penalty spot. The Belgian had already got his customary goal against the Hammers – eight in eight games as an Evertonian – but his tame effort was saved easily by Adrian. It proved the cue for a stunning fightback that lifted West Ham to fifth place, a point behind Manchester City. Michail Antonio began the recovery after 78 minutes by nodding in Mark Noble’s pull back. It was soon 2-2 as Diafra Sakho nodded in Dmitri Payet’s cross and the gifted Frenchman (near right) got the late winner by tucking the ball past Joel Robles after Andy Carroll flicked a Ryan Cresswell cross into the danger zone.
Slaven Bilic, once an Everton player, ran down the tunnel in celebration. He has now won at both Merseyside grounds as West Ham manager. “I am very pleased to get three points at this stadium where we don’t have any record,” he said. “To do it like this is unbelievable so I have to praise our players. “If they had scored the penalty they could have won three or four-nil. Nobody can deny we didn’t deserve it.” For Everton, this felt like the story of their season: three times they have tossed away two-goal leads and on each occasion they have been undone by crosses. It was their seventh home loss and Roberto Martinez’s decision to replace the excellent Aaron Lennon with the ineffectual Oumar Niasse minutes before the comeback backfired badly. The Spaniard cited Lukaku’s penalty miss as “a big blow psychologically.” Everton had deserved the goals they got either side of Kevin Mirallas’s second yellow card for a challenge on Cresswell. Lukaku arrowed home an early goal after outmuscling Reece Oxford and Lennon hit a fine second after bursting clear on a one-two with Lukaku. Yet their soft centre was exposed once more. Everton: (3-4-3) Robles; Stones (Besic, h-t), Funes Mori, Jagielka; Coleman, McCarthy, Barkley, Oviedo; Lennon (Niasse, 76), Lukaku (Barry, 89), Mirallas. West Ham United: (3-4-2-1) Adrian; Kouyate, Oxford (Carroll, h-t), Ogbonna; Antonio, Noble, Obiang (Song, 61), Cresswell; Lanzini, Payet; Emenike (Sakho, 60)
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Man of the match: Payet (West Ham United)
Match rating: 8/10

Everton 2-3 West Ham full-time report: 10-man Blues throw away two-goal lead in horror ending
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Ten-man Everton were left to rue Romelu Lukaku 's penalty miss as three goals in the last 12 minutes sealed a dramatic win for West Ham. he Blues led 1-0 at half-time thanks to the Belgian but ended the opening period having had Kevin Mirallas sent off for two bookable offences. Yet Everton extended their lead 11 minutes after the re-start when Aaron Lennon and Lukaku exchanged passes on the edge of the area and the winger slotted past Adrian. And on 68 minutes, the Blues had the chance to make it 3-0 when substitute Mo Besic was fouled in the box after a mazy run.
But Lukaku scuffed his penalty kick and Adrian saved easily.
The West Ham keeper would deny Lukaku again soon after when the Belgian burst through and Everton would be left to rue the missed chances as West Ham mounted an incredible fightback inside the final 12 minutes at Goodison. First, Michail Antonio bundled a header past Robles in the 78th minute before Diafro Sakho made it 2-2 three minutes later, nodding home Dimitri Payet's cross. And in the final minute, Payet struck. Andy Carroll beat two Everton defenders to a header, Sakho flicked the ball into the six-yard box and Payet stole in between Besic and Gareth Barry to poke home the winner.

Everton 2 West Ham 3, match report: Hammers fight back to stun ten-man Everton
By Chris Bascombe, at Goodison Park
05 Mar 2016 Telegraph
Of all the peculiar traditions in English football, none beats that of home fans applauding players idiotically sent off.
Given the opportunity, those sympathising with Kevin Mirallas following his 35th minute dismissal at Goodison Park might revise their view as Everton continue their habit of surrendering positions of superiority. West Ham’s comeback from two goals down was thrilling - three goals in the last eleven minutes took them fifth – but they were assisted by two premature home exits and Romelu Lukaku’s penalty miss. Mirallas’ self-inflicted departure was brainless, but Roberto Martinez’s decision to withdraw the outstanding Aaron Lennon when his side was two-up was no less critical.
Lennon’s energy was compensating for being a man down for 55 minutes. The most generous observation about his replacement Oumar Niasse is he’ll need time to attain a similar level to justify his £13.5 million purchase. A more cruel assessment is the hosts were reduced to nine men when Lennon was substituted on 76 minutes.
“Aaron was empty. We needed fresh legs,” Martinez argued.
Whatever the logic West Ham scored twice in three minutes – headers from Michail Antonio and Diafra Sakho before Dmitri Payet pounced on Andy Carroll’s knock down to grab the injury-time winner. It’s the third time this season Everton have failed to hold on to a two goal lead. An outstanding set of players suffering desperate results. Seven home defeats is an appalling return.
“I am concerned but the performances have been strong and we have been punished for small margins,” insisted Martinez. Not even Romelu Lukaku’s apparent personal vendetta against West Ham can burst Bilic’s bubble. Lukaku has scored in eight consecutive fixtures against the Londoners, and he created Lennon’s second. Yet his 68th minute penalty miss proved more expensive than he could have imagined, Bilic’s men belatedly rediscovering the attacking panache that has made them top four contenders. You had to have some sympathy for Lukaku. Before the blemish with his spot kick he was at his imposing best. Not many prospective golden boot winners find themselves in mid-table. For West Ham teenager Reece Oxford it was a rite of passage. Entrusted by Bilic to man-mark the Premier League’s in-form striker, he’ll put this one down to experience. When Lukaku shrugged off the teenager’s attention and drilled Everton ahead on 13 minutes it was the archetypal man against boy. Bilic had little option but to spare the 17-year-old at half-time. We will not be too harsh on the West Ham youngster as more experienced legs would have toiled against Lukaku in this form.
Lukaku will wonder how he was on the losing side, his compatriot Mirallas most culpable.
Having already been cautioned by referee Anthony Taylor for a 15th minute dive, Mirallas clumsily lunged at Aaron Creswell and gave the official little option but to show the red card. Martinez accepted the second booking but opted to censure Taylor for the first claiming ‘he doesn’t understand the game’. Distracting words. For a while it seemed the dismissal would not matter, especially when Lennon tidily doubled the lead on 55 minutes. But West Ham now possess steel as well as silk and refused to yield, Bilic thrilled with the latest show of intent.
“We never lost our composure, our patience and when we had the ball I always had the feeling we could do it,” he said. “I said at half-time we are one down but we are going to do it. We had to be less sexy and more lethal.” Everton need to learn the same lesson.

West Ham stun 10-man Everton as Dimitri Payet seals fightback win
Everton 2 - 3 West Ham
Richard Jolly at Goodison Park
Saturday 5 March 2016 Guardian
“Unbelievable,” said Slaven Bilic. “Nobody can deny we deserved it. We showed our quality, we showed our stubbornness and we got a great win.” They are a team transformed. They used to approach trips to Merseyside with trepidation, but won at Anfield for the first time in 52 years in August. A 16-game winless run against Everton in the top flight came to an abrupt end, courtesy of Michail Antonio, Diafra Sakho and Dimitri Payet. West Ham’s signing of the season provided the dramatic denouement. Andy Carroll headed Aaron Cresswell’s diagonal ball down, Sakho improvised a backheel flick and Payet nipped in to score the winner. A catalytic signing contributed a crucial goal to determine a cracking game. Yet another Hammer exerted an equal influence and made the fightback feasible. West Ham were two goals adrift and being run ragged by Romelu Lukaku when twin pieces of acrobatics by Adrián proved to be turning points. The Spaniard saved twice from Everton’s top scorer, once from a strangely hesitant penalty and once when he burst clear on goal. He had already made stunning stops to deny James McCarthy and Ross Barkley, who each eyed spectacular long-range strikes, in a one-man rearguard action. It brought a belated reward when his attacking colleagues conjured three goals. “If they had scored that penalty they would have won the game maybe 3-0 or 4-0,” Bilic admitted. Everton could rue Adrián’s excellence and Lukaku’s misses. Yet, profligate as he was, he has also proved prolific. In any case, there were other reasons for Everton’s seventh home league defeat of the season. They display a costly carelessness, and have squandered a two-goal advantage four times already. A poor, porous defence has been a regular source of complaint and Ramiro Funes Mori stood flat-footed for two of the West Ham goals.
Roberto Martínez’s initial gambit of matching Bilic’s 3-4-3 formation had paid off and his half-time introduction of Muhamed Besic brought a benefit when the Bosnian won the penalty that Lukaku spurned. Yet the removal of two in-form goalscorers who were tormenting West Ham – first Aaron Lennon and then Lukaku – afforded the visitors the initiative. And the culpable Belgian really was Kevin Mirallas, not Lukaku. The winger had been booked for diving before he upended Cresswell. His arm was immediately raised in apology but it was not enough to spare him a second yellow card, or Everton an hour with 10 men. The Goodison faithful afforded the departing winger a generous ovation and blamed the referee, Anthony Taylor. So did Martínez, who identified a scapegoat for a setback. “The second booking is a decision the referee has to make,” he admitted. “The first one is a ridiculous decision. Why should we book a player because we feel it is not a free-kick? I don’t feel he is a referee who understands the game in a way that we want it played.” Everton’s understanding was apparent in a slickly worked opener, Bryan Oviedo finding Lukaku, who accelerated away to score in an eighth successive game against West Ham. “The performance for spells was outstanding,” said Martínez. So was Lukaku’s. Bilic admitted: “When they had the ball, he makes that one-player loss less visible. He creates mayhem.” He also fashioned Lennon’s fifth goal in seven games, the winger accepting Lukaku’s return pass to score. Then Adrián intervened. “The penalty was a big blow psychologically,” said Martínez. “Romelu Lukaku is such a reliable footballer that we were all a little bit shocked.” West Ham were galvanised. Bilic had gambled, bringing on Carroll and Sakho. Substitutes starred after a starter scored. Antonio’s third goal in three games was headed in from Mark Noble’s cross. Another delivery from the visitors’ left flank yielded an equaliser. Payet was the supplier, Sakho heading in. Payet’s winner left even Bilic bemused. “I didn’t know what to do, so I ran down the tunnel and I came back straightaway,” he said, though a celebration was the product of a half-time conversation. “I said that ‘we are one down but we are going to do it’,” he revealed. “We had to be less sexy and more lethal.” Everton could do with displaying a similar hard-nosed pragmatism. “I thought our performance, defensively, was outstanding for 78 minutes and very poor from then on,” said Martínez. But whether discounting tickets or gifting goals, their generosity knows no bounds.

Everton fans react to Mirallas red card: 'Disappointed if he ever kicks a ball for us again'
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Kristian Walsh
Everton fans have been pointing the finger at Kevin Mirallas after Everton 2-3 West Ham
Blame is being thrown around on social media after 10-man Everton saw a two-goal lead slip against West Ham. Unsurprisingly, the man who saw the Blues down to just 10 - Kevin Mirallas - is one of those being criticised. With the score at 1-0, the Belgian was booked for diving - harsh from Anthony Taylor, potentially - but then foolishly clattered into Aaron Cresswell to pick up a second booking.
Despite Aaron Lennon making it 2-0 just after half time, West Ham fought back to take all three points. Here is how Twitter reacted:
Next time Mirallas is on international duty sure he'll comment on his lack of game time. No wonder when that's what he does given a chance.
— Ell Bretland (@EllBretland) March 5, 2016
Be disappointed if Mirallas kicks a ball for Everton again. Very good player but he's let us down too many times
— Ste Mingaud (@SteMingaud) March 5, 2016
Does anyone still wonder why Martinez doesn't trust Mirallas?
— Dave Bandell (@DaveBandell1878) March 5, 2016
Mirallas's Everton career about done as well. Can't trust him to keep head when needed.
— Graeme McVeigh (@GraemeMcV) March 5, 2016
Mirallas was stupid. I called it ten mins earlier. He's an idiot.
— CJ. Everton. (@cj87EFC) March 5, 2016
Kevin Mirallas has to go. Get rid of him asap. He's a liability and has cost us 3 points today!
— Chris Williams (@CWill911) March 5, 2016
Do you know what would really have helped? Having 11 men on the pitch.
— Stephanie (@shennners) March 5, 2016
Mirallas needs to have a word with himself, knowing you're on a yellow and then diving in like that. Ref had no choice
— Joe Whitehead (@joewhitehead__) March 5, 2016
There is no excuse for getting a second yellow within minutes of getting the first one. Mirallas cost his team 3 points.
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) March 5, 2016
Here is how Facebook reacted:
David Fraser: Ever since that penalty fiasco from last season when Mirallas presumed to take the penalty instead of Baines (and didn't even score) I've been unable to look at the guy. He's poison. Never let him back. Especially given Barry and others available.
Darren Hall: I'll be surprised if we see him put on the Everton shirt again.
Barry Gerrard Heyes: He's a clown and a disgrace ... The man is gifted and blessed with skill but he's an idiot with no respect for the club or anybody.
Cason Tang: Stupid fouls again. He is good on his day but he must learn to be smarter.
Leighton Stringer: Mirallas unlucky he was clipped for the first card, he was playing ok until then.
Stephen Ford: A compete letdown of his teammates.
Michael King: Called it after he got yellow. Not a smart player.
Bryan Kloss: Sad really. Looks great on the pitch but no head on the shoulders of his.
Sean Neeson: The guy cost us the game today hope he never pulls on that shirt again.
Dave Witham: He was harshly done by, although should have known to be more careful when already on a yellow.

Everton fans blast Roberto Martinez after West Ham defeat
Everton fans on Twitter have had enough of Roberto Martinez after the Toffees surrendered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to West Ham
By Sean Gibson
05 Mar 2016 Telegraph
Everton supporters were in a predictably low mood on Saturday after seeing their side wilt badly in the final 15 minutes of their home game with West Ham, losing 3-2 after leading 2-0.
The result appears to be the final straw for a significant number of supporters, who called our manager Roberto Martinez for his questionable tactics in defending the lead.
2-0 up, with ten men, 20 minutes to go. Martinez decides to change things and go with two up front. Baffling. #EFC
— Martin Fricker (@martinfricker) March 5, 2016
How many times has Martinez failed to shut down games when winning comfortably. It's negligence football management of the highest degree.
— John Merro (@johnmerro1) March 5, 2016
Martinez making it hard work for supporters to keep the faith atm
— Ian Fisher (@ianfsher) March 5, 2016
Martinez Out
A managerial reign encapsulated in 15 clueless minutes
— James Corbett (@james_corbett) March 5, 2016
Martinez's late-game substitutions and tactical adjustments may not have aided his side in properly protecting the lead they had built themselves. However there were still Evertonians who insisted the manager could not shoulder all the blame on this occasion. Kevin Mirallas earned himself an early bath with two desrved yellow cards in the first half, while Romelu Lukaku hit a weak penalty that could have put Everton safe and 3-0 up.
Not Martinez' fault lads, he didn't take that awful penalty or get two yellows
— Jonathan Dickinson (@joth1878) March 5, 2016
Not sure I put the blame on Martinez for this. His change of formation, then sub at half-time had us 2-0 up with golden chances for more.
— Chris Smith (@cdsmith789) March 5, 2016
Martinez could have brought Barry on or Lukaku off. His choice didn't work out. But saying we conceded three because of it is ridiculous.
— Chris Smith (@cdsmith789) March 5, 2016
Unlike managers at other clubs - such as Steve McClaren at Newcastle United - Martinez is almost certain to see out the season at the very least.
Martinez has also had many occasions to complain of poor officiating this season, with several decisions having cost his side points.
But should dissatisfaction with results continue to mount, some stern questions could be awaiting the Spaniard in the summer.

Everton 2-3 West Ham analysis: The Old Lady awakens, Mirallas testing patience and three's not a crowd in defence
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Greg O'Keeffe ponders what can be taken by the Blues from a chastening afternoon
Goodison rocked on Saturday... but the outcome left something to be desired
An all too familiar sting
To quote one seasoned Everton observer: “The phrase 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football could have been invented for Roberto Martinez.” This painful conclusion to a gripping contest is that extra bit more agonizing because we’ve been here before. It’s the third time this season that Everton have been undone after taking a two-goal lead. If they didn't learn their lesson first time, then after that - what does that say about today? The truly galling thing is that the Blues were impressive in so many ways. They harnessed the raw power of Goodison and boasted some superb individual performances. But tasked with seeing out a game in which they had a commanding position, once again they wilted. Once again they proved unable to withstand crosses into the box. Once again they suggested there is a flaw still unresolved in this team’s psyche which, until addressed by the manager and his team, will prevent genuine progress.
Goodison is back
For so long in this chequered season the Old Lady has been in a curious mood.
Twitchy, irritable, at times vacant, at times near toxic. Not today.
Whether it was the arrival of major investment signalling a brighter future or just the full throttle tone at which the team started, Goodison was revived. It roared, snarled and became the Blues 11th man when they needed it after Kevin Mirallas’s dismissal.
Full-time report Player ratings How it happened Social reaction to Mirallas red card Fans' video reaction What we learned Phil Kirkbride's verdict Social reaction to defeat Martinez blasts ref
The players and fans were as one in that blistering way so long associated with this fine old ground.
That alone deserved a happy outcome.
It would be a shame if this rapprochement slid back into disconnect and unease again. It really felt like a corner had been turned. But can Everton’s put-upon supporters find it in their hearts to write this seventh home defeat of the season off? It won’t be easy but Everton stand an infinitely better chance of beating Chelsea in the FA Cup next weekend with the old Goodison back,
Are we done talking about Kevin?
He doesn’t help himself does he?
If he hasn't already, Kevin Mirallas is close to using up every last bit of remaining patience Evertonians have for him. Dismissed in brainless circumstances once already this term, the inconsistent yet gifted forward had another early bath today. It’s debatable whether the Belgian deserved a booking for his first misdemeanour after blundering ref Anthony Taylor adjudged him to have dived.
But after that he only has himself to blame.
His late challenge on Aaron Creswell was a stonewall booking and it cost his team dearly.
Kevin Mirallas knows what's coming here... but what's coming in future months for him?
With 11 men Everton looked better than a side many insist could yet creep into the top four. Shorn of parity in numbers, eventually the ensuing tiredness took its toll. Mirallas is no stranger to costly own goals at Goodison. Who can forget that missed penalty against West Brom last term?
It hasn’t removed him from the affection of most supporters until now, with some volubly criticising the manager for not using the winger more this term. But each time he gets his chance he appears to seize it, then confounds you. With plenty of other options out wide - is he still worth the hassle?
Early days but we must see more Judgement comes quickly in football, but with Oumar Niasse having yet to even play 90 minutes for Everton it’s far too early to slam down the gavel.
The considerable transfer fee Everton paid for the Senegal striker will eventually demand compelling evidence of a player though, and thus far the evidence is scant.
Or, to put it bluntly, there isn't any.
His two cameos, admittedly in a new team, in a new league, have essentially been headless chicken routines. Today he was tasked with replicating the inspirational running of Aaron Lennon when Martinez decided the winger had worked himself to a standstill, and crucially he didn’t.
Romelu Lukaku misses a penalty, but it was more than fellow forward Oumar Niasse managed
“I can say that I like to run and I also have my speed,” Niasse told the ECHO shortly after his £13.5m signing was secured. “But the biggest thing, in my mind, is that I like to battle.
“When you are a fighter you never give up.
“Even if the team is winning or losing, I don’t mind, I just have to work, I just have to fight and don’t think about anything else.” It was a more diffident, less bombastic display we saw today. One challenge was shirked, never wise when trying to win over the L4 natives, and that tireless running was in short supply.
Niasse may yet come good. He deserves time and patience.
But he also needs to sharpen up and realise that, if you’re not careful, first impressions last.
His have been less than compelling.
Don’t blame the back three
Roberto Martinez loves a back three.
You get the impression it’s how his dream team would always play.
But when the Catalan has deployed Everton in that fashion, the results have so far been discouraging.
Twice he has tried it in the Premier League, twice the Blues have lost (although Antolin Alcaraz was involved in both defeats). Yet you can’t blame the defence tweaks today. The truth is that Everon looked comfortable and in control with Phil Jagielka, John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori across the back.
Phil Jagielka's aerial prowess was in evidence against West Ham
It was only after Mirallas’ exit and reverting to a back four that familiar frailties resurfaced.
Once again the Toffees were unable to withstand aerial bombardment.
Phil Jagielka would have headed every ball clear all day and into next week, but his wherewithal was sadly isolated. Crosses were allowed to rain into the area by Bryan Oviedo and Seamus Coleman, and Funes Mori forgot how to jump. Everton have conceded more home goals than any other side in the Premier League this term. A damning statistic if ever there was one.
And sure, they haven’t all come from crosses.
But that seems to be their glaring Achilles heel. And couldn’t you just see Slaven Bilic smell blood as Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were sent forth to keep hammering on a door that, the records suggest, was inevitably going to open in the end?

Everton boss Roberto Martinez blasts ref Anthony Taylor for 'ridiculous' Mirallas sending-off
5 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Everton boss said 3-2 defeat by West Ham was infuriating
Roberto Martinez launched a withering attack on referee Anthony Taylor for the “ridiculous” dismissal of Kevin Mirallas which he felt cost Everton dearly against West Ham.
The Blues lost 3-2 at Goodison Park today after taking a two-goal lead against the Champions League chasing Hammers despite being reduced to 10 men. Mirallas was sent off for a second yellow card on 35 minutes after earlier being booked for diving by Taylor, a decision Martinez felt was wrong.
Asked after the defeat , his side’s seventh at home this term, for his thoughts on the official Martinez said: “I don’t feel he is a referee who understands the game in a way that we want the game played.
“You want a referee who takes the back seat. Unfortunately we had him here against Swansea and he had a very unfortunate game. “You want to see refs who understand the game and allow players to play and not just have to apply the letter of the law. We had the sending off, we have to accept that. “The way we adapted was really impressive until the 78th minute. It is something to see the substance of that performance. The last 12 minutes we have run out a bit of energy.”
Martinez said Mirallas said sorry to his team-mates for the red card, but added: “I don’t want to look at it that way. “He apologised but it is part of the game. He didn’t do anything apart from trying to play the game. The second booking is a decision the referee has to make. Referee Anthony Taylor walks toward Kevin Mirallas after fouling Aaron Cresswell “The first one is a ridiculous decision. Why should we book a player because we feel it is not a free kick. “Two players come together, they cross each other and he loses his balance. “We were presented with a very difficult game when Kevin had the red card but you look at the way we adapted, started the second half, worked for each other with an incredible tactical knowledge. “We were the better team, created chances, and you wouldn’t know West Ham had an extra man.” Romelu Lukaku missed a golden chance to make it 3-0 and likely seal victory in the second half when his spot kick was saved by Adrian, something which the manager admitted was damaging. “The penalty was a big blow psychologically,” he said. “Romelu is such a reliable footballer that we were all a little bit shocked. Those were two key moments. “We all know Rom is so confident in those situations. Sometimes he likes to look at the keeper and take that step. It is the first time he has missed a penalty. That happens in football.
Romelu Lukaku's penaltyis saved by Adrian of West Ham United
“It gives them a little bit of hope when you miss a penalty. They get a second goal from a dead-ball and we then found it very difficult to do the things we were doing well. “It was infuriating. The performance for spells was outstanding and this was a big blow.” Asked to explain his decision to replace the impressive Aaron Lennon with new signing Oumar Niasse in the second half, Martinez insisted that the winger was exhausted after his hard-running display. “Aaron got to the point he was empty,” he said. “But we never felt the game was done. It was a case of fresh legs. Oumar is a very energetic player. The way we set up in the second half demanded a lot of effort from Romelu and Aaron Lennon. “The penalty is the moment. West Ham have good players and they are fighting for the Champions League. Psychologically we gave them the hope. It is a psychological feeling you get in every game.” Martinez admitted that his side’s home record is concerning, but refused to question his players’ mental strength.
Martinez defended Lennon withdrawal
“I am concerned about the amount of defeats we have at home,” he said. “There have been performances at home where we didn’t deserve a defeat. The Manchester United one is the only one we deserved to lose though. “If you look at our away form, we can get points anywhere. At home we should be getting points. That is what we need to get. “The fans were magnificent. The difference for us pushing for a top four place is the big amount of defeats at home.” West Ham equalised with two goals from crosses into the area but Martinez defended his back four’s handling of the visitors aerial bombardment overall. He said: “It was just in the last 12 minutes. We played against the same team earlier and defended crosses well. “Not scoring the third goal cost us more in every action from then on. I thought our performance defensively was outstanding for 78 minutes and very poor from then on.”

Ian Doyle: Everton aren't the only Premier League team about to come into money
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
by IanDoyle
Moshiri's millions won't automatically make Goodison a venue for top players... but Blues are doing it right with season tickets
So it begins.
Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri's investment at Everton hasn't yet been ratified by the Premier League but already the Blues are being linked with a myriad of big-money moves. It's something to which Evertonians will happily grow accustomed after years of watching teams both above and below them in the table flash the cash and snatch potential targets from under their noses.
One such example was in opposition at Goodison on Saturday in the form of Angelo Ogbonna, who was instead inspired to move to West Ham United because of the imminent move to the Olympic Stadium and the prospect of living in London. Sadly, such obstacles aren't going to be overcome just because Everton have a bit more money now. They'll never be based in the capital city.
And, until Goodison is redeveloped or a new stadium is built, they're going to struggle to persuade in that regard – particularly with foreign players – no matter how impressive Finch Farm may be.
And, pretty soon, there'll be another issue.
The new television rights deal which kicks in next season won't just give Everton a huge injection of cash. It'll give every other Premier League team the same. Further afield, rivals are becoming concerned. Not least Barcelona, who now regard English clubs and not Real Madrid as the main threat to their progress – off the field, at least – given the money that threatens to engulf the Premier League. Speaking last month, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said: “Premier League teams will have an incredible financial situation from now on and we are worried.”

He should be. Crunch the numbers, and the team that finishes bottom of the Premier League next season will receive somewhere in the region of £99million. For being rubbish. Clubs won't be compelled to cash in on star talent, something Everton have already demonstrated by rejecting big money moves from Chelsea for John Stones last year. Moshiri's investment will undoubtedly strengthen Roberto Martinez's hand in the transfer market this summer. But it could be the priority will be to begin finally addressing the stadium situation than splashing out on big-money signings.
After all, just about everybody will be able to do that in a couple of months.
Blues right to keep things young
What a difference a few weeks – and a few hundred yards – makes.
Last month, Liverpool prompted their fans to walk out in disgust at proposed season ticket price hikes for next term. The Anfield hierarchy had no realistic option other than to relent, such was the level of mutiny. On Friday, though, Everton took a different tack by announcing a raft of reductions and season ticket initiatives, not least a decrease of more than 5% on all adult season tickets.
We'll probably never know whether the Blues were influenced by what happened across Stanley Park. Season ticket prices have given Everton fans reasons to be cheerful But there's no doubt Everton were far more aware of the current level of feeling among matchgoing football supporters.
Given the increase in next season's television rights, there cannot be any reason for clubs actively looking to wring more from the people who turn up every other week. It also emerged that more than 25% of Everton's season ticket holders are under the age of 22. With the average age of the Premier League fan 41, the Blues are rightly mindful of having too old a fanbase.
Good work. Now, if only they could start winning a few more home games...
Video nasty won't go away
Worrying times for fans of good old football.
The bigwigs who set the rules have given the go-ahead to trial video assistant referees for “game-changing decisions” during games. Technology would only be applied to key incidents concerning goals, red cards, mistaken identities and penalties.
So basically anything controversial, then.
Regulars will know we are bang against video technology in games unless, as has been proven with goalline technology (we're quite happy to put our hands up and say we were wrong on that one), it doesn't interrupt the flow of the game.
'Let's hope this goes wrong!'
And, to be fair, new FIFA president Gianni Infantino appears on the same page.
“We cannot close our eyes to the future but it doesn't mean to say it will work,” he says.
“The flow of the game is crucial. We cannot put that in danger. That is why we have to be open to test.” A trial the proves something probably won't work? Fingers crossed.

Everton: Daniel Amokachi 'felt the love of his life' from Blues fans
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Chris Beesley
Cult hero reveals how he was glad to ignore warnings about coming to Goodison
Everton's Daniel Amokachi celebrates with team mates
Former Everton striker Daniel Amokachi has revealed that back in 1994 he was warned against joining the Blues because of a supposed racism issue at the club. However, the Nigerian was delighted to prove the doubters wrong as he found the warmest of welcomes from the Goodison Park crowd. Like all Premier League clubs, Everton now field a multinational squad with players of varied backgrounds coming from all corners of the globe. When Oumar Niasse of Senegal arrived for £13.5million earlier this year he joined the likes of South Africa's Steven Pienaar and Arouna Kone of the Ivory Coast in the Blues squad. Over the past two decades there have been many greats of African football to grace Goodison Park including the likes of Joseph Yobo, Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Samuel Eto'o but Amokachi was the trailblazer in this field. Before the inception of the Premier League, English football had been somewhat parochial. When the new-look English top flight kicked off in August 1992, Everton named an entirely British-born starting line-up with Polish substitute Robert Warzycha a rare import. Merseyside football had been blighted by incidents of racism in the previous decade, particularly after Liverpool signed Jamaican-born England international John Barnes. After Barnes was racially abused in a derby match, Everton chairman Sir Philip Carter gave a hard-hitting message to the perpetrators which made the headline “Stay away you scum.”
While the club tried to change their image, a continued all-white Blues team didn't help.
Apart from locally-born Cliff Marshall who made just eight appearances in the mid-1970s, there had been no black players in the first team. When he left QPR in 1991, England full-back Paul Parker said he chose Manchester United over Everton after claiming he received hate mail from some Blues fans while in what was a football decision, a move for Dion Dublin was blocked late in 1993 which prompted Howard Kendall to quit as manager. In an interview with 1990s football podcast Alive and Kicking, Amokachi, who has just taken up a new coaching job in Finland, explains how he was cautioned about joining Everton. He said “[The move to] Goodison Park just came out of the blue. My agent and Club Brugge were deep in talks over a move to Juventus. “I was sitting back, continuing to do my training during pre-season. Then I think the deal fell through and I got a phone call saying Everton are willing to take you in. “I said 'I'd love to be in the Premier League, it's an experience for me.' “But they told me 'ah but it's Everton and they're a racist club. You will be the first black player to play for Everton.'”
I can't complain about a second
Amokachi was glad that he ignored such advice though as he was given the warmest of welcomes from the Everton crowd and despite enduring indifferent personal form at Goodison he became a big cult hero with Blues fans, who would routinely bow down to him from the Gwladys Street, chanting “Amo, Amo.” Elton John's hit Daniel drifted over the PA system at Goodison Park as resplendent in a purple blazer, the then 21-year-old was unveiled to his new adoring public ahead of the home game with Nottingham Forest on August 30, 1994, after completing a club record £3million move.
Daniel Amokachi holds up an Everton shirt after signing in 1994
Amokachi said: “I said [to my advisers] 'I don't think if they were racist they would spend so much on a black man from Africa. “I ended up putting pen to paper at Goodison and from the moment I came out of the tunnel to be introduced I felt the love of my life. “That was an experience and I enjoyed my two seasons there. I can't complain about any second that I was there.”
A self-made magic moment
Of course Amokachi's most memorable moment in a royal blue jersey came in the 1995 FA Cup final when he sneaked on to the pitch at Elland Road in an incident Joe Royle describes as “the best substitution I never made!” Amokachi said: “I think it was a turning point of my career there. When I came to Everton I thought I was fast and strong but once I was in the Premier League I knew I had a lot of work to do. “I had the support of all my team-mates, especially Dave Watson the captain, he was really pushing me to be as good as I could be. “I kept doing my thing in training and reserve games. I was on fire during that period. I just had to wait for my opportunity to come.”
Two-goal hero Daniel Amokachi, Everton is mobbed by fans against Tottenham Hotspur
He added: “I created the opportunity for myself. Paul Rideout was injured and Joe Royle kept insisting that the doctor should fix him up and we should wait for five more minutes.
“The doctor said 'he's done, he's done'. We were a player short and I just got up, I was warming up already, and went up to the fourth official. “It just happened. He should have asked the question 'where is the paper?' and all that stuff but he didn't. “He just raised the number, I put my feet over the line and I saw Joe Royle running towards us saying 'what are you doing?' “We were done with the substitution, I was over the line and if I was to come off we'd have to play with one man short.
“We were 2-1 up but Spurs were putting us under pressure at the time. It turned out that in the next 10 minutes I scored two goals and Everton were in the final.”
Having got Everton to the Twin Towers, Amokachi was back on the bench for the FA Cup final against Manchester United as Royle retained the same starting line-up from the semi-final but he got his chance to make history as he took to the field on 69 minutes to replace Anders Limpar.
Amokachi said: “I was the first African player to win the FA Cup. Back when I was growing up in Africa, the FA Cup was huge. Daniel Amokachi, Everton celebrates victory in the F.A. Cup Final Picture Neal Simpson “It was a global event, sitting in front of the TV. I'd be living in a neighbourhood where only one or two homes had a TV back then. “For me to be at Wembley playing in the FA Cup final that I watched as a young child it can't get better than that. Not just playing but beating the mighty Manchester United back then.”

'Everton can't deal with crosses' - West Ham scorer Antonio admits targeting Blues after watching videos of their defensive weakness
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Former Everton defender Slaven Bilic told his West Ham players 'Get the ball in the box as much as we can'
Michail Antonio (1st R) of West Ham United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United West Ham winger Michail Antonio has admitted the Hammers played on Everton's vulnerability from crosses to spring their 3-2 comeback win and condemn the Blues to a seventh home defeat of the season. The 25-year-old sparked Slaven Bilic men's fightback from two-nil down with his 78th minute header yesterday, starting a 12 minute melt-down from the hosts that ended in their latest set-back on home soil.
Until then 10-men Everton had been largely in control of the game and gone ahead through Romelu Lukaku and Aaron Lennon. But they undid their good work towards the end, and speaking on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday Antonio explained how Bilic had identified Everton's weaknesses before the game. He said: "We watched a couple of videos and saw they find it difficult to deal with crosses so 'let's get the ball in the box as much as we can'.
"If you want to win a game that's how you want to win it. I'd rather do it like that than win 3-0."
The former Nottingham Forest star, who has scored six goals for the Londoners this season, said he had some sympathy for Everton in the wake of Kevin Mirallas' costly sending off for two yellow cards. When co-host Chris Kamara claimed the Belgian has been treated harshly, Antonio agreed that the forward's first booking by referee Anthiny Taylor, for diving, has been harsh.
Kamara also pointed out that West Ham goalkeeper Adrian had been more than a yard off his line before Lukaku missed the spot kick that might have made it 3-0 for the Toffees.
"How has the referee's assistant not seen that?" asked the pundit.

Everton and the 3-4-3 formation: Pros and cons of Martinez's favoured system
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Kristian Walsh
The advantages and disadvantages of using the new system for Chelsea in the cup - and beyond
The 3-4-3 - Jagielka, Stones and Funes Mori
Two’s company, three’s a crowd. When Roberto Martinez named his team for Everton’s home game with West Ham, it piqued curiosity. Three-at-the-back. A relic of Martinez’s management, utilised so often at Wigan, but so scarcely at Goodison Park. Given how unsuccessful it has been on the odd occasion he has used it – the New Year’s Day defeat to Hull in 2015 a particular lowlight – then it is no wonder. Yet it made a reappearance at Villa Park in midweek, a 3-0 lead offering the perfect chance to experiment; it did not prove too useful against Aston Villa, but did not deter the Catalan from using it, from the start, against the Hammers. Perhaps it is cursed. With a half not yet played, Kevin Mirallas went to ground too easily – twice – and the Blues reverted to 4-4-1. A problem, and a dilemma, for Martinez awaits. With the next game coming against Chelsea in the FA Cup, a season could be defined; the Blues boss must decide whether three-at-the-back has had sufficient opportunity to be implemented as a genuine option. It is about more than Chelsea, of course. Beating them sends the Blues to Wembley and keeps alive their hopes of a major trophy, but the league season cannot be left to flitter into the abyss, either. If Martinez is to persist with the 3-4-3, then he must commit to it.
What are the pros and cons of using it, though?
PROS
IT FITS STONES INTO THE SIDE
The team should always be selected on form, and John Stones does not deserve inclusion on that in recent weeks. The partnership of Ramiro Funes Mori and Phil Jagielka has, up until Saturday, looked a promising one. How long can Stones sit on the sidelines, though? Forget the inevitable chatter of his Goodison future sitting on the bench, and be more concerned of the development of the 21-year-old. The only reason he has become the defender he already has is because of his exposure to the Everton first team; the only way he will continue to develop is with more minutes on the pitch.
Though Funes Mori endured a torrid game against West Ham, it would be unfair to drop him. Phil Jagielka, the captain, must feature. By switching to three central defenders, it allows Stones to start – and allows Everton to start three good centre backs.
BARKLEY IN A NO.8 ROLE
The debate over Ross Barkley’s short-term role has subsided this season. Eight goals and seven assists in 28 Premier League games often stifles a conversation. In the 4-2-3-1, he has flourished in an advanced role; he looks confident, composed, and a real threat in the final third.
Yet he has just turned 22, and his long-term positional future is still up in the air. Everything in the manner of his play – his power, strength, drive and ability to carry the ball up the field – points to his prime being played in a deeper role. A no.8, rather than a no.10, to use the modern footballing lexicon. The 3-4-3 system allows for this. Once more, he would have to learn the finer details of defensive midfield work, but with two wing-backs, three centre backs and a more defensive-minded midfielder alongside him, it would be for him to move up the field and and operate with the attacking trio. He is a superb no.10, but his unlimited potential could rest as a no.8. This might allow Barkley to take the first steps to realising that.
MARTINEZ PREFERS IT
After three seasons in charge, Martinez has rarely had the opportunity to use the system which steered him to prominence with the Latics. Indeed, the most successful of auditions for the Everton job – his 3-0 FA Cup quarter final win at Goodison – saw the 3-4-3 utilised to devastating effect.
Circumstance has not allowed it to be on show on Merseyside, and certainly not with the impact it had down the M58. It’s easy to see why Martinez likes the formation. It promotes control of the football game, solidity across the pitch, and vibrancy in attack. In theory, at least. Now, he has players to fit into the formation. Three strong centre backs; wing-backs, which he inherited; quick, intelligent attacking midfielders; Romelu Lukaku. If this is to become a definitive season for Martinez’s reign, it will be with a set-up in his design. One, ultimately, that helped bring him to the Toffees in the first place.
LENNON AND DEULOFEU COULD THRIVE
Aaron Lennon has not needed a change of formation to provide the catalyst to his upturn in form. He has been excellent for weeks. Still, against West Ham, he was superb once more. His pace and industry has seen him score six goals this season – all in the past 10 games. The 3-4-3 would see his abilities thrive even more; moving in from the wide areas, operating in pockets of space in front of the defence, and capitalising on gaps Lukaku would create. How Gerard Deulofeu would love such luxury. Kept out of the team by a player in much better form, the 3-4-3 could offer him a reprieve from the left-hand side. With so much behind the front three, there would be less risk in selecting both Lennon and Deulofeu in the same starting line-up. It would mean the Catalan winger would, potentially, have to start on the left-hand side – but it does allow him the chance to find his way back in the side.
CONS
IT HAS FLATTERED TO DECEIVE SO FAR
The previous evidence of three-at-the-back for Everton under Martinez reads more like a rap-sheet, albeit a short one. The Blues played three centre backs at home to Manchester City in May 2014 and lost 3-2 – no real shame against the eventual champions – but it was against Hull, seven months later, when it looked ragged. Granted, the back three was comprised of Jagielka, Antolin Alcaraz and Gareth Barry. The presence of Alcaraz, who was sent off with four minutes remaining at the KC Stadium, renders full judgement obsolete – but it was a poor team performance, back to front.
In a more contemporaneous setting – Villa Park, last Tuesday – it did not look so secure, with Rudy Gestede nodding home after Stones came on. The system looked more settled on Saturday, but there is still question around it – and plenty of them.
STOPPING BALLS OUT WIDE
Everton defended well for 78 minutes at West Ham before a fatal flaw of the 3-4-3 system showed its teeth: stopping crosses from wide positions. All three goals, It has been an issue for a while, granted. As of end of February, only three teams have conceded more shots from crosses in Premier League this season, with 48% of their chances faced coming from balls out wide. That could be higher after the past two games. It is an issue that won’t be helped by the 3-4-3, however. The onus is on the wing-backs to use their nous in acknowledging when to attack, and when to defend. Make the wrong decision, and gaps will appear. Furthermore, with just two men in midfield, and the three centre backs focusing on the penalty area battles, it can leave the men out wide exposed.
The trio of goals conceded against West Ham were not a by-product of playing three at the back. A long-term move to that, however, might offer more problems, rather than solutions.
WHAT HAPPENS TO GARETH BARRY?
Gareth Barry will not last forever. Martinez feels he can go until he’s 40, but even he will recognise the 35-year-old needs to reduce his game time. The big problem, however, is that he is still a huge influence for Everton – and particularly the midfield. In the 3-4-3, it would be difficult to envisage the reliable axis of Barry and James McCarthy would provide enough attacking impetus for the Blues. The Irishman can operate higher up the field but he should not be the midfielder whom the greatest responsibility falls upon. A chest infection saw Barry miss out against West Ham but, going forward, it would be a straight shoot-out between McCarthy and Barry to accompany Barkley in the midfield.
That will see limited game time for Barry, in a team that still benefits from his experience.
THE 4-2-3-1 FORMATION ALREADY ESTABLISHED
Martinez’s greatest success at Everton has come with the 4-2-3-1 formation. The personnel and style of play have varied, but the structure has been pretty similar. Adventurous full backs, a double defensive midfield pivot, and fluidity in the front four. Hard to remember so long ago, perhaps, but the side that came so close to Champions League football, that achieved the club’s record Premier League points haul, were magnificent with that set-up. The spine of that side remains, too. Tim Howard is now second-choice, but Joel Robles is proving more than an able replacement. Sylvain Distin has departed, but Stones and Funes Mori can fill that void. McCarthy and Barry now have Muhamed Besic for competition, so that area has strengthened, while Deulofeu, Barkley and Lukaku are still at the club. Two-and-a-half seasons into the Catalan’s reign, such a drastic change would raise questions over the direction of the team under Martinez, and why he is ripping up the script, rather than telling his players to follow the existing one better.

Everton FC: Goodison back to its best even as Blues collapse
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Greg O'Keeffe on the big talking points from the 3-2 defeat to the Hammers
Are we done talking about Kevin?
He doesn’t help himself does he?
If he hasn't already, Kevin Mirallas is close to using up every last bit of remaining patience Evertonians have for him. Dismissed in brainless circumstances once already this term, the inconsistent yet gifted forward had another early bath today. It’s debatable whether the Belgian deserved a booking for his first misdemeanour after blundering ref Anthony Taylor adjudged him to have dived. But after that he only has himself to blame. His late challenge on Aaron Creswell was a stonewall booking and it cost his team dearly. With 11 men Everton looked better than a side many insist could yet creep into the top four. Shorn of parity in numbers, eventually the ensuing tiredness took its toll. Mirallas is no stranger to costly own goals at Goodison. Who can forget that missed penalty against West Brom last term? It hasn’t removed him from the affection of most supporters until now, with some volubly criticising the manager for not using the winger more this term.
But each time he gets his chance he appears to seize it, then confounds you.
With plenty of other options out wide - is he still worth the hassle?
An all too familiar sting
To quote one seasoned Everton observer: “The phrase 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football could have been invented for Roberto Martinez.” This painful conclusion to a gripping contest is that extra bit more agonizing because we’ve been here before. It’s the third time this season that Everton have been undone after taking a two-goal lead. If they didn't learn their lesson first time, then after that - what does that say about today? The truly galling thing is that the Blues were impressive in so many ways. They harnessed the raw power of Goodison and boasted some superb individual performances. But tasked with seeing out a game in which they had a commanding position, once again they wilted. Once again they proved unable to withstand crosses into the box. Once again they suggested there is a flaw still unresolved in this team’s psyche which, until addressed by the manager and his team, will prevent genuine progress.
Goodison is back
For so long in this chequered season the Old Lady has been in a curious mood.
Twitchy, irritable, at times vacant, at times near toxic. Not today. Whether it was the arrival of major investment signalling a brighter future or just the full throttle tone at which the team started, Goodison was revived. It roared, snarled and became the Blues 11th man when they needed it after Kevin Mirallas’s dismissal. The players and fans were as one in that blistering way so long associated with this fine old ground. That alone deserved a happy outcome. It would be a shame if this rapprochement slid back into disconnect and unease again. It really felt like a corner had been turned. But can Everton’s put-upon supporters find it in their hearts to write this seventh home defeat of the season off? It won’t be easy but Everton stand an infinitely better chance of beating Chelsea in the FA Cup next weekend with the old Goodison back.
Early days but we must see more
Judgement comes quickly in football, but with Oumar Niasse having yet to even play 90 minutes for Everton it’s far too early to slam down the gavel. The considerable transfer fee Everton paid for the Senegal striker will eventually demand compelling evidence of a player though, and thus far the evidence is scant.
Or, to put it bluntly, there isn't any.
His two cameos, admittedly in a new team, in a new league, have essentially been headless chicken routines. Today he was tasked with replicating the inspirational running of Aaron Lennon when Martinez decided the winger had worked himself to a standstill, and crucially he didn’t.
“I can say that I like to run and I also have my speed,” Niasse told the ECHO shortly after his £13.5m signing was secured. “But the biggest thing, in my mind, is that I like to battle. “When you are a fighter you never give up. “Even if the team is winning or losing, I don’t mind, I just have to work, I just have to fight and don’t think about anything else.” It was a more diffident, less bombastic display we saw today. One challenge was shirked, never wise when trying to win over the L4 natives, and that tireless running was in short supply. Niasse may yet come good. He deserves time and patience. But he also needs to sharpen up and realise that, if you’re not careful, first impressions last.
His have been less than compelling.
Don’t blame the back three
Roberto Martinez loves a back three.
You get the impression it’s how his dream team would always play.
But when the Catalan has deployed Everton in that fashion, the results have so far been discouraging. Twice he has tried it in the Premier League, twice the Blues have lost (although Antolin Alcaraz was involved in both defeats). Yet you can’t blame the defence tweaks today. The truth is that Everon looked comfortable and in control with Phil Jagielka, John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori across the back It was only after Mirallas’ exit and reverting to a back four that familiar frailties resurfaced. Once again the Toffees were unable to withstand aerial bombardment.
Phil Jagielka would have headed every ball clear all day and into next week, but his wherewithal was sadly isolated. Crosses were allowed to rain into the area by Bryan Oviedo and Seamus Coleman, and Funes Mori forgot how to jump. Everton have conceded more home goals than any other side in the Premier League this term. A damning statistic if ever there was one.
And sure, they haven’t all come from crosses.
But that seems to be their glaring Achilles heel. And couldn’t you just see Slaven Bilic smell blood as Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho were sent forth to keep hammering on a door that, the records suggest, was inevitably going to open in the end?

Everton talking point: Time for Roberto Martinez to deliver some plain-speaking
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
Greg O'Keeffe on why Everton's manager has to change his way of publicly addressing a defeat
Roberto Martinez during an Everton press conference
It should have been the perfect end to a hugely encouraging week. Pinch yourself and recall that Everton have finally found their billionaire benefactor, then cast your mind back to the 56th minute at Goodison Park yesterday. The Old Lady was alive with that trademark mix of hoarse-throated backing and ear-blistering defiance. The Blues were a man down but they were still turning the screw on top four chasing West Ham. A slick move had just made it two-nil. It felt like the clouds had lifted. The sun was out. The future was bright. All the 10 players in Blue had to do, under the guidance of Roberto Martinez and his technical team in the dug-out, was see out the remaining half an hour or so.
They didn't. Of course they didn't. A team which has conceded in the final 10 minutes or added time on 10 occasions this season, were unable to hold on.
Unable to manage the game.
Understandably there was anger and frustration throughout.
Predictably every facet of the game was up for question, particularly Martinez's substitutions; something some fans are becoming increasingly concerned about. Then came the press conference. The manager was asked about his decision to replace star man Aaron Lennon with Oumar Niasse. He was asked about his side's aerial weakness. Nothing was shirked as the gathered media led the grim post-mortem. Martinez answered. We reported what he said. Roberto Martinez speaking after a game earlier this season And it's what he said that compounded matters, and has been doing so for some time. You can understand the Catalan's anger at referee Anthony Taylor. But his decision to make the thrust of his review about the official's wrong decision to book Kevin Mirallas smacked of deflection.
Then refusing to comment directly on the idiocy of what the winger had done was unwise. Martinez admirably seeks to avoid singling out his own players. He never condemns them in public. But Mirallas, who had already apologised to his team-mates, would have had no complaint if his manager had admitted he had been stupid. That was not all. The manager then placed more emphasis on how well his team had played and less on the more important 12 minutes of meltdown which had cost them everything Pressed on his back four’s handling of the visitors aerial bombardment he said: “It was just in the last 12 minutes. We played against the same team earlier and defended crosses well.
“Not scoring the third goal cost us more in every action from then on. I thought our performance defensively was outstanding for 78 minutes and very poor from then on.”
Football fans, and Merseysiders in particular, value plain speaking.
Yes they understand the importance of Martinez's positive philosophy. They too were thrilled by how impressive the side looked with 10 men. But after the seventh home defeat of the season, it's not what they wanted to hear. Only a fleeting reference to his side's deeply troubling soft defensive underbelly smacked of a manager who refuses to accept it's a problem.
And that certainly is a problem.
Everton's season now balances on a knife-edge. It's win or bust in the Cup against Chelsea.
There's nothing Martinez can do about that now. But he can alter the way he speaks about defeats and show everyone that he knows when things are bad. Empathy and a willngess to acknowledge when things aren't perfect goes a long way. Blundering refs don't help. They take a toll on every team's fortunes, and he's entitled to mention them. But Everton's predicament isn't all down to referees, it isn't all down to misfortune, and it isn't the result of rare capitulations. Supporters need to see the manager knows that too.

Everton vs West Ham United: Roberto Martinez finds new ways to lose as pressure increases
Defeat snatched from jaws of victory is a gloomily familiar story for Everton
By Simon Hart
March 6 2016 Independent
Saturday at Goodison Park was a tale of two clubs entering new eras. The Olympic Stadium awaits for West Ham United and, on the evidence of their remarkable 3-2 comeback victory, European football also. For Everton, too, a supposed new beginning beckons following Iranian-British billionaire Farhad Moshiri’s £175m investment in the club, though for an exasperated home crowd the prevailing sentiment was a wearying sense of déjà vu. Not since 2000 had West Ham won a top-flight match after falling two goals behind but they were facing Roberto Martinez’s Everton, the opposite of a good team who can play badly yet still win. They play well – very well at times in this game – but still find a way to ruin their good work. Three times this season they have thrown away two-goal leads – in 3-3 draws at Bournemouth and Chelsea, and now against West Ham when, despite Kevin Mirallas’s early red card, they held a deserved 2-0 lead and would have had a third goal but for Romelu Lukaku’s failure from the penalty spot. Their collapse brought a seventh defeat in 15 home league matches. “With the seven defeats we can analyse every single one and, apart from Manchester United, in every one we performed in an incredible manner and deserved a lot more,” said Martinez. What is really incredible is that Everton have conceded more goals at home than bottom club Aston Villa. According to West Ham’s manager, Slaven Bilic, “on paper their team is one of the best in England”, yet Everton are on course for a second successive bottom-half finish and how Moshiri, the new majority shareholder, views Martinez’s performance with the squad at his disposal will be intriguing to see. “Fortunately, I have got seven years of experience in this league and I know what it takes,” said Martinez when asked if he felt any added pressure. He did not help his cause by removing the impressive Aaron Lennon and sending on an inexperienced striker, Oumar Niasse, when defending a lead with 10 men – the latest illustration of why his game-management is being increasingly questioned by Goodison Bilic’s substitutions, by contrast, helped win the game: Diafra Sakho scored and then joined fellow substitute Andy Carroll in setting up Dimitri Payet’s 90th-minute winner. It was West Ham’s first Goodison success since 2005 and a huge boost to their hopes of a first top-five finish this century. Yet whatever follows for a team now just three points behind third-placed Arsenal, Bilic believes the shifting Premier League landscape means they can continue to dream beyond this roller-coaster campaign, thanks not only to their stadium move but also to the impact of the new TV deal on so-called smaller clubs. He said: “If Man City buy [Karim] Benzema, they have [Sergio] Aguero already, so there is no big gap for them to improve. But with the money, clubs like us – or Crystal Palace, West Brom, Leicester – can still improve. West Brom two years ago maybe could afford [Salomon] Rondon, but they would have had to sell [Saido] Berahino to get him. These teams have a bigger [opportunity] to improve.” It is in the face of this newly democratic division that executives from the league’s self-styled “big five” met representatives of US billionaire Stephen Ross last week. Bilic, for one, is happy with things as they are. “I think this is a permanent shift at the top,” he said. “At least I hope it is!”

Everton boss Martinez: Moshiri investment does not put extra pressure on my future
6 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Greg O’Keeffe
"I have got seven years of experience in this league and I know what it takes."
Roberto Martinez insists the arrival of billionaire investor Farhad Moshiri at Everton doesn’t add extra pressure on his future. The Catalan said the ruthlessness of the Premier League is demanding enough itself, and his experience of top flight management makes him fully aware of the thin line bosses often walk. Asked after his side lost 3-2 to West Ham on Saturday whether he felt he had to prove he is the right man to spearhead the new era under Iranian businessman Moshiri, he said: “I don’t think you need a new investor for that. “We are in the Premier League, it is the most ruthless league in world football and we all know that. “Fortunately I have got seven years of experience in this league and I know what it takes. When I look at the players and the team that we have and it is a really strong squad. We can’t wait to get good wins, good performances and build something special.” Some supporters were angered by the manager’s decision to replace Aaron Lennon with a striker, Oumar Niasse, on 76 minutes with his side two-nil up. But asked whether in hindsight he would have brought a more defensive player on, he said: “I thought tactically we were outstanding. “If you look at the way we got set up in the second half, we were the better side and I think we showed an incredible tactical understanding and character. “If you defend so well for 78 minutes, Gareth Barry came on with his experience and knowhow and then we conceded the third goal. “There’s no such thing as anticipating things in a negative manner. Rom emptied himself so we had some fresh legs. “The same with Aaron Lennon. I think the tactical understanding that we showed gave us the advantage in the game, not the other way.”
Martinez admitted his team’s run of defeats at Goodison Park, Saturday being the seventh this term, is unacceptable. “Seven defeats at home is not good enough,” he said. “That is where we feel so hard done by because you look at the attitude of the players, the talent of the players and the desire of wanting to please our fans at Goodison is incredible. “With the seven defeats we can analyse every single one and, apart from Manchester United, in every one we performed in an incredible manner and deserved a lot more. “Are we good enough? Do we do things right enough? The away form tells us that we do. “It is just we need to make sure we find a way to change the little bit of a difference between performing well and not getting the wins at home. “I felt the fans were very instrumental in the way they helped us with 10 men. We felt on top of the world, we are very close but we are not where we should be because of the defeats at home.”

Everton: Who should stay or go from Goodison Park this summer?
7 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Kristian Walsh
Your chance to say who the Blues should keep at the club in the summer
Change is afoot at Everton. The club's announcement Farhad Moshiri's investment has already sent tongues wagging, with Roberto Martinez heralding the start of a new era under the Iranian billionaire.
But who do Evertonians still want at Goodison Park after the summer? Speculation has already begun about big changes on the pitch, but that means some players might depart as the club look to move on to the next level. Here is your chance to assess all of the senior players and which ones you want to remain at Goodison next season. Flick through the widget below and select from the two options available: keep or sell? You can choose who is part of the Blues' revolution next year. Results will be published at the end of the week.

Why Everton boss Roberto Martinez says talking to Mike Riley would be a waste of time
7 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Everton manager left fuming over decision of Anthony Taylor to send off Kevin Mirallas
Referee Anthony Taylor walks toward Kevin Mirallas of Everton after fouling Aaron Cresswell
Roberto Martinez will not be seeking fresh talks with referees’ chief Mike Riley, insisting: “It’s not worth it”. Martinez spoke with Riley, the Professional Game Match Official Board’s general manager, after Everton drew 3-3 at Chelsea in January. The Blues boss insists those talks will remain private but he did confirm that he would not ask for another sit down with the refs’ boss. Martinez was left seething at the performance of Anthony Taylor following Saturday’s 3-2 loss at home to West Ham. Everton were reduced to 10 men when Kevin Mirallas , already on a booking after Taylor ruled he had dived, picked up a second caution for a late challenge on Aaron Cresswell. Martinez called the decision to issue the first yellow card as “picky” but says despite another refereeing performance left him angry, he would not be putting another call into Riley. No, I don’t think it’s worth it (speaking to Riley again),” Martinez said.
“I don’t think you get anything back from it. “What we need to do is work hard as a team, learn a painful lesson, get stronger from it. Referees' boss Mike Riley “I thought the way we reacted towards it, I would rather probably have just said ‘well with 10 men we couldn’t match West Ham, they were the better side and that’s it’ and blame the action of the referee but that wasn’t the case.
“It was a tough role for us from that point on to play with 10 men against a team with such good confidence and momentum but we were the better side in the second half and until the 78th minute it was a game to be extremely, extremely proud of. “The way we defended, the way we created chances, we didn’t sit back and allow them the ball and be hard to break, we were very much ourselves.
“We defended well when we had to, we attacked well and probably the psychological aspect of not wrapping the three points up with the third goal costs us at the end and the last 12 minutes were very, very difficult for us.” Martinez, confirming talks with Riley took place earlier this year, added: “Yes we spoke but I think those conversations need to remain private. we were very, very unfortunate in key areas (at Chelsea) and against Manchester City there were two errors but that’s it, we move on.
Tim Howard argues with referee Anthony Taylor after conceding a penalty against Swansea City at Goodison Park “I think Saturday is not the fact of the performance of the referee. “The first yellow card is not something you want to see. I don’t want to see a West Ham player being booked in that manner, you don’t get any real pleasure or benefit of the referee applying the laws in that manner.”
If Mirallas was unfortunate to pick up his first booking then he only had himself to blame for the second.
The Belgian apologised to the rest of the Everton squad after the game. “He lost his balance,” Martinez says. “He said he came across the player and then the player pushed with him his chest and then he’s gone. “Remember, football is a sport of contact, sometimes there is contact and it is a free-kick. that’s why the referee needs to apply his judgement. “As a player you don’t want to be in the position to give the referee a decision on the second yellow, of course, but realistically a player wants to win the game and his opportunity in the team and you will get those decisions up and down the country. It should be harder to be sent off in a football game, especially in the British game, a sport we promote as a contact sport, a sport with intensity, a sport with real transition. It was just picky.” Martinez went on to say: “If we had 11 men it is a different game of course and it helps you but we are not the kind of people to find a reason and blaming someone for a bad result. We had to play with 10 men for 60 minutes and we faced that challenge, we were outstanding in the way we did that.
"If we just lost 4-0 because of the sending off and we couldn’t adapt to it then that would have been a very different story. I thought the character that we showed and the tactical knowledge we displayed was impressive. Just talking about a key moment, not scoring the third goal from a penalty or a one on one situation and all of a sudden we felt that we gave West Ham a final shot and a little dose of belief and it worked in a very remote manner. "If you played the game 20 times, those last 12 minutes we would have won probably 19. Unfortunately that is not how it worked here.”

Everton man-of-the-match award meant nothing because of defeat, says Aaron Lennon
7 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Winger was voted star man against West Ham - but couldn't enjoy it because of 3-2 loss
Aaron Lennon scores to make it 2 - 0 against West Ham
Aaron Lennon insists he could take little satisfaction from his man-of-the-match performance against West Ham. Lennon made it 2-0 to Everton early in the second-half but after being taken off with 15 minutes to go could only watch in horror as the Blues shipped three late goals. The former Spurs winger has been in blistering form since the turn of the year and now has six goals for the season. But Lennon said he could not enjoy his performance because of the 3-2 defeat. “My performance went well but I still don’t feel too great,” the 28-year-old said. “When you lose a game, it doesn’t matter how you play individually, you don’t feel great at all.” Aaron Lennon could take no satisfaction from his star display against West Ham He added: “We know we were unlucky and the lads are disappointed but we have got to dust ourselves down, start again and prepare for a massive game for the weekend.”

But Lennon admits after such a gutting defeat, it isn’t always that easy to forget about it. “It is not that easy,” he said. “But you have to do it and need to start focusing on Chelsea.”

Why Everton's failure to replace Sylvain Distin is costing them dearly
7 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
By Phil Kirkbride
Phil Kirkbride with a revealing take on Everton's defensive woes
Sylvain Distin gets above Kevin Nolan to win a header during Roberto Martinez's first season in charge at Goodison
Everton are anchored to the bottom of the table. It’s the table for defensive home records in the Premier League - but it’s still enough to send a cold shiver down the spine of every Evertonian. The Blues are rooted there with an average number of goals conceded per game that is worse than sides who are already preparing for the drop. And to compound matters, no other team in Europe’s top five divisions have shipped as many goals on their own patch as Everton. If Goodison was once a fortress then it now must be considered an open house. The Blues have been languishing at the bottom for some time, below relegation-threatened Aston Villa, Newcastle and Norwich, but the weekend’s 3-2 defeat at home to West Ham saw them slump that bit further. Everton are genuinely impressive on the road and have conceded just 13 times in 13 games away from home (the division’s third best). At the Old Lady, however, they have shipped 26 goals in 15 games . Roberto Martinez's first season was one of general defensive solidity And it means that having seen 39 goals go past them this season (as many as in the whole of Roberto Martinez’s first term in charge) the Blues are, on current form, on course to concede 52 goals this season. That would be more than in the last campaign (50) and their worst in the Premier League since David Moyes’ team shipped 57 as they finished 17th.
To say it’s holding them back is an understatement.
Down to 10 men against West Ham on Saturday, the odds were always against Everton yet they had defended stoically , defiantly and manfully. Until the 78th minute, that is. Michail Antonio (1st R) of West Ham United scores his team's first goal And though there are a number of factors that have to be considered as mitigation in the defeat, Martinez and Everton cannot hide from the fact that from three crosses they lost three key headers and conceded three goals. A quick run through their games this season tells you that almost half of the goals Everton have conceded in the league have come as a direct result of being unable to cope with high balls into the box. Maybe part of the problem is that they don’t prevent enough crosses (West Ham, albeit with a man extra, whipped in 35 on Saturday) and the law of averages says you live more dangerously the more you allow to be hit into your box. But you’ll never completely stop a team firing the ball into your area, so you’ve got to be better at defending them.
Goalkeeping woes have certainly not helped either, but Joel Robles' run in the side has provided a steadying influence. From the opening day of the season against Watford to West Ham on Saturday, the season has been littered with goals from crosses. Watford's Miguel Layun (3rd right) celebrates scoring his sides first goal of the game at Goodison Slaven Bilic told his team to target Everton’s soft centre on Saturday and, ultimately, it worked. Everton insisted they had been dedicating more time in training to trying to rectify the problem and their performance at Stoke City in early February - dogged and full of character - pointed to a brighter, more water tight, future. But then came West Brom, the late goal conceded against Villa and West Ham. The issue hasn’t gone away and maybe it won’t fully until Martinez goes back into the transfer market. Moshiri will ensure Martinez can spend - but his priority must be a defender Everton’s manager will be given a transfer kitty this summer, the likes of which he has never seen before as Farhad Moshiri gives the new era at Goodison a major cash injection.

Martinez says his search for players has now “expanded” but one player he needs to hone in on is an experienced centre-half. Even if John Stones stays, it’s clear that the Blues need greater strength in depth in defence and where the manager would previously prioritise a player’s ability with the ball at his feet, this time he must focus on what he can do with his head. There are times, certain games and moments in matches when Everton, effectively, need two Phil Jagielkas. Ramiro Funes Mori challenges Joshua King during the FA Cup win at Bournemouth Ramiro Funes Mori has enjoyed a very good first season in England but, beaten in the air for the three West Ham goals, it’s clear he is not yet fully up to speed. And so it would be wise for Everton to bolster their options with a defender whose greatest strength is winning headers. A robust, grizzly old-head that can come on and exert added influence, calm and presence in the key moments, to that which Jagielka already offers.
Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov (centre) battles for the ball with Everton's Phil Jagielka (right) and Sylvain Distin During Martinez’s first season in charge, Everton kept 15 clean sheets in the league, their highest number since the 17 Moyes’ Everton kept in 2008-09. Fourteen of those shut-outs came with Sylvain Distin in the starting line-up. The decision to allow the experienced Frenchman to leave the club last summer still felt right, age can quickly catch-up on you, and he struggled to replicate his top form in 2014/15. But it begs the question; have Everton found an adequate replacement? Distin applauds the fans after his final appearance as an Everton player And, for all the potential 25-year-old Mori and 21-year-old Stones have, maybe they need more than just Jagielka’s experience and that breed around them? Money should not be a problem for Everton this summer, so there can be no excuse for not plugging the gap.

Michael Ball: Everton's fitness levels concern me
7 Mar 2016 Liverpool Echo
by MichaelBall
Where is our players staying power?
In the back of my mind this season has been concerns over Everton's fitness.
Injuries happen to every team and though we've suffered the loss of some key players this term, we can't really point to that. But what about the staying powers of the players who are fit enough to play?
In many ways, I can understand the decision to take Aaron Lennon off with 15 minutes to go on Saturday if the manager felt he was tired. But it left me asking the question: why was he tired?
Aaron had put in a real shift at Goodison, he was terrific, but I still believe he should be fit enough to have lasted the 90. Maybe he could've done but the decision was made to take him off.
Aaron Lennon scores to make it 2 - 0 against West Ham Europa League was certainly a factor last season when we had long trips home from places but not now. And when Lennon was replaced by Oumar Niasse, it changed Everton's shape - and not for the better. Sure, West Ham were controlling a lot of the ball but we were controlling them but the arrival of Niasse changed our look. We became narrow and it allowed the visitors to be much more of a threat than they had been. I left the ground with the feeling that Niasse knew he was always coming on in the game but, in truth, I would not have bothered.
The new man was not on the same wave length as his team-mates and sometimes you just don't need to take that risk. At that stage, if you were going to make any change, then it should've been to bring Gareth Barry on. He was eventually introduced but only in the final minute. He should've come on much earlier. Lack of focus continues to haunt Blues Lapses in concentration have blighted Everton all season. They came back to haunt us again on Saturday. It's almost as if the Blues find things too easy and trust in each other too much. When a cross comes into the box, it's as if they all assume that one of them is going to win the ball, nobody is anticipating them not doing so and asking themselves 'what if?'.
Everton need to go back to the drawing board and prove that they can do it - at home as well as away.

They way they defended at Manchester City, for example, in the league in January was particularly strong and they showed they can do it.
But it's about finding the balance at home.
Michail Antonio (1st R) of West Ham United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United The onus is on them to take the game to the opposition yet they need to learn that they cannot leave themselves open and exposed. Playing with only 10 men, as they did on Saturday against West Ham, doesn't help matters and when tiredness and fatigue hit, it can be hard. But a common theme throughout this season has been the number of goals we concede in the last 15-10 minutes of matches. Teams are dominating us in that period and find a way back into the game. Opposition sides know our strengths and weaknesses well and know they are going to get opportunities against us. Michail Antonio, the West Ham striker, said Slaven Bilic had told them before the game that we were susceptible from crosses. It's not rocket science but credit to them because they took advantage. Like so many others.
No stuttering - just hit it
It was highly debatable whether or not Everton should've been awarded a penalty or not.
But nevertheless, it was an opportunity not to be missed at a crucial point in the game.
Unfortunately, the usually reliable Rom did waste the chance.
I've never been a fan of players using a stuttered run-up.
The idea is to wait that split-second longer, see where the keeper is headed and pass it into the other side. Rom seemed to panic. He performed the stutter but wasn't looking at Adrian and then scuffed his shot. I always liked to see someone strike the ball hard and true, like David Unsworth. If Lukaku does that then we are walking away from that game with three points. Mirallas had nothing to gain from tackle I'm not a fan of sides haranguing referees but there's nothing wrong with having a quiet little word every now and again during a game. Mark Noble, the West Ham captain, did it all game and, tellingly, at a defining moment in the match. When Kevin Mirallas fouled Aaron Cresswell, I'm not convinced Anthony Taylor was going to book him and then send him off. But Noble was smart and he was trying to speak with the official. Taylor now had time to think about the decision and I think that maybe was the difference between Mirallas getting away with it and Mirallas getting sent off. But, as I'm sure many of you will agree, I simply didn't understand why the made that challenge.
Referee Anthony Taylor walks toward Kevin Mirallas of Everton after fouling Aaron Cresswell
When you're on a booking - whether you agree or not - you know you have to be careful.
Kevin has lost control of the ball but what was he going to achieve if he did manage to get a tackle in on time? Not a lot, I'd say, and so by lunging in he's left himself open to a second booking. The first booking was correct as well and he and Gerard Deulofeu have dived a few times this season. I don't want to see it. Kevin has over-run the ball, realised he wasn't getting it and so tried his luck.
I'm not a fan of that.
We can't let this chance slip us by
The cliches are true - form really does go out of the window for FA Cup games.
Chelsea are back in form and climbing up the league table, whereas we're up and down. But this is a one-off game and the Everton players need to give the fans something to shout about again.
Booking a trip to Wembley will certainly do that.
We were so close in the Capital One Cup, we cannot let this chance slip us by.
I want to see Leighton Baines restored to left-back. This is the game where we need our best players and we all know how good a defender Leighton is. I would be comfortable with any combination from the three centre-halves we have but perhaps it is wise to stick with Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes Mori, given they have more minutes under their belt of late - and are in the rhythm of games - than John Stones has. Mo Besic also has to start. His energy is exactly what Everton will need on Saturday night and he is the type of player that gets the crowd going, which will be huge in an FA Cup quarter-final.

Besic gets the fans on their feet and though all players have passion, he shows it more than most.
If Tom Cleverley is fit enough to play after his illness then I'd start him because, again, his energy will be important. Aaron Lennon is in great form, Ross is a no-brainer and Rom has a point to prove against his former club.

Sunderland 3 Everton 2: Swedish pair get valuable minutes, as Rees Greenwood shines
By Chris Young
Monday 07 March 2016 Sunderland Echo
Sunderland's fringe first-teamers are going to require every possible opportunity to maintain their fitness over the next three-and-a-half weeks, with one measly competitive encounter.
For the likes of Seb Larsson, in particular - back in the fold after three months on the treatment table - outings for the Under-21s could be pivotal towards their hopes of making a first-team impact.
Larsson was the most subdued of the three members of Sam Allardyce's squad involved in the 3-2 win against Everton, with Ola Toivonen the pick of the bunch after he offered a regular goal threat and netted a brace with a pair of smart finishes. But it was U21 Premier League Player of the Month Rees Greenwood, who particularly caught the eye in front of the BT Sport cameras at the Stadium of Light after the winger had a hand in all three goals. Too often, Greenwood's ability to ghost past defenders is let down by his end product. Yet that wasn't the case for the 20-year-old against the Toffees as he consistently tormented the visiting defence and produced some better precision with his final pass or cross. It was Greenwood's 19th minute corner which provided the opener for Sunderland, as Toivonen - who had headed against the bar from a Tommy Robson cross moments earlier - broke the deadlock.
Toivonen's initial volley was blocked in the Everton goalmouth, but he reacted quickly to head the rebound into the top corner. A second arrived two minutes later - again from a Greenwood corner - after Everton failed to deal with Toivonen's run to the back-post. Brendan Galloway just got enough of a block on the ball to prevent Toivonen scoring, but Tom Beadling was on hand to stab it home from six yards out. Everton should have pulled one back immediately after Courtney Duffus went clean through on goal and rounded Jordan Pickford, yet with the goal at his mercy, he somehow managed to fire into the side netting. Greenwood was Everton's chief tormentor and he ghosted to the left-hand by-line in the 34th minute before pulling it back to Mikael Mandron, who smashed a half-volley against the bar.
But Sunderland eased off in the final 10 minutes of the first half and on the stroke of the interval, Everton halved the deficit when the Black Cats defence was completely deceived by Harry Charsley's deflected left wing cross and the ball bounced off Tommy Robson before rolling into the net.
Everton began the second half where they had left off and were denied an equaliser within 90 seconds of the restart by the woodwork. Charsley delivered an inviting right wing cross which was met with a thumping volley from Kieran Dowell, but it crashed back off the post. Sunderland had another near-miss in the 68th minute when Pickford spilt a deep left wing cross, but Beadling was back on the line to clear Leandro Rodriguez's shot. Everton were made to pay for that miss five minutes later as Sunderland restored their two-goal advantage after a superb counter-attack. Pickford kicked the ball out with pinpoint accuracy to Greenwood on the left, who controlled the ball immaculately and carried it to the edge of the area. Greenwood threaded the ball through to Toivonen, to the left of goal, who calmly curled a shot into the far corner. Everton weren't finished though, with Dowell curling in an excellent free-kick from 25 yards into the top corner with five minutes to go. Sunderland hung on during the final few minutes, despite Everton causing several scares with their delivery from out wide.
Sunderland: Pickford, J Robson, T Robson, Agnew, Brady, Beadling, Greenwood, Larsson, Mandron, Toivonen (Smith 79), Honeyman (Lawson 65). Subs not used: Talbot, E Robson, McEvoy.
Everton: Griffiths, Mattioni (Evans 90), Galloway, Davies, Pennington, Holgate, Dowell (Jones 60), Williams, Duffus, Rodriguez (Dyson 81), Charsley. Subs not used: Hewelt, Foulds.