10 Jan 2026 21:01:16
What would people prefer to happen?
Keep our powder dry this window and get to the end of the season in a moderate position in the table, shake Moyes' hand and get somebody else in with a full "war chest" .
Get some players in this window to try and finish as high as possible and potential squeak into the Europa Conference league?
{Ed025's Note - option 1 for me BN, this season is gone now and if we do sack Moyes the new incumbent will be saddled with players he may not want, plus we are not equipped for Europe next season even if we do buy a couple of players mate..
10 Jan 2026 21:53:32
I couldn't have put that better myself Ed. I think it is true that finishing in Europe will make us a more appealing proposition for players but I think Europe would hinder us too much at this stage.
Any thoughts on a manager Ed?
{Ed025's Note - i would actually like Eddie Howe BN, an Evertonian and a good man manager who plays a nice brand of football, could well be lined up to be the next England manager so the prospects of getting him seem slim mate..
10 Jan 2026 21:57:42
Would not sack Moyes at season end (we will finish top 10) but not going to get anyone in Jan so keep our funds for summer window. Wouldn't buy Grealish £50 mill either, rather go younger for less - Aznou? . The lad did a little bit of Ndiaye today.
10 Jan 2026 22:18:08
Ditto Ed, let’s not keep following the same pattern and hope for a different result.
10 Jan 2026 23:17:47
I agree Ed, Howe is a very good manager. I have close friends who worked for him at Bournemouth and now Newcastle and he isn't very well-liked. By all accounts he is extremely arrogant and up his own jacksie but I guess if he wins football matches .
{Ed025's Note - i thought he was very amiable BN but i cant doubt your info mate, i suppose you have to have a bit of steel in this business but he does come across very well in the press, who would your choice be?..
11 Jan 2026 08:57:29
At the moment and realistic choices on who we could get - remembering this lot are not going to throw money at a situation - Moshiri style - I stick with Moyes.
11 Jan 2026 09:09:35
Sorry chaps but o cannot see Howe coming to Everton. He is doing well at Newcastle, if he leaves there it will be for one of the top top clubs I'm afraid.
Look at West Ham before wishing Moyes away.
11 Jan 2026 12:41:44
Or you could look at West Ham and say look what Moyes left them with.
11 Jan 2026 13:10:13
As did I Ed, which is why I was quite shocked. Have even seen some stuff on his time with Newcastle and saw the way he was with his young lads.
I haven't a clue to be honest Ed. I don't think we will be able to get the likes of Iraola or Glasner without having to pay stupid money and we have been stung in the past by doing this in the PL e. g. Silva and Koeman.
The "sexy" appointment would be Cesc Fabregas. I have watched Como play a few times after hearing what a great job he was doing. He would certainly modernise us in terms of tactics and has a great standing in the game. He will probably bide his time a bit and wait for a top European club to come calling though I suspect.
Ole Werner would be another decent one and perhaps more realistic. He was out of work after working wonders with Bremen and getting them back into the Bundesliga in his first season. He then kept them in the Bundesliga and moved them forward but decided to part ways after feeling that the club were refusing to match his ambitions by backing him with signings. He has since been recruited by Leipzig and they are doing well but they seem to be a club that plan for the future, so maybe we could tempt him with the pull of the PL, I don't know.
In terms of more realistic options I would be happy with the below
Julian Schuster - Freiburg. Missed out on CL football on the final day of the season. Has them sat in 8th this season. Sets his team up to be organised, making sure they understand their specific man-to-man roles, ensuring opponents' attacks are neutralised more than trying to counter them. Would not be alien to our current team but with a more progressive approach.
Claudio Giraldez - Celta. Used to operating on a shoestring budget. Worked with Celta's youth side before taking over from our mate 'The Fat Spanish Waiter'. Likes to promote youth, so would seem to align with our new recruitment policy. 7th place finish in his first season and is currently sat in 7th again. I watched them play Real Madrid recently beating them 0-2 at the Bernabeu - it was very impressive.
Christian Ilzer - Hoffenheim - Cut his teeth in what you could call the minnow leagues in Europe. He took TSV Hartberg to a 2nd place finish and secured promotion to the Austrian Bundesliga for the first time in their history. He then moved to Wolfsberger and secured a 3rd place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga and qualified for the Europa League group stage for the first time in their history. Managed Sturm Graz and finished 2nd 2 years on the spin. He won coach of the season and won the cup that year, before winning the league tand cup double the following season and stole the title away from Salzburg, who I think had won it for a decade straight. He also got them into the CL group stage for the first time since 2001.
He is now at Hofffenheim and has them in 6th, 2 points off 3rd place.
Raffaele Palladino - Atalanta. Cut his teeth with Monza and managed to get them 11th and 12th in back to back seasons in Serie A - quite an achievement. Then got the Fiorentina job and managed 6th place after they had struggled for a long time. He then left Fiorentina and moved to Atalanta, replacing our mates new manager, Gasperini. Firorentina have dropped like a stone and currently sit at the bottom of Serie A. Atalanta currently in 7th, 7 points off CL. Their form has taken a dramatic upturn and they seem to be getting to grips with his style.
If he came in, we would definitely need to recruit new full-backs, as that is what his approach relies on, providing width high up the pitch, defending in a high line, and occasionally inverting.
{Ed025's Note - wow BN that is great information right there mate...cheers for that..
11 Jan 2026 14:18:14
Pleasure Ed. All we can do is hope that we get the next one right hey. Our strike rate is far from ideal.
{Ed025's Note - we are where we are BN and hopefully its just the start of the process mate, we have to hope TFG have the right plans in place to get us to where we belong but the recruitment really needs to improve...time and tide wait for no one..