Everton Team News

Preview: Everton v Reading (19.30)

Saha, who has been troubled with a hamstring injury of late, crashed his Ferrari into a fence on Sunday but David Moyes has included him in his squad to face the Championship side.

Marouane Fellaini is a major doubt, however, after aggravating an ankle injury in Saturday's Premier League victory over Sunderland and a decision on his fitness will not be made until closer to kick-off.

Jermaine Beckford could miss out because of a groin problem, while the fitness of Tim Cahill and Victor Anichebe will also be checked before Moyes names his starting line-up.

Paying attention to the team news as Everton are 2-gamers next week (@NUFC, BRM) providing this FA Cup tie doesn't require a replay.

UPDATE:  Everton team: Howard Neville Baines Jagielka Bilyaletdinov Saha Arteta Distin Osman Coleman Rodwell

Just Not Good Enough

Today brings us two more entries for the "Just Not Good Enough for the Premier League" team. You know, that player that looks great in Holland or in the Championship but can't make the step up to the big time. The Darren Huckerbys and Mateja Kezmans of the world. (And why are these players invariably strikers?)

Kitson returns to Reading on loan

Stoke City's record signing Dave Kitson has gone back to Championship side Reading on loan until the end of the season, reports BBC Radio Stoke.

The 29-year-old striker signed for City for £5.5m in the summer, but has failed to find the net for the Potters in 18 appearances for the club.

Prica quits Sunderland for Norway

Sunderland have allowed striker Rade Prica to join Norwegian side Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old Sweden international held talks over the weekend and has clinched a move in time for Saturday's season-opener against Valerenga.

Prica played six times for the Black Cats, all of them as sub, after a £2m switch from Aalborg in January, 2008.

A Cautionary Tale

One of the stories of the last 12 months or so that has really disappointed me is the path and trajectory of West Ham United. Was it really just 13 months ago that they played one of the more compelling FA Cup Final matches ever to cap off a triumphant return to the Premier League? Who could ask for more? They were young, scrappy, offensive-minded, and the team was comprised predominantly of players who had come up through the ranks. Throw in the fact that they recruited one of my favorite young English players in January of their promotion campaign (Dean Ashton) and they had cemented themselves as my second choice team behind Arsenal (I generally tend to have one other team I enjoy following each year because there is a player or storyline I gravitate to as opposed to my long term loyalty to the Gunners).

The spending spree following their rise to UEFA Cup participant started innocently enough - some low-profile defensive fortifications (mostly a lot of right backs). I think the moment it all went bad was the moment they recruited Lee Bowyer. That was followed up with the two Argentines who, while having undeniable quality, were always going to cause a massive change in the composition of the team. What followed was a drastic transformation from lovable overachievers to annoying mercenaries. Sure, they survivied but the young players regressed and the new acquisitions seemed poorly thought out and more typical of the way Newcastle tends to build teams (throw money at the biggest names available) than the prudent way they achieved promotion and then managed to not only stay up but prosper at the highest level.

The reason I mention this is that Reading supplanted West Ham as the 2nd place team in my heart this past season with a storyline similar to that of West Ham the year before. As they start to evaluate transfer dealings, hopefully they will look at the example the Hammers provided and avoid the same mistakes. Certainly, they haven't done anything to ruin their vibe so far but at some point they'll have to recruit a replacement for Steve Sidwell [um... what about this guy? -js] and make a few more moves to ensure that they consolidate their position in the Prem. Hopefully, they will at the same time manage to maintain their wits and recruit the right type of player who will enhance their dynamic rather than ruining it.

My advice, buy young and avoid guys who bring in a feeling of entitlement to the team. It will be difficult enough to keep the team level-headed now that they've proven they belong.

Black Cats Land Halford

Barclays Premiership newcomers Sunderland have made their first summer signing with the capture of Reading defender Greg Halford.



It is understood the 22-year-old full-back has signed for the Black Cats after undergoing a medical.



The club are expected to confirm the transfer, which comes just five months after the Chelmsford-born player joined the Royals from Colchester, later on Monday.

Halford was a January buy for Steve Coppell, but he could never displace either Murty or De La Cruz in the starting XI. Big things were promised, but Coppell seemed to be bringing him along slowly. I'm surprised that Reading would sell him as Murty isn't getting younger. But perhaps they see something in De La Cruz, or Sunderland came up with more money than they could turn down. Roy Keane needed a new right back after ManU defender Johhny Evans returned to the mother ship.

If Halford is as good as promised, and that is now a question after Reading sells him, then he could turn out to be value for money come next season.

UPDATE:  Here's the other piece to this puzzle: De La Cruz agrees new Royals deal

Steve Sidwell agrees Chelsea move

Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join the club on a free transfer from July 1. The 24-year-old midfielder has quit Reading after rejecting a new £25,000-per-week, four-year deal.

Look for him to get his first start in January '08 when Mikel and Essien go the African Nations Cup. But in the mean time, he can get sodoku help from SWP and Bridge on the Chelsea bench as the three look for something to do on Saturday afternoons.

Wither Distin?

With the news that Sylvain Distin will be packing up his gear and putting Manchester City blue in his rear-view mirror, it gets you thinking about where he SHOULD land if he indeed stays in the Premier League. Here's a quick breakdown...

1) Pompey - knows the 'keeper pretty well from their time together at Citeh and after a year of rotating central defenders due to injury (mostly caused by the brittleness of old age) - Distin would be welcome relief. He isn't a spring chicken but he hasn't been a consistent injury casualty like Primus, Campbell, et al.

2) Newcastle - let's see...he's a veteran player, he's foreign, he's a defender, he plays a physical game - anything here NOT scream Big Sam? Actually, he'd be a great signing while NUFC look for some younger options.

3) Aston Villa - continuing yesterday's trend of mentioning Villa everytime a reasonably-good-but-not-great player is being discussed - he'd really solidify the Villains defence in the way that Martin Laursen was supposed to before suffering injury after injury after injury...(there are probably bigger priorities though).

4) Reading - exactly the sort of signing they need to solidify their place in the Premier League. The defence was OK but Distin would represent an upgrade.

5) Everton - more likely to go young than add a veteran but Lescott/Yobo/Distin would be a great 3-man rotation (assuming they can find full backs who will allow Lescott to move back to the middle where he belongs).

6) Arsenal - a stop-gap measure for sure but Senderos doesn't seem to be the answer and Gallas and Toure are pretty much the same player (the smaller, more technical half of a potentially excellent central tandem). Distin would also be a great mentor for Johan Djourou who still seems like he has the potential to be the long-term answer opposite a Toure/Gallas-type partner.

In other random news, I saw a rumor that Everton are chasing Phil Bardsley. If this is more than just hype and he is really available then there should be a lot of interest in him between Everton, Villa, Newcastle, Blackburn, and Bolton all of whom really need a solid right back who can get forward a little bit as well.