James: 'I am happy'

What a player; I still have to pinch myself that he's here (Everton have been poor for years) and, without Carlo, he wouldn't be here. Let's hope he takes to Scouse hot dog sellers down the Pier Head and stays a bit longer.

I think it was Christine Foster (NZ) who suggested that these rumours and the like, emanated from across the park, and I am pretty sure she was spot on. Look at the timing of them, plus the other propaganda that was being bandied about, two or three days before the Derby !

I still sometimes fall for these type of stories partly, or those clickbaits, and I should know better by now, but it is always at the back of my mind the old "no smoke without fire", but when you see it from what you believed to be a credible source, it does raise doubts.

Glad he is HAPPY and according to other recent articles Mosh is going to waft more cash Carlo's way in the Summer Transfer Market too. Now who we will get is a matter for conjecture, Isco, Rabiot, Zelik, or Aarons plus?

Really pleased to hear that. He truly is an amazing talent. Think we'll see the best of him when we add a couple of new quality signings.

The worst is over for him as it was always going to be tough coming to such a physical league plus a culture change etc.
He knows what is required now, he will adapt and hopefully Carlo will leave him in the No10.
I am certain that we will see and even better James as we move into the spring.

Praying for a nice hot spring time like last year, Cheer us all up here in the Blue City. This guy is pure class just needs a couple of seconds to change a game with his speed of thought and touch.

"streaming cod..." - for a moment, I thought even James was joining in with the fish puns!!

You only need to look at James' body language, even when he's being subbed off, to see that he's perfectly happy here. That report was obviously total nonsense. It's not like Berlin or Madrid are known for their warm winter climates ffs!

Just hope he can keep producing moments like he did on Saturday and a full Goodison gets to witness his talents.

He's never going to track back and run round like a headless chicken but he's the type of player we have been lacking for years. Like my brother said, you don't buy a Ferrari to take your rubbish to the tip.

After being subbed with still half an hour to go, most players put a trakkie top on, then a jacket to keep warm. I'm sure James did this, but at the final whistle trakkie top and jacket were off, revealing his blue shirt. He certainly wanted to be part of the celebrations at the end, smile as wide as the Mersey tunnel and jumping around with other players!

UNHAPPY MY ARSE!!

Rarely do we have a player who can 'see' a pass like James can, rarely do we have a player who can make a pass like James can. To have a player who can do both is almost unique. it's like a mad scientist has taken Sheedy's left foot and grown a whole human out of it.

As for not liking the lifestyle, I'm sure he understands that lockdown means that he hasn't got to see the lifestyle yet, nor would he anywhere else.

Good to hear that he's happy and out there to contribute to the aspirations of the whole team.
Am still elated over the win, so, so happy.
I have Watched the highlight over 50 times 😇😆.
Let the winning mentality continues till the end of the seasons.
Europe elite competition is our target and quite achievable.

It never occurred to me that the stories last week were malicious and deliberate. How innocent am I.
i'm just happy that the lad is here.
It seems that unlike some clubs we have finally built a squad that wants to be here. Of course they all want to play. But it also looks like they all have bought into the dream.
When we started against Wolves with no strikers, nobody gave us a prayer.
When we are bad and nothing clicks, there are many who write us off. But the players bounce back.
Tell me the last time we beat Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester in one season. Never mind about the 10+ years since we celebrated a derby win.
We are a work in progress. Not finished yet. But the structure is there and the signs are hopeful.
A top half finish would have been considered progress after the last 2 years. Now a Europa League place is being touted as the consolation prize. Heady days indeed. And this man, along with the other star names is heading up that shift in outlook.
I can't think of any player, except maybe Bernard, in the squad who doesn't want to remain here to lift silverware.
Its 1984 again.

The weather one always triggers me. Lazy suggestion thrown at foreign players coming to play in England. Those shouts clearly come from those who have not experienced a Munich winter, as James has.

It's like the apparent lack of toughness to cope with the Premier League. These South American boys are literally dragged up in some of the worst poverty on the planet. And real poverty, not what we often cite in this country. They're tough cookies.

Glad he's happy, even more glad he's here full stop.

Paul @1, if he has a fish finger butty he'll never want to leave!

I think most of us are just amazed and glad to watch him in action. Prior to seeing him play for us, I had always felt that he was over-rated.
e.g. his exploits at the 2014 World Cup. I thought he didn't look that spectacular, save for a couple of eye-catching goals.
I take that back.

The way he creates space and plays the ball for his team mates.

James supposedly didn't have a proper pre-season, and this is his first season. Comparing him to Chelsea's imports and how practically all non-British players take a season or so to get up to speed, James has done pretty well, hasn't he?

Not to mention the goals and the assists that he has contributed to.

He is definitely the most high profile player the club has in years (or ever, if you consider how international his profile is).

It's a joy to watch him play. There is still so much in the season to play for.

Like all toffees, here's hoping that we win the FA cup, and get into European placing (CL placing is a bonus, but not entirely impossible).

And we now have planning permission to build our stadium from Liverpool city council, get in.

I'm pretty sure he probably did mention something about the lifestyle and weather. Both come as a complete shock to foreign players who move here. It's not the cold winters that they find so depressing, it's the lack of sun. In most other countries of the world, winter is cold, but the cold is accompanied by blue skies. We've grown up with our weather, so unless you have lived in another country for any length of time, you proably don't appreciate how little we see of the sun in the winter in the UK. As for lifestyle, he probably means food and this often comes as another shock to foreign players, because despite there being a huge amount of cooking and chef shows on TV, our food is still ranked by foreigners as the worst in the world (OK, I'll accept that fermented Yak's milk may be worse).

Jimmy, the thing about the weather is that it is generally less cloudy (depressing) on the coast than it will be Manchester way and yet you don't hear about their guys being disturbed by it. The biggest difference would be the wind I would have thought, though in that regard we are miles better off than the Pennines and North East.
I would hope the club is switched on to potential adjustment difficulties and have some uv therapy and personal chefs set-up for the players. The one thing they can't offer at the moment is mini-breaks and the simple knowledge that you cannot travel at whim could provide psychological stress even for multi-millionaires

Paul #6, I had exactly the same thought.

Rob #9, I noticed that too.

Colin #14, I don't even want to know what that is.

John #10, you've said it elegantly, especially with your line about Sheedy's left foot. I was ecstatic when we signed James, to the point where I'm sure some of the folks here were rolling their eyes at my gushing. I believed he'd bring us something we hadn't seen in decades -- the change of a game with a touch or two. And he has.

DK #2, I'm looking forward to the summer window too, but not necessarily to see any of those players come in (especially not Rabiot, thanks very much). I expect Marcel and Carlo to bring us a few that aren't yet on anyone's speculation list.

The only player on the pitch who could have produced that skill to put Richarlison in on goal, and that includes players from the redshite. Its going to be a pleasure to see the fella perform absolute quality.

Good spot Paul 7, on the fish pun that is. If he remains happy with a reduced workload it gives Carlo one more option to mix it up as he loves to do.

Mike @, 19. I have just finished a fish finger butty( part of my new healthy diet). You shall have one when you return. It will be a moment of epiphany for you.

He's getting older, so he's not getting any quicker, or sharper, and when you get to this stage of your career, and you're already a little bit different to at least 99% of the players on the planet, then you need a manager that trusts you, and this is what Rodriguez, gets from Ancellotti, trust.

Doesn't like the lifestyle? Just wait till the summer when he's on a sunbed, under a parasol on Crosby beach being served cocktails by a leggy Scouse bimbo barmaid and he's gonna love it! Then on the way home he can stop off at the chippy in Goodison Rd and get himself a sausage dinner.

He'll think he's gone to heaven.

Mike (19), surprised you weren't tempted by some form of ‘butty' when you were over. A butty is simply a sandwich (we make ours traditionally with buttered bread) and you'd call a fish ‘finger' a fish ‘stick'. British comfort food staple along with bacon/ sausage butties, chip (fries) butties and jam (jelly) butties (mined locally)!

Tony (23), Tony I think that trust faded a bit when he threw his hand in and was subbed in the Fulham game, I think James has regained some of that trust with his performances in Saturday's and the United game.

Jimmy Hogan (17)

That's a load of crap about British food! The English breakfast is the envy of the world. It's the only breakfast in the world prefixed by its nationality and a good old Sunday roast with beef and Yorkshire pud is absolutely unbeatable and you can have it any day...not only on a Sunday! And Cod and Chips has been copied all over the world from New York to Corfu. If it was called Poisson and Frites Francais you'd think it was fucking posh wouldn't you?

Speaking of France, unless you specifically ask for beef an order of steak and chips gets you horsemeat while Italian food is all sauce and no substance. Chinese food was mainly invented in Liverpool anyway so doesn't count and while I draw the line at jellied eels London did give us chicken korma.

You're talking to an expert here mate. I'm 5ft8in tall and weigh 16 stone. I never got where I am today eating crappy foreign food!

So there.

Oh my god sausage dinner, pie dinner fuck any chippy dinner. I love getting a pie dinner. I remember me and my missus ( about 15 yrs ago) went to a restaurant on the Albert dock ( blue something ). We had a meal upstairs that was not filling at all. On the way back to the hotel she got a cheese burger and chips and I got a pie dinner. We sat in our hotel bed eating those delicacy's watching MOTD bliss

Si #25, thanks for that clarity. Turns out I had a ham "butty" on my last trip and didn't know it. Colin made it sound like something I had done to me at my last physical exam.

Bobby #28, amen. Pete Mills took me out to my first pie-and-pastie takeaway in Crosby a few years ago. Never had a better lunch in my life.

Dave #27, my wife was reading over my shoulder at your comment about Chinese food, and if she had any family in England they'd be hunting you down right now with those cleavers they use to chop lotus root.

Hi Mike [29],

I don't think you'll be able to try one nowadays, but Dave Abrahams will probably be able to explain the joy of a 'Connny Onny Butty', most popular immediately following the Second World War.

Fair enough, Dave, I'd say that I honestly couldn't understand our formation in that Fulham game, and also thought that our manager redeemed himself on Saturday night.

Sir John, my gran used to give me conny onny butties. Great to scrape out the tin with a spoon.

The fact he's streaming Call of Duty just makes me like him even more.

Any game where shits just gotta blow up is solid. Grab some C4 and run around, no gun, just planting and demolishing. Good fun.

I, too, think Christine Foster had this right. This "rumor" was total bullshit and probably emanated from the dark side.

John (30), I think Conny Onny butties come second to drippin butties to be honest, I think Scousers are the only people who can make sandwiches out of anything, although Belfast might run us close going by Andy's post. There was a cafe on Vauxhall Road who ran a whole list of sandwiches, the best of the bunch was the Scouse butties, delicious.

Dripping butties. God that's going back. I seem to remember a darker brown on top of dripping that had gone cold??? Do I misremember?

Brent, you remember perfectly well. You had a brown layer of meat essence and a white layer of fat. Just to make it even more healthy, you spread it on bread and sprinkled it liberally with salt.

Lovely,

I used to love it, but I feel my arteries furring up just by writing this!

Top this. I have seen eaten, but have never been tempted to try, a cold used teabag sandwich.

Andy, this is sounding more and more like a Monty Python sketch.

Call that a sandwich? I have seen someone eat a cold tea bag smeared with conny onny and topped with a jellied eel between 2 pieces of mouldy bread.

John Sr. and Dave, a Conny Onny Butty definitely sounds like something that could cause a Dripping Butty.

Well, seeing as this went food-oriented, I'll back the claim that British cuisine is dreadful and would make most foreigners feel homesick within 5 minutes!

That said, I do love my childhood treat of chips peas and onion gravy from the Goodison Supper Bar. Can we please take that to Bramley-Moore Dock with us?

Pasta is all sauce? You're thinking New York, not Roma; you have just offended the Italian nation sir!!

Back to James. He is a joy to watch for me. Slows the game down to a pace he sees it at. Very few can do that.

You win, Neil. I have actually seen the sandwich you refer to as part of the Tesco lunch £3 lunch deal, drink included.

Mike, that probably depends on whether you are lactose-intolerant!!

Not sure why John thinks a conny onny butty is necessarily a thing of the past. Conny onny is sweetened condensed milk and readily available, though perhaps not a standard part of most households' shopping list these days. Never had it on a butty myself but my great aunt and uncle used it in coffee. Saves spooning in the three sugars separately I guess. We kids used to fight over who got to suck the spoon, although we all got a spoonful as a treat in the end.

Personally, I could eat the stuff straight out of the tin. I'd vote we keep the conny onny secret from James. If he finds it as addictive as we did, he'd end up Dave Robert's size in no time!

Keep the intensity of the last few days, over the next few weeks, which will be tough, and as always beware The Ides of March, but Everton, can make this a season to remember.

Let's stick a few up Southampton. UTFT!

Talking of butties... genuine converstion(s), late 50s or so:

"Dad, I'm hungry"
"Well, have a sugar butty"
"I don't want a sugar butty"
"Well you're not hungry, then"

Anyone remember the sheer delight of a mashed banana and sugar butty, as a kid? Ambrosia. 💙

None of you have mentioned Tate and Lyle Syrup on thick buttered toast - what a combination.

As for James – he's our gold dust.

I see Leeds thumped Southampton 3-0 last night. Let's hope we are up and at 'em from the off come the weekend. COYBs.

Fried jam butties, Blind Scouse, Tripe & Onions, Egg & Chips on payday but always a roast on Sunday.

Si (#25); Are you sure jam butties were mined? I thought they came from the Jam Butty Factory and the treacle was mined.

Mike G; Is a ham sarney kosher? Don't worry, we'll keep it in-house but it does remind me of a true story set many years ago. A friend worked in an abattoir in Woolton and the Rabbi used to come around to check the sheep were kosher. This involved him rolling up his sleeve and putting his arm down the dead animal's throat to check the lungs weren't stuck to its sides. While he was doing this one of the lads went around the other end, put his arm up it and shook his hand. Never seen anybody jump that high before or since.

Where ever you may wander,there's no place like home...

As Jimmy (17) said...we grew up with cloudy summers and no sun. After living here in Japan for a couple of years, I returned with my Texan wife to the northwest. Hard to believe it was summer most days. Winter returns are even worse: dark, short miserable days. No wonder we whip our shirts off, first sighting of a ray of sunshine.

Let's hope he gets a feel for the dark, muddy north-west of England.

Alan J, that is an absolute beauty and I will be sharing it tomorrow with some of my Orthodox relatives.

But no, that ham was no more kosher than the Italian sausage I had for breakfast -- before I knew I was eating a butty! (My wife cannot stop giggling at that.)

I love the mind-broadening aspects of TW. My education never stops.

Dave # 26 - glad you brought up the dripping butty again! Food of champions! - they should put them on the menu at Finch Farm.

Danny (41), back to James like you said, he impressed me on Saturday by trying to slow the game down, even making twenty and thirty yards passes back to his defenders when he saw there was no pass forward. To me he was telling players “ Slow down, you've got more time than you think, put your foot on the ball, then make your pass”. In the first twenty five minutes it was incredible the way all the defenders were snatching at the ball, couldn't control it and making ridiculous attempts at clearing the ball, all around there own penalty area. They eventually calmed down, a bit, but were still getting rid of the ball too quickly and giving it back to Liverpool players too often and allowing them to come again, that's why Davies pass,to Richarlison, stood out, he took his time. If they watch James more closely they might learn to relax a bit more, as long as they don't relax too much, like Gomes, and fall asleep on the ball.

My earliest food memories was in the 40s when every pupil was presented with a huge apple but not allowed to bite into it until we said a prayer of thanks to our friends in Australia.

Andy #42, wouldn't surprise me at all to find them at Tesco

Mike G, just be careful when asking for a sausage butty. You may get more than you bargained for in a particular type of establishment!

James is great.

Another favourite butty of mine was an Ulster fry butty. Not to be confused with the Ulster fry breakfast, this was a slice of fatty, salty, cold meat served on two slices of mother's pride with lots of butter to keep the cholesterol levels down.

My favourite ever butty was a ‘winner', which we used to have at lunch time when I was at school in Ellergreen (Norris Green). Two of us would buy a Vienna loaf from the County Bakeshop on The Strand, and get them to cut it in half. Then we'd hollow-out the halves, get some chips from the chippy on the other side of The Strand, and stuff the hollowed-out half-Viennas with chips. Best chip butty ever, and kept us going until tea time!

James would be in his element with that, perfect carb loading a couple of hours before a game!

Alan (47), although I don't remember why (I can't recall being a massive fan) for about 5 years one of my bedroom walls had Diddymen wallpaper with ‘To the Jam Butty Mines' signposts. Google has confirmed that I remember that correctly.

Si (#57);

My father was from Knotty Ash and his family and Doddy's were known to each other and he often said that the Diddymen were from an Uncle that Doddy had who was barely more than 5 foot tall and sold newspapers. Unfortunately, he never mentioned mining so I'll bow to your superior knowledge.

Strangely, they once appeared on the same bill when my father was the comedian, Doddy was the Bass Baritone and I think the headline act was Sabrina. We often told him that he probably gave Doddy the confidence to take up comedy.

"Football is very physical now. There are teams that don't have much quality, but they want to win by force, making fouls."

Wonder if it is a reference to the last match?!?!
Funny fellow James.

Some delectable butties being mentioned, I wonder if the new wine bar at the BMD will have any on the menu? The hollowed half loaf stuffed full of chips would be a winner, the tripe and dripping one could be served on a ciabatta?

I worked with a feller who used to have alternating butties for his packed lunch, always the same. Mon Wed Fri Dairylee cheese spread and onion butties, Tue Thurs, Corned Jock and onion. I am not sure if he is still alive.

Mike G, if you want an easy to make butty for beginners just put some crushed salt and vinegar crisps between two slices of buttered white bread and you are sorted. Simple but classy.

Miles better than your peanut butter and jam sarnies (joking) and totally kosher.

I went to the San Siro years ago and as expected there were tonnes of burger vans etc outside with big queues.

Except they weren't burger vans, they were all piled high with ciabatta sandwiches containing parma ham, salami, fresh salad, artichokes, cambozola cheese, brie etc etc. Unexpected gourmet experience.

Chip butties, though. With lots of salted butter. Hard to beat.

I don't know how a thread on James has turned into a butty thread, but if you want a weird one, a lettuce butty. A few lettuce leaves tucked in-between two slices of bread. Don't ask me why, but just love it!

Rob, we are trying to educate James (and our American cousins) to appreciate the great scouse butty. Your lettuce butty sounds too healthy to me. Now if you put a kipper between the lettuce we could be in business.

Rob, that's a great sandwich without the lettuce.

How about a Scouse pie butty, smothered in Brown sauce!!

That's the balance Dave (51).

Of course we want to play forward if it's on. But at the same time, playing forward for the sake of playing forward will just give possession back to the opposition and invite pressure onto our defence.

Conversely, overplaying at the back or going sideways too much will allow the opposition to get back behind the ball and deny the space that could be exploited with a quicker pass forward.

The key ingredients are composure and decision making. Really good players have composure and make good decisions with the brain, even when under the type of pressure where others would just snatch or smash at the ball. James for the first goal, Tom for the second, both demonstrated composure and looked for options and movement. I can watch both of those goals time and time again. And not just because of who they were against or the historical context of the result, just the pure footballing beauty of them.

Luverly, Rob, luverly. I think James might like that with some pickalilli dolloped on top.

Have to say I think Rob's butty suggestion #63 can't be bettered. Let's just lettuce leave it at that...I know, I know.

I just came back to this thread.

So a "butty" is salt, vinegar, potato chips, and buttered bread smashed together? Or is it french fries in lieu of the potato chips?

Either way that sounds absolutely foul, and a heart attack waiting to happen!

And no, Derek Knox lurking out there somewhere, I don't mean it's missing duck or turkey or some type of fowl. Foul = disgusting.

If I get there before I die, I'll stick to the pies, fish n chips, curry, and the bowl of Scouse. The "butty" ain't ever entering this digestive tract!

How the hell do you people make it past 60 years old? 😂

Butties are the cornerstone of our civilisation, Jamie! A couple of butties, a few pints and a fag is all you need for a cold winter's evening.

But don't get your fags and sausage butties confused

Jamie, trust me, don't miss the toad in the hole either. Yummy.

And just remember that a pastie over there does not mean the same thing it means here. Although both are delightful in their own way.

Can't beat a fried egg butty. Fried egg with runny yolk (sunny side up?) between Wharburtons white bread and a dollop of tomato sauce (ketchup).

That's a good ‘un, Neil. I used to like a fried onion butty.

Caviar butty - butter or marge?

A baked beans butty, with sausages thrown in!!

I guess Jamie's never had a Doner then??

Rob, Jamie would faint in a heap if he saw a doner being sliced. Nothing on earth looks as vile as a doner but tastes as good after a few beers.

Neil Copeland - Now there's a butty I can get behind (pun intended).

I often eat the fried egg butty with ketchup between two lightly buttered English muffins. Surely that's gotta count? Love that sandwich / butty.

Andy Crooks and Rob Halligan -

I've no idea what a Doner is. But I might surprise you and give it a try.
When I was first introduced to the Irish Breakfast, I was presented with my eggs, sausage, fries (not a breaky food here), and beans with the pudding / stuffing / whatever the hell you call it.

It looked nightmarish. I was told to slather some HP on it and have at it.

I now will order the Irish Breakfast at any authentic pub over here, every single time, no matter the day. I make bastardized Irish breakfasts in my home, often on the weekends.

And yes, I know what that stuffing / pudding shite is made of. I don't care, it tastes wonderful.

So insofar as that Doner is concerned, I just might give it a whirl.

But a buttered sammy with chips stuffed in the middle with vinegar all over it is just not healthy, it's nasty sounding, and I'd for sure pass on it. Eat those everyday and you'd be 300 lbs plus in a month FFS!

If this is a doner?

https://dallas.eater.com/2019/5/9/18562623/german-doner-kebab-dallas-coming-soon

It's coming to the USA, it looks fantastic, and I'd eat the shit out of that / giv'er a try.

Haggis in/on a bap is a new favourite of mine.

Colin, have you been hanging out with Derek Knox?

Jamie, yes that counts as a fried egg butty.

Donner kebab, only beaten by a double donner complete with onions and that white sauce stuff after a skinful. Bliss.

Fried onion butty sounds good Colin. For a while I had a thing for raw onion butties, sprinkled with salt they were gorgeous.

Bacon topped with melted cheese butty...making meself peckish now 🙂

All great butties but a chip butty with tomato sauce reigns supreme.

For me, sausage, black pudding, and bacon with brown sauce, and my easy to do go to, these days is the triple decker fish finger butty, with loads of brown sauce, and some times with peri peri sauce.

That does set you for the day, but adds a good sink base for a good ale session, on match days, and in lock down.

The humble butty, but arguably the best soul food going.

My old dad likes fried Spam butties and was spouting nonsense to my two kids about them. The kids then forced me to buy a tin of Spam because they wanted the Spam butty experience.

Got home, fried it up, presented it to my hungry 11 and 13 year old. They had one bite, spat it out and then it was. Dad...is there anything else to eat.

Spam isn't what it used to be, like corned beef, Tony.

Paul, double decker with mayonnaise and tomato sauce for me.

Question for our US fans: On a US cruise ship, I had for breakfast what I think was corned beef with a poached egg on top. Any clues?

If you're feeling really happy and excited at the match to come just pop into The Winslow for their sausage and beetroot butty. Always brings you right down to earth – for a week.

Spot on Don, nothing beats a good clear after some bad ale or a dodgy butty, from the match day adventure, to GP.

I'm convinced as a kid in the days of Higsons, at the match, it was as if the ale being pumped was from the early days of the Brewery, I think in the 1780s, or close to.

The stench of the Street and Paddock, will go with me to the grave.

But happy days,, and chips in news paper, after the match.

Yep age catches us all up.

Pete Cross @ 91 -

We have corned beef hash - like hash browns with corned beef them - often served with eggs.

But corned beef with a poached egg on top sounds like some fancy-Dan chef trying some weird Irish fusion breakfast.

What you had isn't normal fare here in the USA.

Rob Halligan - my choppers would devour that sammy.

Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps please

For the American lads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf3aJx7D7YA