Gbamin return delayed by a further 3 months

The 24-year-old had returned to light training at the start of this month but suffered a setback in his rehabilitation. As a result, the summer signing from Mainz underwent surgery in France on Tuesday."

Gbamin will now continue his rehabilitation with Club medical staff at USM Finch Farm.

I am not a sports medical expert but surly this injury must have shown up weeks ago that he needed surgery, and not after he started light training that may have aggravated it.

This is a 9-month injury for most athletes. The leg is locked in a cast in the straight position to start with, and only when the cast comes off can you even start basic mobility and stretching activities. The subsequent rehab is very, very slow.

NBA star Victor Oladipo had his quadriceps tendon surgically repaired back in January. He has only recently resumed half-speed drills, wearing a huge brace on his leg. He is not expected to play again anytime soon. His case may or may not be worse than Gbamin's -- this is a rare injury, and there's no set timetable (for another NBA star, Tony Parker, it took 7 months) -- but I'd say that if we see him on the pitch next spring it'll be a spectacular victory.

With such an injury and if we are fighting for survival will he even get a game?

I'm genuinely glad I don't inhabit the dark minds of some very bleak posters on this site.

All the best to the lad and all power to our medical staff in helping him on his long road to recovery.

John, # 18, totally agree with everything you say in that post.

If I felt so strongly about the way Everton FC is being run I would surrender my season ticket, this act would signal the end of my interest in football, and would preclude me saying "Once a Blue always a Blue".

Another 'WOW!' moment, Ian. Heady stuff for you.

You usually only post on match day to:

* bemoan the selection before a ball has been kicked
* berate the manager and players incessantly
* immediately put the boot in at any mishap
* condemn and condone one and all, including fellow supporters who don't subscribe to your eternally bleak view
* revel in defeat

By contrast, you are consistently absent in games we actually win.

As for your latest chest-beating post, what has any single one of those issues you list (which any and every discerning Evertonian is all too familiar with) got to do with the misfortune that has befallen to Gbamin?

It is perfectly legitimate to ask hard questions about the club on many of those issues. But you never contribute to such debates which are commonplace on TW, do you Ian?

It is being deliberately bleak and frankly quite obnoxious to label Gbamin a crock as you do as if it is conclusive evidence at the overall incompetence of the way the club is run, rather than first think to extend a droplet of sympathy to the lad.

Beyond that, it's football. Anyone remember that Rodrigo Moyes signed from Brazil? He was the most hyped signing that summer but I am pretty sure he never even played for us due to injury. These things happen, that's why we have a squad, and it's not "just Everton," every club has injuries.

I wish Gbamin well on his road to recovery and every cloud as a silver lining, I hope ours is just around the corner.

We have no idea if he is any good and he has no idea how he fits into playing for Everton.

Really unfortunate but we need a new midfielder In January and cant wait for him to be fit.

Unfortunate for him and us but time waits for know one when you think about the state we are in.

Jay I wasn't having a go at you just replying with my frustrations and of course I have sympathy for the guy but like another poster wrote - £60k a week softens the blow to the lad

Jay I do find it somewhat disturbing how you jump down the throat of many a poster who has an opinion different to the “ all seeing I “ of yours - Hahaha

I wonder just how badly they actually feel such injuries?

I'm not being cynical here.

I don't deny anyone their right to express any opinion they like on TW. Never have.

What I do is contest those views I don't agree with whilst putting my own. So don't try implying I suppress debate.

I contested Ian's (and Kunal's) original posts which clearly were less than sympathetic to Gbamin and, by extension, used as a further example of the club's incompetence.

It was Ian's 2nd post that perversely (in my eyes) confirmed his own warped thinking on this.

For me, it's not even a football-related question. It's one of basic human decency and empathizing and sympathizing with another person to whom the misfortune has fallen.

I repeat, Ian's (and Kunal's) first thoughts on this news was not to show said basic human decency, empathy or sympathy, but to berate both the unfortunate player and the club on a public forum.

I rather fancy that says a lot more about themselves than either Gbamin or the club. Bleak and dark minds, as I originally said.

People can view my posts however they wish. The reference to 'No fucking interest' I stand by. Look at the players at Everton, do they look like they give a shit? No. Do we see them putting in 100% effort and committment every game ofcourse not. Are they happy to pick up their huge wage packets weekly? Absolutely. Everton is a cosy club for players to move to. Little effort for big reward.

I was intrigued to see him as he came across so well in interviews. I hope that positivity sustains him for the time being.

It may be that his Everton career is over before it began, poor lad.

All focus and effort is to get the lad into a full recuperation, and to come back at full fitness. Hence the squad system, and now in this season more than ever, this squad must dig deep, as it has it all to prove starting v West Ham.

Let's hope this is a good weekend and Everton gets a victory and takes slow steps to recover the slide.

Let's hope so.

Denis Adeniran anyone?

I am mindful of the frustration that fans experience, I too share their frustration, but I don't feel the need to express it in the same way. Would you suggest that I adopt an 'if you can't beat them, join them' attitude?

Either way it doesn't matter just as the money doesn't matter when a player suffers with mental health issues as opposed to physical ones.

Lots think, yeh all that money would make things that affect "normal" people mean nothing but that doesn't wash.

If a player is badly innured or suffers like our own Aaron Lennon did I'm pretty fucking sure they don't think "Ah well I may be on the verge of losing my career, or a breakdown, but at least I'm getting thousands a week."

I wonder if Baningime will resurface at some point?

The club needs a right-on tight-shipped, hard-lined board of experienced professional businessmen — NOT a confused band of fuckin ‘Odd Lots' that are letting the pace of this cutthroat football league gradually overtake us.

Yes, I know this thread is all about Gbamin, I'm just sick to death of the constant, and increasing (as the seasons go by) bad-luck-fuelled Groundhog Days and seasons of (somehow) or ultimately, neither-here-nor-thereness
It's now how many years since Martinez's brief 4th place?

Let's face it, we as fans have done sweet fuck all to change things. Unlike...

I suspect we're perceived world-wide by agents as the softest touch in football, Europe-wide. I say this on the back of perennially just falling short of achieving anything at all in terms of significant achievement for us fans/supporters whilst promulgating the tired ol' "An' If Yer Know Yer 'Istory" mantra at every sodding home game which is music to the ears of rapacious agents desperate to get exorbitant contracts for the bog-standard players on whom their own remuneration depends.

Players too old to achieve anything see us as the best option for lucrative last years. Players too young to attract the interest of winning clubs see us as self-deluded wealthy clowns who maybe, just maybe, they can use us as a fabulously paying stepping stone IF all their stars converge to deliver to other winning clubs their perceived talent.

Ergo, all but no-one at Finch Farm has 100% commitment to Everton at their heart or mind.

In that respect they are adequately represented by the perennially selfish Blue Bill.

I wouldn't be too hasty to blame Everton's medical staff. I would assume they got an MRI on the original injury and discussed the options with Gbamin, probably conservative vs. surgery. Knowing that surgery could cost him half a season, he would have opted for the usual combination of rest/therapy/rehab, trying to avoid missing too much time. And the reports say he was in light training -- appropriate for seven weeks after the first injury -- when he went down. It's very possible he had a small tear all along.

(FWIW tendons are tricky to diagnose -- I'm going through the process right now with an Achilles tear that recurred while I was in "light training".)

With regards to the comment that "£60k a week softens the blow to the lad"... sorry, but that's pure BS. As my buddy Brian says at #47, no professional athlete, especially one trying to prove himself at a new club, would be anything but devastated at this turn of events. And no size paycheck will make him feel better.

You ALMOST made a whole post but slipped a Kenwright bash in there at the end.

Mike

Agreed, Darron Gibson got a lot of flak while injured but he says frustration drove him to depression and drink. They might be well paid today but not many players have the luxury of a fall back quality education to pay bills for the next 50 years. Yes you get the odd David Bentley who just quits cause he can't be arsed. But most players are competitive and don't want to see someone take their place. Bolasie, Gibson and McCarthy are three who were in the first team but never got back there after injury. I highly doubt Gbamin is rolling around in cash enjoying his rehab.

Do you know of any examples of players making a full recovery from this injury and going on to have successful careers ?

I cant find any. Please tell me I'm looking in all the wrong places

I'd suggest moving to a back 3, or trying out Holgate in the holding role (as suggested by some). Adeniran certainly looks promising as an alternative. Not sure about Baninigme - has he recovered after his Wigan nightmare?

Holgate can not be worse than Schneiderlin, whose tackling and interception stats are poor. We need to improve in those areas, at the expense of Schneiderlin's sideways passes if needs be.

As for all this passing needed to beat the press, Gomes seems to be the go to man anyway.

But maybe I'm the deluded one?

Some NFL players who suffered the injury have come back successfully also.

I've been researching it this afternoon but have not found other footballers besides Gbamin who have suffered this particular injury. It really is pretty rare.

Silva doesnt trust Davies. Schneiderlin goes through the motions. Gomes seems permanently off the pace. Delph is a red card waiting to happen. Surely Holgate is worth a try ?

What's going on with Silva and Holgate ?

Seamus is creaking like an old barn door. Our defensive partnership is being being stripped bare on a weekly basis and our defending midfield players offer about as much protection as a sawn off Johnny.

We know Holgate takes risk, but we know he can play. . We also know he cant possible do any worse than any of the regular starters. He must look at this shambles and think "If I cant get a game here I may as well quit the game "

But maybe I'm the deluded one, again apparently, according to some?

Having read your posts I think I'd have to be offered very decent odds on him making a full recovery, before I could be tempted to put money on it.

Say what??

The man's played almost 300 professional games and has three red cards.

Naaaaah didn't think so

"Fancy a pint Don ?" - four words you will never read on TW

Don't get me wrong I'm no BK lover. I was just genuinely surprised you almost missed him at the end there. I have long since given up trying to convert the Kenwright crowd but keep up the good fight.

Not anybody's individual fault (it never is is it)

Thus, as mostly happens, there was a knock on effect. Bad for the player, bad for the club. A write off season for the player and yet another, in a long list, for the club.

So yet again we stagger from one false dawn (spelt C,O,C,K, U,P) to another.

*the clock flips round to 6.00am, Sonny and Cher sing...'They say our love etc, Bill Murray wakes to another day*

Here's hoping he makes a swift and full recovery, even if that means we don't see the lad back on the pitch until next season. I personally hope this means some game time for Adeniran, or Beningame.

Whaaa? Just to be clear, there is now a Director of Football in charge of signing, and a new owner. Kenwright is still invoked but isn't in charge.

Relegated? Spurs and Man Utd going down too? Palace going to finish in top 4? 7 games in, not on form, but a bit early to predict that just yet

And how does a player getting injured point to issues with Kenwright? Just give up on football and watch wrestling, the results are predetermined and a purely predictable spectacle.

As our seasons somehow end up being the same as the previous. Somehow, again and again, and around and around we are going – no matter who the fuck is ‘installed'.

Somehow, everything stays the perennial 1 step forwards 2 steps backwards the same.

Whichever season starts well,ends up falling down, somehow and vice versa almost interminably. It's like we are stuck in a science fiction-like time loop,or using a ‘classics' example cursed by a Greek mythological God to forever go through an endless cycle of build-ups and let-downs.

We will never break free of this Job-like existence till that Jonah is thrown, launched or hounded the hell off our ship.

He's the ‘Curse of the fuckin' Claw' — trust me!!

All those who want Kenwright to ‘Walk the Plank' just say..

AYE !

There's a long season ahead and we look underpowered. Worrying indeed.

He rigidly sticks to the same failed system and when he does make changes it usually creates chaos and we end up conceeding goals.

The team is playing woeful football, the manager is struggling and not helping himself in a variety of ways, we need some strong personalities ( are there any) in the squad to organise a change in the way we are approaching each game, there looks to be no fight or desire in the squad, and that's before we go behind.

I'm going to Goodison on Saturday lunchtime to roar the Blues on to a very necessary victory, I hope we all get behind the team, it's getting desperate at the bottom.

We have Davies, Banigime and Adeniran who do play there and have all shown talent to varying degrees. It's time for one of them to step up. Though our first choice pairing will remain Delph and Gomes for now. Another position that needs strengthening in what could be (or need to be) a busy January window.

Did that make a difference?

It also seems you have written of his return and future career, you have a sunny outlook there.

The type and serious nature of Gbamin's injury has been widely reported. So why don't you read up on it and educate yourself? Surgery is sometimes the only option and should not be treated as the last resort. In this instance his best prognosis involved immediate surgery. In waiting, and allowing Gbamin to breakdown, the prognosis is not great. Full recovery is unlikely.

They took a risk in the hope that he could return quicker. They got it wrong.
Boo hoo if you don't like my pessimistic outlook. It sucks for Gbamin and it sucks for the club. But it could have been avoided. The wrong option was taken.

Doesn't surprise me at all if a huge cock up has been made, we seem to be run by amateurs at every level, except maybe the youth and under 21's, when will it end.

"Everton Football Club can confirm that Jean-Philippe Gbamin has sustained a tendon injury in his right quadriceps muscle, which will keep the midfielder out of action for at least eight weeks," Everton said in a statement.
"The club are in communication with leading experts around Europe to ensure the optimal outcome."

We can all do our research, sir.
obviously should have consulted you and your brother, anyway mate keep smiling

I had a repair done and then an orthoscopy some weeks later. A long, slow and painful recovery beckons I'm afraid.

It was also explained to me that time is of the essence in this procedure.

Much like the nasty ruptured achilles its long way back and despite modern medicine players are ever quite the same. I still wonder what if the Yak had avoided that fate.

I'd written him off for the season, so the set back is a disaster for him personally but I didn't think we'd see him before the spring anyway. The knock on is dealing with what you have left and making it work for you.

Delph is doubtful, I still think Gomes is not fully match fit. If you don't put energy and dynamism into that midfield Saturday then you shoot yourself in the foot.

For me Silva has to go 4-3-3, play Schniederlin, Gomes & Davies. If he plays 4-2-3-1 and pairs Schniederlin & Gomes it's his own funeral.

Not wanting him doesn't make him responsible for the current form of the team. The players have been selected in main by the DOF or signed with his consent. The coach was appointed as the selection on Moshiri. The entire upper structure of the club has been overhauled in the past 2 years. Quite simply, to point the finger at him for the current issues isn't fair.

And as to the point on relegation, again, do you see Utd or spurs going down? They are on a blip. City have lost two in 3, against “inferior” opposition. It's 7 games in. Exceedingly disappointing so far, and perhaps it will take a change of coach to get the season back together, but at this point it's a bit early for hyperbole and melodrama.

It's easy enough being an armchair expert, but we should be a bit cautious in sounding off about situations we don't actually know about in detail.

Thank you for providing your brother's professional perspective, but it's a fact that this injury is not always considered to require urgent surgery. To cite some of the NBA examples I mentioned in previous posts, Blake Griffin did not have surgery, and he recovered fully in a little over three months. Tony Parker did have his surgery within 48 hours, but did not recover and has retired. Victor Oladipo had his surgery more than a week after his injury and is expected to play sometime this season.

Also, it's not "safe to assume" the original injury was a large tear, because a large tear generally does dictate immediate surgery. In fact, given that the club's August announcement said it was in consultation with multiple specialists around Europe and the non-surgical path was chosen, it's safer to assume that no large tear was detected at the outset. I don't think these people are idiots -- they want what is best for the player, as does the player himself.

Finally, your prediction that "Full recovery is unlikely" is not necessarily supported by the facts. Aside from the Griffin and Leonard examples I cited, a 2013 study of 14 NFL players who were surgically treated for this injury found that 50% fully recovered and continued their careers, and most of them were the younger and better players. Gbamin is 24 and a top pro.

I'm not trying to minimize either the seriousness of the situation or the information you have provided from your brother, and you're welcome to your dismal outlook, but try not to be too surprised if Gbamin returns in fine fettle.

But as I mentioned previously, whether he stays that way is another question. This is his fourth thigh injury in four years.

With the 'whoever', 'safe to assume' and general detailed background you and have provided, I will go away a much better and far less ignorant man. Not sure how that is going to affect my happy and blissful life but I will give it it a go.

While you you are around, be a good chap. Could you drop your details into the medical, center, please include your bothers as well. just so they have a better handle next time this happens. Cheers old boy.

PS I am still laughing at your last line, thank you so much

The club say he has undergone surgery on a tendon injury in his right quadriceps muscle, which will keep the midfielder out of action for around three months. As much as some people want to believe it, the club do not employ incompetent medical people, who will now give Gbamin the best treatment he can possibly have. Don't forget, we are talking about a highly trained athlete here, who has muscles upon muscles, and once he gets nearing full use of his leg, it wont, or shouldn't take him long to build up the strength in his leg.

Also, Silva gave a previous interview stating that the club was trying to get Gbamin back as quickly as possible. So maybe they made the wrong call for the wrong reasons?

It doesn't matter how competent the medical staff may be. The fact remains that they got it wrong with Gbamin. Whether he makes a full recovery is less likely than it would have been if the surgery was carried out immediately.

If I was to take a wild guess (and it would be only that), it would be that Gbamin was originally diagnosed with a "partial" tear. That was the published diagnosis for Griffin, the NBA player who did not have surgery, and his recovery time matched the projection for Gbamin.

It does appear that Gbamin was recovering, else he wouldn't have been authorized for the "light training" session Everton described -- during which he evidently tore the tendon more severely. The club described it not as a failure to respond to treatment but as a "significant setback."

It's possible he would have had a quicker recovery and a better prognosis with immediate surgery, as your brother believes, but it seems that the club, the doctors and the player all felt that the original injury didn't require surgery. The possibility was never mentioned in the press releases back in August.

We'll never know for sure. Just hold a good thought for the guy.

Once Gbamin is back, I hope the trainers can come up with some new training techniques for the guy to keep him healthy.

For Christ sakes Everton get your act together

Did you have the comment censored?

Brian, I was not being sarcastic when I wrote my post to you, I was just plain bemused at the absolute certainty you believe in professional footballers; it almost has a religious feel to it?

Perhaps we could meet in the middle?

Concerning misery, suffering and depression, if you insert the phrase 'relative to us' whenever you talk about people/footballers earning 㿨K pw there's a good chance I'll agree with you.

If I had to spend 3 - 6 months off work I might lose my job, my house and I would be in a truly miserable situation, Gbamin will never suffer anything like that, his sufferings are not in this instance 'relative' to mine.

You've picked out Aaron Lennon as an example of how 'normal' footballers are, I'd like to pick out on the flip side of the coin James Beattie coming back from injury/depression and on a shocking run of form went out and bought himself a Lamborghini to cheer himself up? There's lot's of examples we can both pick out, who's to say what's typical?

You finished your post by saying we the fans have done sweet fuck all to change things. The bulk of your post included the claim that, "The club needs experienced professional businessmen, not a confused band of fuckin 'Odd Lots' that are letting the pace of this Football League gradually overtake us".

Could you, having identified the problem, tell me how I, as a fan, can persuade the current Board of Directors to relinquish their posts? And if I was successful in my mission, how would I be able to persuade the experienced 'businessmen' that you champion, to fill the void?

I'm beginning to think that this season is already becoming a disaster and not just because of some early results.

And hey, we reportedly paid only €600,000 for Gibson, so he wasn't exactly a catastrophic investment. Hell, he paid more than that in fines, penalties and settlements for his various inebriated adventures.

"Get over it and move on", as they say in the current parlance.

In January we need to bring in a long term replacement because its a crucial position on the pitch especially if the team are trying to play possession-based football.

There's a real risk Gbamin may never recover. Schneiderlin and Delph are past their best. Davies doesn't appear to be trusted and the other youngsters are unlikely to be given an opportunity.

That leaves Gomes. He's a very good player but needs a partner with energy, pace and a ball winner. They don't have to be world class. They do need to be athletic and unselfish. I believe there are plenty around. Why not buy two for instant competition and backup.

Hi there, John, I have been a motor dealer for many years, as well as a season-ticket holder. In my job, I have to pick up on faults or diagnostics and the whole myriad of what can go wrong with a motor car, even though I am no mechanic and I cannot do the repairs myself!

My observations of Everton since the dawn of the Premier League are much in the same vein, in that within the dawn of the start of this present era, I quickly concluded two things:

1. Kenwright had no money.

2. Ergo, he set out to borrow money at extortionate rates.

Look, I'm not in the mood to drone on about the ins and outs of Bill Kenwright; I've been on here like (some) others for years now… But there is a simple overview, and that is that all the (now) top clubs built their Romes while we scurried around the backstreets with Fagin and the Artful Dodger at the helm (luckily) treading water buying the odd 1 player a year etc.

Back to the Fanbase: Liverpool was our role model in that their fans hounded out Gillete and Hicks, boycotted, protested and even launched the old guard (unlike us) the likes of Dalgleish, Hodgson, Rodgers etc etc.

I know he's 'Caught' a Billionaire' (a Monty Python version of an accountant, btw!) but Moshiri does NOT strike me as a 'Tiger in the tank' kind of John Harvey Jones of Footy which is what we really need.

Back to main point: I think we are a dormant volcano regarding fan protests (Unless we do go down). Basically, Moshiri is being helped by Brands and maybe a few of Usmanov's men? But that 'arl barnacle is still there whispering in his ears. Liverpool fans would've dragged him out and wellied him into the Mersey 20 years ago.

Hindsight may be the greatest gift you'll never have, but if Kenwright had not bought the club, do you not think with the ensuing wave of football interest, big money, Sky etc (at that time) that a real money man wouldn't have?!

Mina - signed injured.
Gomes - signed not fit.
Gbamin - seen twice I think before injured.
Iwobi - signed not fit (still not fit).
Bernard - signed not fit.
Tosun - signed not fit.
Delph - shouts a lot but is sadly a crock.
Bolasie - essentially his career ended with us as a top flight player.
Kone - turned up, out for about a year.
Baines - seems to have been constantly struggling with injury for around two years.
Coleman - the international injury finished him as a force.
Schneiderlin - has had personal issues but is injured a fair amount.

I know some of these are unavoidable but these are just recent players of the top of my head, going back you look at Duncan Ferguson, Jagielka, Yakubu, Danny Williamson (remember him!)

I'm not having it that anyone is as unlucky (or stupid) as us when it comes to managing fitness.

However, I think there is mitigating circumstances for most:

Mina and Gomes were players of Barcelona level who were hawked around the top clubs of Europe before we could strike. Gomes was actually fit and got injured as we were signing them. I think we were right to pursue both.

Gbamin has no real injury track record.

Bernard was injured in the March before we signed him and then had left to go to Brazil where he recuperated at home, and so took a while to get back up to speed.

Iwobi - is he really not fit?

Tosun - was he?

Delph - didn't we get him cheap because he is injury-prone?

Bolasie - had no prior injury history of significance and did his ACL.

Kone - didn't he do his ACL as well?

Baines - always got little knocks, because he was never lightning fast to get away from people and so always got kicked and injuries and age have finally caught up with him.

Coleman was a leg break.

Schneiderlin seems like the guy in work who goes off sick at the first sign of a cold rather than the one who "soldiers on" and infects the rest of us!

We have had a large amount of ACL injuries over the last 10-15 years. Mikel Arteta, Yakubu, Phil Jagielka, Aruna Kone, and Yannick Bolasie. And that's just off the top of my head. The ACL was a career killer until recently. But for me, every one of those players was never the same again. Sure, Jags carried on as before and his performances were largely the same, but I don't think he had the same speed as he used to. Mikel Arteta was like a Matador before his injury and became a completely different player afterwards, that he was still so effective was a testament to how clever and how good he was.

Footballers get injuries. It's part of the sport. Unless a doctor says different, I don't think there's anything more the club can do to prevent a player suffering an ACL.

Let's not forget that Martinez changed Moyes's medical setup, with Mick Rathbone or Baz as he was known leaving. Then Koeman did so, with Jan Kluitenburg. Allardyce brought in his mate with the funny name from the RS, Rylands Morgan. And now Silva has cleared them all out and brought in the top guy from Portugal, Bruno Mendes. Bruno was the man behind "the Benfica Lab". Learn more about them here: Benfica Lab

The club doctor has also been replaced. For the Moyes years it was Dr Ian Irving, who was at the club for 39 years, starting under Gordon Lee and leaving after Koeman's only full season. He was incidentally a golfing buddy of Koeman's! Dr Aboul Shaheir replaced Dr Irving and he has now been replaced by Dr John Hollingsworth.

A fishy one though is Danny Donachie. He's the son of Will Donachie. Our former assistant manager under Joe Royle. He left under the Martinez changes in 2014. Then he was "Head of Medicine". He was brought back last summer under the remit of "Head of Therapy Services". I doubt Brands or Silva headhunted him, so you could say this is a Kenwright appointment. But the Echo did an interview with him and he had an impressive client list. Donachie interview

So Franny, you may well be right, and you raise valid points, but surely there has been too much change for there to be something not right at Finch Farm. Unless of course, all our appointments are crap!

I'm probably just becoming increasingly pessimistic as the years go by with Everton, as the saying goes if we didn't have bad luck we'd have no luck!

I have no idea what may have happened behind the scenes, following the inception of the Premier League. As a supporter, my interest was confined to what I witnessed on the field of play. I still have the same priority, I can only hope that the men who have the responsibility of managing the affairs of the club, do so in an efficient way.