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News Headlines & Features

To a wider audience, Everton are regarded as one of the best-run clubs in the game but some of the natives tell another story. Pressure is building and an increasing number of supporters are becoming agitated that Everton are being left behind. The critics claim the directors are not dynamic; not ambitious enough to give manager David Moyes and his squad the assistance needed to compete.

Baines looking for strong start
Players are training really hard
26 Jul - Asked if Everton could make a strong opening to the season, Baines said: “We hope so. We're trying to do all the right things now to make sure that happens and not give ourselves a mountain to climb later on. All these games are necessary in terms of building up to the level we need to be at. In the games out here we are still getting the kinks out and there are some mistakes because we are training really hard. But this stands you in good stead for later on and the first game is always exciting to get things kicking off again."

Blues show well in the Capital Heat
DC United 1 - 3 Everton
23c Jul - It was a better performance from something of a makeshift team that got off to a good start against DC United in the final game of Everton's pre-season US tour, with nice goals from Anichebe and Bilyaletdinov. Everton then took it easy in the sultry heat and rang the changes, with Vellios, Barkley and McAleny getting some excellent top-team experience before Magaye Gueye wrapped things up with a nice finish at the far post off a good cross from Beckford. All in all, a good runout for the improving Boys in Blue.

DC United v Everton
Live on ESPN (UK) @ 00:30 am BST
23 Jul - It's another incredibly hot and humid day in the USA, where David Moyes must find 11 starters among his dwindling squad to start the second and final game of Everton's pre-season US tour. The game is at The Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium (capacity: 46,000) in the nation's capital, Washington DC, and kicks off at 7:30 pm EDT (4:30 pm PDT). The game will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel across the US & Canada, also live in the UK on ESPN (00:30 am BST), and on EvertonTV.

We can do better this season
Mikel Arteta talks to the Liverpool Echo
22 Jul - Mikel Arteta believes Everton will feel the benefit of their American boot camp, and says pre-season preparations in recent years have been good, and it is nice to have a summer free of transfer talk for a change. He also says the players' attitude is "let's accept that we don't have the money to spend [on new players], so while we are here, we work with what we have got". — But they know they can all do better than they did last season...

Injuries keep adding up
Arteta the latest casualty
22 Jul - It wouldn't be Everton without the injury curse rearing its ugly head, and Mikel Arteta is the latest victim: he has been ruled him out of tomorrow's friendly with DC United. The Spaniard was on crutches last night as he arrived in Washington, where Everton will complete the second and final game of their seven-day US tour against DC United. Arteta was substituted at half-time in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Philadelphia Union but it is not known how serious the 29-year-old's injury is at this stage.

Fellaini's long struggle for fitness
Not back to his best for 2 or 3 months
21 Jul - Marouane Fellaini is struggling to win his fitness race and may not be back to his best until October. The admission from the 23-year-old that he remains some way short of full match sharpness provides an untimely blow to Everton's pre-season plans as has been nursing an ankle problem since March and was forced under the knife in an effort to cure the ailment. It was hoped that surgery would see the Belgian back to full fitness in time for the start of the new season.

Philadelphia Frustration
Philadelphia Union 1 - 0 Everton
20 Jul - It was a hot and humid evening by the Delaware River, under an imposing bridge in Chester, PA... and the setting proved more attractive than the football as Everton struggled with the MLS Eastern Conference leaders, who eventually prevailed with a late goal they had threatened to score for large periods of the game. Jan Mucha had done well in goal, Everton missing a serious marketing trick by not playing home boy Tim Howard but that turned out to be a minor issue as Hietinga got his marching orders near the end. "A good run out", the Official spin doctors will say, but this in truth was another chance spurned for Everton to impress and grow their global brand.

Philadelphia Union v Everton
Match Preview
20 Jul - The Everton squad are set for a tough workout in the searing heat and sapping humdity that has most of the USA cranking up the air conditioning. But no such respite for Moyes's boys, who will be put through their paces in the first match of their US Tour 2011 against the MLS side Philadelphia Union at PPL Park in the town of Chester, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, PA. Kick-off is 7:30 EDT which is 00:30 BST, with the game carried live on EvertonTV.

A failure to communicate
Tim Howard's absence causes tour unrest
20 Jul - Everton's decision to rest Tim Howard from two high-profile friendlies with MLS teams in his home country this week — one of which is to be broadcast live across the nation on Fox Soccer Channel in primetime — is casting something of a shadow over Everton's much-hyped US Tour.

A massive season for Rodwell
Midfielder knows he needs to step up
19 Jul - Jack Rodwell admits the forthcoming season is one in which he has to establish himself as a regular in David Moyes' side. The 20-year-old has been regarded as one of the Toffees' up and coming stars for a couple of years but he now knows it is time for him to step up a level. Rodwell's performances fell short of expectations last season and he is determined not to have the same happen this time around. "It's a massive season for me," he said. "I've got to try and establish myself. I'm not a kid any more and I want to be a regular."

That Was The Week That Was...
KEIOC sum up the media response to a week of fan unrest
17 Jul - On the Keep Everton In Our City website, the results of a week of fan unrest led by The People's Group on Facebook are summarized, with this comment striking home: "Attempts to dismiss the unrest as being from a minority of fans are simply ludicrous, claiming senior management are communicating with fans is equally ludicrous when the fans in question are handpicked, sworn to secrecy and only discuss what the club allow them to discuss is nothing less than insulting; it is widely known that the group has been assembled in order to comply with UEFA licensing regulations, nothing more, nothing less and it is disappointing that the CEO feels the desperate need to portray them as something they're certainly not, representative. Nobody doubts there isn't a lot of hard work going on at Everton, it's just that it's too little, too late and simply not good enough to support Everton's desire for success on the pitch."

Bury 1 - 4 Everton
Back to football ON the pitch!!!
15 Jul - Everton started their pre-season friendlies with a trip to Bury this evening, and a fairly strong line-up put the home side to the sword in the first half, scoring four goals. With four subs at half-time, the second half was not as dominant, especially when Beckford retired with a touch of cramp, leaving Everton to play out the fixture with 10 men. Everton old-boy Stephen Schumacher got some sweet revenge with a great free-kick that fooled Jan Mucha and gave the home side back their self-respect but the boys in their nice new Blue shirts looked sharp and fit for the long haul ahead.

Moyes: Declining Fortunes
A financial analysis of performance
15 Jul - Overachievement has been a recurring theme of David Moyes's tenure at Everton these last 9½ years. An in-depth financial analysis of his performance as manager, based on league results and player valuations, may shed some light on this topic for those who have the stomach to read this long and somewhat technical piece by Zach Slaton. We reproduce the first paragraph of the Conclusions here, which take account of the lack of investment in the team over the last three years.

Moyes honoured with Fellowship
LJMU recognizes outstanding contribution
14 Jul - David Moyes has been made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University. Mr Moyes received the award, which recognised his “outstanding contribution to football and sportsmanship,” at LJMU's graduation ceremony and said: “I am very proud to receive this Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University. Everton Football Club has a great relationship with the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, which provides sport science support for our elite performance testing and also helps us show how football can be an agent for social change by supporting our community projects."

Could Moyes be tempted away?
Will financial frustration be the final straw?
13 Jul - Also on TalkSport, Graham Breecroft spouts the usual journo propaganda, saying that "Bill Kenwright has handled the club very well indeed" and talking about there having been "plenty of suitors" who have looked to buy Everton, but the colour of their money was always questionable. He ends by pondering if another club would offer Moyes the money Kenwright can't, one of these days he might accept that.

Just like a New Signing!
Yobo back at Finch Farm
12 Jul - Joseph Yobo returned to Finch Farm yesterday after his much hyped move to Turkish Champions Fenerbahçe appears to have fallen through. The 30-year-old defender spent all of last season on loan at Fenerbahçe who have refused to pay the agreed amount to make the deal permanent, and are now embroiled in a match-fixing scandal. So Yobo, who signed a five-year contract in 2009, has reported back for pre-season training, just like a new signing for David Moyes who must wait and wonder about what transfer funds (if any) he will see this summer...

The case for a media probe
An Open Letter from The People's Group
9 Jul - There is considerable interest in a very good letter put together by fans calling themselves The People's Group on Facebook. Their aim is to highlight the failings of the Everton Board of Directors through the national media with the hope of getting answers. The letter has been sent to various media outlets and is a direct request for some proper investigative journalism to dig into the current Everton hierarchy and their failure to push Everton forward in this era when the Premier League is awash with money. A transcript of the letter is provided here: more...

Prentice responds to web kicking
Focus on a new buyer for Everton is all wrong
8 Jul - The Echo's David Prentice is clearly stung by the almost overwhelmingly negative reaction on the web to his really poor article this morning, defending the status quo at Goodison Park and utterly failing in the remit for investigative journalism that should be asking the Number One question: Where has all the money gone? Instead, Prentice claims he is not being sycophantic but was trying to counter the doom and gloom surrounding Everton's total inactivity in the transfer market with some positive spin on the situation — not whipping up or adding to what is a very justifiable mood of unrest amongst Evertonians who want better explanations for why the club is in such a parlous state.

Senior Cup Final date set
Southport vs Everton Reserves
7 Jul - The date for Everton's delayed 2011 Liverpool Senior Cup final clash with Southport has been confirmed. An Everton XI drawn from the Blues' Academy Under-18 and Reserve teamwill play the Sandgrounders on Saturday 26 July at Haig Avenue, kick-off 3pm, to complete last season's competition. Everton have won this historic competition more times than any other club.

Players return to training
Then fly out to Austria for training camp
5 Jul - Some Everton players reported back for pre-season training yesterday then underwent fitness tests at Liverpool University before flying out this evening for a four-day training camp in Austria. Players involved in end-of-season internationals like Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Johnny Heitinga and Seamus Coleman are not expected back for another week, while Tim Howard, whose involvement in the Gold Cup has only just ended, will not rejoin the squad until the US tour later this month. Joseph Yobo is not expected to return to Finch Farm again. as his transfer to Turkey should be completed soon...

New 2011-12 Everton Kit
Features classic collar and amber piping
4 Jul - Everton's new shirt for next season will feature a vintage look collar, with amber piping. The full strip, which somewhat disappointingly reverts to blue socks, is available to pre-order online at evertondirect.com and in Everton stores from today. It will then be available to buy on Thursday, 14 July, at Everton One, Everton Two and online. The strip will be officially launched on 14 July with an event at Everton One when one of the first team stars will be in the store to meet fans as they get their hands on the shirt for the first time.