Q & A 27th June 2015

A few days ago we asked fans on the Facebook page Everton Page 1878 to answer some questions about the mighty Blues, all mostly topical to get their current thoughts and feelings. Here is a round-up of what they said: 

So, we asked firstly about fans feelings on the signings we have made so far, free agent Tom Cleverley and of course the one and only Gerard Deulofeu. A resounding positive view on this one with one person referring to them as "exciting" and another saying that it's "nice to see some more youth added to the team". The fans were all happy with Cleverley which honestly surprised me as there were a few moans and groans I heard pre-signing. One fan felt that "Cleverley will surprise a lot of people". I couldn't agree more and I really hope he does. Scott from Walton seemed extremely positive about Tom, "he wanted to play for us so he's very likely to give 110% and I've said it before it's all about the strength in depth so for Tom to come in on a free was a no brainier for me and happy to have him at Everton". Another fan felt "we need to be patient with Cleverley. He's clearly got bags of technical ability but is a confidence player. Goodison can be an unforgiving place if performances aren't up to scratch, but I expect us to get behind him. On a free, it's a good deal".

Again the feeling was positive for Mr D, "everyone loves Gerry" was the opinion from John in Liverpool. Scott again sums up the signing perfectly, "Deulofeu has the potential to be great and for him to turn down better offers to be an Everton player shows what we are as a club. He already has a special bond with the fans so I think we will see the best of Geri in our royal blue". Cardiff-based Evertonian Ian is "impressed by Geri as he gives us the X-factor we sadly missed last season". Gary from Ellesmere Port said of the Spanish signing, "Delighted to get Deulofeu back and on a permanent basis, although I think we need to be patient with him. He was effective off the bench during his loan spell when teams were tired and stretched. He now needs to translate that into 90 minute displays. If he does, then we've got a potential matchwinner". Only one person included Mr Henen when giving their views about the new additions, although the signing has not yet been officially announced, and this fan felt there are, "so many positives from him in the under 21's this season so more work with Unsy and he can break into the first team and hopefully he will get a game in a cup if we get a lower league team". However I have seen some speculation about Everton sending David out on loan once we close the deal, so time will tell whether we see him so soon in the royal blue (for the first team anyway).

The second question was about the topic of the 'new ground' and whether it would ever materialise. As was to be expected the answer was a resounding 'no' from all the fans who answered. Mike from New Brighton said he didn't "think that we'll move but will maybe look again at redevelopment of Goodison". Another two fans concurred with Mike about redevelopment with one stating, "we have too much history at that place" but questioned "if Liverpool can rebuild then why not us?" One supporter was concerned that, "given the amount of money coming into the game shortly we'll never have a better opportunity". A fair point I would have thought for the board to be considering. Another question for them from our fans was, "Who's going to pay for it? I'm afraid I can't see anything other than the board making it a hat trick of failed ground move attempts". And finally one blue raised his concerns of what we will do without a new ground, "I can't see us moving anytime soon but until we get a new stadium we won't be getting investment as nobody will want to give the stadium money and transfer money as soon as they join the club so hoping we can get a new stadium sorted soon".

Our third line of enquiry was about the boss Roberto Martinez and whether people still think he is the right man for the job. The group of supporters seemed relatively happy with Bobby saying, "Roberto Martinez is the man that will take us forward". Although some fans raised their concerns, especially around his ability to face reality at times and be honest about the shortfalls of both him and the team. John from Liverpool said, "I would like him to be honest and not talk s***, Evertonians are not soft". Mike picked up on his weakness stating, "Roberto is a confidence manager who struggles when he gets doubted". As Ian from Cardiff says, "I think he learnt a lot last season when the going got tough, I'd like to see that step change this season where he is proactive not reactive" and I could not agree more. Last season was his biggest test, he went from the high of winning the FA Cup with a team he had built up, to a top 5 finish with Everton in his first campaign. We could only expect it was going to be much more difficult last time around, particularly with Europa League. People were generally confident he can turn things around though and one supporter thinks he knows how he can fix it, "Needs to be more flexible when facing different types of opposition, and get back to pressing high up the pitch and having wide players playing out wide to support the full backs. Too narrow last season". Scott from Walton is also confident, "The man got the record points tally so why the hell he was booed at the end of last season was a disgrace in my opinion". With Gary concurring, "Deserves our backing after his debut campaign, and I'm confident he'll get it right next term". Come on Spanish Bob, you can do it!

Question four and we are back on the topic of signings, this time it was about what is still missing still from the signings we have already made to strengthen our beloved Toffees. Half of the respondents felt we need a new goalkeeper, and one fan has even chosen who he would like in the form of Kasper Schmeichel. Daniel from Liverpool felt that, "Tim is doing a fine job don't get me wrong but he is getting no younger so I think we get someone else (and) let Tim show him the ropes". Ian thinks it's not "desperately needed just yet but definitely in the next 12months we have to find a replacement for Tim." There was a full house for a striker, one supporter felt that we should offer Chris Long a bit more game time than just "10 minutes here and there" and another would like to see "Hernandez from United" gracing the pitch of the Old Lady. If I was answering the question I would be looking to see how we are going to cover the hole that Distin left but not all answers included a centre back in their list of signings. One who did, stated, "I would have Scott Dann but not for 15 mill". I am also in the sign Aaron Lennon camp joined by two of our respondents, one of which would like to "offload Mirallas" as part of the deal! I am not entirely sure I believe the nonsense printed in the Daily Mail. The man I met at the Hilton in Liverpool seemed particularly happy with Everton and Martinez, I mean to say, why would he encourage his best friend to join a team that has supposedly 'lied' to him? The other suggestions included a "Right Back to cover Seamus", "another wide player" and from two of our fans "a playmaker", as one them put it "oh for a young Arteta again".

A topic of contention it seems arose from the next question about fans opinions on the Kitbag deal. All of the fans asked were not happy with the deal describing it as, "a disgrace", "sh**e", "a terrible deal" and "very poor". One of my own bug bears is about the accessibility of other clubs kits, you can see this everywhere you go. I know we may not be as well known as some clubs, but even so close to the ground as Ellesmere Port (20.9 miles to be exact) you still see far more of any other team than our own. This fan sums it up nicely, "It's poor when you compare it to commercial deals secured by lesser clubs in our division and also very restrictive.". Both Ian and John both think they know why, "A classic example of the naivety that flows through our club- short term quick fix with no foresight", "it's like the club can't play the long game and they have took the quick money we're losing money hand over fist". Two blues are both concerned about, "how are we meant to develop internationally if the club kit isn't sold in shops world wide!" "For me, the marketing of Everton globally is poor. How have we not taken advantage of the hype surrounding the likes of Howard after the World Cup and Cahill before him?" Well said boys!

Lastly to round up our Q&A with the fans was the question, would you rather a top four finish or a trophy? All of our fans answered a trophy but I particularly liked the one who also asked for a week off after for the hangover! I may need a week off to get over the shock! Although Daniel from Liverpool thinks if we keep hold of the likes of Romelu, Stones, improve Ross and sign Luke Garbutt that we could do both!  Another fan more or less concurred with Daniel's thinking, "Trophies bring Europe which in turn will bring better players and therefore we can get into the top 4 so trophies is the most important thing right now." Two of the other views both aligned to the impression from the outside that a trophy can bring, "history in football doesn't record you finished 3rd or 4th, you win a trophy and it lives long in people's memory and club history", "This club should be winning cups. Despite the financial rewards, there is no guarantee CL qualification would turn us into a force. Look at Spurs. Also, a cup win would give the young core of our side that winning mentality we desperately need."

So there you have it. Six questions to six fans, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you who contributed and look forward to some more Q&A sessions in the future! For anyone who would like to be involved in the future, please get in touch.

Footiemadgirl 

Lioness effect

Ok, so I tweeted on Saturday night with a bit of a rant at my Mother-in-law over her views on women's football and I am still reeling from it. My hubby and I love watching football whether it be our own teams, a team from another country or the ladies. In my opinion it doesn't matter who is playing it, it's still football and that is my passion! So maybe I am taking it slightly more personally than I should be but I do think a comment like "football is a man's game" really resonates deeper than just football. What about all those women that fought for us to have equal rights in the voting system, what about all of those ladies who have fought so hard for equal pay? It isn't just about the 11 ladies on the pitch in Canada it's all of us who want to be treated equal to our male counterparts. 

I mean let's be honest how many of us tune in to the World Cup and watch 11 blokes usually from teams we don't particularly like most Saturday afternoons and end up disappointed by the time the referee blows his whistle at 90 minutes? The passion I see in this World Cup is one I don't see from the blokes, from the minute they walk on the pitch they are somehow divided, they stand their like it's their God given right to represent their team, not because it is the one thing they have wanted to do their whole lives (I know not all of them are like that, I am generalising). I just don't sense that from the girls. Let's take the national anthem as my example of this. How many male England players do you see (or hear) singing the anthem of our country? When was the last time you saw them standing united, arms around one another in chorus? I can't remember a time so feel free to correct me if I am wrong on that. What I saw from the women's team was a whole new picture, a team united in chorus and visibly in their spirit. They looked like a team happy to be next to one another. Is that because of the media hype before the tournaments tend to make us all believe that the boys don't get on or is it that they actually don't. Maybe they are such mega stars they don't feel the need to be one team, who knows.

One thing that is for sure and cannot be contended is the results. Let's imagine Roy Hodgson's boys are playing at the World Cup in Canada and in the quarter finals they draw the hosts, what are the odds they knock them out? The girls did it. When did the men last get to this stage in the same competition of their own game as my mother-in-law put it, 1990 that's when. A child born in 1990 is now 25 years old. So maybe it's not just for men is it now? 

One positive I would take from this tournament as a plus to my concerns about sexism in the world today is the fact that these girls are setting an example for today's generation. A generation who will be able to see, maybe not the game, but the results the next day on their Twitter feed or on Facebook. I am glad to say the many people I follow on Twitter are very positive about it. I saw Gabby Logan tweeted saying her children were asking to stay up to watch the next game which is such a positive that children want to watch it. This is where I feel it is more than just about the game. If the women's England football team can be the catalyst for a step change towards equality then now is the time. They are showing the male and female population that it doesn't matter what sex you are, if you are willing and able to represent your country then you damn well should. And the manner in which those players in Canada have done it so far is inspiring. 

Being Footymadgirl

Seeing as we are out of season it does not leave a lot to go with football wise other than talking about the transfer rumours, some of which are now truths, but there is not a lot more that can be said on that topic. So, I thought I'd take it back to my original Footymadgirl roots and talk a bit about me. Being a girl who likes footy has its ups and downs and I reckon I can sum them up here.

1. Being a girl in a man's world

So recently someone described me as having the ability to be a girl in a man's world! You can probably take that one of two ways but I was quite happy with the statement, thankfully. I work for a company called Airbus, they are a manufacturing company who build aeroplanes for those who don't know with the site I work at concentrating on the wings. Anyway I digress. I spend a lot of my time around blokes and as a member of the management team you have to have the ability to be 'one of the lads' at times. I think being a footy fan helps a lot with this, the site is full of Evertonians I am glad to say but obviously being situated where we are there is a mix of Liverpool, United, Tranmere, City and tons of Chester and Wrexham fans! If you can break the ice with a bit of football banter it seems to stand me in pretty good stead. It seems to gain you a certain type of respect I don't see a lot of other females (and some males) get. Our Senior Trade Union team are a fearsome bunch to behold but being as most of them are Blues and those that are Red know how to take my teasing, I am on the right side of them shall we say when I need to deal with them in a work situation.

2. Shocking blokes with footy chat

I am in a queue at the sun beds (now he is a man in a girl's world surely!) and the bloke in front of me is wearing an Everton shirt. I can't help but bring up the mighty Blues, "what do you think about the Cleverley signing then?". The shock and dismay on the face that turns to greet me is hilarious. They start to engage in conversation and I usually get the impression they are dubious at first until we get chatting and they trust that I know what I am talking about and relax into the conversation. On a recent trip to Ibiza I ended up getting chatting to some guys who were stockbrokers from France. One of them was a PSG fan, he thought it was awesome that I could chat football with him! I was also pleased when they took us to a suite where they had the Champions League final on with a free bar and a pile of pizza (ok so being a girl helped in this situation!). Result.

3. Watching the footy with my girly friends

As you have just heard I managed to squeeze in a watch of the Champions League final whilst on a girls holiday and also at Ushuaia (a nightclub for those who don't know, in the above pic haha). I had warned the girls I would be watching it but I am not sure they believed me. On a previous girls trip away I hadn't been so successful in this type of situation. On a trip to Cardiff for a friend's birthday back in 2011 I had really wanted to watch the Conference Premier Semi-final when AFC Wimbledon played Luton to try and 'regain' their League status once again. Truth be told I had a little soft spot for the story of Wimbledon as it was so close to that of the reborn Chester FC who had won their first of many league titles to come only three weeks before to edge a little bit closer to where they'd been prior to the old club's well documented financial issues. My request to stay in the Wetherspoons we had just enjoyed a late breakfast in was met with much distain by the rest of the girls I was with and I had no choice but to leave at 0-0 and miss the excitement of a penalty shootout finish. How annoying! 

4. Blinding people with science

Although I sometimes enjoy surprising them, one of the tricky bits about being a girl who likes football when you are talking to blokes, in my opinion, is feeling like you are going to be tripped up. What I mean to say is that I sometimes feel I have to know all the facts to ensure they truly believe I know what I am talking about. I am a little bit like that anyway. I like facts, data, figures, information, it gives you what you want and it tells no lies. So I like to get myself geared up with facts, luckily nowadays you don't have to buy every Match magazine going to get hold of this information because it is readily available on the Internet and even better with Twitter. I was on the bus on the way to the United game this season and I was having a conversation with a long standing season ticket holder (feel the pressure) so I threw in a few of my usual facts about the players we were discussing and their performance for the team. At the end of the conversation he turned and said to my husband "bloody hell she knows more than me, she should be on the telly with her knowledge" - BINGO! My ploy worked, well it's not a ploy I do know a lot about my topic of choice but only because I sometimes blind people with science!

5. Being at the match

As I have said in my previous blogs I don't get to as many live games as I used to but now my little girl is getting older that is becoming a bit easier. One thing I have always noticed at both Everton and Chester is there are a lot more females than I expected to see. Usually these females are hardcore match goers not the occasional come to the Boxing Day match with the family types but season ticket holders who also know their topic of choice well. I am obviously in good company. This does not stop the reaction I get from blokes around me being one of hilarity. On the same day at the United game I took up my father-in-law's seat as he had been dragged to a family occasion he couldn't get out of. I had never sat by these two blokes in my life but we got chatting none the less. By half time the bloke to one side of me said he thought I was a very passionate fan! My father in law has at times said I swear like a trooper with a look of shock on his face. Maybe I give off a look that says meek and mild but as soon as the whistle blows for the start of a match I turn into Footymadgirl again and my whole alter ego changes. I love singing at the game, as you will know if you have read my other blogs, but I am also not afraid of a good shout (and a swear) but why should I not? Because I am a girl some would say but I think that may be a bit unfair. At another game this season, the Derby no less, I had been awarded a ticket in the lounge from work. There were four of us together who had all received the award. Me and three blokes. At half time one of them turned to me and said they had been chatting when I was away and had noted that they were expecting me to be quiet and reserved, as I was a female from HR, but found the complete opposite! There were no complaints but I do enjoy surprising people.