Sky have done a great job of advertising their product and making it feel like the most important thing in the world. Lower league fans dream of being in the Premier League, even for just 1 season. Teams like Villa and Leicester offer me hope that one day things will turn around and our day will come.

And it will, we just have to persevere.

Our US friends would have to comment more knowledgeably.

Out of interest, does the MLS operate in a similar way with a draft system?

Let's hope The Friedkin Group examine how The Lions have gone from perennial underachievers to serious Superbowl contenders in about 3 years.

The risk for the club is that, once the novelty wears off, unless there is evidence of progress on the pitch, people will start to opt out – especially if prices are high.

The hope for the club is that the extra revenue, while it will come nowhere near to bridging the gap between ourselves and the rich clubs, will enable us to compete once again in the top half of the table. It will only be an enabler. We will also need great recruitment and coaching just to get in the Top 10.

Perhaps, with the demise of many pubs in areas outside of city centres and greater demands from work and family, the only occasion you can have a few pints and catch-up with mates is on a matchday. The match itself has, for a lot of people, become a secondary attraction rather than the main event of their day.

There will be a time when the paying customers say that enough is enough, but that doesn't appear to be on the horizon just yet, although Manchester United and Everton fans are beginning to show opposition to price increases.

And ahead of Sunday's match, the United faithful are preparing to once again protest. United fan group The 1958 have announced that they will be meeting on Sunday at the Trinity Statue for 12:30 pm.

This comes after United decided to raise match tickets for Members to £66 per game for the remainder of the season, without consulting any fan groups.

It's a further sign that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS don't care about loyal fans and only want our money. Now we need answers and change to these policies.

Anyone wanting to take their kid to a game for the remainder of the season will be expected to do so at the same price because there are no differences. £66 a pop either way.

United and Everton fans are planning to display a banner before the game.

It's important that we use the new stadium to generate additional income that has long been lacking, hence we fell behind despite Moshiri writing cheques.

Hopefully Friedkin will change things and, slowly but surely, we can catch up. It won't happen overnight, but we can get closer.

The days of vociferous ne'er do wells and brainless chumps with little in their life and even less money has gone. They provided the irrational tribal hatred and seeded the atmosphere and they've been priced out.

In a million years, I never thought Man Utd, Arsenal, Villa, Man City and the like, including Liverpool, would have such anodyne atmospheres but they do. The game is working from memories of excitement past but the fact is, if you have a bit of spare cash and don't like wood turning or glass blowing, it's still quite a different communal experience.

I occasionally watch Tardelli's goal and celebration in the '82 World Cup and realise how much we have lost since those days.

Not that it matters… it's a good day out.

I've been a Blue for around 73 years and I'm still hopeful we'll turn the corner before I pop my clogs. You never know but one thing is for sure...

Sky money has ruined the game we all used to revere and the sad thing on which to reflect is that it's our cash – the fans' – who have supplied it with our subscriptions – though not me any more!

Keep the faith, gents. It's our only hope.

Everton have been unique in having the long dark shadow of a certain William Kenwright hanging over us for almost 30 years. Who knows what would have happened had the move to Kings Dock gone through in 2002 - amazing it's been that long. Or if Kenwright had never gotten control in the first place.

The '90s were an odd period for us. We till had fresh(-ish) memories of the '80s glory years. Not just winning trophies but getting to 4 FA Cup finals in 6 seasons. Granted we only won one but we basically made it to the semis almost every year then.

Joe Royle's Dogs of War aside, we were crap in the ‘90s. Mike Walker and Howard Kendall Mk III seasons were disastrous with last-day miracles needed to stay up. Walter Smith's years only marginally better.

Other than the odd season since, we've really started every one hoping not to be involved near the bottom. Moyes did a great job at the start but we were never more than ‘best of the rest'. Had no cash and were buying from Poundland most of the time. This mentality was naturally a clash for the older of us fans who can remember the ‘80s. Moshiri's dollars gave us hope but with Kenwright in control, we never had a chance.

On a positive, the marketing guys at Sky have done a phenomenal job to get the brand where it is. Hence sold out stadiums at most Premier League games, despite the high ticket prices. This has helped any club managing to stay in the league – including us. Albeit, the higher the TV money, the higher the player wages, so only the players (and managers and agents) are really winning.

So what now? Who knows. However, I think the current Sky 4 or 6 isn't permanent. Every now and then, someone new will crash the party, like Man City did. They will however need cash, a clear strategy and luck. Man Utd are a case in point that dynasties don't last forever, regardless the amount of money spent. They've been a car crash ever since putting Moyes in charge, 11 years ago now. Imagine how their fans feel after the dominance of the Fergie years.

Who that newcomer will be, time will tell. Aston Villa seem on a good run, wheels coming off at Man City and, like you said, likes of Brighton and Forest doing well. Unfortunately for us, like death and taxes, them across the park always seem there or thereabouts!

Things looking up for us with TFG - it's the hope that kills though. We'd all take mid-table for a couple of years if offered now!

I still think we may be faced with the said 6 having more and more European games, and then fielding their second string in the Premier League – we are moving that way rapidly.

As for ambition from other clubs, I speak with a Preston mate who is desperate to get into the Premier League, because his team hasn't been there; to Sheffield Utd fans who want to win their league but don't want to be promoted as they prefer what they see in the Championship; and Man City fans who secretly confide it was more fun when they were in the 3rd tier.

Heaven knows where that leaves us.

It's big a shame how the money is taking over the game. If in doubt have a watch of Saudi Pro League, Kick Off on Netflix – entertaining, but a difficult watch.

I also watch Marine at 6th tier level. Everyone (including me) was very excited last season as they reached a play-off position, then won a fantastic match to gain promotion. This season there has been grumbling as the team has struggled to score goals and match the pace in their new surroundings.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings it's watching the grandsons' Under 9 and Under 11 games. There, the teams play a few games at the start of the season, then the league is split so that teams of equal level play against each other to minimise the risk of high-scoring victories or defeats. Even then, there are mutterings about skullduggery, suggestions that one or two managers contrive to get their team into a lesser league so they can win it!

Savage still goes on about pulling us out of the bag for the Spurs game.

And Nunez dives as if he was hit by prime Tyson.

I'd hate to see a closed, non-relagation league system like many US sports. However, they do have some good systems to keep things competitive.

The draft system couldn't work in football here. We don't have the college system and clubs run academies themselves.

But a system of spending cap could work. Whereby the league winners are capped at a level and then that cap rises sliding down the table.

Something has to be done. No-one will want to continue watching the same 3-4 teams win the league. Yes, you may get a sellout at The Emirates, Old Trafford, or The Etihad but when they have to play half their matches in half-empty stadiums due to fans being dismayed that they can't compete, then the magic will wear off!

A levelling of the playing field is needed. Sport is meant to be played on a level playing field. How can one team spend £500M in a season and another spend £10M and it be considered level??

If we let football be run in a 'survival of the fittest' capitalist way, then like all the old brands of the past, clubs will disappear.

Like the supermarkets, they will just be left to crush their weaker competitors, which is fine in business, but this is sport, these are in some cases historic, integral community institutions that can't just be left to be crushed.

Level the Football Field!!!

I'm confused – I thought we were away? Why are Man Utd fans meeting at the Trinity Statue??

Their Trinity Statue isn't the Holy Trinity!!

Best, Law and Charlton.

When I first started watching football, eons ago, it seemed that everyone had a chance of winning the title at the beginning of each season.

It was almost the case that, each season, a different team did win it and it was fun to watch and exciting to follow your team.

Nowadays, like you said, you can virtually guarantee the top six teams every season and just hope that we survive to fight (survive) another day.

It's soul-destroying… but it is what it is for the foreseeable future. After all, what is the alternative?

If you add in the fact that you can't even spend money that you might have to buy the very best players to try and compete with them, it does seem pretty hopeless.

The question that I ask is what business is a Premier League Club in.Ray Kroc owner not founder of McDonald's use to ask what business is McDonald 's in ?Everyone would answer fast food, Ray would say no, McDonald 's is in the Real Estate Business.McDonald 's make their money out of the Property, which is open 24 hour and provide the franchise to run a business to pay the rent.They also get paid for doing that.

Premier League Clubs make their money out of Property and selling Media rights and that is the business they are in.The Football end is a franchise and in the States are called franchises.

Whilst the McDonalds Customers eat shit, we watch shit and talk about it.The affinity with the brand may be stronger since Everton are still Community based, but if Everton were more successful it would probably be similar.You would be sitting beside alot more on a resale ticket.Resale tickets are a regular feature of local Sauna life.

David you ask alot of pertinent questions about competition, which the Premier League has managed to turn into a lucrative proposition without having to do anything about.They basically have strengthen the watch and talk shit model.

In my case I don't watch any games other than Everton games and don't have any interest in other teams only in relationship to Everton.I only stay up to watch Match of the day if Everton win, since it is inevitably the last game.There must be other Evertonians in the same boat, since Gary Linekar welcomed our return. I did get to attend the odd game and use the attend quite a few Premier League games, but to plan in advance attendance would not fit my busy schedule, which often changes. If I did go I would hope to meet other Toffeewebbers.I don't listen to any commenters and watch matches with no commentary..I am totally happy with the Live Forum and half time reading the main article comments.Listening to Keane who was a Management Clown is something I am not going to do. The names of the other I do not bother to remember, except Jimmy White with the yellow tie, Moshiri's mate.

You comment regarding the Premier League being' the best League in the world' I totally agree with.The Friedkin Group take over if it happens, is not going to be a quick fix.I now conclude that Takeover is the wrong word. It is a Complex Financial reconstruction which will take years.

Kenwright got it right in that the Competition had gone and it was about survival in the Premier League.The problem was that they filled their pockets and had a self preservation Management structure that only did that whilst other Clubs developed their franchise.The Football is not as good as it use to be and alot of the players are more hype than ability, even at Everton.

I expect Everton to improve over the years to come.A problem normally takes as long to get out of as it took to get into it.The competition question you raised asks a fundamental question, which might bite the ass of the Premier League in the future, but I suspect that enhanced European and World League will be the way it goes.Grass roots football seems to be undergoing a revival to fill the vacuum, with alot of involvement and support.

Over the last 4-5 seasons particularly I have become disillusioned and at times numb to the grotesque sums of money and the absolute farce of a league that stands before us.

VAR was only implemented to appease the "Sly 6" when they felt aggrieved and of course, so much money was at stake if a decision went against them. Alas, VAR only ended up heightening the disparity and inequality of the decision making, shining a light on the "extra man behind the extra man" for the big teams. Exacerbating our anger and frustration in the process.

I am hoping BMD and a new manager will re-energise me but in all honesty, I don't think it will. Don't get me wrong, I am desperate for us to do well, when we lose it still ruins my weekend. However, in the last years I have just felt almost accepting of our powerlessness towards the corruption and ineptitude of the so called greatest league in the world.