Everton v Aston Villa Preview

Club football makes a welcome return this weekend after a fortnight-long international break, with Aston Villa the visitors to Goodison as we begin life without Mikel Arteta.

Forwards Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu have also departed since the last-gasp win at Ewood Park, whilst Argie forward Denis Stracqualursi and Dutch winger Royston Drenthe have joined from Tigre and Real Madrid respectively.

Their first match will be preceded by a protest against the stagnation of the club staged by a group of supporters under the banner of 'the Blue Union'. You can find out more about that here, but I'll concentrate on what is going to happen inside the ground.

Supporters wishing to see Stracqualursi and Drenthe make their debuts may have to wait a while as there are doubts over both players' match fitness. Which is understandable, considering that neither have played for over two months.

Victor Anichebe has also been ruled out for three months after picking up a groin injury playing for Nigeria. That news leaves us dangerous short up front with Saha and Stracqualursi doubts and Anichebe out. Cahill and Fellaini it is then...

There is, however, some positive news on the injury front as Seamus Coleman and Magaye Gueye could be available for selection against Villa after recovering from ankle and toe injuries respectively. Leighton Baines, who withdrew from the England squad due to injury, may also make the game, whilst David Moyes revealed on Friday that 'John Heitinga had a bit of a knock but hopefully he will be okay'.

We often struggle against Villa. Indeed, we haven't come out on top in 10 attempts since May 2006. The fixtures do, however, tend to be tight affairs - with Villa's last-minute 2-3 win at Goodison a few years back a prime example. Last campaign's corresponding fixture finished in a 2-2 draw which, but for some poor officiating to disallow Jermaine Beckford's goal, could well have been a home victory.

The second-city claret and blues are unbeaten in three at the start of this campaign, with two Alec McLeish-inspired goalless draws and a home win over Blackburn so far. Like Everton, there is clear frustration amongst fans at Villa, demonstrated by the attendance of under 31,000 for the derby clash with Wolves at Villa Park.

They sold two of their most prized assets (Downing and Young) this Summer but still have plenty of firepower to hurt Everton. Darren Bent is a slight doubt but, although I certainly hope the game comes too soon for him, he is expected to be fit. Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton are in line to make their debuts. Oh, and sod's law N'Zogbia scores...

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STAT'S LIFE

Welcome to stat set no. 4 of the 2011/2012 campaign

• Only one of Everton's last eight league games has seen more than 2.5 goals.
• This fixture is the most played top-flight fixture (192). Villa have 72 wins to Everton's 70.
• Tim Cahill has 7 goals against Aston Villa - his highest number against any team whilst playing for Everton.
• If selected, Phil Neville will make his 200th Everton appearance and Leon Osman his 250th.
• This is the 550th league match in the managerial career of David Moyes.

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StickyToffee Prediction: Everton 1-1 Aston Villa

Deadline Day Review

Well, deadline day was a lot more hectic than we all had envisaged.

Before the clock struck 11pm and the transfer window was gently closed (it wasn't slammed shut as Sky Sports would have you believe), a trio of players had left for pastures new and two new faces had been brought in for the season. Our strikeforce has thinned further after the departures of Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu to Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers respectively, whilst play-maker in chief Mikel Arteta has taken up the opportunity of Champions League football at Arsenal.

Over £15m was raised through those three sales but none of the money was reinvested as both new recruits - Argentine striker Denis Stracqualursi and Dutch winger Royston Drenthe - have joined on loan deals.

INS

Denis Stracqualursi

Argentine forward Stracqualursi has joined on a season-long loan deal from Tigres in his homeland. I, like most, had never heard of him before, so I am only really going by what I can find on his Wikipedia page - which yesterday read: "In August 2011 Stracqualursi became a mongrel by signing for the stupidly rich Premier League team Everton, owned by Sheik Kenwright."

Which proves the reliability of Wikipedia. Anyway, from what I can gather, he's 23-years-old, 6ft 3 and finished top of the Argentinian goalscoring charts last year after netting 22 times in 35 appearances. Previous top scorers in the Argentinian Primera División include a host of players who have enjoyed successful careers in Europe; Javier Saviola, Mauro Zárate, Fernando Cavenaghi and Lisandro López, and so David Moyes will be hoping that Denis can prove a menace to Premier League defences.

When we were struggling in the mid-nineties we brought in a 6ft 3 centre-forward on loan. And that one didn't turn out too bad...

Royston Drenthe

Our second loan signing was Real Madrid's 24-year-old Dutch winger, Royston Drenthe. Middle name Ricky, of course. Drenthe, who can operate in midfield as well as in defence, was signed by Real Madrid in 2007 for 14 million Euros. He featured regularly at first, but gradually fell out of favour at the Bernabéu before spending last season on loan helping Hércules get relegated.

The wideman arrives on Merseyside with a bit of an off-the-pitch reputation as a loose cannon, just like another Dutchman well known to Evertonians, 'Shandy' van der Meyde. On the pitch he will add some much needed pace to the side - you would be hard pushed to find a faster player in the league.

Drenthe is a free agent at the end of the season and so, if everything goes well, we might be able to extend his stay at Goodison.

OUTS

Shane Duffy

Teenage centre-half Shane Duffy has joined Scunthorpe United on an initial month-long loan deal. The 19-year-old has European experience having played for Everton against AEK Athens and BATE Borisov, and will now look to force his way into the first team setup by getting regular games for League One side Scunthorpe.

Yakubu

'The Yak' will be put on a new diet of Venky's chicken following his transfer to Blackburn Rovers. The fee differs according to which report you read but it is believed to be around £1.5-2m. A snip of the once club record transfer fee of £11.25m that we paid for his services, but after not featuring for a while it was best to get that than nothing.

It also means that he is off the wage bill, something that is critical for Everton if we are to bring in any players in January. There has been no word on his fellow Nigerian Joseph Yobo, whose transfer to Fenerbahce has been put on hold all Summer.

Jermaine Beckford

£4m profit in just over a year and 10 goals to boot sounds like very good business. It does, however, leave us criminally short up front, with only Vellios (young), Stracqualursi (untried), Anichebe (useless) and Saha (perma-crocked) to choose from.

Beckford jumped two leagues to sign for Everton and, taking that into consideration, ten goals for the season was a very decent effort. They were memorable too - the last-gasp equaliser at Stamford Bridge, the goal at Anfield and who could forget the Roy of the Rovers effort on the final day?

Ever since his touchline spat with David Moyes last season in the 0-3 win at Wolves last season there has been a sense that he was not in the manager's good books. And so the lesson to be learnt is never mess with a Glaswegian... or you might end up with Sven.

Mikel Arteta

It was on. It was off. It was on again.

That was the story of Mikel Arteta's deadline day move to Arsenal. After 6 1/2 years of plying his trade at Everton, I don't begrudge him the move to a side that will contest in the Champions League season on season. It's not a question of money as most outlets are reporting he took a pay cut to become a Gunner (goner) and so after so long of having had the pleasure of watching him I wish him all the best in London.

I was - to coin Harry Redknapp - 'gutted' to see Mikel leave but the timing of it frustrated me more than anything. With so little time to find a replacement, the only place the £10m is going is to the bank. Apart from the 85p in every pound that goes to Finch Farm, of course...

Thanks for the memories Mikel - it's been a pleasure. You leave with my best wishes and you leave behind some great memories - the wondergoal against Fiorentina, the derby winner, the equaliser against United, the unstoppable free-kick against Hull. The best little Spaniard I knew.

Whilst I'm sad to see the back of Arteta, it is a part of football. Players will come and go and break fans' hearts. But Everton are forever. It feels very much like the end of an era. But that only means that another is about to begin. Marouane, Jack, Ross, Denis, Royston... over to you.

Yakubu Poised To Complete Blackburn Switch

Everton striker Yakubu is very close to signing for Blackburn Rovers, BBC Sport Africa understands.

The Nigerian international, who spent part of last season on loan at Leicester City, looks set to sign for Rovers before the 11:00pm deadline.

Rovers boss Steve is Kean on the player (see what I did there?) and is confident of signing the 28-year-old, who has previously played for Portsmouth and Middlesbrough in the top-flight.

Blackburn are negotiating a deal with the Yak's agent, Pini Zahavi.

Norwich City Reserves 2-1 Everton Reserves

A youthful Everton reserve side lost 2-1 to Norwich at Carrow Road on Tuesday night in their third fixture of the season.

The visitors were missing a host of players for various reasons. Both regular centre backs Shane Duffy and Shkodran Mustafi were away on international duty with Ireland U21 and Germany U19 respectively.

Nigerian duo Yakubu and Joseph Yobo, who had both featured in the second string's opening two games, were also absent form the squad. Yobo is expected to complete his protracted transfer to Fenerbahce tomorrow, whilst Yakubu could also be on his way out.

That meant that coach Alan Stubbs had a young set of players from which to choose from and the selected starting eleven was: Davies, Browning, Nsiala, Dier, Bidwell, Orenuga, Lundstram, Forshaw, Garbutt, Baxter, McAleny.

Everton took the lead just before half time when, after Norwich goalkeeper Remi Matthews had made a smart double save, midfielder John Lundstram scored from range.

In front of a crowd that included ex-Everton and current Norwich forward James Vaughan, the canaries fought hard in the second half and grabbed a deserved equaliser on 73 minutes through Richard Brindley.

Minutes later the home side won a penalty when Andrew Surman went over in the box. The same player picked himself up and took the spot-kick, but Adam Davies in the Everton goal saved the effort - just as Tim Howard had done for the senior side at Ewood Park on Saturday.

The fixture looked to be heading for a draw but Norwich stole all three points in injury time through Aaron Wilbraham and Everton left empty-handed.

Yak Snubs Blackburn

Everton striker Yakubu has turned down an opportunity to join Blackburn Rovers, according to Sky Sports.

The Nigerian international, who spent part of last term on loan at Championship side Leicester City, has slipped down the pecking order at Everton and has even turned out for the reserves in recent weeks.

Leicester had initially been keen to purchase Yakubu outright but the deal has stalled and Yakubu has remained with Everton all Summer.

A switch elsewhere was expected but time is running out for a move during the current transfer window. Blackburn were prepared to offer him a way out of Everton, but the striker has snubbed their advances and chosen to remain on Merseyside for the time being.

Everton v Sheffield United Preview

After succumbing to a home defeat at the hands of Premier League new-boys QPR, Everton are quickly back in action in midweek with a Carling Cup tie against League One side Sheffield United.

The Blades have made a rather better start to their league campaign, unbeaten in their opening four games with an impressive 10 points that leave them in third place on goal difference.

As we are Everton, we have already managed to pick up a significant number of injuries from playing our single league game. Jermaine Beckford, Louis Saha (surprise surprise) and Tim Cahill have been labelled doubts for Wednesday's game, whilst Seamus Coleman and Magaye Gueye are definitely out and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is suspended.

That means that an already struggling forward line could have to rely on youngsters such as Conor McAleny and Apostolos Vellios or out-of-favour duo Victor Anichebe and Yakubu.

My team (assuming the trio of 'doubtful' players do not play) would be:

The tie will see centre-half Phil Jagielka face his old club and he is sure to get a warm reception from all four corners of the ground. A fans' favourite at Bramall Lane, Jagielka won the club's player of the year award three times on the bounce before moving to Everton.

Also facing his former club will be Sheffield United goalkeeper Steve Simonsen (above), who was signed by Everton in 1998 for a fee in excess of £3m, but failed to establish himself as number one at Goodison before moving to Stoke City in 2004.

It is of course a game we should win but given our poor start to the season and recent record in the cups mean we are not as clear favourites as one might assume. David Moyes will surely play a strong team as he bids to win his first piece of silverware in his decade-spanning tenure with the club.

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STAT'S LIFE

Welcome to the second set of stats in this new feature for the 2011/12 campaign:

• Should Everton score once (or more) against Sheffield United, they will have netted 200 goals against the Blades in all competitions.
• Everton's win percentage in matches against Sheffield United at Goodison Park is just over 57%.
• If selected, Tony Hibbert will be making his 250th Everton start.
• This is the fourth meeting of the sides in the League Cup. Everton have won two of the previous three fixtures.
• Everton last exited the League Cup at the second round stage in 2001, when they were beaten on penalties by Crystal Palace.

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We should have enough to beat Sheffield United - although we said the same thing against QPR and in previous cup ties against Oldham and Reading (amongst others). It will not be an easy fixture but I am going to predict an Everton win (before we get beat at Blackburn in Round 3).

StickyToffee Prediction: Everton 3-0 Sheffield United

Everton Reserves 0-2 Fulham Reserves

An Everton reserve side including Nigerian pair Yakubu and Joseph Yobo lost 0-2 to Fulham in their second league fixture this afternoon.

Yobo and Yakubu were both included in the starting line-up for the behind-closed-doors league fixture at Finch Farm, despite the former reported to be on the verge of signing for Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

The full Everton side was: Davies; Garbutt, Yobo, Duffy, Browning; Forshaw, Wallace, Baxter, Orenuga; Yakubu, Vellios.

Alexander Brister gave the Cottagers the lead five minutes into the second half and Courtney Harris grabbed the second shortly afterwards.

Everton failed to recover from the two quickfire goals and the match finished 0-2.

Everton Reserves: Davies, Browning (Mustafi 56), Garbutt, Duffy, Yobo, Orenuga, Baxter, Wallace, Forshaw, Vellios, Yakubu.

Fulham Reserves: Bettinelli, Passley, Smith, Arthurworrey (Dean 73), Burn, Pritchard, Brister, Harris, Donegan (Minkwitz 64), Frei, Kacaniklic.

Goals: Brister 50, Harris 55.

West Brom Reserves 2-2 Everton Reserves

Two Everton goals in the space of as many minutes earned Everton reserves a point against West Bromwich Albion in the first game of the new campaign.

Conor McAleny and Yakubu scored Everton's goals in the 73rd and 75th minutes respectively to salvage Everton a point after efforts from West Brom's James Hurst and Saido Berahino had left the visitors 2-0 down.

Goalscorer Yakubu and fellow Nigerian Joseph Yobo were the most experienced names on the Everton teamsheet, and both played the full game in the behind-closed-doors fixture.

In the opening exchanges both James Wallace and Conor McAleny had efforts saved, but the Blues fell behind on 38 minutes to a James Hurst volley.

Despite suffering that setback Everton continued to attack and further chances fell to Yakubu and Femi Orenuga, whilst Yobo went close from a free-kick.

Youngster Berahino doubled the Baggies' advantage with a 68th minute tap-in, but Everton again responded well and were rewarded shortly afterwards.

A left-wing cross from Jake Bidwell was headed home by McAleny and just two minutes later the Blues were level as Yakubu's neat finish rescued a deserved point.

West Bromwich Albion: Fulop; Jones, McAuley, Ibanez (Downing 45), Mattock (Gayle 72); Hurst (Edge 85), Thorne, Mantom, O'Neil; Sawyers, Berahino. Subs not used: Daniels, Goldsmith.

Everton: Davies; Browning, Yobo, Mustafi, Bidwell; Orenuga, Wallace, Baxter, Forshaw; McAleny, Yakubu. Subs not used: Roberts, Duffy, Nsiala, Forrester, Higgins.

Everton 0-1 Villarreal

The now traditional home friendly is usually a chance for Evertonians to catch their first glimpse of the club's new signings, although, as we all know, this Summer has been a very difficult one at Goodison Park.

Indeed, our efforts in this year's transfer window were typified by one of the matchday stewards, who quipped "I'm surprised I'm being paid to be honest".

Our efforts on the field also proved to be inadequate, as an excellent Guiseppe Rossi strike secured a friendly win for Villarreal. A nasty injury to Seamus Coleman did nothing to lift the spirits of the frustrated Evertonians.

Tim Howard was re-instated in goal behind a back four of Baines, Distin, Jagielka and Neville. A youthful midfield consisted of Fellaini, Barkley, Rodwell, Coleman and Anichebe, with Louis Saha heading the attack.

Back-up 'keeper Jan Mucha was joined on the bench by Hibbert, Heitinga, Cahill, Yakubu, Vellios, Bilyaletdinov, Baxter and Beckford.

The one major positive this Summer is the emergence of 17-year-old Ross Barkley, who, even at such a tender age, has looked the real deal in Everton's friendlies thus far. That trend certainly continued last night.

In the early stages Barkley showed a few great touches in midfield. He was a the centre of a move that ended with him striking a ferocious volley well over the bar. Minutes later he collected the ball on the edge of the area, feigned to shoot and played an exquisite chipped through ball into the path of Leighton Baines.

Baines was offside and contrived to miss anyway, but it was a moment of genuine quality from Barkley. The youngster didn't stop there - and in the following interchanges he played through Seamus Coleman, only for the Irishman to also be ruled offside.

Barkley also went close himself as he met Baines' cross well, although his half-

volleyed effort went just wide. At the other end, ex-Manchester United man Guiseppe Rossi went close with a free-kick after Fellaini had clipped the ankles of Cani on the edge of the area.

Indeed, Rossi (Guiseppe, not Barkley) was a livewire all evening - a less chubby version of Carlos Tevez. He had a couple of decent snapshots before the half was out, but nothing that Tim Howard wasn't equal to.

Louis Saha saw his effort fly wide via the fingertips of the Villarreal 'keeper, before the half ended on a very sour note. Carlos Marchena slid in needlessly on Seamus Coleman and you could tell straightaway it was a bad 'un.

Coleman went down with his hands on his face and was replaced immediately by Tim Cahill. A later scan thankfully revealed that there had been no fracture to the ankle, although the suspected ligament damage is still likely to keep him out of action for a significant period of time.

That was the last action of the first half but Everton created their best opportunity of the match straight after the interval. Leighton Baines beat the whole right side of Villarreal's defence, played a one-two with Louis Saha and was was one-on-one with the keeper, 10 yards out. His shot was straight at the goalkeeper though and the scores remained level.

Villarreal scored what proved to be the winner on 64 minutes - a superb effort from Guiseppe Rossi. A free-kick on the edge of the area was rolled into his path and Rossi slammed a thunderbolt right into the top left hand corner. Tim Howard had absolutely no chance with the powerful shot, which drew applause from both sets of supporters.

Villarreal took control of the game from that point onwards. They were far superior in possession and didn't let us have much of a kick, with substitute Oriol seeing a good effort saved by Howard. The situation was not helped when our most creative player, Ross Barkley, was taken off. It was another impressive performance from the lad and he was given rapturous applause as he departed.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that i hope to see a lot, lot more of him this season.

The remainder of the match turned into a bit of a snoozefest to be honest. Jermaine Beckford gave Carlos Marchena a taste of his own medicine with a two-footed tackle of his own, whilst Tony Hibbert was told to "SHOOOOTTT" from inside his own half.

It ended 1-0, a result that was just about deserved for the Spanish side. The injury to Coleman added further doom to an already depressing evening. Still, at least the Premier League is back next week.

I'll be at Spurs on August 13th fully expecting to be well beaten. Expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed. As an Evertonian, that's becoming more and more a quote to live by.

StickyToffee Player Ratings; Howard 7, Baines 7, Distin 7, Jagielka 6, Neville 6, Coleman 6, Rodwell 5, BARKLEY 8, Fellaini 6, Anichebe 5, Saha 5.

Subs: Cahill 5, Heitinga 5, Hibbert 5, Yakubu 4, Beckford 5.

Qualifying Blues

England have been handed a favourable draw for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying stages, but what does the draw mean for Everton's international stars? We're going to take a look...

Africa

Our Nigerian trio of Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Joseph Yobo and Victor Anichebe have seen their country drawn alongside Malawi, Seychelles/Kenya and Djibouti/Namibia in Group F of the African qualifying stages. The fixtures will be played from June 1, 2012 until September 10, 2013. The full draw is as follows:

• 
  
• Group A: South Africa, Botswana, Central African Republic, Somalia or Ethiopia
• Group B: Tunisia, Cape Verde Islands, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea or Madagascar
• Group C: Ivory Coast, Morocco, Gambia, Chad or Tanzania
• Group D: Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Lesotho or Burundi
• Group E: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Sao Tome Principe or Congo
• Group F: Nigeria, Malawi, Seychelles or Kenya, Djibouti or Namibia
• Group G: Egypt, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Comoros or Mozambique
• Group H: Algeria, Mali, Benin, Eritrea or Rwanda
• Group I: Cameroon, Libya, Guinea-Bissau or Togo, Swaziland or DR Congo
• Group J: Senegal, Uganda, Angola, Mauritius or Liberia

Asia

You may be thinking that Everton don't have any Asian players - but think again, because FIFA qualify Australia as an Asian nation. Tim Cahill's socceroos will play Saudi Arabia, Oman and Thailand in Group D, and will need to finish first or second to advance to the next stage. The full Asian draw is as follows:

• Group A: China, Jordan, Iraq, Singapore
• Group B: South Korea, Kuwait, UAE, Lebanon
• Group C: Japan, Uzbekistan, Syria, North Korea
• Group D: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand
• Group E: Iran, Qatar, Bahrain, Indonesia

CONCACAF

Tim Howard's USA side have been afforded the luxury of being fast-tracked to round two of the CONCACAF qualifying stages. This means they will face Jamaica, along with the winners of groups E and F:

• 
  
• Group A: El Salvador, Suriname, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic
• Group B: Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda
• Group C: Panama, Dominica, Nicaragua, Bahamas
• Group D: Canada, St Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Lucia
• Group E: Grenada, Guatemala, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize
• Group F: Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands
• 
  
• Round Two
• 
  
• Group A: USA, Jamaica, Winner E, Winner F
• Group B: Mexico, Costa Rica, Winner A, Winner B
• Group C: Honduras, Cuba, Winner D, Winner C.

Oceania

No Everton representatives here and nobody really cares. I'll save you two years of fixtures and tell you that New Zealand have qualified.

Europe

Marouane Fellaini's Belgium have been drawn in Group A of the European qualifying rounds alongside Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Scotland and Wales. Seamus Coleman's Ireland have been handed a very tough group that includes Germany and Sweden, whilst John Heitinga and Holland's biggest rivals in Group D will likely be Turkey.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Russia will hope to qualify from Group F, in which they will have to face Portugal. Group G seems to be the 'group of life' and Jan Mucha's Slovakia will be confident of progressing. The group also includes Greece, for whom Apostolos Vellios may push for inclusion in the squad.

England have been drawn in Group H and Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines will hope to play some part against Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and San Marino. And finally, Magaye Gueye may hope to force his way into France's squad for Group I, which also includes World Champions Spain. Full listing:

• Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales
• Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Armenia, Malta
• Group C: Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan
• Group D: Holland, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra
• Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland
• Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
• Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Latvia, Liechtenstein
• Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marino
• Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland

Birmingham City 1-2 Everton

Everton were made to work extremely hard to earn their 2-1 victory at St. Andrew's this afternoon, but second-half goals from Leighton Baines and fit-again Louis Saha secured a third pre-season win in four games.

David Moyes named a strong side for the Midlands fixture; Tim Howard was between the sticks for the first time this pre-season, with a back-four of Baines, Jagielka, Heitinga and Hibbert. The midfield quartet was Bilyaletdinov, Neville, Osman, Coleman and in attack were Beckford and Anichebe.

The new yellow away kit was the only thing making its debut for Everton and the first half certainly suggested that Everton were suffering from a lack of fresh impetus that could have been provided by a new signing or two. We were second best throughout the first period.

Chris Burke, and later 58-year-old Stephen Carr, capitalized on slack defending by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov but both struck their efforts straight at Tim Howard in the Everton goal. The also-returning Tony Hibbert had a tough afternoon dealing with the pace and trickery of Birmingham's Nathan Redmond - who is simply one of those pesky, annoying little pricks.

Everton's best efforts of the first half came via Jermaine Beckford, who did well to wriggle out of the defender's reach and create a shooting opportunity, and then Seamus Coleman, who looked dangerous cutting in from the right hand side.

Chris Hughton would have been much the happier manager at half-time, and our boys were in for a hammering.

Birmingham started the second period in exactly the same fashion as the first and, although they rarely troubled Howard, David Moyes won't have been impressed by our defending in both open play and from set-pieces.

We did take the lead in the 58th minute though, and from a familiar source. Leighton Baines - who further endeared himself to Evertonians in the week by saying that "there's more chance of me winning the next Grand Prix than joining Liverpool" - lined up a free-kick on the edge of the area and, well, we all knew what was going to happen next...

The deadliest left-foot in English football struck again with a well placed free-kick into the bottom-right corner. The goal was Baines' last action of the game as he was then withdrawn and replaced by fit-again-but-probably-not-for-long Louis Saha.

Saha didn't take long to make his mark on the game, reminding us all what a clinical finisher he can be when he is on song and off the treatment table. He found space 20 yards out and hit a low right-footed shot into the corner of the net. It was a goal of great finesse that proved once again what a fantastic player he can be.

More Everton substitutions followed, including the return of the somewhat prodigal Yakubu who, for one reason or another, missed the tour of America. He was welcomed onto the field with a chorus of 'feed the Yak and he will score' and he certainly looked as though he had been well fed.

Birmingham then managed to pull a goal back - which, for their first half efforts, was deserved - through Scottish forward Adam Rooney (no relation). It was a good finish too - Rooney applied a neat little flick onto a wayward shot to divert it in and make it 2-1.

Magaye Gueye - who played at Oxford last night - was introduced and went close with a long-range free-kick, but 2-1 was how it finished. Not a very convincing win but a win nonetheless. There are certainly things to work on before August 13th, but I'd certainly take a scrappy 2-1 win at White Hart Lane on the opening day!

StickyToffee Player Ratings: Howard 7, Hibbert 6, Heitinga 6, Jagielka 6, Baines 8, Coleman 6, Neville 7, Osman 5, Bilyaletdinov 6, Beckford 5, Anichebe 6.

Subs: Distin 6, Cahill 7, Saha 7, Barkley 7, Yakubu 5, Gueye 6.

Toffees Bury The Shakers In Pre-Season Opener

With no new faces at Finch Farm so far this Summer, the only Everton debut made at Gigg Lane was that of the new retro-styled home kit. It was a positive result for the Toffees though, as goals from Yakubu, Magaye Gueye (2) and Leon Osman secured a 4-1 pre-season victory.

At half-time it was 4-0, everything was going swimmingly and Sky Sports were even reporting that we had planned a bid for Charles N'Zogbia. 45 minutes later it was 4-1, Jermaine Beckford was lying on a Gigg Lane treatment table and our bid had been downgraded to 'interest'.

Everton aren't we?

* * *

Jan Mucha kept goal in what may well prove to be his last appearance for Everton, with the Slovakian international said to be interested in a move away from Goodison in search of regular football.

John Heitinga started alongside Sylvain Distin in the heart of defence, with Phil Neville operating at left-back and Seamus Coleman reverting from the right side of midfield to the right full-back position, something that David Moyes has indicated may happen as the Irishman's career progresses.

Fit-again Marouane Fellaini was handed a starting berth alongside Leon Osman in the centre of the midfield, with Mikel Arteta and Magaye Gueye operating the flanks. In attack Jermaine Beckford partnered Yakubu, for whom the game was his first in Everton Blue since his loan spell at Leicester City.

The substitutes bench was warmed by Tim Cahill, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Victor Anichebe, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka, who - presumably - would have donned the goalkeeping gloves had Jan Mucha picked up an injury (Jags famously once acted as an emergency 'keeper for Sheffield United).

There has been growing discontent amongst Evertonians in recent week due to a Summer bereft of any meaningful transfer activity. God knows what would've happened had we been beaten tonight.

It was a good job then, that the Yak had had a pre-match slap-up meal. He opened the scoring on 17 minutes. Mikel Arteta's corner was headed on by Leon Osman, and then Marouane Fellaini, before the big Nigerian leapt (moved his noggin) inside the six yard box to head Everton in front.

It was the cue for the song book to be dusted down and utilised. The travelling Scousers cleared their throats after a few months without their weekly sing-song, and soon chants of 'Who needs Cantona... when we've got Barry Horne' were heard. Next came 'Sharpy (Graeme Sharp - in the evertonTV commentary box) give us a wave' and one that hasn't been heard for a while - 'Feed the Yak and he will score'.

The mood was heightened when Magaye Gueye made it two shortly afterwards - capitalising on a mistake by a Bury defender and slotting home at the second attempt.

Leon Osman - probably the pick of the Everton bunch - added the third. Build up play from Arteta and Neville on the left saw the diminutive midfielder receive the ball on the edge of the box. Some brilliant footwork saw him escape a defender, he took one further touch and curled the ball home seamlessly.

Maggie Gueye - sporting a quite frankly awful mohawk - added a fourth before the break, driving the ball through Steven Schumacher's legs and into the net. Party time!

David Moyes rang the changes at the break, introducing Bilyaletdinov, Anichebe, Baines and Jagielka in place of Fellaini, Heitinga, Arteta and Distin. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was especially impressive in a central midfield role, playing a couple of 'worldy' passes.

Jermaine Beckford pulled up with a hamstring problem soon into the second half and Everton, quite sensibly deciding not to risk him, played out the rest of the game without a full compliment of players on the pitch.

Bury managed to pull a goal back through a free-kick from ex-Everton youth player Steven Schumacher. The Bury skipper's free-kick took a slight deflection, although Jan Mucha - in full camouflage - should have done better.

4-1 it ended and it proved a good night for Everton, who will be glad to get back to on-pitch matters rather than off-pitch ones. The injury to Beckford was a sour note but hopefully it doesn't prove too serious, and there was even time for the annual Bury pitch invasion, with Jagielka and Yakubu (unsurprisingly) the slowest off the field and therefore the ones that got mobbed.

I believe that's what they call a good night's work.

Everton Enjoy Austrian Training

Everton have kicked off preparations for the upcoming season by holding a pre-season training camp in the Austrian village of Obertraun. The first team squad, along with the reserve and academy players, flew out on Tuesday evening.

The travelling party included Yakubu, who returned to training with Everton after his loan spell at Leicester City, but Everton's international stars Tim Howard, Seamus Coleman, Leighton Baines, John Heitinga and Phil Jagielka have all been granted extra time off after their Summer exploits.

Wednesday's training consisted of three gruelling sessions to re-build the squad's core fitness after the Summer break. In between the dreaded fitness periods David Moyes led his players into a river for a chance to cool down and Tim Cahill even took a break from tweeting to instigate a water fight with Jose Baxter (above).

On Thursday the squad took a cable car trip to the summit of the Austrian Alps, with plenty of the players taking to Twitter to share their mountainous snaps:

Jose Baxter enjoying scenery a little different to Liverpool

Youngster James Wallace in Austria

Distin tweeted: "First time felli see the snow ha ha"

Aussie Tim Cahill posted this snap of the whole group - spot Fellaini!

Train hard lads, it will be worth it.

Season Review

It's been less than a week since the culmination of the 2010/11 league season and we are already facing up to the prospect of a long, football-less Summer, with only Jack Rodwell's involvement at the U-21 European Championships to get our Everton fix.

One thing we do get plenty of, however, is time. Time gives the opportunity for reflection, for optimism to breed and for fans to scour YouTube for compilation videos of their club's latest transfer targets.

I've decided not to waste my time researching our supposed transfer targets as I would be on YouTube all day with the amount of players we get linked to: Bothroyd, Campbell, Owen, Callejon, Ba, blah blah blah. I'll believe it when it's on the official website - and even then, I'll have my doubts.

Anyway, I've decided to pen a review of our season. Let's start at the very beginning which, in the words of Maria von Trapp, is a very good place to start.

August 2010

Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Everton: The season kicked off on August 14th at Ewood Park after a positive pre-season had fuelled aspirations of European football. However, the hope was quashed as we failed to recover from an early Nikita Kalinic goal. We played well enough to win the match but were found to be lacking in the final third, with Tim Howard's error gifting Rovers all three points.

Everton 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: The type of home game that summed up our first half of the season. Cahill gave us the lead but one goal was all we could muster, and we were duly punished.

Everton 5-1 Huddersfield Town: The first win of the season came in the Carling Cup, as Fellaini, Rodwell, Beckford, Saha and Osman saw off Huddersfield. A bad night for John Heitinga though, as the Dutchman missed a penalty and scored an own goal.

Aston Villa 1-0 Everton: A totally undeserved result. After we fell behind early on we dominated the match but once again could not find the net and we ended the month with a solitary point from a possible nine.

September 2010

Everton 3-3 Manchester United: One of the highlights of the season. We took the lead, only for United to score three without reply. At the end of normal time the points looked to be heading down the M62. Cahill and Arteta had other ideas though, and two goals in injury time salvaged a great point. Phil Jagielka almost completed what would have been one of the greatest comebacks ever but missed the chance to make it 4-3.

Everton 0-1 Newcastle United: After the excitement of the last home game, this one was a totally different story. Newcastle came, scored, defended and took home three points from the type of game we should be winning.

Brentford 1-1 Everton: An utter low point of the season. On a freezing cold Tuesday night we exited the Carling Cup at Griffin Park. After Seamus Coleman's goal was only enough to earn us a draw we lost in a penalty shoot-out. Although I did manage to high-five Yakubu as he collected the ball from in front of the Everton fans.

Fulham 0-0 Everton: A game that will not live long in the memory but we picked up just our third point of the season.

October 2010

Birmingham City 0-2 Everton: Our first league victory of the season was a straightforward one at St. Andrews. The pink kit got a second airing and goals from Cahill and a Johnson own goal secured victory.

Everton 2-0 Liverpool: A second successive win and suddenly everyone thought we'd turned the corner. The elation of derby victory is a high point in any season, and goals from Cahill and Arteta gave us all a day to savour in a season to forget.

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Everton: We stretched our unbeaten run to three games with Leighton Baines' exquisite free-kick earning us a point at Spurs. A good display meant that we returned with a very good point.

Everton 1-0 Stoke City: Our third win in four games made sure that we went the month unbeaten. Yakubu's goal was enough to see off a resilient Stoke outfit in a hard-fought match.

November 2010

Blackpool 2-2 Everton: Seamus Coleman bagged on his return to his old stomping ground as we twice came from behind against a free-scoring Blackpool side. Cahill got our other goal (above) and guess what - it was a header.

Everton 1-1 Bolton Wanderers: It was another disappointing home result, but notable for a fantastic goal at the death from Jermaine Beckford. He received the ball in the corner of the penalty area, took a touch and curled a shot over Jaaskalainen. Beauty.

Everton 1-2 Arsenal: Our seven match unbeaten run was ended by an admittedly excellent Arsenal side. Trailing by two, Tim Cahill's 89th minute goal could not inspire us to a comeback like the one we'd witnessed against Manchester United.

Sunderland 2-2 Everton: A lively but scrappy game ended two a piece. Cahill's header and Arteta's deflected strike sealed a point, but Beckford would have been disappointed he didn't make it three after missing a gilt-edged chance.

Everton 1-4 West Bromwich Albion: I don't even want to think about this one.

December 2010

Chelsea 1-1 Everton: A point at the home of the reigning champions was an impressive outcome, and the manner in which we earned it even more so. We were indifferent for the first period and were deservedly behind, but a Leighton Baines-inspired Everton kept going and were rewarded four minutes from time thanks to the striker's instinct of Jermaine Beckford.

Everton 0-0 Wigan Athletic: Just as it seemed we had turned the corner, a poor, poor performance. Wigan came to Goodison not wanting to be beaten and thanks to our lack of cutting edge, they weren't.

Manchester City 1-2 Everton: What better early Christmas present than a victory at (middle) Eastlands? Tim Cahill caught City napping to steal an early lead, and Baines had the audacity to nick a second within 20 minutes after a fluent team move. The bunch of overpaid, egotistical prima donnas were upstaged by a club with morals, values and spirit on a night that reminded us what we all love about Everton.

West Ham United 1-1 Everton: Our Boxing Day clash with Birmingham was postponed due to frozen pipes at Goodison, so we had time to finish the turkey before travelling to Upton Park. HIBBERT SCORED!!!!!!!!!!! Oh... wait... it was an own goal. Coleman equalised to claim a point.

January 2011

Stoke City 2-0 Everton: A New Year's Day trip to the potteries proved fruitless as we got exactly what we deserved. A bad day at the office.

Everton 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: A much improved team performance produced another great Goodison night. Louis Saha scored his first league goal for 11 months from 20 yards and Seamus Coleman's late header secured a deserved win. Moyes had a go at playing 4-4-2 and it paid off as our power and pace won an enthralling match.

Scunthorpe United 1-5 Everton: Just as in the Carling Cup we won our first tie 5-1. In the new third kit, sumptuously described as 'vanilla', we dominated an awful Championship side and Saha, Beckford, Coleman, Fellaini and Baines all scored in the rout.

Liverpool 2-2 Everton: 'Win at home, draw away' is the key to success in

football, or so we are led to believe by the pundits. After our victory in October, Distin and Beckford scored our goals to claim a satisfying point.

Everton 2-2 West Ham United: An unimaginative performance against a poor side left us needing equalisers from Bilyaletdinov, and then Fellaini, to earn a point in a match from which we'd have been looking to take all three.

Everton 1-1 Chelsea: After demolishing Scunthorpe we were given a much tougher test in the next round of the FA Cup. King Louis' goal glut continued and it would have sent us through but for a late Chelsea equaliser. Onto a replay then...

February

Arsenal 2-1 Everton: A month of ups and downs started with a loss at Arsenal. The King gave us the lead (although he was well offside) but we couldn't hold on.

Everton 5-3 Blackpool: A Goodison classic. Four goals from the man of the moment, Louis Saha (above), and a wonderful fifth from his strike partner Beckford. In an enthralling game the lead exchanged hands multiple teams leading to a score that was frequent in the days of Dixie Dean & co. What's more, it could have been five for Saha as another effort was incorrectly adjudged to have been offside.

Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Everton: From the sublime to the atrocious. This is what Everton do to you. Many suggested that this was the worst performance in Moyes' tenure, and the ginger genius cut a solemn and downbeat figure on the bench. If there was ever a game where I really could have done better than some of our players, this was it. Well, I couldn't have done any worse.

Chelsea 1-1 Everton: And from the atrocious, back to the sublime. We matched Chelsea for 90 minutes, taking the Cup replay to extra time. It looked, though, that all our endeavours had been in vain when Lampard scored for Chelsea in the 108th minute. Not to be deterred, and roared on by 6,000 Evertonians (1,800 Chelsea fans came to Goodison for the first leg), Everton fought on. Baines' last-minute free-kick earned a penalty shoot-out. Baines then contrived to miss our first penalty, but we pulled it out of the bag. Heitinga shoved Ashley Cole, Howard saved from Anelka and Phil Neville stepped up to score the winning penalty. Cue delirium in the Shed End.

Everton 2-0 Sunderland: We followed up the cup success with the type of comfortable and straightforward win that we had not had enough of so far the season. A brace from Beckford was enough for all three points.

March

Everton 0-1 Reading: Such was the way we knocked out Chelsea in round 4, many blues were thinking about whether a trip to Eastlands or Villa Park was on the cards for the quarter-final. This air of arrogance seemed to rub off on the players, who produced a lacklustre performance and were punished by a solid Championship outfit. We were not aided by the fact that Beckford arrived at the ground three minutes prior to kick-off having been stuck in traffic, but Reading were well-organised and deserved victors. After such a disappointing night we left with a slice of dignity intact after clapping Reading off the pitch - something that manager Brian McDermott and many of his players later eluded to.

Newcastle United 1-2 Everton: Everton: they knock you down and then they pick you back up again. An impressive victory thanks to goals from Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka. Arteta was moved to the wing where he had an excellent game.

Everton 1-1 Birmingham City: A fantastic goal from John Heitinga - his first for the club - was not enough not beat Birmingham. Once again, a fixture we should have won but didn't due to a lack of cutting edge.

Everton 2-1 Fulham: Everton marked David Moyes' ninth anniversary of taking charge with exactly the same scoreline - and against the same opponents - as his first match. Saha and Coleman scored our goals in a comfortable and deserved victory.

April

Everton 2-2 Aston Villa: A lively game which saw us take the lead through Osman before Darren Bent scored twice to give Villa the advantage. Bainesy levelled from the spot but we were incorrectly denied a goal when Beckford's effort was adjudged not to have crossed the line.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Everton: After a opening spell of Wolves pressure, we assumed dominance with three wonderful goals. The first was a Beckford header from a Leon Osman cross, the second a thunderbolt from Phil Neville and the third was the best of the lot - a 30-yarder from everyone's favourite Russian.

Everton 2-0 Blackburn Rovers: A straightforward, comfortable victory inspired by Leon Osman. Ossie provided a creative spark that unlocked Blackburn's defence, then Bainesy made sure of the victory from the spot.

Manchester United 1-0 Everton: Our unbeaten run came to an end after a resilient performance at the home of the champions-elect. We looked as though we may be able to snatch a point, but you can never write United off and they scored seven minutes from time. Ferguson then had the audacity to moan to Sky about the amount of extra-time given!

Wigan Athletic 1-1 Everton: A tale of two penalties at the DW: one taken, and missed, by Mikel Arteta and one taken, and scored, by Leighton Baines. A fair result though.

May 2011

Everton 2-1 Manchester City: A victory for class over cash, the spirit of Everton outclassed the Manchester mercenaries. After a dour first half we were 1-0 down, but in the second we witnessed Everton at their very best; unbridled, fluid and magic to see. Osman - 5ft 8" - scored one of the best headed goals of the season, and Distin grabbed the other.

West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Everton: After such a good win, we should have expected an uninspiring loss. And that is exactly what we got.

Everton 1-0 Chelsea: There was nothing to play for on the final day but we ended on a high thanks to a goal from Jermaine Beckford (above) that will go down as one of Goodsion's greatest. He picked up the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and ran solo to the opposite end, before calmly chipping over Petr Cech in front of the Gwladys Street. A standout moment in a forgettable season.

So, there you have it, my season review. We've been less consistent than my Mum's watery gravy and there's been more ups and downs than Jordan's knickers. But we have seen enough towards the end of the season to retain hope for the next campaign, and even though our season wasn't the best our seventh place finish was an improvement on last year.

It's a funny old game.

More International action for Everton stars

A three-course serving of international news today. For starters I bring you the news that Victor Anichebe has been selected in the Nigerian squad that will play a friendly against Argentina in Abuja on 1st June, then an 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia four days later. Joseph Yobo, who is still an Everton player, but will probably move to Fenerbahce in the Summer after helping them win the Turkish league, is also included in the squad. However, there is no place for Yakubu.

Next up is the news that Seamus Coleman is on stand-by to play for Ireland tonight in the Carling Nations Cup match against Northern Ireland. Manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named his team but Liam Lawrence is a fitness doubt, and should he fail a test prior to the match then Coleman will play in his place.

And finally, the news that, as expected, Tim Howard has been included in the USA squad for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Gold Cup takes place from the 5th June until the 25th at thirteen venues across America. The US side will gather for initial training on May 26th, leading up to a friendly with Spain on June 4th. The USA will play their matches against Canada (June 7th), Panama (June 11) and Guadeloupe (June 14th). The USA, who have also included ex-Everton loanee Landon Donovan in the squad, are hot favourites to win the competition and win the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.

My Alternative End of Season Awards

The annual Everton awards were held last night and Leighton Baines left with a deserved three-trophy haul, having won Player's Player of the Season, Player of the Season and Goal of the Season for his last-minute free-kick against Chelsea. Duncan Ferguson was honoured with the title of 'Everton giant', Seamus Coleman bagged Young Player of the Season, Jose Baxter took home the gong for Reserve Player of the Season and Jake Bidwell was crowned Academy Player of the Season. The Howard Kendall Award for Outstanding Achievement went to the league-winning U-18 side, whilst chairman Bill Kenwright honoured David Moyes and Leon Osman with his 'Blue Blood' award. The award for Ladies Player of the Season went to Natasha Dowie, who scored the winner in Everton's FA Cup final win.

Most of the results turned out as expected, so I thought I would have a go at dishing out some of my own, admittedly less prestigious, awards. Without further ado, I present to you my alternative end of season awards:

Game of the Season

It may have been a slightly disappointing season but there have been some real highlights. To name just a few - the Goodison wins over Manchester City and Liverpool, and the late comeback against Manchester United. For me though, in terms of sheer footballing entertainment, this award has to go to Everton 5-3 Blackpool. Both sides contributed to an absolute classic - one of the best games I have ever seen at Goodison.

Highlight of the Season

The season has brought some incredible highs, but none higher than the FA Cup 4th Round victory at Stamford Bridge. Six-thousand Evertonians, Heitinga's shove on Ashley Cole and, of course, Phil Neville's emphatic winning penalty. What a day.

Lowlight of the Season

Where to start? The 4-1 defeat to West Brom? Failing to beat Wolves and Wigan at home? The utterly abject performance at Bolton? There are, sadly, too many to mention. If pushed though, I would select the loss to Brentford in the Carling Cup. The way we exited both the cups was utterly disappointing, especially after holding so much belief we could reach Wembley again.

The Per Kroldrup Award for Flop of the Season

This was the year that Jack Rodwell was meant to cement his position in the side, and take steps towards fulfilling his potential. I still believe he can make it to the top, as does admirer Sir Alex Ferguson, but injuries and poor form have made him my flop of the season. In my opinion, he needs to start controlling games and move away from the Ray Wilkins-style 'crab' performances that we have seen from him this year. Also nominated for this award was Mikel Arteta.

The Classiest Moment of the Season

We may not have the resources of many other clubs, but one thing that Everton will always have in abundance is class. For me, the way that the majority of our fans stayed behind to clap Reading off the pitch after our FA Cup loss was a tribute to our club. It epitomised what Everton are all about and, although it didn't make up for our dismal showing that night, it gave us all a hint of pride.

The 'Love Him or Hate Him Award', sponsored by Marmite

This award can only go to one player - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov. I want to love Billy, and the talent is clearly there, but his performances are too inconsistent. He is an enigma: at times magical but at others lethargic and totally anonymous.

The Emmanuel Eboue Award for Winning over the Fans

I'm going to give this one to Sylvain Distin. Many were not sure about the French centre-half before the season, with most suggesting that Moyes' favoured pairing would be Jagielka and Heitinga. Aside from a few mistakes, Distin has been solid and dependable, and is probably only second to Leighton Baines in the running for player of the season. Has scored some vital goals to boot - against Liverpool and old club Manchester City.

The Lady Gaga Award for providing endless Internet Gossip

There is only one man deserving of this title - step forward Mr John Heitinga. Although the latest news is that he wants to stay, he has fuelled rumours of moves to, amongst others, Manchester City and Bayern Munich. He has been quoted as saying that 'I am always looking to move to a bigger club', and it seems that after every international break there is a new story linking him with a Goodison Park exit.

The Splinter-in-the-bum Award

It was to be expected, unless Tim Howard had picked up an injury, that Jan Mucha would spend the majority of the season on the substitutes' bench. That has proved to be the case, and the Slovakian number one looks set to move on in the Summer.

The Sandra Redknapp Award for Miss of the Season

Ok, so I realise it may not have been for Everton, and that the player has been on loan since January, but this award can only go to Yakubu's miss for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup. It defied belief. It was so bad that it gets worse each time you see it. I mean, it was two yards out. Open goal. As Hawwy 'the dog' Redknapp said: "my missus could've scored!"

The Amr Zaki Award for unjustified early season hope

Not his fault at all - and I must point out he is a legend in my eyes - but I couldn't think of anyone but Tim Cahill for this one. His goals carried us through the first part of the season, but the Asia Cup unfortunately ruined his season. It's great news that he's said he'll be resting up over the Summer - we need him fit and ready for next season.

So there you have them, my end of season awards. Onwards and hopefully upwards as we look forward with hope to next season (although the hope will have inevitably gone by September).

Loan Watch

Within no fewer than eight of our squad scattered around the continent on various loan deals, I thought I would check on their progress at the temporary clubs.

Joseph Yobo moved to Turkish giants Fenerbahce in August 2010 on a season-long loan deal. He made his debut in the Turkish Super Lig in a 2-0 defeat, a game in which he had to go off injured. However, he has recovered to play in 21 of the 28 games so far this season, in the process helping his adopted side to the summit of the league. The most recent fixture (9th April) was a 3-1 away win at Eskisehirspor and Joey played the full 90 minutes.

Joseph Yobo has become a key player for Fenerbahce

Iain Turner signed for Preston North End in February 2011, on a 93-day emergency loan. He has replaced Andy Lonergan as PNE's number one, and his arrival has coincided with some good Preston form, demonstrated in consecutive wins against Scunthorpe, Coventry and Swansea. However, the form seems to have come a little too late in the season and Phil Brown's team are languishing 23rd in the Championship, with only six games left to try and avoid relegation. He was in goal for the most recent fixture (9th April), a 1-1 away draw at Portsmouth.

Iain Turner's Preston are relegation favourites

James Vaughan joined Crystal Palace in January, the latest move in a series of loan spells (Derby, Leicester and a previous spell at Palace). In all he has scored nine goals for the Eagles, including a hat-trick vs Portsmouth, and has become a key player in a team fighting to beat relegation. He scored the winning penalty in the club's last win, vs Barnsley, but couldn't help as Palace slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich (9th April).

Vaughan scores 1/3 of his hat-trick against Pompey

Yakubu was also shipped out to a Championship club in January, heading to Filbert Street to play for Leicester City. He has made thirteen appearances for the Foxes, scoring seven goals which included a recent hat-trick against old club Middlesbrough. He is a 'Wolves player' in my opinion: too good for the Championship but not good enough/ too lazy for the Premier League. Managed by Sven, Leicester have drafted in a host of marquee loanees and lie ninth in the table, five points off the play-offs. This weekend they recorded a 4-0 win over Burnley with Yak playing the whole match.

The Yak scored on his debut vs Preston

Joao Silva, signed in June 2009, was sent back to the Portuguese first division for some regular games. He joined a side called U.D. Leiria. Joao scored in his club's last match against Maritimo, but couldn't prevent a 1-3 defeat. He is likely to figure in their next match away to Setubal (10th April, 16:00). U.D are currently 10th in the 16-team Portuguese league.

Joao looks the part in an U.D. Leiria shirt

Shane Duffy joined Burnley at the end of March on a 28-day loan. He played 90 minutes against Ipswich, a game which Burnley lost 2-1, but has not played since. Burnley have slipped in recent weeks, and now lie 11th in the Championship table.

Shane has only made one appearance for the clarets

Kieran Agard joined Kilmarnock on January deadline day in a loan deal that went almost unacknowledged. He has indeed only made two substitute appearances for Kilmarnock and hasn't even featured on the bench for the last two games.

Agard has gone from bench warmer at Everton to bench-warmer at Killie

James Wallace joined League 2 strugglers Stockport County in February and made an immediate impact, scoring a wondergoal on his debut, although his side lost 1-4. He has played nine times for Stockport who unfortunately are rock bottom of League Two and look likely to be playing the likes of Newport County and Kettering Town in the Blue Square Premier next year.

Wallace has been a shining light in Stockport's woeful campaign