Everton Banter 3

08 Jun 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Davey Sulls has posted a new article entitled, Iraola Expectations and Liverpool Squad Priorities

08 Jun 2026 14:16:52
Wan Bassaka seems to be the one in pole position on the rumour sites.

08 Jun 2026 06:54:58
Bit of fun
If you could have just one Everton player who could play for ever in the team, who would you pick?
Mine would be Dixie Dean.

{Ed025's Note - Bob Latchford..

08 Jun 2026 07:41:11
Neville Southall.

08 Jun 2026 09:01:52
Tricky Trevor Steven.

08 Jun 2026 09:34:29
Kanchelskis.

08 Jun 2026 09:41:29
Alan Ball.

{Ed025's Note - great shout that Shropshire..

08 Jun 2026 10:22:23
Easy. The Golden Vision best player I've ever seen in a blue shirt.

08 Jun 2026 10:38:21
Alex Nyarko for me.

08 Jun 2026 10:39:37
Southall said. Ball said. Dixie (we could have done with him in recent seasons) said.

If I had to pick someone new, I'd go with Cahill. The guy popped up everywhere and contributed to goals.

08 Jun 2026 11:35:13
Rooney, or Baines.

08 Jun 2026 12:20:31
In terms of players that would come into this team and have an immediate impact, based on my 30 years of watching Everton, it would be Rooney, Lukaku, Cahill or Kanchelskis.

08 Jun 2026 11:06:44
The things I remember from my first game Ed, which was on a very sunny day were firstly how big the stadium was, then how green the pitch was and then how red Alan Ball's hair was and how white his boots were!

The complete midfield player for me. I was only a kid, but I remember crying when he left.

{Ed025's Note - i cant remember if i seen him play Shropshire but my dad and mates who were older were gutted when he left mate..

08 Jun 2026 13:28:12
I think we're a similar age Ed and I can only remember Bally, Gordon West, Brian Labone and Ray Wilson from the side simply because of the World Cup. But Bally really stood out. He would be priceless today.

{Ed025's Note - i would agree Shropshire mate..

08 Jun 2026 14:30:50
Alan Ball. Even in his older days, he ran rings round me at Blackpool. So gifted.

08 Jun 2026 17:30:19
For me, Kevin Sheedy - was just my favourite player to watch as a kid, and I would leave to relive that memory.

08 Jun 2026 19:41:25
So many brilliant players have been mentioned here, what we would give to have just one player with the same ability as any of those now.

08 Jun 2026 19:57:22
Kevin Sheedy.

08 Jun 2026 20:29:23
When Alex Young got the ball, you could feel the crowd swell, you could taste the anticipation. The guy was our motto, an absolute genius. Was eventually replaced by some ginger kid from Blackpool and he wasn’t bad either. 😂

08 Jun 2026 21:18:26
What about the guy that came on the pitch and asked Nyarko to swap shirts and let him play, BN? Surely, as drunk as he looked that day, he could've given more than Alex haha.

08 Jun 2026 23:26:32
Latchford, Trevor Steven, Alan Ball (the original engine) .

07 Jun 2026 17:25:36
Maybe we should have a look at a few players from Bodo Glimt, the left winger Hauge and centre forward Hoge. They have a right back, can't remember his name, who reminds me of Coleman and Berg. In centre midfield, reminds me of Peter Reid, always looking for the ball and moving it quickly, has a look of Thomas Brolin who played for Leeds.

Surely it wouldn't take massive amounts to get these players in, and all international for Denmark and Sweden. May get a look at them in the World Cup; they were great in the Champions League — just ask City and Inter, also beat Atletico Madrid away.

07 Jun 2026 19:40:09
Who is the manager there???

08 Jun 2026 03:33:31
Kjetil Knutsen.

08 Jun 2026 10:23:41
He would suit us.

08 Jun 2026 11:14:33
After our last seven games of the season, I'd take Ted Lasso or Mike Bassett..

Things can't continue as they are or we will see a change of manager pretty soon.

07 Jun 2026 13:45:11
If we buy Grealish then we will definitely need an overlapping left back, otherwise we will have zero pace on that wing. Jack likes to play at his own pace and that’s not going to change. I would imagine Moyes wants him for all the fouls he wins.
Tactic next season, give it to Jack, get a foul and load the box. Man’s a tactical genius.

07 Jun 2026 14:09:41
Really hope we get Jack, very good gifted player. We missed him in our last few games for sure.

07 Jun 2026 15:17:11
But don't need him on the wing. GB would be better playing behind the striker. Need pace out wide and Jack is smart enough to play as a 10.

07 Jun 2026 16:07:11
Hope we don't get him, too much baggage and injury prone, a bit too old and for me hasn't exactly set the world a light, rather we looked at someone young.

07 Jun 2026 23:21:26
Plays at own pace, affects whole team (give it to Jack) . Holds ball up.

08 Jun 2026 11:15:41
He might have the brains to play 10, but our manager won't do it. He's more likely to play him at LB or RW.

08 Jun 2026 12:20:43
Providing the finances are right then it's a transfer we have to make. Holds the ball up, provides assists and draws plenty of fouls. We missed him from the minute he was out injured. Wouldn't class him as injury prone and, having just turned 30 not so long ago, don't see how some can say that is too old? Gets mentioned plenty of times in these pages, players are fitter than they have ever been these days. We can get a few seasons out of him no problem so I, for one, would like to see this deal made asap.

08 Jun 2026 17:03:12
Loan yes buy no. Leopards don't change their spots, mate.

07 Jun 2026 12:59:26
I see Braiden Graham for NI has scored the winner in an under 19 match against Azerbaijan on Friday. He may now get his call up at some stage in the senior game against France, I think. Some player we have here and wish the lad all the very best.

07 Jun 2026 15:22:21
He was on the bench on Thursday for their match against Guinea. All subs used except for him and the keeper.

07 Jun 2026 23:22:28
He is minute and to light GB.

08 Jun 2026 20:31:06
So was Michael Owen and he didn't do too bad.

06 Jun 2026 17:01:13
“We were resilient enough not to let Spurs go any further ahead. But we didn’t have any chances till the last 10-15 mins when we brought on a couple of the young boys who made a big difference”.
Those are the comments from our manager after the Spurs game.
1-0 down created nothing for 80mins when it was evident to everyone watching that those changes could and should have been made a lot earlier.


People talking about the players we should bring in and how it will improve the side. But unless the manager's attitude changes then we could still be stuck playing the same boring football.
If you bring in talented skilful players then you have to let them play. Not expect them to defend for 90mins.
Don’t want to here anymore. Hopefully we can improve comments, either believe in your players our get out.

06 Jun 2026 17:51:44
Exactly - I'm not excited about any signings while we have a manager who has no idea how to use them.

06 Jun 2026 18:04:02
I don't think that there's another Premier League manager who, with a better squad than the season before, would say that finishing in the same position and only one point better off is progress.

06 Jun 2026 19:08:58
The fall off at the end of the season was disastrous.
However, if you want to look at it with some positivity, we weren't in the relegation conversation all season.
And we finished 4 points off Europe.
Previously, we were 17 points off.
So, in a tighter season, we did improve in some ways.

What I will say, though, is the recruitment team have now been in place 12 months, so need to address the issues/holes in the squad.


And Moyes needs to utilise the squad at his disposal, not with the standard Beto/Barry switch at around 60 mins, and trying to impact the game in the last 5 mins when the opposition's fresh-legged subs have run us ragged.

06 Jun 2026 19:34:22
We have a talented group of youngsters that permanently warm the bench. Add in the likes of Braiden Graham etc, & it is beyond me why Moyes never really uses them.

We need a more progressive coach who will change tactics mid game & will give talent a proper chance.

Tarks, Keane, Gana, McNeil & Barry have to be eased out this summer. If Moyes stays, then so do they. That means more boring pragmatic football, which isn't our ethos.

UTFT NSNO. 💙 💙 💙

06 Jun 2026 12:13:53
For me, this has to be the window where we ship all lingering dead wood and really start to shape a better quality squad/team… Gana may go, Tim may go, McNeill should go, Dibling should go out on loan, Keane should never of been given another contract… Promote some of the youngsters including notably young Braiden….

Bring in Hackney, Grealish, Kubo, Hjulmand, Wan-Bissaka or another suitable right back… and finally a decent well accomplished striker. I’ve been saying this now every season since Lukaku left. Not sure who’s available but Gabriel Jesus for me is not the answer as he is injury prone!

06 Jun 2026 13:19:23
Agree in principle, Elvis. The problem, as always, is that every team is looking for that elusive 20 goal a season number 9. We're all great at saying who not to sign, but who is that striker that we can afford and that will come?

06 Jun 2026 14:00:23
Should not be loaning Dibling out. We should be playing him.

06 Jun 2026 14:28:51
Not for me, he needs experience. Loan him out, would help him.

06 Jun 2026 14:58:31
I'm with BMD, he showed he can play in the Prem when at Southampton. Yes, wingers have to help out defending these days, but are wingers basically playing as 2nd fullbacks. End of the day, if the lad doesn't fit in your system, get rid, don't loan him out.

He would go on loan, be awesome for that team, getting great reviews for his style and flair and comeback, and Moyes will say I want you to defend more, not go forward. That's just my view. GB, I think he is a younger version of Grealish before he went to City.

06 Jun 2026 15:56:00
He has a long way to go before getting anywhere near Jack, just think a loan would be the answer for him.

06 Jun 2026 16:22:32
Fairshout, GB, I just think we are wasting the lad's talent. Obviously certain players suit certain systems and Dibling doesn't suit Moyes' system. Shame really coz we have a really good talent there but we won't ever benefit from it under Moyes.

06 Jun 2026 16:35:45
Was reading that DM is not happy with Dibling as he is poor in training and needs to do better. Looks like he will go out on loan. Think the price tag we paid for him might actually be holding him back, mate, that's a mighty high cost he has to prove he's worth it.

06 Jun 2026 16:58:53
He doesn't play in Jack's position.

Already showed he can do it in the prem. Any Southampton fan I've spoken to about him (which is quite a few, mind) said he's better as a number 10.

No point loaning him out, may as well use him.

06 Jun 2026 16:59:45
Poor homework from Moyes and his staff then, and sits there on the bench watching players like McNeil starting in front of you, and Rolh, who isn't a right winger, starting ahead of you, who actually did alright. He probably thinks, doesn't matter what I do in training, he isn't gonna start me.

Bet it's how Armstrong, Alcaraz, Patterson and Anzou feel. Not all players are great in training, but are different on match days. Poor man management for me, he has totally drained the lads' confidence.

06 Jun 2026 17:42:39
Dibling wasn't an unknown quantity when we signed him. Numerous clubs were interested in him the season before when he had been outstanding for Southampton and were being quoted a lot more than we paid for him.
As he proved at Southampton, he is more than capable of performing in the Premier League. All he needs is a manager with an attacking philosophy, and not a defend at all costs philosophy (even at home) , who believes in him and allows him to express himself.


Of all the signings made last summer, Dibling was the one I looked forward to the most, but, as was shown in the final 7 games of the season, Moyes is a Dyche clone and bottled it. Unfortunately, this will continue until someone at TFG grows a pair.

06 Jun 2026 17:57:58
Dibling's best position is just behind the striker, not stuck on the bloody wing. Would have thought when we scouted him, we would have realised that.

06 Jun 2026 18:47:37
I don't get Moyes' statement about Dibling not being good in training. What the hell can anyone who cost 40m+ do that bad in training to prevent them being selected to play a full game.

06 Jun 2026 19:12:29
If we brought in another rw like Jamie Leweling or Jarrod Bowen, I would loan Dibling, but as it stands I want to see him have a good preseason and be starting.

06 Jun 2026 23:14:12
Says more about Dibling than McNeil or Rohl. Showed he can play in the Prem, so can 11 x 20 other players. £40 mill ffs.

06 Jun 2026 23:54:30
Don't get your comment here dms, Dibling is twice as talented as McNeil and he didn't set his price either. I'm unsure where you are going with this 1. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ I might have read it wrong.

07 Jun 2026 10:19:55
He's not a winger ffs. Why keep comparing him to one? Moyes clearly doesn't trust young players, which is why we see the same eleven churned out every week regardless of results.
As for the old doesn't do enough in training rubbish. What doesn't run around chasing shadows, going look at me boss. Utter nonsense.

07 Jun 2026 11:46:03
Watch his hattrick against Newcastle for Southampton youth.

Yes, it may not be PL level, but you can only play the game in front of you.

The lad has tight and close control and power when he gets going - tailor-made for the 10.

Moyes has ruined him thus far.

07 Jun 2026 16:24:35
What gets me is we were rubbish last 4 to 5 games, so change it, and give the likes of Dibbling a proper run out to gain some valuable playing time. Who knows, the outcome might have been different, or at least, if it hadn't changed anything, we could have properly assessed our young players.

For this reason alone, I'm in the get rid of Moyes camp. Agree with the above comments re moving on Tarks, Keane and McNeil. If we can get better quality, more than anything, please please please can we have a lb and a rb. I mean, we have only needed these for around 5 seasons now!

06 Jun 2026 07:55:00
Ignoring all the rumours about Tim leaving, if Gana leaves as expected and we bring Hayden Hackney, these are exciting times for our midfield. Rotating Tim, Rohl, HH and Garner could be a very strong midfield for years to come.

06 Jun 2026 08:57:26
Agree, mate, some other new recruits as well.

06 Jun 2026 11:36:52
Moyes does not rotate.

06 Jun 2026 14:31:49
Only when forced to by injury!

06 Jun 2026 17:59:00
What about KDH?

06 Jun 2026 07:39:02
{Ed's Note - Seano_ has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool Squad Assessment and Summer Priorities

05 Jun 2026 21:55:22
I reckon by the time the window closes we will have.

Grealish
Hackney
Parrot
Norton Cuffy
Stones

05 Jun 2026 22:57:12
That would be a disappointing window tbh.

06 Jun 2026 07:59:44
Who would you like to see, Swan?

06 Jun 2026 12:28:11
LB - Diego Moreira £25/30m, or Antonee Robinson £20/25m.

CB - Rafa Marin £20m, Kevin Boma £5/10m, or Taylor Harwood-Bellis £20m.
or Taylor Harwood-Bellis £20m.

RB - We need 2. Jordan Teze £15m, Juanlu Sanchez £10/15m, Omar El Hilali £20/25m, Raoul Bellanova £20m, or Guela Doue £20/25m.

CDM - Kaishu Sano £35/40m, or Morten Frendrup £20/25m. More of a ball player - Joey Veerman £25/30m.

LW - Grealish £20m already looks like it is a shoo-in.

RW - Matias Fernandez-Pardo £40m, or Jamie Leweling £35m.

ST - Little - Nikola Krstovic £30/35m, Jonathan Burkardt £35m, Fisnik Asllani £35/40m, Ayase Ueda £25/30m, or Mohamed Amoura £25/30m. Large - Mateo Pellegrino £25m, Romulo Cardoso £35m, Tim Lemperle £20m.

Tried to keep it realistic in terms of prices and who would actually come to us.

Also think we need a 10 but more pressing areas and money won't be endless.

I believe we spent £120 last summer, so you would hope that another year out of the woods from FFP would give us some more wiggle room. The likes of West Ham, Sunderland & Forest all spent over 150m last year. If this ownership is serious about elevating us, I think this is where we should at least be aiming for.

I think we need to see about 9 or 10 new faces come into the squad, who all have the ability to be starters and would give us some very good depth. Ship some of the dead wood out and us fans could have some optimism that the people running the club now have ambition and a clear idea of how we progress.

06 Jun 2026 12:45:56
Do we get both Taylor Harwood-Bellis' for the price of one?

06 Jun 2026 12:48:01
Not heard of most of them, BN, but don't watch foreign leagues TBH and you seem to know your stuff. Do you not rate Hackney then??? How many of these players do you think are scouts have heard of.

06 Jun 2026 14:48:21
Hahaha, nice one, Swan!

06 Jun 2026 14:56:41
I think we are operating in a specific market, Ron. We can't be offering silly money to get the best players and we can't attract the best players. We need to act like the likes of Lille & Benfica do imo. Get them in before they blow up and then hopefully they take you with them or you sell them on for a decent profit.

I will admit that I don't know an awful lot about him, Ron. I did ask one of the posters earlier in the week that seemed to know a lot about him to sum him up as a player. I don't watch any Championship football really, other than when we are strongly linked with someone.

Hackney looks a decent enough player, mate, but his numbers for the Championship weren't anything to scream about. I think Hamer, who has already played in the PL, posted better numbers than him in a worse team for example.



I understand he seems to do a lot of the defensive stuff as well, but I just think we should be focusing on a proper 6 before anything else. We already have Jimmy and KDH, who are out and out 8's for me (Jimmy can literally play anywhere, though I think he is that intelligent) .

I would rather us get a ball-pressing machine, who can snuff the danger out like Idrissa did for us for many years, and Sano or Frendrup would be topping the list of my midfield priorities over a Hackney type, mate.

Couldn't tell you which ones our scouts have heard of with any certainty. Obviously they will know all about the domestic players, and we have been linked with Sanchez and El Hilali before.

I am not mad on who we have been linked with for RB atm - Holm, Norton-Cuffy are a no from me.

06 Jun 2026 15:57:50
Love your feedback, BN. Can you not offer your services to the club? 👍 We just have muppets on nice wages, I bet.

06 Jun 2026 20:46:21
Appreciate that, Ron. I suspect they would laugh my opinion out of the room, and rightly so, I guess, mate.

I do genuinely think there are plenty of signings out there that would improve us, though, and for reasonable prices in today's market.

06 Jun 2026 21:10:08
I like Jayden Oosterwolde for LB/LCB so can cover if Branthwaite gets injured and much better than Mykolenko at left back.

Harwood-Bellis is a good CB option, composed, ball-playing CB and has added being a productive goal threat from set pieces.
Charlie Cresswell is another option I like, physically imposing and dominant in the air.
Both in the £20-25m mark.

RB would also love Doue and Oscar Mingueza, who's available on a free, has a lot of suitors though.

CM Shea Charles offers a good option, product of the Man City academy on 12 months left on his contract, solid defensive anchor and progressive passer with excellent defensive awareness, tackling, and aerial ability, probably cost £20m due to contract.


Morten Hjulmand would be the dream, seen us linked but so are many others, would cost £45m at least.

Looks like we are trying to negotiate the fee on George, him and Grealish would be good.
And I would love us to sign Leweling.
Othmane Maamma is another around £15m and is said we have scouted him and made enquiries.

At striker I like the versatility of Parrott, good goal return both at club and international level.

Whatever happens there is a lot of work to fill the gaps in the squad and we need better depth to be utilised.

07 Jun 2026 11:39:45
If the club is going to progress to European standards, it is going to need to be prepared to spend money, as simple as, on four or five players, otherwise it will be more of the same.